Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardeners tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after the spaces they are in charge of, as well as enjoying their gardens at home.

Lucy and Saul certainly have their thinking caps on for this episode, as the duo discuss the specifics of what being a Head Gardener entails. Is it solely gardening, with a team of folk that you manage, or should you also be expected to dabble in electrics, plumbing, carpentry and chauffeuring? In all honesty, we think it should be whatever you're happy to do - and talking of which, we've both been very happy in our own gardens this week. Saul has been excitedly eyeing up his ginger blooms, whilst Lucy has been cooking up a variety of home-grown meals for her family. Thanks, mum and dad, for the sweetcorn!

LinkedIn link:
Saul Walker

Instagram link:
Lucy lucychamberlaingardens

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Support the show

Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardeners tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after the spaces they are in charge of, as well as enjoying their gardens at home.

How has the years warm and dry weather effected the productivity of our plots - well Lucy went to find out when she visited the Fothergills Trial Ground open day where they grow 1500 varieties of flowers, veg and fruit to show case their seed varieties. The picture is obviously mixed with some crops enjoying the temperatures while others struggling to get going, a similar picture back home at our gardens. We also look into some more 'Horticultural News' both sad and positive - including the new Adam Greathead Award for aspiring gardeners to gain valuable experience at John Massey Gardens, Ashwood Nursery and Great Dixter.

Instagram link:
Lucy lucychamberlaingardens

LinkedIn link:
Saul Walker

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Support the show

Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardeners tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after the spaces they are in charge of, as well as enjoying their gardens at home.

Take a day out to spray weeds, and nobody will see any results instantly - but woe betide you if you neglect this essential job and customers consequently see a sea of fat hen (or, even worse, oxalis or creeping buttercup...) a week or so down the line. Juggling jobs is all part of the professional gardener's daily challenges, and understanding your clients' needs, along with good two-way communication, allows you to make sound decisions for all concerned. Plus, Saul has been spending more time in Stoneland's kitchen garden whereas Lucy has flexed her  tropical muscles once again. Great minds obviously do think alike - especially with revelations about wild swims and marine biology aspirations...

Instagram link:
Lucy lucychamberlaingardens

LinkedIn link:
Saul Walker

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Support the show

Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardeners tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after the spaces they are in charge of, as well as enjoying their gardens at home.

The school Summer holidays have started in the UK which means Lucy and her family have gone for a well deserved break to Beaulieu, a place familiar to all listeners. But that means Saul is on his own and bringing you along on his Saturday shenanigans down at the Beach and at the Story of Emily, a brand new garden and museum in West Cornwall, all while trying to fit some horticulture waffle in - a bracing dip, some jungle garden action and raucous folk music abound!

LinkedIn link:
Saul Walker

Instagram link:
Lucy lucychamberlaingardens

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Support the show

Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardeners tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after the spaces they are in charge of, as well as enjoying their gardens at home.

Well, who would have thought that Lucy Chamberlain would get hooked on tropical plants, or that Saul Walker would be munching his way through lettuces and sweet peppers in the quest for edible perfection? But, that's what you can find happening in the life of two curious professional gardeners. The duo have also been fighting the never-ending battle of weeds, Lucy flexes her Niwake shears, and Saul peers into his wheelbarrow for a detailed weather report. Tomasz Schafernaker, we salute you!

LinkedIn link:
Saul Walker

Instagram link:
Lucy lucychamberlaingardens

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Support the show

Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardeners tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after the spaces they are in charge of, as well as enjoying their gardens at home.

In this episode, Lucy throws a curveball at Saul by introducing him to her love of machinery. Long-pole hedge cutters, brushcutters, leaf blowers and strimmers are all essential daily kit for professional gardeners. The hot, dry weather still causes the duo to wilt (hooray for Saturday the 19th... :-) and Lucy finds that some wildlife has struggled to cope in her customer's garden. The Ecowitt app gets a shoutout for gardeners who like to stalk their peers' climate (very interesting, Saul...) and the windy weather has ruffled Lucy's feathers, while Saul remains as cool as a cucumber. 

Instagram link:
Lucy lucychamberlaingardens

LinkedIn link:
Saul Walker

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Support the show

Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardeners tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after the spaces they are in charge of, as well as enjoying their gardens at home.

The third UK summer heatwave is occurring, with summers getting warmer and drier - especially noticeable in Saul's usually much wetter county of Devon, this means a lot of plants need a little extra TLC to get them looking at their best. Lucy in dry Essex is, however, extremely used to these conditions and gives us a few hints and tips on plants to grow in the dry. Also a lot of pruning going on including the topiary, so appropriately the Henchman Topiary Awards have been announced - with some fantastical animals being created by artful pruning. However, forget all this because this weekend it's all about the BBQ - so enjoy your garden in the best way possible with grilled veggies and a banger or two!

LinkedIn link:
Saul Walker

Instagram link:
Lucy lucychamberlaingardens

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Support the show

Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardeners tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after the spaces they are in charge of, as well as enjoying their gardens at home.

Apologies for again this week mentioning the 's'-word (sweat) but it's been foisty throughout the UK, meaning that Lucy and Saul have yet again plenty of weather fodder to get their teeth into. They also discover a design issue with their battery mowers - are their other professional gardeners out there whacking their Hayters on an all-too-frequent basis? Hedges also go under the spotlight - do you cut yours once or twice a year? And we give a shoutout to our Australian listeners in NSW who are experiencing a cyclone bomb with tidal surges, high winds and up to 200mm of rainfall in just a few hours. Hunker down, stay safe and emerge unscathed if you can.

LinkedIn link:
Saul Walker

Instagram link:
Lucy lucychamberlaingardens

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Support the show

Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardeners tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after the spaces they are in charge of, as well as enjoying their gardens at home.

It's well established that Lucy resides in arid Essex and Saul lives in drenched Devon, and the podcasting duo are certainly experiencing their standard levels of rainfall this summer. But gluts and dearths of moisture aside, they are both gardening in the heat, so how can you continue to keep your customers happy whilst also preserving your welfare? Hats, shade and (sorry) sweat aside, there are jobs to be done, with pruning, weeding, and getting round to those never-completed 'cherry' tasks all on the agenda. Just another standard week in the life of two professional gardeners, then!

Instagram link:
Lucy lucychamberlaingardens

LinkedIn link:
Saul Walker

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Support the show

Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardeners tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after the spaces they are in charge of, as well as enjoying their gardens at home.

Lucy and Saul have been in the health wars recently - so much so that Lucy had to cancel her appearance at BBC Gardeners World Live, and Saul lost his voice for half the show so could neither record an episode of the podcast, nor bellow his usual Plant expert tours. But the pair are now recovered(ish) and reflect back on GWLive as well as look at some of the more prevalent questions from the public about problems and suggestions for their garden. 

LinkedIn link:
Saul Walker

Instagram link:
Lucy lucychamberlaingardens

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Support the show