grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & friends

Each colour palette in the garden creates a unique atmosphere, and you don’t need intricate knowledge of the colour wheel to combine them cohesively in the garden.

In this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series, Sarah talks us through why her colour palette system works to create stunning arrangements which work with each other, rather than against each other, and how to transition between palettes within neighbouring spaces.

In this episode, discover:

• How Sarah’s four core colour palettes each create a distinct mood in the garden
• Where each palette works best at Perch Hill, and where they might be most suited in your own space
• How to avoid a cluttered, chaotic feeling by thinking of colour palettes in ‘visual fields’
• How to use bridge plants and universal colours to link different palettes seamlessly
• Ways to work with trickier colours so that they enhance your space, rather than overwhelm it

Products mentioned:

Dahlia 'Molly Raven': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-molly-raven

Tulip 'Slawa': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-slawa

Tulip 'Apricot Foxx': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-apricot-foxx

Phlox paniculata 'David': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-paniculata-david

Erysimum 'Winter Orchid': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/erysimum-winter-orchid

Phlox drummondii grandiflora 'Cherry Caramel': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-drummondii-cherry-caramel

Tulip 'Dom Pedro': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-dom-pedro

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Welcome to the first in a brand new miniseries of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, as Sarah delves into the world of colour, and how to use each colour palette to its absolute maximum potential in the garden.

In this week’s first episode, Sarah shares how the colour system used at Perch Hill came to be, the theories behind mixing certain palettes, and the difference between calm and chaos when combining colours.

In this episode, discover:

• How Sarah’s experiences as a florist, gardener and colour-obsessed child shaped her approach to garden colour
• How the colour palettes underpin every border at Perch Hill
• Why misuse of colour can make some gardens feel chaotic 
• The six key colours within each palette, from citrus brights and Venetian velvets to café-au-lait pastels and cool silvers
• Why no colour is truly “wrong” in a garden, and how the right combinations and contrasts can make even challenging shades sing

Products mentioned:

Tulip 'Mariette': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-mariette

Tulip 'Sarah Raven': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-sarah-raven

Tulip 'Slawa': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-slawa

Tulip 'Dom Pedro': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-dom-pedro

Tulip 'Copex Cairo': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-copex-cairo

Dahlia 'Waltzing Mathilda': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-waltzing-mathilda

Dahlia 'Schipper’s Bronze’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-schippers-bronze

Dahlia 'Tom's Choice': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-toms-choice

Dahlia 'Molly Raven': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-molly-raven

Dahlia 'Perch Hill': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-perch-hill

Dahlia 'Lou Farman': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-lou-farman

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Rubenza': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-rubenza

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Dazzler': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-dazzler

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Xanthos': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-xanthos

Digitalis purpurea 'Sutton's Apricot': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/digitalis-purpurea-suttons-apricot

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

In this episode, Sarah is joined by YouTube phenomenon Huw Richards to talk about his journey from smallholding childhood to seven-acre experimental plot, and the ideas behind his hit book Veg in One Bed. 

They’ll also cover exactly what to sow in late winter, and what’ll perform best when sown later – from chillies and aubergines to peas, onions and tomatoes. 

In this episode, discover:

• How Huw Richards went from helping on his parents’ Welsh smallholding to building a seven-acre experimental food-growing site
• The story behind Huw’s first book, Veg in One Bed, and the sheer potential in a single 10x4ft bed
• How Huw blends creativity with just enough science to keep things productive
• Exactly what Huw is sowing in late winter, and why timing matters
• How Huw’s now using his land to grow for education, biodiversity and food

Episode Cover Photo Credit: Dorling Kindersley: Jason Ingram

Products mentioned:

Pepper 'Padron'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pepper-padron

Courgette 'Black Beauty'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/courgette-black-beauty

Aubergine 'Slim Jim'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/aubergine-slim-jim

Spring Onion 'North Holland Blood Red'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/spring-onion-north-holland-blood-red

Tomato 'Sungold'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-sungold

Tomato 'Tigerella'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-tigarella

Tomato 'Honeycomb' F1

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-honeycomb-f1

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

From their resistance to deep snow and hard frosts, to long-flowering habits, hellebores are quietly spectacular plants that earn their keep in pots, borders and shady corners.

This week we’re diving into one of the true stars of the winter garden, focusing on the new varieties that bring a renewed perspective on one of the winter garden’s most generous providers, and how to keep them looking their best in the garden or in a vase.

In this episode, discover:

• How to choose hellebore varieties for pots, borders and different garden conditions, from shade to full sun with Corsican types
• The best new and classic hellebores for long winter colour, including Maestro, Merlin, Strawberry Moon, Bijou and the Pretty Ellen series
• How to cut, condition and arrange hellebores so they stand proud in a vase for two weeks
• Practical ways to prevent and deal with pests and diseases like aphids, mice damage, leaf miner and black spot
• Tips on soil, compost, potting and feeding so hellebores thrive as long-lived, reliable perennials

Products mentioned:

Helleborus niger

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-niger

Helleborus argutifolius

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-argutifolius

Helleborus x ballardiae 'Merlin'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-x-ballardiae-merlin

Helleborus x 'Bijoux'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-bijoux

Helleborus x 'Guess'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-guess

Helleborus orientalis 'Pretty Ellen Red'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-pretty-ellen-red

Helleborus orientalis 'Pretty Ellen Spotted'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-orientalis-pretty-ellen-spotted

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

March 2026 marks the release of perhaps Sarah’s most personal book to date, drawing from childhood love, family influence, and the evolution of one’s own gardening tastes.

In this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ Milli Proust joins us to discuss Sarah's new book, ‘A Year of Cut Flowers’, blending the memoir and the method to trace her family’s historic love of flora, and how it drew Sarah into the world of cut flowers.

In this episode, discover:

• How childhood wildflower hunts with Sarah’s father and her life with Adam shaped her lifetime love of cut flowers
• How even a small, carefully planned patch of cut flowers can fill your home with abundant, seasonal blooms
• The surprisingly powerful impact of spacing and pinching on plant health, vase life and stem production
• Why gardening, and especially growing for the vase, can become such a life‑enhancing practice which evolves with you

Products mentioned:

Abelia x grandiflora

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/abelia-x-grandiflora

Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cerinthe-major-purpurascens

Euphorbia oblongata

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/euphorbia-oblongata

Salvia viridis 'Blue Monday'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-viridis-blue

Helianthus annuus 'ProCut Plum' (Sunflower)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helianthus-annuus-procut-plum

Ammi majus

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/ammi-majus

Phlox drummondii 'Blushing Bride'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-drummondii-blushing-bride

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

The dream garden of low‑maintenance abundance is all about picking the plants that need hardly any input, just the lightest touch of editing, and they’ll give you months of shifting colour.

In the third episode in this theme with Arthur, we dive into the self-seeding annuals and biennials that bring abundant colour to the garden with very little effort. 

From forget-me-nots and violas to cerinthe, cosmos and quaking grasses, they share their favourite ‘volunteer’ plants, how to manage them, and simple ways to use them in borders and cut-flower arrangements for a truly low-maintenance, flower-filled garden.

In this episode, discover:

• How to use self-seeding annuals and biennials to create a low‑maintenance, flower‑filled garden that largely looks after itself
• Inspired plant recommendations, from forget‑me‑nots and violas, to grasses, nasturtiums and Californian poppies 
• Practical tips on managing self‑sowers - when to let them run, and when to thin them out
• Ways to weave self‑seeders into borders, pots and even cracks in paving for long‑season colour, movement and structure

Products mentioned:

Cerinthe major 'Kiwi Blue'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cerinthe-major-kiwi-blue

Heart's Ease (Viola tricolor)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/viola-heartsease

Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/anthriscus-sylvestris-ravenswing

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Dazzler'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-dazzler

Ammi majus

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/ammi-majus

Panicum miliaceum 'Violaceum'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/panicum-violaceum

Briza maxima (Greater Quaking Grass)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/briza-maxima-greater-quaking-grass

Nicandra physalodes

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nicandra-physalodes

Persicaria orientalis

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/persicaria-orientalis

Nasturtium 'Ladybird Rose' (Tropaeolum minus)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nasturtium-ladybird-rose

Nasturtium 'Bloody Mary' (Tropaeolum minus)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nasturtium-bloody-mary

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

For months of scent throughout the sunnier months, there are a whole host of nostalgic stalwarts and surprising new picks that are impossible to ignore.

Every garden deserves a perfume as captivating as the 12 plants at the top of Josie and Sarah’s list this week, as they laud the dozen best flowers to sow for unbeatable aroma from April through to October.

In this episode, discover:

• How to choose standout scented plants that really earn their place for perfume and looks alike
• Which specific varieties Sarah and Josie regularly rely on, and what makes each one special
• Practical when-and-how tips for sowing, planting, and positioning scented plants to get fragrance from spring right through to autumn
• Ways to use these plants as cut flowers, including vase-life tricks and how to make small bunches scent whole rooms
• How to layer scent through borders, climbers, containers, and shrubs so that every corner of the garden offers a different perfumed moment

Products mentioned:

Trachelospermum jasminoides

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/trachelospermum-jasminoides

Sweet Pea 'Matucana'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lathyrus-odoratus-matucana

Narcissus 'Actaea'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-actaea

Matthiola incana 'Pillow Talk'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/matthiola-incana-pillow-talk

Lonicera periclymenum 'Graham Thomas'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lonicera-periclymenum-graham-thomas

Acidanthera murielae (syn. Gladiolus)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/acidanthera-murielae

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Every year, we venture out to the Netherlands in search of the most captivating dahlias, each worthy of a spot in your garden to liven up the late-summer months.

Tom Stimpson joins us again on the podcast to share their current ‘cream of the crop’, from reliable classics like ‘Molly Raven’ and ‘Adam’s Choice’, to gorgeous growers like ‘Strawberry Cream’ and ‘Princess Nadine’. 

Join us for an episode packed with garden inspiration for any colour palette, and a glimpse into how we choose our standout favourites from a field of hundreds and thousands.

In this episode, discover:

• How Sarah and Tom select stellar dahlias from Dutch trial fields, and the characteristics that make truly exceptional plants
• Varieties that are pollinator-friendly to bring a buzz of life into the garden
• How to condition your dahlias for mighty vase life

Products mentioned:

Dahlia 'Princess Nadine'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-princess-nadine

Dahlia 'Skyfall'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-skyfall

Dahlia 'Café au Lait'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-cafe-au-lait

Dahlia 'Adam's Choice'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-adams-choice

Dahlia 'Polka'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-polka

Dahlia 'Strawberry Cream'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-strawberry-cream

Dahlia 'Honka Pink'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-honka-pink

Dahlia 'Molly Raven'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-molly-raven

Dahlia 'Labyrinth'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-labyrinth

Dahlia 'Lou Farman'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-lou-farman

Dahlia 'Break Out'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-break-out

Dahlia 'Verrone's Obsidian'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-verrones-obsidian

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Shane Connolly is a master of many arts, and one that he exhibits throughout the year is how to use sustainable floristry to create a sense of charm often reserved for the tiniest of tables.

That’s why he’s in such high demand - we talk through his exciting, varied year of arranging in this week’s podcast, with a look at the festive season, and a few tips to serve your own arranging in the festive season, taking inspiration from Shane’s wondrous wedding displays.

In this episode, discover:

• How Shane approaches weddings, intimate dinners, grand public events and royal occasions
• Why he favours seasonal, British-grown flowers and how he builds close relationships with growers and suppliers
• The behind-the-scenes logistics of big museum dinners and public events, from long tables to thousands of tiny vases and candles
• How Shane creates sustainable, glitter-free Christmas magic, including his Marie Antoinette-inspired V&A tree and reusable decorations

Products mentioned:

Convallaria majalis (Lily of the Valley)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/convallaria-lily-of-the-valley

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Whether you're nurturing a bustling city plot or a country border, there’s a spot in everyone’s gardens, pots and borders for beautiful, productive perennials throughout the year.

Following on from last week’s episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Arthur is with us again to focus this time on perennials that are light-touch and bountiful for those of us putting together a low-maintenance garden.

In this episode, discover:

• Perennials, shrubs, and self-seeding annuals that provide long-lasting beauty with minimal care
• Personal stories, hands-on tips, and garden-tested wisdom to help you with your plant selection and garden upkeep
• New and improved varieties bred for reduced invasiveness, greater disease resistance, and extended flowering seasons
• Plants that attract bees and other wildlife, showcasing how low-fuss gardens can support biodiversity too

Products mentioned:

Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/aster-x-frikartii-monch

Salvia x jamensis 'Nachtvlinder'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-x-jamensis-nachtvlinder

Phlox paniculata 'David'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-paniculata-david

Geranium 'Rozanne'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geranium-rozanne

Geranium wallichianum 'Bloom Me Away'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geranium-wallichianum-bloom-me-away

Pennisetum macrourum

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pennisetum-macrourum

Chasmanthium latifolium

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/chasmanthium-latifolium

Stipa gigantea

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/stipa-gigantea

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest