In this episode, Dan and Julia chat with Toby Shaull of Zophian Plants about his journey from pro-skateboarder and carpenter to specialist plantsman and pioneer of alternative growing mediums. Toby is part of a new generation of nurserymen gently nudging small-scale, commercial horticulture into the 21st Century.

Toby will be offering plants for sale at these forthcoming events;

• Plant Fairs Roadshow at Mount Ephraim Gardens, Kent - Sunday, 28th September 2025
• Great Dixter Plant Fair - Saturday, 4th and Sunday, 5th October 2025

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight

1. Keep deadheading dahlias and give them a potassium-rich liquid feed to boost flower production; this will also help maintain their vibrant colours as the weather cools.
2. Prepare hyacinths and narcissi for Christmas by potting them up in peat-free compost before popping them in a cool, dark place until new growth is 5-6cm long.
3. Bring houseplants inside that were evicted for the summer. Remove dead or damaged leaves and check underneath the pots for slugs and snails.
4. It’s your last chance to cut topiary and hedges before winter.
5. Order overwintering onion sets and plant them this month or next. Nudge them into the ground with their tips just protruding.
6. Remove greenhouse shading.
7. Tidy tomato plants by cutting off leaves that shade any fruits still left to ripen. It’s still relatively warm, so tomatoes will continue to grow if they receive enough light.
8. Freeze any excess fruit if you are short on time; tomatoes and berries can be frozen whole.
9. Divide older or very large rhubarb crowns to create new plants; this will also rejuvenate the existing crowns.
10. Order sweet pea seeds, these can be sown in the autumn or next spring, often, the best varieties sell out quickly.

Dan's featured products:

1. Signature Potting Trowel - perfect for filling pots with compost and a lovely gift for keen propagators.
2. Signature Slim Transplanting Trowel - ideal for moving self-seeders and planting small bulbs. Minimises disturbance of neighbouring plants.
3. Signature Disc Weeder - a round 'Hori Hori' for cultivating, weeding, scraping off moss, clearing gutters and removing weeds from cracks in paving.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's Calendar of Events
• Parker's Patch
• Zophian Plants Instagram

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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