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

Cut flowers are one of the great joys of summer, and since Sarah’s last episode on cut flowers, there are a host of wonderful new varieties worthy of adorning your vases.

This episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ hones in on 20 of the best flowers for taking cuttings throughout the coming season, offering unbeatable scent, intriguing shapes, and staggering productivity all summer long.

In this episode, discover:

• Cut flowers with productivity and personality, from the elegant Nicotiana Silvestris to more delicate grasses 
• The top flower picks that last for weeks, or sometimes up to a month
• How to create showstopping arrangements with fragrance, which are also marvellously pollinator-friendly
• Which flowers have the longest flowering seasons for cut flowers all season long

Products mentioned:

Nicotiana sylvestris 'Only the Lonely'"

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nicotiana-sylvestris

Paeonia 'Coral Sunset'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/paeonia-coral-sunset

Rosa x odorata 'Mutabilis' (China)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rosa-x-oderata-mutabilis

Rosa rubrifolia (Shrub)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rosa-glauca-syn-rubrifolia

Lonicera periclymenum 'Graham Thomas'

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

Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens'

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

Briza maxima (Greater Quaking Grass)

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

Chasmanthium latifolium

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

Panicum capillare 'Sparkling Fountain'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/panicum-sparkling-fountain

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Purity'

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

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Apricotta'

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

Antirrhinum majus 'Potomac Apple-blossom' F1

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-majus-potomac-apple-blossom-f1

Antirrhinum 'Liberty Crimson' F1

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-liberty-crimson

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

The Great British Sewing Bee brings so much delight to those who watch it, and instrumental to its charm is Co-Host Patrick Grant, this week’s fabulous podcast guest.

This week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ dives into the magic behind the show, what makes it so enjoyable for everyone on and off-screen, Patrick’s marvellous mission with Community Clothing, and the ambitious plans for an inspiring garden transformation at his Yorkshire home.

In this episode, discover:

• Behind the magic of The Great British Sewing Bee, how Patrick came to present the show, and what makes it such a special experience
• Patrick’s incredible mission with Community Clothing, breathing life back into British textile manufacturing 
• How Patrick is transforming his charming garden in Yorkshire into a thriving, beautiful space

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

At this time of year sweet peas are one of the season’s greatest joys, whether through the earlier flowering varieties or the incredibly fragrant flowers.

In this solo episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ Sarah dives into the best growing systems for stunning sweet peas, a new method for picking & deadheading, and the specific sweet peas that will make your garden sing through spring.

In this episode, discover:

• How best to condition sweet peas for the most prolific growth and huge stems
• A new method of picking that helps give you more flowers, and keep life in your sweet peas
• Sarah’s tips for preventing mildew, not just for sweet peas but for most plants
• The absolute top varieties for perfume, performance, and early-flowering delights

Products mentioned:

Sweet Pea 'Matucana'

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

Sweet Pea 'Mrs Collier'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lathyrus-odoratus-mrs-collier

Sweet Pea 'Nimbus'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sweet-pea-nimbus 

Sweet Pea 'Blue Velvet'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sweet-pea-blue-velvet

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

There’s nothing quite like cooking outside, and summer provides the perfect opportunity to light a fire and cook up a feast, all inspired by expert tips and recipes courtesy of chef and author, Gill Meller.

Highlighting delicious recipes from his book ‘Outside’, Gill joins Sarah on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to share stories of his early forays cooking outdoors, the recipes he couldn’t live without, and some common pitfalls to avoid when you’re inevitably inspired to cook on the fire.

In this episode, discover:

• Advice for cooking delicious meals outdoors, transforming flavours and the importance of great ingredients
• The origins of the personal connection that Gill shares with cooking and the outdoors
• Indispensable tools and techniques for successful cooking, and advice on how to manage a fire effectively and safely
• The primal joy of outdoor cooking, and how it engages all our senses 

Outside by Gill Meller:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outside-Recipes-Wilder-Way-Eating/dp/1787137473

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

Between starting out at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall, a spot on Alan Titchmarsh’s new TV show, and raising two young daughters, organic grower Anna Greenland is a modern horticultural heroine.

Returning to ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ this month, Anna joins Sarah to share how she inspires her children to grow with her, tips for encouraging younger family members to embrace gardening, and what to sow or harvest now to enjoy the kitchen garden’s greatest gifts.

In this episode, discover:

• How Anna became a passionate vegetable grower and her journey from front of house at Jamie Oliver's restaurant, to growing and supplying produce at the Lost Gardens of Heligan
• A glimpse into the life of gardening with children, and creative ways to engage kids in the garden
• Practical growing tips for July, with Anna’s pick of what to harvest now, and what to sow for autumn and winter crops
• Anna's endeavours as a gardening expert, working on Alan Titchmarsh's gardening show, and her involvement with the garden writing subscription Scribehound

Products mentioned:

Chicory 'Variegato di Castelfranco'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/chicory-variegato-di-castelfranco

Carrot 'Nantes 5'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/carrot-nantes-5

Salad Leaf Autumn & Winter Mix

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/autumn-and-winter-salad-leaf-mix

Winter purslane (Claytonia)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/winter-purslane

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

As May turns to June the weather can often be blustery at Perch Hill, so it’s the perfect moment to get supports and stakes in place to avoid plants being damaged in high winds.

Inspired by the sustainable materials that grow plentifully in this particular part of East Sussex, this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ is a masterclass on sustainable staking as Sarah unpacks the most suitable materials, where to source them, and most importantly, the best methods to ensure they won’t budge in a storm.

In this episode, discover:

• How to embrace sustainable staking materials, from long-lasting chestnut stakes to stately silver birch teepees
• The secret sailor's knot that'll keep your plants secure even in the wildest gales
• Why leaving your dahlias in the ground and creating a cat's cradle support system is the ultimate low-effort trick for stunning, upright plants
• The art of creating natural plant supports that will disappear into your garden, making your borders look effortlessly elegant 

Products mentioned:

Cynara cardunculus

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cynara-cardunculus

Delphinium border collection

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/delphinium-border-collection

Willow flower stakes

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/willow-flower-stakes

Heritage chunky twine

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/heritage-chunky-twine

Chestnut hurdles

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/chestnut-hurdles

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

This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show was yet another terrific exhibition of horticultural beauty, to which Arthur Parkinson had a fabulous front-row seat. 

Arthur takes the mic on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ this week, once again bringing you the best in show, from the headlines of royal roses to the lesser-known stories from incredible stands and gardens at the show.

In this episode, discover:

• A rose fit for a King, with David Austin’s announcement of a new variety
• The Great Pavillion’s most grand displays, and what made it Arthur’s favourite part of the show
• Some of the incredible stands run by organisations with purpose, such as the Songbird Survival Trust and Women of the Glasshouse

Products mentioned:

Crabapple

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/crabapple

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Rubenza'

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

Digitalis purpurea 'Sutton's Apricot'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/digitalis-purpurea-suttons-apricot

Papaver somniferum 'Black Beauty'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-somniferum-black-beauty

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

While we all love a trip to the garden centre for short-term inspiration, a more measured approach to buying the right kind of plants for your plot can help you achieve a beautiful and sustainable garden, with year-round interest and resilience.

This week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ Sarah is joined by Gary Newell, Senior Horticultural Buyer, who advises us to ditch the impulse plant purchases and instead, follow his simple rules for matrix planting – a method he’s used to great effect in his own garden at home.

In this episode, discover:

• The art of matrix planting – a nature-led, strategic method used in landscape design
• Which plants are best-suited to create a stunning, low-maintenance garden
• The four essential layers of matrix planting – from the ground-hugging base layer, to show-stopping structural shrubs

Products mentioned:

Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' AGM

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-limelight

Hydrangea arborescens 'Incrediball' (Strong Annabelle)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-incrediball

Hydrangea paniculata 'Wim's Red'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-wims-red

Baptisia australis

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/baptisia-australis

Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-nemarosa-caradonna

Amelanchier lamarckii

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/amelanchier-lamarckii

Cotinus x dummeri 'Grace'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cotinus-grace

Cornus kousa var. chinensis

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cornus-kousa-var-chinensis

Pelargonium 'Attar of Roses' (Scented)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pelargonium-attar-of-roses

Ammi majus

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

Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Purity’

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

Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helenium-moerheim-beauty

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

Biennials – plants which flower in their second year – may often be overlooked by us gardeners, but between their value for money, wonderful scent, and versatility they’re among the best plants to sow and grow in any garden.

Sarah makes the case for brilliant biennials in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, exploring how she came to appreciate their beauty, and which varieties are best for all aspects of your space.

In this episode, discover:

• How the right mix of biennials can fill the awkward May gap with prolific blooms, all for the price of a seed packet
• The best early-flowering biennials, from fragrant wallflowers to the scented sweet rocket, Hesperis matronalis
• Moth-pollinated varieties with rich fragrance and velvety textures to create a pollinator paradise

Products mentioned:

Rosa x odorata 'Mutabilis' (China)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rosa-x-oderata-mutabilis

Rosa × odorata 'Bengal Crimson' (China)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rosa-x-odorata-bengal-crimson

Digitalis purpurea 'Sutton's Apricot'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/digitalis-purpurea-suttons-apricot

Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/digitalis-purpurea-alba

Wild Sweet William (Saponaria officinalis)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/wild-sweet-william

Matthiola incana 'Vintage Antique Mix'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/matthiola-incana-vintage-antique-mix

Malope trifida 'Vulcan'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/malope-trifida-vulcan

Lunaria annua

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lunaria-annua

Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-nudicaule-champagne-bubbles-mix-f1

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

Tom Stimpson’s pint-sized garden is an inspiration for anyone with a small urban plot, and it’s packed with showstopping varieties that will flower for months on end providing colour, scent, and food for pollinators in a compact space.

In this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Tom, our Head of Horticulture, tells Sarah how he’s brought his small town garden to life, including the irresistible combinations of dahlias and salvias that he’s planting in his whopper pots for the season to come.  

In this episode, discover:

• Tom's ingenious approach to small-space gardening
• New plant varieties to transform pots, with an eye on an upcoming dahlia called 'Tom's Choice' 
• The art of colour-layering in garden design, choosing from palettes to co-ordinate your borders

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