Home Grown with Martha and Jamie

It's the Christmas countdown on Home Grown, and Martha and Jamie are here to bring Christmas cheer in the form of practical ways to bring the season into your home... from your garden! Whether it's making holly and ivy wreaths, drying orange slices or creating natural homemade gifts.

Also Jamie explains his new Boxing Day seed sowing tradition and the benefits of starting early, while Martha talks through creating decorations using what you already have outdoors.

Plus we have an incredible Christmas Hamper ready for one lucky listener to win. With over £300 worth of gardening goods this will set any grower up for 2026. Listen to the pod to find out how to enter.

If you're enjoying Home Grown please do tell your friends and share the love online with a nice review. It really does help more people hear about the pod.

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Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Charlie Hewitt

Exec Producer: Charlotte Dawes

Artwork: Rare Studio

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

Martha Swales and Jamie Walton settle in for a cosy winter edition of Home Grown, bringing together gardening know-how, seasonal science and the small wonders happening just outside your window at this surprisingly busy time of year.

They chat about the creatures riding out the cold months, to when the Winter Solstice takes centre stage and the mood shift it brings, plus how to stay connected to the outdoors even when it’s cold and gloomy.

There’s plenty of seasonal growing chat, including vegetables that actually improve after a frost, the deepening reds of radicchio, and the mystery of Christmas potatoes. They touch on evergreens, mushrooms, stored winter veg and the small kitchen joys that make this season feel special.

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Charlie Hewitt

Exec Producer: Charlotte Dawes

Artwork: Rare Studio

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

This week on Home Grown, Martha Swales and Jamie Walton explore the art of preserving and what it really means to keep the harvest. From ancient bog butter to shipwrecked pickles and honey that has lasted for thousands of years, they look at why some foods stand the test of time.

Back in their own kitchens, they talk through the essentials of fermenting, pickling, chutneys and jams, drawing on global traditions and the quiet satisfaction of bottling the season. They share simple ways to start, how to keep ferments safe, ideas for unripe tomatoes and the methods that need a careful hand.

It is an episode about saving the season, understanding the science behind long-lasting food and capturing a taste of tomorrow from the garden.

We love hearing your questions - do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Shadia Oseni

Exec Producer: Charlotte Dawes

Artwork: Rare Studio

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

This week on Home Grown, Martha Swales (@marfskitchengarden) and Jamie Walton (@nettlesandpetals) dive into the wonderful world of fruit trees. From why winter is the perfect time to plant one, to quirky apple history and some truly wild varieties, they explore everything you need to know before adding a tree to your garden, balcony or allotment.

Martha and Jamie taste unusual apples, unpack the magic of grafting, and share incredible stories like that of Johnny Appleseed the American Pioneer. They break down pollination groups, self-fertile varieties, pruning styles and the top mistakes people make when planting young trees. Plus they answer your questions on growing fruit trees in pots and choosing the right varieties.

The duo also run through the best companion plants for healthy, happy fruit trees before finishing with some delicious recipe inspiration, from pear tart to crumble.

We love hearing your questions - do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Shadia Oseni

Exec Producer: Charlotte Dawes

Artwork: Rare Studio

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

It's an exciting week on Home Grown, Jamie Walton (@nettlesandpetals) and Martha Swales (@marfskitchengarden) are joined by their very first guest. Gardener, author and TV presenter Frances Tophill.

Frances has inspired a new generation to see gardening as a way to live more gently with the world. From her work on Gardeners’ World and Love Your Garden to her own wildlife-filled home life, she shares her thoughtful take on growing for joy, biodiversity and balance.

She reveals her brave fashion choices at her first TV audition, her passion for pottery, and how her fabulous new book delves into the mystery and folklore of wildflowers

Plus she tackles the questions that matter, from cats or dogs to the contentious choice of Gardeners’ World vs Love Your Garden.

We love hearing your questions - do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Shadia Oseni

Exec Producer: Charlotte Dawes

Artwork: Rare Studio

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

It’s a cosy November catch-up with Home Grown hosts Martha Swales (@marfskitchengarden) and Jamie Walton (@nettlesandpetals). This month, the nights are long, the frosts are biting, and the garden is quietly slipping into its winter state.

Martha and Jamie chat seed tins, your reviews, the good the bad and the ugly, plus why leaving your leaves might be the best gift you can give your garden. They dive into the science and folklore of November’s Beaver Moon, the biggest supermoon in years, and share their favourite late-season harvests, from saffron to borlotti beans.

There’s talk of bonfire traditions, caterpillars, and whether we should still be feeding the birds. Plus, a gentle reminder that dormancy can be a gardener’s secret weapon.

So settle in for a soothing hour of muddy boots, lunar magic and practical garden wisdom.

We love hearing your questions - do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Shadia Oseni

Exec Producer: Charlotte Dawes

Artwork: Rare Studio

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

Home Grown is getting ghoulish. Martha Swales and Jamie Walton are rolling up their sleeves for a Halloween special packed with creepy curiosities, squash shaped secrets and plenty of pumpkin mischief. Jamie reveals why the scariest thing about Halloween pumpkins is the mountain of them wasted every year, and why spooky squash deserve the spotlight instead. They share the need-to-know differences between pumpkins and squash, when to grow them, top varieties that taste incredible and clever ways to save space while still growing a monster harvest.

Martha digs into the eerie origins of Halloween, from ancient Celtic bonfires and roaming spirits to Irish traditions that eventually brought pumpkin carving to the world. Jamie throws in fang-tastic food tips so you can eat, store and reuse every last bit of your harvest.

There is a frightfully fun quiz, pumpkin festival facts (including a palace with its own Rapunzel tower and 450,000 pumpkins) and seasonal recipes to help you banish food waste. Expect folklore, flavour and a wickedly good time in the garden.

We love hearing your questions - do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Shadia Oseni

Senior Producer: Jack Carter

Exec Producer: Charlotte Dawes

Artwork: Rare Studio

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

It’s Q&A time on Home Grown! 🌿 Jamie Walton (@nettlesandpetals) and Martha Swales (@marfskitchengarden) dig into your burning gardening questions – from how to revive an unruly allotment plot to keeping mischievous cats out of the veg beds.

Along the way, they reveal a bit of friendly book rivalry, share their grand plans for the Home Grown gardening podcast’s future, and offer plenty of grow-your-own advice, honest chat, and down-to-earth laughter.

We love hearing your questions - do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Shadia Oseni

Senior Producer: Jack Carter

Exec Producer: Charlotte Dawes

Artwork: Rare Studio

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

The No Dig Revolution with Martha Swales (@marfskitchengarden) and Jamie Walton (@nettlesandpetals)

In this episode of Home Grown, hosts Martha Swales and Jamie Walton explore the magic of the No Dig gardening method, proving that sometimes the best gardening happens when you simply let nature lead the way.

They discuss how leaving the soil undisturbed helps create thriving ecosystems, healthier plants, and fewer weeds. Expect earthy chat, an infamous Soil Your Undies experiment, where you can discover just how alive your soil really is, and the fascinating science showing that soil can boost your happiness, thanks to beneficial microbes.

Perfect for anyone who loves gardening but hates the backache, this episode celebrates the beauty of doing less and growing more, showing how lazy gardening can actually work in harmony with the natural world.

We love hearing from you - do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor and Socials: Shadia Oseni

Senior Producer: Jack Carter

Exec Producer: Charlotte Dawes

Artwork: Rare Studio

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

It’s tomato time! Martha Swales (Marf's Kitchen Garden) and Jamie Walton (Nettles and Petals) dive into the wonderful, rosy, glorious world of everyone’s favourite gateway veg. They share harvesting highs, planting tips, and taste their way through the mind-boggling range of tomato varieties bursting out of their beds. Martha makes her case for the unbeatable Sun Gold, while Jamie shows off some seriously impressive beefsteaks.

There’s also a potted history of Britain’s uneasy relationship with the so-called “devil’s fruit,” and a trip (in spirit, at least) to Spain’s legendary La Tomatina festival — where there are actual rules about how to throw a tomato.

Expect juicy chat, a few pips of chaos, and plenty of ideas for what to do when your garden is overflowing with homegrown tomatoes.

We love hearing from you - do get in touch:

[email protected]

Presented by: Martha Swales and Jamie Walton

Video Editor: Hugo Hertz

Socials Producer: Shadia Oseni

Senior Producer: Jack Carter

Exec Producer: Charlotte Dawes

Artwork: Rare Studio

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