Sarah Raven and Gary Newell share a mutual passion for shrubbery, putting more thought into the ornamental beauty of these structural garden sensations.

In our 12 best series, we turn our attention to shrubs - all through the year, these trendy varieties are standout additions to your garden, whether you’re looking for a shrub that’s pollinator-friendly, compact, colourful or grandiose.

In this episode, discover:

• Varieties of shrubs which thrive in wet and dry conditions alike
• New shrubs like Daphne Perfume Princess which combine strong growing with showy flowers and irresistible scent
• Evergreens to bring sensational structure all year round

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

With every exciting summer holiday comes the dread of returning to your garden having suffered under the scorching heat, particularly if nobody can water your plants in your absence.

That’s why this week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Head Gardener Josie Lewis returns to share the absolute heat-beating tips, from the collective power of grouping your pots to the life-saving use of capillary matting.

In this episode, discover:

• How pots collected together around a bucket of water form a remarkable microcosm to keep them cooler
• Marvellously effective methods of giving plants water in your absence, from capillary matting to irrigation systems
• Unlikely tips for hanging baskets, involving the use of old socks and shirts
• The dangers of aminopyralid when buying in mulch

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

As flowers drift in and out of season, so can your palette of edible flowers, bringing you joy in the garden and the kitchen alike.

Shining a spotlight on a ‘plant of the moment’ in each month, Sarah Raven takes this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to inspire your year of edible flower growing with her 12 best for flavour and productivity.

In this episode, discover:

• Numerous ways to use your edible flowers, from scattering and tempura-ing, to the art of crafting a flavoured sugar
• Why April is such an exciting month for edibles, with a focus on the all-edible family of Tulips
• The abundance of exciting Runner Bean flowers that you should grow for a stellar July
• September’s irresistible call for Dahlias, and how to use their petals in delicious salads

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

What is the inspiration behind your love of gardening and all things floral? Each of us tells a vastly different story, and that diversity is at the heart of Alice Vincent’s new, heartwarming book.

‘Why Women Grow’ paints a stunning visage of the reasons that women take to the garden, reasons that often are buried deep within the work that they do. Consider Alice’s work the chance to let those stories bloom… 

We hear a little of Alice’s own muse, the balcony garden plants that allowed her passion to flourish, and a few of the moving stories from her book with such poignance.

In this episode, discover:

• How Alice found inspiration in balcony gardening and nurtured it into an all-encompassing passion
• Ideal flowers for balcony pots, bringing structure, smell and spectacle to even the smallest of urban spaces
• The one, deeply insightful question that elicits so many heartwarming stories for Alice to bring to life in her book, ‘Why Women Grow’

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

While the lovely Arthur Parkinson has been away writing and illustrating, both he and Sarah Raven have had a number of green-fingered revelations that are just too good not to share.

From a newfound love for the fern Metallicum (best seen at sunrise or sunset), to a new, pollinator-friendly concoction that keeps mildew at bay, this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ is an absolute grab bag of ideas and inspiration.

In this episode, discover:

• New standout perennials, shrubs and roses, like the reliable Timeless Purple and velvet glamour of James Mason
• How to learn lessons from Chelsea, and design your own wildflower garden to look more welcoming than wayward
• A fantastic new solution which we’ve trialled on Ranunculus here, perfect for preventing mildew
• The unexpected beauty that bookends Arthur’s days: the silver fern ‘Metallicum’

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

A big thank you all of the listeners of the grow, cook, eat, arrange podcast, which has just hit the incredible milestone of 3 million downloads! 

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Hosting a party is made magnitudes more rewarding when you grow the food and decorations yourself, and the Booth sisters joining us this week on the podcast have mastered that art.

Jessie and Con Booth share, between their specialities of decorative floral plants and delicious edibles respectively, their 12 top additions to any garden, such that you can grow your own party.

In this episode, discover:

• How the duo combined their complementary gifts into a business of floral decorating and growing
• Jessie’ favourite floral additions, from the theatrics of Sunflowers to the aromatic joys of Bearded Iris
• Con’s top edibles, whether they be the juiciest Tomatoes like ‘Costoluto Fiorentino’ or a climbing Courgette like ‘Tromboncino’

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

In Olia Hercules’ book title, she describes the power of food to comfort and connect, and nobody exhibits it in such a captivating way as Olia does.

Be inspired by the wonders of world food as one of Ukraine’s most moving and emotive cooks and writers joins Sarah on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, sharing the delights of Ukrainian recipes.

In this episode, discover:

• Olia’s background and journey to discovering the joys of cookery
• Heartwarming tales of family recipes perfect for you to try at home
• Recipes to take advantage of bountiful wild garlic from foraging
• The profound connection you form when you cook with what you grow

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Behind every Dahlia’s watercolour beauty is a mind-boggling scientific world of floral possibility - who better to share the joys of Dahlia breeding than our very own Josie Lewis.

This week we break down the biology behind the beauty, how to germinate your own seeds, and breeding for the perfect Dahlia with stunning colour and fantastic vase life.

In this episode, discover:

• The startling science behind these beautiful plants, like their numerous chromosomes and fascinating transposons
• How to use the expert knowledge on Dahlia breeding to germinate your own special seeds
• What to look for in an ideal plant, from height and form to colour and vase life

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

With names like Jamie Oliver under tutorship, Jekka McVicar’s word is gospel when it comes to growing herbs for your own culinary masterpieces.

For those of us looking for the simplest start to a herb garden, even in the smallest of spaces, Jekka is a font of knowledge, sharing her 12 best beginner-friendly herbs in this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’.

In this episode, discover:

• How to combine herbs together, just as one would ingredients in a cocktail
• The flavours of herb for a zing that permeates your cooking, an aniseed kick, and much more
• Why one shouldn’t use hands when planting out Basil seeds among other lovely herbs

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest