Not Just a Garden

This week we chat about our trip to Cerney House Gardens, and we also look at the Via Verde project “turning Mexico City’s grey to green”, the drone discovery of a 40,000 strong turtle nesting site in the Amazon, the removal of 80 tonnes of duckweed from Stourport Basin, ballooning spiders, and the surprising nutritional value of figs.

Gardeners' World is at Adam, Ash and Buster Frost's place this week, and Sue Kent visits Sharon Darlington’s stunning millpond garden in Anglesey. Neil Duncan, champion rose grower from Appleshaw in Andover, shows us some of his hybrid teas and Inspirational gardener Jamie Quince-Starkey, founder of Down to Earth, talks to us about Electric Daisy. Finally Frances Tophill meets Landscape architect and garden designer Matt Evans to have a look at his green and tranquil garden in Bath.

Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/

To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/notjustagarden

More Not Just a Garden

https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

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A companion podcast for Gardeners’ World viewers, featuring weekly recaps and Chit-Chats with guests & presenters from the programme

Join the community for episode plant lists, discounts, recommendations, blogs, links, photos, & more by subscribing at https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

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

To say we were chuffed to bits is an understatement when Tamsin Westhorpe offered to join us for episode 41 of A Good Ol’ Chit-Chat! Although her uncle Raymond Treasure was in front of the camera when Gardeners’ World visited Stockton Bury Gardens earlier this year, Tamsin was very much involved behind the scenes, and we get to hear a lot more about the history of the gardens, how it’s being run today, and some of Tamsin’s plans for its future. We also hear about the Bridget Jones of gardening, the giant monkey puzzle tree planted by Tamsin’s great great grandfather (and where Matt Biggs from Gardeners’ Question Time thinks it originates from), how not to water plants, Tamsin and Raymond’s radically different techniques for splitting waterlilies, and her very sophisticated way of drinking wine!

Some mentions from Tamsin, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/

• Sparsholt College in Winchester
• Hergest Croft Gardens
• Herefordshire Art Festival

More Not Just a Garden

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/NotJustaGarden/home

Website: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555857724677

A companion podcast for Gardeners’ World viewers, featuring weekly recaps and Chit-Chats with guests & presenters from the programme

Join the community for episode plant lists, discounts, recommendations, blogs, links, photos, & more by subscribing at https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

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

We recap Gardeners' World 2025 episode 18 and this week we chit-chat about multi-million dollar wildlife crossings, the potential major health benefits of magic mushrooms, seed-embedded national newspapers, how woodlice can remove heavy metals from the ground, the most expensive flower in the world, and how we got on at Great Dixter, despite being completely wired after a dodgy breakfast order.

On Gardeners' World, Arit Anderson takes us to meet Nate Moss at the beautiful Goldwell Flowers in Kent, and Tracy Coogan in North Lincolnshire shows us her impressive collection of echeverias. Jamie Butterworth shows us Monty's show garden in-situ at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, where we also hear from Dawn Richards, and see Jasper and Harold give the garden a once over, and in this week's Your Gardens segment we're given a tour around Simon Farrell's "patch of paradise" - his wonderful meadow garden in Herefordshire.

Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/

To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/notjustagarden

More Not Just a Garden

https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555857724677

A companion podcast for Gardeners’ World viewers, featuring weekly recaps and Chit-Chats with guests & presenters from the programme

Join the community for episode plant lists, discounts, recommendations, blogs, links, photos, & more by subscribing at https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

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

We first came across Sharnee Gates on Gardeners' World 2025 episode 11 and were delighted when she joined us for a Good Ol' Chit-Chat to tell us about her dream garden. We find out about the value of Wisley apprenticeships, the beautiful Kings Park Botanic Garden in Perth, the very important website to visit if you're looking for gardening jobs, and much more.

Some mentions from Sharnee, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/

• English Country Gardeners
• Kings Park Botanic Garden
• Loki Schmidt Garden

More Not Just a Garden

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/NotJustaGarden/home

Website: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555857724677

A companion podcast for Gardeners’ World viewers, featuring weekly recaps and Chit-Chats with guests & presenters from the programme

Join the community for episode plant lists, discounts, recommendations, blogs, links, photos, & more by subscribing at https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

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

"Shish kebabs", do we have a packed episode this week! As well as recapping Gardeners' World 2025 episode 17, we also take a look at Switzerland's latest railway innovation, we learn how dandelions are once again saving the day, how plants cry when they're stressed, what Wellington, New Zealand got up to with 180 cabbages back in 1978, and the serious need for personal space between male and female anglerfish.

On the show we get to see the first ever RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse with Frances Tophill, Jamie Butterworth, Adam Frost, Arit Anderson and Joe Swift. Some of the show gardens paid a visit were:

RNIB Legacy Garden, Designer: Paul Hervey-Brookes

Drakkars Drift, Designer: Luke Coleman

A potted History: Echoes of Rockingham, Designer: Sam Dryell

RHS Teenage Dirt Park, Designer: Rachel Platt

The Grant Horticulture Xeriscape Garden, Designer: Callum Bain-Mackay

The Discovery Outdoors “Edimental Kitchen Classroom” - Designers: Sam Penrose and Jojo Tarvet

What is This Life if, Full of Care, We Have No Time to Stand and Stare?, Designers: Sally Holder and Victoria Irish

The Dune Garden, Designer: Jacopo Ducato Ruggeri

The Greenfingers Charity Together Garden, Designers: Phil Hirst & Jo Charlton

Urban Pollinators, Designer: Richard Browning

Hazelwood Barn, Designer: Lee Bestall

RHS Miners Garden, Designer: Chris Meyers

RHS Work with your Garden, Designers: Matt Biggins and Richard Hill

From the Floral Marquee we see Dan's Plants, Proctor's Nursery, and Harts Nursery and also meet Dean Charlton from Hooton's Walled Nursery, and Greg Anderton from Leafy Lytham.

Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/

To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/notjustagarden

More Not Just a Garden

https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555857724677

A companion podcast for Gardeners’ World viewers, featuring weekly recaps and Chit-Chats with guests & presenters from the programme

Join the community for episode plant lists, discounts, recommendations, blogs, links, photos, & more by subscribing at https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

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

Martin Dohrn was on Gardeners' World 2025, episode 11 when he showed us around his fascinating garden of 60 species of bees. We were thrilled to have him join us for a Chit-Chat during which we learned a bit more about his award winning film My Garden of a Thousand Bees, some of the challenges of natural history film-making, and a bit of behind the scenes on how he captured his tiny subjects on camera. As well as hearing what would make it into Martin's dream garden, we also talk wildlife bridges, gentlemen's cycle clubs, dune slacks, de-insecticiding our gardens, loving wasps more, Martin's latest award-nominated project, and drinks made from artichokes.

Some mentions from Martin, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute 
• Tangled Bank Studios
• Public Broadcasting Service
• American Association for the Advancement of Science

More Not Just a Garden

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/NotJustaGarden/home

Website: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555857724677

A companion podcast for Gardeners’ World viewers, featuring weekly recaps and Chit-Chats with guests & presenters from the programme

Join the community for episode plant lists, discounts, recommendations, blogs, links, photos, & more by subscribing at https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

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

Owen Hayman - Horticulture Innovation Manager, Certified Surveyor of Japanese Knotweed, Open Water Swimmer, UK Nursery Aficionado, Ribena lover - joins us for this week’s episode of Chit-Chats. We learn about Wisley diplomas, the global rock stars of planting design - Nigel Dunnett and James Hitchmough, the invasive potential of plants, poo-powered ponies, how free-range chickens are threatening our wildflowers, how to swim in cold open water for longer, and which ornamental is the totally fabulous moody barbie of the plant world.

Some mentions from Owen, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/

• Jimi Blake
• Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation
• RHS Wisley
• Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh
• Lee Bestall
• Green Roof Centre
• Manor Fields Park
• Plant Life
• Dishoom Black Bean Dahl
• Pan Global Plants
• Great Dixter Nursery
• Hooton’s Walled Nursery
• Dove Cottage Nursery
• Desert to Jungle
• Lime Cross Nursery
• Cliff Bank Nursery
• Arvensis Perennials

More Not Just a Garden

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/NotJustaGarden/home

Website: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/

A companion podcast for Gardeners’ World viewers, featuring weekly recaps and Chit-Chats with guests & presenters from the programme

Join the community for episode plant lists, discounts, recommendations, blogs, links, photos, & more by subscribing at https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

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

Once again we cover an array of topics on our Gardeners' World recap including fun facts about Hampton Court and Wimbledon, kissing orchas, Lazy Housewives, Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter, influential 19th century Spanish women, hummingbirds vs sunbirds, and Antonio Banderas. We also answer some of the bigger questions such as where Frances and Rachel found their dresses.

This week Gardeners' World Episode 16 is reporting on RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival with Frances Tophill, Rachel de Thame and Adam Frost. We see some of the show gardens including:

• The Three Graces of Galicia, Designer: Nilufer Danis
• One Element, Designers: Nadine Charlton and Michael Lote
• The Subaru Cocoon, Designers: Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews
• Welcoming Wildlife, Designer: Henry T Pope
• 15 Minute City Garden, Designers; Angela Barker-Lewis and Charles Ziar
• The Student City Garden, Designer: Charlie Bailey
• Sunlight Shining Through, Designers: Zechen Ren, Xiua Xu, Tonguen Liang and Minjie Yang
• RHS Vertigro, Designer: Adolfo Harrison
• Aster of Senses, Designer: Yoni Carnice
• The Sundowner Garden, Designers: Victoria Stanton, Kate Hyslop, Gina Liverton-Brown
• Telling Stories, Making Memories, Designers: Ella Clarke and Sally Holder
• The Hummingbird Haven: A Symphony of Movement and Colour, Designers: Alison Shadwell-Williams and Yvonne Price
• Herbal Fortress, Designer: Marlene Lento
• A Garden of Two Tales, Designer: Daniel March
• A Woodland Edge, Designer: Nicolas Navarro
• RSPB and RHS Swift Garden, Designers: Lilly Gomm and Coralle Thomas

We also hear about dahlias from Rachel Golding-Barrett at The Tetbury Flower Company, Rob and Rosie Hardy from Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants, Jenny and Amrit Madhoo from South Devon Chilli Farm, and Jess from Botanica Plant Collections. Finally we meet the awesome Bill Bailey to hear about the plight of the swift.

Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/

To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/notjustagarden

More Not Just a Garden

https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/

A companion podcast for Gardeners’ World viewers, featuring weekly recaps and Chit-Chats with guests & presenters from the programme

Join the community for episode plant lists, discounts, recommendations, blogs, links, photos, & more by subscribing at https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

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

Elliott Neep was on Gardeners' World 2025 episode 10 where he gave us a tour of his magnificent garden in South Oxfordshire. He joins us on the podcast for a Chit-Chat with a difference; we cover all sorts of horticultural topics such as how Elliott got into gardening, transforming his garden from neglected soil to a thriving haven, how he successfully uses no-dig, and growing roses in alkaline soil. Then we take a side-step into the important and huge subject of mental health where we learn the critical importance of receiving the right diagnosis and subsequent support. Elliott gives us real insight into the impact of mis-diagnosis, the value of gaining second opinions, how teenage mental illness can be misinterpreted, and the impact severe depression can have on the brain. And if we haven't chatted enough, we somehow find time to take a quick sprint through Elliott's dream garden, as well as find out about Safari Bob, the versatility of Roscoff onions, and the very real threat of mummified gimps.

Some mentions from Elliott, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/

• Elliott’s substack & instagram
• Polar Warriors
• Charlie Mackesy books
• Alitex Greenhouses
• Hartley Botanic Greenhouses
• Waterperry Gardens

More Not Just a Garden

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/NotJustaGarden/home

Website: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/

A companion podcast for Gardeners’ World viewers, featuring weekly recaps and Chit-Chats with guests & presenters from the programme

Join the community for episode plant lists, discounts, recommendations, blogs, links, photos, & more by subscribing at https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

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

We have a lot to chat about this week as we learn that there are more than 3 states of matter after all, how Giant Hogweed is running riot this year in the UK, how Japan handles trees that are in the way of construction, what scientists can learn from geckos, and how David Beckham can help us remember a particular fern name.

Gardeners' World is back at Longmeadow with Monty and we head to Stockton Bury Gardens with Toby Buckland to meet the treasure Raymond Treasure. We learn some interesting things about ferns from Neil Frame in Bristol, (including that he's made botanical history!!) and Sue Kent gives us an update on her garden. Finally Erika Savory shows us her beautiful garden in Lyme Regis, fully equipped with her salvia babes.

Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/

To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/notjustagarden

More Not Just a Garden

https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/

A companion podcast for Gardeners’ World viewers, featuring weekly recaps and Chit-Chats with guests & presenters from the programme

Join the community for episode plant lists, discounts, recommendations, blogs, links, photos, & more by subscribing at https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

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