In this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener gardening podcast, I chat to the owner of Natural Grower, Charlotte Beatty.

I am thrilled to have Natural Grower sponsor my podcast. I've used their products in my own gardening for a while now, and certainly well before Charlotte agreed to sponsor the podcast.  As such, having natural growth as a podcast sponsor is fantastic as I genuinely love their products, but not quite as much as my garden and plants do!

In this episode, Charlotte tells me about how the business came about, how the products are made and manufactured and how they coped through the difficulties of a lockdown in 2020, and lots more.

Here’s some important information about Natural Grower’s products:

The Natural Grower's natural liquid fertiliser is concentrated and, once diluted, can be poured around the base of all plants in the garden and in your home, to be quickly absorbed as a potent source of organic food. Houseplants can be fed by pouring around the base of the plant, or they love to have a bottom feed by standing the plant pot in a bowl or sink with the diluted liquid feed and leave it to soak all the goodness up.

Natural Grower's natural plant feed and soil conditioner is a mulch that can be mixed into the soil/compost before planting, or used on the surface of your beds and pots as a top dressing. Rich in nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and other trace elements, it will be broken down gradually by organisms in the soil/compost as a long-term, slow release fertiliser. If you have clay soil, or soil which is full of stones, the plant feed and conditioner will improve the quality and structure of your soil. The mulch is also excellent at helping to retain moisture, which in turn reduces the amount of watering you will need to do – perfect!

As always, my thanks to you all for listening to my podcast each week. Please do spread the good word and don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are still a few more episodes left in series 2.  And, if you listen through Apple podcast, please do leave a review.

If you wish to contact me, please drop me an email at [email protected] or contact me via my Instagram page @mike_thegardener.

See you here next week.

Mike

In this episode, another Plant Special, I chat to nurserymen Chris Potts and Ollie Walker of Sienna Hosta. Chris and Ollie are hosta fanatics and what they don't know about hostas isn't worth knowing. And, I can assure you, there isn't much if anything they don't know!

Following a walk around the hosta-packed nursery I sat down with them both to chat about everything you could possibly need to know about growing hostas successfully.

We chat about:

And, following their debut at the Chelsea Flower Show in September 2021, they tell me about how their spectacular stand came together, and how they found out they had been awarded the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medal for their stand.

You can find out more about Sienna Hosta and order hostas from their website www.siennahosta.co.uk or follow them at their Instagram account @_siennahosta_. And talking of Instagram, click here to see some pics of me with Chris and Ollie on the day the podcast was recorded

My thanks to Chris and Ollie for their time and I look forward to chatting again and seeing you both in 2022 at some of the shows.

As always, please do follow/subscribe and if you listen through Apple podcast, please do leave a review.  You can also follow me at my Instagram account @mike_thegardener or email me at [email protected]. 

See you next week.

Mike

In this week's episode I chat to RHS Young Designer of the Year, Freddie Strickland.

This episode was recorded at the beautiful Iford Manor Gardens near Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, a garden which both Freddie and I have wanted to visit.  Luckily, garden owners William and Marianne allowed us to sneak in through the back door as the garden is currently closed for winter.

Freddie tells me how he got into garden design, about his course and his lecturer and landscaper, Matt James. He also talks about the process he went through to apply for the RHS Young Designer of the Year and his Tatton Park show garden, ‘On Tropic’. He recounts the build of the garden, the judging process and the moment when he was announced as the winner of the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition, live on national television.

In an in-depth conversation Freddie talks about making the transition from college to starting out on your own in the world of garden design world and the importance of building a great relationship with clients to ensure the best possible garden is designed, built and planted for them.

Freddie is clearly an ambitious, enthusiastic and dedicated garden designer.  I look forward to seeing what he does next and will follow his career with much interest. Head over to Freddie's website for more information, www.freddiestickland.com. 

My thanks to Freddie for taking the time to chat to me and for taking me to Iford Manor Gardens.

Pictures of our visit to Iford Manor gardens can be found by visiting my Instagram page, @mike_thegardener. And you can find out more about Freddie by visiting his Instagram page @freddiestricklandgardens.

As always, please do follow/subscribe as there are still more episodes to come in series 2.  And, if you listen via Apple podcast, please do leave a review.

And I will see you next week with a Hosta plant special episode!

Mike

In this week's episode I chat to world renowned garden designer and plantsman Andrew Fisher Tomlin.

I've been a huge fan of Andrew's work for many years, so it was a privilege to chat with him.

We were originally due to meet in Andrew's south London garden, but unfortunately, the UK petrol price put paid to that.

Nonetheless, Andrew starts this episode by giving us a detailed tour of his garden and talks about some of the more unusual plants in it. We also talk about how Andrew started his journey into horticulture and garden design with Andrew recounting his very first Chelsea Flower Show show garden and his first 'Alan Titchmarsh moment'.

Andrew founded his garden design company Fisher Tomlin Bowyer in 1991 and his approach focuses on creative solutions and sound horticultural advice.  Andrew chats at length about garden design and the skills needed by garden designers today in a profession where ecology, sustainability and biodiversity are increasingly important.

Andrew is also one of the directors at the London College of Garden Design (LCGD) and he talks about the extremely popular planting design course that he wrote, his love of plants and planting design and much, much more.

My thanks to Andrew for taking the time to chat with me in this thoroughly enjoyable episode.

And, as always, my thanks to you for listening.  Please do ensure that you follow/subscribe as there's still more to come. And, if you listen via Apple podcast, please leave a review.

Thank you.

Mike

In this week’s episode I chat to author Gareth Richards about his new RHS book ‘Weeds - The Beauty and Uses of 50 Vagabond Plants’.

There can't be one of us who doesn't battle with at least a handful of weed varieties in our own gardens. In my own garden, it's hairy bittercress, couch grass and bindweed, and that, is quite enough, thank you very much.

Like many of us, you'll find me hissing and cussing under my breath as I fight to extract them from my borders.

However, Gareth's fascinating book has made me step back and look again at the weeds in my own garden. They've earned a new found respect and acknowledgement for the many uses they have, many of which, we're probably not aware of. Many weeds have medicinal properties, some can be eaten and, going back in time, some were even used as fabric!

In this episode we chat about Gareth's role at the RHS, the book and how it came about. More specifically we chat about:

We also discuss the beautiful illustrations throughout the book and much more.

This is a truly fascinating episode and Gareth's book is a must have for all gardeners, available through the RHS online shop and other outlets.

As always, thank you for listening and if you don't already, please do follow/subscribe as there is still lots more to come.  And, if you listen via Apple Podcasts, please do leave a review.

See you all next week. 

Mike

In this episode Mike chats to BBC TV Gardeners' World and BBC Breakfast presenter Mark Lane. This episode was originally due to be recorded in Marks own garden, but unfortunately the UK petrol crisis put paid to that and this episode was recorded via Zoom.

Nonetheless, Mark talks passionately and descriptively about his own beautiful garden, describing the trees, shrubs, plants and features and how it's developed over the years.

Mark also tells Mike about his career and how he first became a TV presenter for the BBC Chelsea Flower Show, which in turn led to his job as a popular presenter on Gardeners' World.  They also chat at length about Mark's award winning garden design practice and how he found himself designing gardens following a road traffic accident over 20 years ago.

Following his accident, Mark naturally went through a period of grief and he talks to Mike about the turning point in this journey, when horticulture and gardening played a key part in his rehabilitation.

In recent years Mark has also authored a book, Royal Gardens of the World and alongside artist Sharon Walters, was responsible for one of the popular ITV idents in between ITV television programmes.

And finally, Mike chats to Mark about being a finalist in the National Diversity Celebrity of the Year award 2021.

You can see and hear more from Mike through his popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

Thank you

In this Dry Shade Special podcast episode, Mike dispels the common fear around planting in a dry, shady area.  

Many gardeners, irrespective of their knowledge and experience, visibly quake at the knees at the mention of 'dry shade'.  So, in this episode recorded in his own back garden, Mike talks through the plants he has used to great effect to bring a dry shady border alive, year-round with trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses and spring flowering bulbs.  

It probably goes without saying that a dry, shady border isn't going to hold the same magnificence and impact of a burgeoning, summer border in full sun.  However, the beauty of an edge of woodland shade planting with stunningly choreographed foliage plants, spring bulbs, deliciously scented shrubs, ferns and grasses carries its own gentler, quieter beauty. 

As always, if you have any questions about this episode, and in particular a dry shady border of your own, please contact Mike through the podcast email address, [email protected]. 

As promised, here is the plant listing discussed in today's episode, alongside some pictures of Mikes beautiful dry-shade border in his  Bournemouth garden on the south coast of the United Kingdom. 

Plant list:

There are many plants that will cope and thrive in dry shade. A little homework beforehand to check on how much shade specific plants can cope with is advisable.  The following list of plants are those which thrive in Mike's dry, shady border - See pictures here!

Acers in variety, tree ferns (Dicksonia antartica), Skimmia japonica 'Rubella' / 'Fragrant Cloud' / 'Kew White', spotted laurel (Aucuba japonica), winter box (Sarcococca confuse, S. hookeriana), Mahonia 'Charity', climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris), hydrangeas in variety, hellebores in variety, pheasant grass (Anemanthele lessoniana (syn. Stipa arundinacea)), hakon grass (Hakonechloa), narcissus, snowdrops & tulips in variety, ferns in variety (incl Dryoptris affinis 'Cristata', Asplenium scolopendrium, Polystichum setiferum, Dryopteris erythrosora), epimediums in variety, heucheras in variety (incl Heuchera 'Obsidian', H. 'Marmalade', H. 'Fire Chief'), foxgloves (Digitialis purpurea), Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty', astrantia in variety, hosta in variety, hardy geranium (incl Geranium phaeum 'Samobor', G. phaeum 'Album'), Persicaria 'Red Dragon', camellias in variety. 

Thank you for listening to this episode, and please do FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE and if you listen on Apple PodcastS, please do leave a REVIEW.

In this episode Mike chats to garden writer, designer and broadcaster (and in fact most things 'garden'), Naomi Slade, in her sunny, urban, Bristol garden.

Naomi tells Mike how the garden has developed in the four years since she took it on. Despite being an urban garden it is home to a heavily laden pear tree, several ornamental crab apple trees, a pretty little greenhouse, a decked seating area, a compost bin and a lovely selection of shrubs and perennials. And, Mike also discovers that there isn't just the one Naomi Slade in the garden!

Mike chats to Naomi about her career to date, including a punk inspired, gold medal and best in show winning garden that she designed called 'Never Mind the Hollyhocks'. And, of course, they chat about her career as a successful writer and journalist, including her collaboration with photographer Georgianna Lane for her best selling books. 

You can find out more about Naomi's garden by reading her popular, fortnightly column in Garden News magazine. And for more information about Naomi Slade, head to her website www.naomislade.com where you can also purchase her books.  Naomi can also be found on Instagram and Twitter. 

You can also follow Mike on his popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

Please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there is still lots more to come in Series 2. And, if you're new to the 'Mic the Gardener' podcast, why not head over and listen to some great interviews and plant specials from Series One. 

See you next week!

In this episode Mike chats to Danny Clarke, a.k.a. The Black Gardener.

You'll know Danny from the BBC TV series 'The Instant Gardener' and most recently he has become part of the ever-popular ITV gardening makeover programme, 'Love Your Garden' alongside Alan Titchmarsh, Frances Tophill, David Dominey and previous podcast guest, Katie Rushworth (Series 1). Click here to listen to Mike chatting to Katie Rushworth. 

Danny tells Mike about his childhood, his early career and how he moved into gardening and design. He also recounts how changing the name of his gardening business to 'The Black Gardener' led to an unbelievable change in the direction of his career.  

During the chat, Mike & Danny also discuss:

The interview was recorded in Kelsey Park, Beckenham, South London, a favourite park of Dannys, which teems with bird and wildlife. Some pictures of the park & Danny and I, taken on the day can be viewed here. 

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, do you contact Mike directly on the shows podcast email [email protected], or, contact Mike via his popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

Don't forget to follow/subscribe as there's lots more to come. And, if you listen via Apple Podcasts, please do leave a review as it helps others to find the podcast. Talking of which, do tell all your gardening friends, family and loved ones about the podcast. 

Thanks for listening!

In this episode Mike chats to garden writing legend, Anna Pavord, author of the Gardening Bible, The Tulip. 

Anna was the gardening correspondent for The Independent and author of a number of bestselling gardening & plant books. She is also an associate editor of Gardens Illustrated magazine and has also written for The Observer for over twenty years. 

In this delightful interview, she chats to Mike by telephone from her West Dorset home about The Tulip, her writing and career as a successful, freelance journalist.

In a sneaky preview, Anna tells us about her new book, 'The Seasonal Gardener', due for publication Spring 2022. 

She also talks about her long friendship with Fergus Garret and her dear friend, the late Christopher Lloyd and shares some lovely stories about their friendship. 

This is a truly enchanting chat with the most wonderfully engaging garden writer. 

Please do follow/subscribe so you don't miss Mike's forthcoming weekly episodes. 

And, if you wish to contact Mike to ask a question or comment on his podcast, you can use the podcast email address [email protected] or contact him via his popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener.