Not Just a Garden

This week we learn a bit about concrete impregnated with moss, the dangers of being a sloth, the healing benefits of microbacterium vacii, and we get stuck down a fairly large rabbit hole on the relationship between mental health and screen/tech time.

We’re back at Longmeadow with Monty this week and Carol Klein takes us through her late spring plants before we visit Elliott Neep in his absolutely stunning garden near Wantage in South Oxfordshire. Ashley Edwards takes us to spectacular Holker Hall in the Lake District where we meet head gardener Matthew Murgatroyd, as well as Jacob, Will and Chloe. Finally we head over to the Alpine Garden Society in Pershore where we hear from many of the volunteers and president Dr Rob Amos who are preparing for Chelsea Flower Show.

Some links:

To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/notjustagarden

Respyre

https://www.gorespyre.com

Microbacterium vacii

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23454729/

Elliott Neep

https://www.thegardeningkind.com

https://www.youtube.com/@TheGardeningKind/videos

https://www.thegardeningkind.com/p/get-the-look-courtyard-garden-part?r=48136u&utm_medium=ios&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadLYkksO7zEWsyhqUJ2yq3vQgNLa0pRIas9JLqzCfOy_ZE35dKNEFAmz1_idA_aem_XoDUEY6QyvnMCVr-OYMbog&triedRedirect=true

Holker Hall

https://www.holker.co.uk/discover/the-gardens/

Alpine Garden Society

https://www.alpinegardensociety.net

Benn Storey

https://www.instagram.com/bennstorey/

Layla Robinson

https://www.laylarobinson.com

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.

Patrick Gale joins us for a Chit-Chat after his beautiful garden near Land's End was featured on Gardeners' World 2024 episode 5. We find out about growing trees on granite, barn owl manors, bee-keeping, how to speed up your leaf mulching process, and a handy and completely delicious Nigella recipe to keep in your back pocket in the event of a chard glut.

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

• National Garden Scheme
• RSPB barn owl boxes
• Nigella Lawson's chard and anchovy recipe
• Gale Warning
• Trewidden 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/

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.

This episode we discuss the virtues of chaos gardening, how Sweetpea makes her stinky fertiliser, supramolecular plastics, blue sausage fruit, and the dangers of Artemisia absinthium - mostly a concern if you’re in the vicinity of any French impressionists.

Sue Kent and Adam Frost present Gardeners' World 2025, episode 9 this week from RHS Malvern Spring Festival. The show gardens featured are:

• Garden of the Wind, Yun Sunmi & Lu Wenjuan
• St Godwald’s Retreat, Marc Harbourne-Bessant
• The Diamond Way, Luke Gunner
• Kitchen Garden, Jon Wheatley
• The Hierarchy of Plants, Kate Mason
• The Sleep in Beauty Garden, Ian McBain
• Dibleys' Modern Garden Room, Lynne Dibley
• Contemporary Living/A Modern Retreat, Botanical Interior Design
• The Sensory Sanctuary, Jonathan Balchandani & Mohammed Bhula
• Biosis: Mode of Life, Humble-Bee Gardeners
• The Rain Garden, John Howlett
• Greening Maindee Gateway Garden, Emily Crowley-Wroe

We meet Stella Exley from Hare Spring Cottage Plants and Kate Mason from Kate Mason Garden Designs , we also hear from Dan from Dan's plants, as well as his Grandma Lilly. Finally Rachel de Thame chats to Philip Harkness from The Harkness Rose Company to find out about the Rosa ‘Catherine’s Rose’.

Some links:

To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/notjustagarden

Chaos Gardening

https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/article/what-is-chaos-gardening

Roualeyn Fuchsias

https://www.roualeynfuchsias.co.uk/

Jurassic Plants

https://jurassicplants.co.uk

Plantagogo

https://www.plantagogo.com

Potash Nursery

https://www.potashnursery.co.uk/

Greenjjam Nurseries

https://www.greenjjam.co.uk

Lincolnshire Pond Plants

https://www.lincsplants.com

Hare Spring Cottage Plants

https://www.harespringcottageplants.co.uk

Kate Mason Garden Design

https://kmgardendesign.uk

Dan's Plants

https://www.dansplants.co.uk

Harkness Roses

https://harknessroses1879.com

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.

Layla Robinson was on Gardeners' World 2024 episode 25 and joins us for a Chit-Chat about her dream garden. We learn about modern apprenticeships, her transition from fresh to everlasting flowers, the inspiration behind her book Everlasting Blooms, rainbow vegetables, mushroom trees, and have we finally broken Sweetpea?🤯 We also get an insight into the floral design and story behind her exhibit “Love Our Rivers” for this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

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

• Italian Ranunclus 
• Green and Gorgeous
• Chiltern Seeds
• Plants of Distinction
• Black Shed Flowers
• Merit Mushrooms

More Not Just a Garden

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.

For our recap this week, we have a natter about the pro’s and con’s of AI in horticulture, why & when plants change their scents, canine insect pest control, Yoofs, ICDs, and the bad boy of gardening.

Joe Swift and Rachel de Thame present Gardeners’ World 2025 episode 8 from Malverleys in Newbury with Head Gardener Mat Reese and his wife Jess. We meet Will Tomson from Sheffield at his beautiful garden at Berrywell before joining Arit Anderson with Tom Massey and Je Ahn at the incredible Mayfield Park in Manchester created by Duncan Paybody from Studio Egret West. Finally we head to Ashbourne in Derbyshire to join the wonderful Mon and Maggie Kirby on their fantastic allotment.

And as an added bonus, Bear excels at mispronouncing Malverleys incorrectly around 90% of the podcast, leaving no uncertainty as to which of the two is the real brains of this operation.

Some links:

To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/notjustagarden

Malverleys

https://www.malverleys.co.uk/whats-on-events

Will Tomson

https://www.creativecultivation.co.uk

https://soundcloud.com/allatsea

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/658423046543111581?source_impression_id=p3_1746476614_P32gIP3lgUxWW5HR

Mat Reese

https://www.gardensillustrated.com/gardens/gardeners/mat-reese-interview

Duncan Paybody from Studio Egret West

https://www.instagram.com/dpaybody/

https://www.gardensillustrated.com/gardens/gardens-to-visit/mayfield-park-manchester

Spectator Article by Isabel Harman regarding AI

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-row-over-chelseas-ai-garden/#

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.

This week on our Gardeners’ World 2025 episode 7 recap, we discuss slug fun-facts including the first organism who’s scientific name is based on the welsh language, composting humans, 250 ton wisterias, Nigel Palfrey’s Dukes of Hazzard moment (available on the Patreon) and why do bugs like mating on Sweetpea?

We join Sue Kent in her place in Wales for some more plant experiments including sowing 40 year old seeds, before meeting the wonderful “Compost Michael” or Michael Kennard in Sussex to hear all about his genius Compost Club social enterprise. Molly in South East London is this week’s Your Gardens where we find out about her parents’ front garden as well as the beautiful floral imprints that she has been creating from their plants. Francis takes us to just outside Woking in Surrey to visit a National Collection of incredible wisteria and finally Karl Suchy gives us a tour of his fabulous garden inspired by a visit to Great Dixter.

Some links:

To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/notjustagarden

Compost Club

https://www.compostclub.online/about

From Molly Imprints

https://www.instagram.com/from_molly_imprints/

From Molly Florals

https://www.instagram.com/from__molly/

Plant Heritage

https://www.plantheritage.org.uk/events/surrey/visit-to-the-surrey-group-wisteria-collection/

Karl Suchy’s garden at 81 Coombe Lane, Bristol, available through the NGS

https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/42268/81-coombe-lane?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ6x-BleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFpbjNtS1g3QmJtMUpXVEZ0AR4QyjFHvSA6iu2W4dX5K8-rwirLSnXRPwZYQtd0p3jvhKURBZERwm5VcNjxzw_aem_GthF7x3Aq3fxmWny_Hav5w

Karl Suchy

https://www.instagram.com/kapability_karl/

Great Dixter

https://www.greatdixter.co.uk

Fergus Garrett

https://www.instagram.com/fergusmustafasabrigarrett/

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.

On this week's Gardeners' World recap, we discuss fasciation, Portland, Oregon’s smallest urban park in the world, and why Australia has roos and emus on its coat of arms. before visiting Carol Klein at the stunning Glebe Cottage. Jess Goddard gives us a tour of her beautiful and packed balcony and then Monty talks to Jamie Butterworth, Clare Matterson and Jo Whiley about his dog-friendly garden design for Chelsea Flower Show. Finally we get a tour of the spectacular daffodils displays in North Carmarthenshire at Gelli Uchaf, Landeilo, home to Julian and Fiona Wormald, with a special mention to the rare Narcissus ‘Mrs R O Backhouse', Narcissus ‘Mrs William Copeland’, and Narcissus ‘Sussex Bonfire’.

Some links:

To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/notjustagarden

Carol Klein

https://www.instagram.com/the_carol_klein/

Monty’s Chelsea Flower Show Garden

https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/news/2025/rhs-radio-2-dog-garden

Fiona and Julian Wormald

https://thegardenimpressionists.com

https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/21809/gelli-uchaf?fbclid=IwY2xjawJyzchleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHn6gkowcdUiOTf90E05kqU-n8tIElBELPZNNe1R9h9IP_LI7jPETodNHGc7B_aem_DDFMunvhpkr309Ru7G_qcQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhJTrydxR8U&t=2747s

Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Entangled-Life-Worlds-Change-Futures/dp/1784708275/ref=asc_df_1784708275?mcid=962a5912972d33809401b6546c1e8263&th=1&psc=1&hvocijid=10036514130176694141-1784708275-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10036514130176694141&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=2826&hvtargid=pla-2281435177898&psc=1&gad_source=1

The Lives of Bees by Thomas D Seeley

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lives-Bees-Thomas-D-Seeley/dp/0691166765

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.

This week on our recap of Gardeners’ World 2025 episode 5, we get a bird’s eye view of Adam Frost’s pretty garden complete with Ash and Buster, the new addition to the Frost household. Rachel de Thame takes us to Junker’s Nursery in Milverton to see the magnificent magnolias with Torsten. Joe and Linda in Northampton show us around their incredible water garden inspired by the many rainforests explored on their travels, and then Helen Brown from Clun in Shropshire takes a look at some of her beautiful camellias. Advolly take us for a walk around magical Painshill Park in Surrey before we join Mark Wash in Cornwall to talk all things crocosmia.

Some links:

To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/notjustagarden

How Venice was built

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77omYd0JOeA

Michael Wickenden

http://www.madwithjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/wickendenwhoswho.pdf

Junker’s Nursery

http://www.junker.co.uk/catalogue.htm

Karan Junker’s Book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gardening-Woodlands-Plants-Karan-Junker/dp/0881928216

Joe and Linda’s Garden at 3 Pilgrim Place

https://ngs.org.uk/gardens/3-pilgrims-place-nn4/

Helen Brown’s Garden

https://www.facebook.com/helenbrown.clun/photos

Painshill Park

https://www.painshill.co.uk

Trecanna Nursery in Chilsworthy Cornwall

https://trecanna.com/about-us/

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.

This week Adam Frost is in the Lake District at the stunning Holehird Gardens, home of 6 national collections. We meet Pat Murphy who shows the impressive collection of meconopsis and Alison Sandford describes how she manages the 120 volunteers who make the magic happen. Matthew Simmons in Bedminster tells us about the wonderful Secret Gardens Trail and we meet Sarah and Mo in their wildlife garden, and Mark Majak shares his jurassic inspired garden packed to the rafters! We then head to the Peak District with Rekha to meet Melanie Moore, owner of the beautiful Horsleygate Hall and its efficient kitchen gardens. Finally we spend time with the wonderful “Delphinium Dad” Colin Parton from Leeds, at Delph Cottage Garden in Methley, where he shows us his majestic collection of 106 cultivars of delphiniums.

Some links:

Holehird Gardens

https://www.holehirdgardens.org.uk

Bedminster Secret Gardens Trail

https://www.boardwalkpropertyco.com/assets/pdf/Secret-Gardens-Trail-Map.pdf

https://bloomingbedminster.tumblr.com/frontgardens

Horsleygate Hall

https://www.horsleygatehall.co.uk/the-gardens/

Colin Parton

https://www.facebook.com/Delphcottage/

More Not Just a Garden

https://notjustagarden.co.uk/

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

To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/notjustagarden

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.

Monty and Ned are presenting from Longmeadow again. Nick Bailey is given an interesting tour by Stefano Marinaz of the pretty matrix planting at Church Barn in Shalford, near Braintree and Anna May shows us around her beautiful dahlia farm - Dorset Dahlias - in Bridport West Dorset. Frances Tophill takes us to Bradford city centre to the wonderful Wibsey community garden where we meet Dan Thistlewood, and volunteers Shaheen, Derek and Carol, and Manager Jen White before we head over to Cambridgeshire to meet Nick Phillips from the Woodland Trust to look at the plethora of trees in his small garden.

Some links:

Stefano Marinaz

https://stefanomarinaz.com/

Anna May at Dorset Dahlias

https://dorsetdahlias.co.uk/

Muddy Stilettos

https://dorsetsomerset.muddystilettos.co.uk/awards/vote/?c=105705

Wibsey Community Garden

https://www.facebook.com/wibseycommunitygarden

Nick Phillips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8If2vbcFMn0

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.