Home Grown with Martha and Jamie

Gardening is becoming less predictable. A dry spring can be followed by a summer drought, a late frost can be followed by golf ball sized hail, and plants that once suited the local climate may struggle with new patterns. In this episode, Martha and Jamie explore gardening in a changing climate, from extreme heat and heavy rainfall to milder winters and crops that behave differently under stress. They share practical ways to cool buildings, improve drainage, reduce bolting and choose plants that can cope with less predictable conditions. From there, the conversation moves through El Niño, plants that need winter cold, raised beds, sloped paths, organic matter, cover crops and a call to protect the wildlife that still shares our gardens.

And If you would like to grow our seed of the week, or some of the other varieties we discussed, you can find the links below with 20% off your first order with code 'Homegrown':

Beef and Onion Tree:

https://shegrowsveg.com/product/beef-and-onion-tree/

We love hearing your questions and comments - so please do get in touch:

You now send us a message, voice note or picture on Whatsapp: 07999548073

or email us at: h[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Thomas Griffin

Artwork: Rare Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A garden can produce far more than the obvious harvest. In this episode, Jamie and Martha look at the plant parts, picking techniques and timing decisions that help growers waste less, save money and keep plants cropping for longer. From edible plant parts that supermarkets usually remove and a long-lived brassica that can be picked repeatedly, to succession sowing, relay cropping, cut-and-come-again lettuce and maximising yields from small spaces. This episode is filled with practical tips and advice, as well as the usual anecdotes and fun facts.

And If you would like to grow our seed of the week, or some of the other varieties we discussed, you can find the links below with 20% off your first order with code '

Homegrown:

Kale thousand head:

https://shegrowsveg.com/product/kale-thousandhead/

We love hearing your questions and comments - so please do get in touch:

You now send us a message, voice note or picture on Whatsapp: 07999548073

or email us at: h[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Thomas Griffin

Artwork: Rare Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Flowers can do far more than look pretty. In this episode, Martha and Jamie explore the garden as a floral apothecary, looking at the ways flowers and useful plants can become balms, teas, tinctures, scents, natural dyes and simple homemade experiments. From hardy annuals to sow now for stronger blooms next year, and colour changing teas, to how to make a simple soothing slave from calendula, and which popular garden herb Jamie uses to make nourishing hair oil this episode is packed with practical advice and projects to enable you to make the most of those blooms. The conversation also covers natural dyes, from hapa-zome flower hammering and steam dyeing to sulphur cosmos, coreopsis, onion skins, woad, Japanese indigo and true indigo.

And If you would like to grow our seed of the week, or some of the other varieties we discussed, you can find the links below:

Calendula Pink Surprise:

https://shegrowsveg.com/product/calendula-pink-surprise/

We love hearing your questions and comments - so please do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Thomas Griffin

Artwork: Rare Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July can feel like the point when sowing stops, but it is one of the most important months for planning autumn, winter and next spring. In this episode, Martha and Jamie share what they will be sowing growing and doing in this pivotal month in the garden, plus how to fill the inevitable gaps that begin to occur when potatoes, onions and early courgettes finish. They also cover the umbrella cucumber pruning method, tomato maintenance, garlic braiding, what to forage this month, why peanuts grow underground, and the relationship between cinnabar moths and ragwort.

And If you would like to grow our seed of the week, or some of the other varieties we discussed, you can find the links below:

Cabbage Kalibos:

https://shegrowsveg.com/product/summer-cabbage-kalibos/

We love hearing your questions and comments - so please do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Thomas Griffin

Artwork: Rare Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cut-flower farmer Sarah Gray of Bloom & Gray joins Martha and Jamie for a practical tour of the cut-flower calendar. From when to start hardy annuals and what to sow now, why flowers should be picked before pollination, which flowers earn their place in a productive cutting patch, and Sarah also breaks a bouquet into five useful elements and chooses her top five plants if you'd like to grow a small cut flower bouquet bed. They also discuss soil blocking for flower seeds without plastic pots, the growing British flower movement and Jeanne Baret, the pioneering botanist now recognised as the first woman known to travel around the world.

And If you would like to grow our seed of the week, or some of the other varieties we discussed, you can find the links below:

Zinnia Zinderella Peach:

https://shegrowsveg.com/product/zinnia-zinderella-peach/

We love hearing your questions and comments - so please do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Thomas Griffin

Artwork: Rare Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Martha and Jamie mark midsummer by looking at the garden as a seasonal calendar. They explore the idea of growing using the Wheel of the Year, and explain why changing day length can tell plants when to grow, flower, bolt or form tubers, and how we can use that knowledge to grow better plants. There is practical advice on sowing kohlrabi, fennel, spinach, radishes and Asian greens after the solstice, plus midsummer foraging ideas with lime or linden, honeysuckle and St John's wort. Martha brings the folklore too, from bonfires and love potions to A Midsummer Night's Dream, fireflies and the strange feeling of the year's longest days.

And If you would like to grow our seed of the week, or some of the other varieties we discussed, you can find the links below:

Kohlrabi Dyna:

https://shegrowsveg.com/product/kohlrabi-dyna/

We love hearing your questions and comments - so please do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Thomas Griffin

Artwork: Rare Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Martha and Jamie share practical ways to drought proof your garden, from mulch, compost and hydrophobic soil, to container watering tips, dense planting advise, drought-tolerant crops and wildlife support. They also explore the power of earth smiles, swales, zai pits, and what drought stress actually does to plants and how to over come it. A practical episode full of tips, personal anecdotes, and advise for building healthier soil and stronger garden systems.

And If you would like to grow our seed of the week, or some of the other varieties we discussed, you can find the links below:

Chicory Rose of Venice:

https://shegrowsveg.com/product/chicory-rose-of-venice/

We love hearing your questions and comments - so please do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Thomas Griffin

Artwork: Rare Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Episode Martha and Jamie are talking all about the importance of pollination! from practical ways to improve pollination in your garden, to the strange science behind flowers, bees, hoverflies and even vanilla. They'll offer practical advice for how to maximise your harvests for popular crops such as courgettes and sweet corn, and what to do with tired bees, as well as providing tips for pollinator-friendly planting, and discuss why our gardens are vital food sources for wildlife.

And If you would like to grow our seed of the week, or some of the other varieties we discussed, you can find the links below:

Courgette Pineapple:

https://shegrowsveg.com/product/courgette-pineapple/

We love hearing your questions and comments - so please do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Thomas Griffin

Artwork: Rare Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June is here, so in this episode Martha and Jamie are talking about what to sow, grow, harvest and notice in the garden this month. From swede, French beans, summer flowers and tomato leaf pesto, to Miriam Margolyes, edible hedges, bumblebee safaris and open gardens, this episode is packed with practical June gardening advice and seasonal plant stories.

And If you would like to grow our seed of the week, or some of the other varieties we discussed, you can find the links below:

Swede Mirian:

https://shegrowsveg.com/product/swede-marian/

We love hearing your questions and comments - so please do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Thomas Griffin

Artwork: Rare Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Martha and Jamie are joined by wildlife educator and urban nature advocate Lira Valencia. They explore why cities are full of incredible wildlife if you know where to look, why pigeons deserve more respect, and what the new RSPB advice on bird feeding means for gardeners. This episode is packed with practical advise, wildlife facts and lots of inspiration you can apply to any space.

And If you would like to grow our seed of the week, or some of the other varieties we discussed, you can find the links below:

Sunflower Velvet Queen:

https://shegrowsveg.com/product/sunflower-velvet-queen/

Sunflower Titan:

https://shegrowsveg.com/product/sunflower-titan/

We love hearing your questions and comments - so please do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Thomas Griffin

Artwork: Rare Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.