The Dirt: the gardening podcast from Grow Your Own magazine

By DC Thomson

What's The Dirt: the gardening podcast from Grow Your Own magazine about?

The fruit and veg gardening podcast from Grow Your Own magazine that celebrates the failures on your allotment as much as the successes!

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The Dirt: the gardening podcast from Grow Your Own magazine episodes:

12.16.2022
The Dirt Christmas Special!
In this bonus episode of The Dirt, the GYO team talk favourite veg for the Christmas table, ideal gardening gifts and reflections on the 2022 season. With a ridiculous party game and cracker jokes, it's packed full of cheer that...
12.02.2022
The whole point of gardening is to experiment and learn from your mistakes, says Mark Dwelly
This week, we're joined by Mark Dwelly, head gardener at Audley Stanbridge Earls. Mark explains how he landed his fulfilling career, as well as some handy time and money saving hacks that you could put to use on your own plot. Plus, the...
11.25.2022
There’s something about that feeling of being cocooned in the polytunnel, says Hannah Bates
This week, the team is joined by senior horticulturist and tutor for The Therapy Garden, Hannah Bates. Hannah discusses the mindful nature of certain tasks in the garden, as well as how everyone makes their mark on growing spaces. Plus, the...
11.18.2022
Instead of a beekeeper, I’m a bee host, says Kevin Hancock, founder of the Gardener’s Beehive
On this episode of The Dirt, we're chatting to Kevin Hancock, founder of the Gardener's Beehive. Kevin tells us all about his Eco-Beehive invention and why gardeners all over the country love it. He also shares fascinating information about honeybees...
11.11.2022
It’s my dirty little secret that I’m not very good at seed sowing, says Pollyanna Wilkinson
This week, we're joined by multi-award-winning garden designer Pollyanna Wilkinson. Polly explains her fascinating career change to garden design, as well as some hilarious growing mishaps that have given her the confidence and insight to create stunning outdoor spaces. Plus,...
11.04.2022
The garden has so many faces, and you can love them all, says the RSPB’s Adrian Thomas
This week on The Dirt, we are joined by the RSPB's wildlife gardening expert, Adrian Thomas, who shows us that gardening for wildlife can take many different forms and can suit your own plot style. He also highlights that you...
10.28.2022
Anyone who can grow a cauliflower deserves a medal, says Kathy Slack
This week, we're joined by food writer, stylist, photographer and kitchen gardener Kathy Slack, who celebrates the rewards of bringing crops from the plot to the plate. With talk of supper clubs, gluts and a pig romance involving pumpkins, it's...
09.16.2022
The way I garden is rooted in letting go of control, says Poppy Okotcha
This week we’re joined by ecological home grower Poppy Okotcha, who tells all about her special relationship with her garden, and her mission to treat this space with the love and respect it deserves. Plus, the GYO team chat about the...
09.02.2022
Gardening cuts across all ages and cultures, says Mark Ridsdill Smith
This week we’re joined by gardening author and container growing expert, Mark Ridsdill Smith, who tells all about his inner city gardening journey, and how to get great harvests from any space. Plus, the GYO team chat weather, and smart upcycling...
08.26.2022
On the farm we’ve achieved the full sustainable cycle, says chef Clodagh McKenna
This week we’re joined by television chef, author and gardener Clodagh McKenna, who tells all about her sustainable farming lifestyle, handy slug-repellent hacks, some top preserving tips and much more. Plus, the GYO team discuss grass cutting goats and some brilliant...
08.19.2022
If a plant won’t grow without spraying, grow something else, says The National Trust’s Andy Eddy
Have a bit of fun, experiment - and 'steal with pride' says Andy Eddy, from The National Trust. This week, we chat to Andy about working at the inspirational Osterley Park, why looking after soil is key, and how you...
08.12.2022
To me, there’s no such thing as green fingers, says Dominica McKevitt, Head Gardener at Ardgillan Castle
Even professionals make mistakes, says Dominica McKevitt, Head Gardener at Ardgillan Castle. This week, we chat to Dominica about her gardening journey from childhood, all the wonderful crops growing at Ardgillan Castle and much more! Plus, the GYO team discuss lazy...
08.05.2022
Gardening takes away all of life’s deadlines, says Carl Mintern from Self Sufficient Hub
In this brand new series of The Dirt, we're chatting to Self Sufficient Hub's Carl Mintern on his exciting growing journey over the past few years. We discuss the disconnect between seed to plate and how to tackle this, the...
03.31.2022
My wee killed my fruit tree, so always stay hydrated on the plot, says Kevin Wilson
Essex-based gardener Kevin Wilson shares his fruit growing journey, including his biggest achievements and fails on the plot. As well as this, the team talks gardening prescriptions, a campaign to get kids into veggies, and a frog the size of...
03.24.2022
Soil is the foundation of life, says David Jeffrey
David sheds light on his top gardening mantra, being beaten by blight and much more in this jam-packed chat. As well as this, the team talks secret gardens, looking at pests differently - and of course, chillies! The Dirt is sponsored...
03.17.2022
Apparently, male pee is good for your compost, says Lee from 2nd City Cottage
I never realised how important bamboo sticks would become in my life, says allotment grower Lee, who runs 2nd City Cottage, a YouTube channel dedicated to recording the highs and lows of his growing season on the plot in Birmingham....
03.10.2022
It’s really rewarding – I know where our food comes from, says Rachel from gardening blog Don’t Crop Me Now
Gardening has changed a lot over the years, says allotment grower Rachel from Manchester. In this episode, Rachel discusses her growing journey with her husband, their gardening blog Don't Crop Me Now, and the unique ways in which she preserves...
03.03.2022
When it comes to growing, the Victorians really were ahead of their time, says Heidi Savage
Gardening is a process of trial and error, and Anglia Ruskin student and allotment gardener Heidi Savage fully embraces this fact. She shared fascinating findings from her research of Victorian growing practices on this week's episode, including how she implements...
02.24.2022
Something always goes wrong, but people looking around the gardens don’t see that, they say it is just beautiful, says the National Trust’s Jonny Norton
Gardening fails are regular, but are rarely noticed by others - and we learn a lot from them, says Jonny Norton of the National Trust's beautiful Mottisfont garden. He also shared his top tips and no-dig lessons on this week's...
11.19.2021
Cottage garden vs traditional veg beds – which is best?
Grow Your Own magazine editor, Laura and The Plant Based Podcast’s Ellen Mary are discussing the pros and cons for quaint cottage gardening and good old fashioned veg beds. What's your verdict?
11.12.2021
To feed or not to feed you plants – Laura and Ellen discuss this burning question!
Grow Your Own magazine editor, Laura and The Plant Based Podcast’s Ellen Mary are discussing feeding plants, feeding soil – or not feeding at all! They also hear from some social media followers to get to the bottom of this question – should you feed your...
11.05.2021
To chit, or not to chit? Laura and Ellen have their say
Grow Your Own magazine editor, Laura and The Plant Based Podcast’s Ellen Mary delve into the world of potato growing and discuss their own traditions. They also hear from some listeners to help answer this week’s question – should you...
10.29.2021
Do you save or buy seeds? Laura and Ellen discuss this hot topic!
Grow Your Own magazine editor, Laura and The Plant Based Podcast’s Ellen Mary are taking a look at the benefits of saving seeds and buying seeds this week. They also hear from some listeners to help answer this week’s question...
10.22.2021
Are you the proud owner of a greenhouse or a polytunnel? Laura and Ellen discuss which is best
The Plant Based Podcast host, Ellen Mary, and Grow Your Own magazine editor, Laura, discuss the benefits of growing in different undercover spaces – and pit them against each other! They also draft in some opinions from The Dirt listeners to help answer this week’s question – greenhouses or polytunnels?
10.15.2021
Gloves or no gloves? Laura and Ellen discuss a topic that is more controversial than you might think!
Grow Your Own editor Laura and The Plant Based Podcast host, Ellen Mary discuss the benefits and the drawbacks of getting your hands in the dirt. They also draft in some listeners of The Dirt to help answer this week’s...
10.07.2021
Step out of your back door into an edible haven, or pay a visit to the plot? Laura and Ellen debate garden vs allotment growing
Grow Your Own editor Laura and The Plant Based Podcast host, Ellen Mary pit their plots against their gardens in this tricky debate. Both types of space are amazing, but will one come out on top? As well as Laura...
09.30.2021
Does digging make you a glutton for punishment? Ellen and Laura dig in and find out!
In this episode (and for the rest of the series) Grow Your Own editor Laura is joined by The Plant Based Podcast’s Ellen Mary to discuss some hot horticultural topics. Here, they are talking about the growing popularity of no...
06.25.2021
Cream of the crop - The best of Season 5
In this special episode we're looking back at the best bits of Season 5 of The Dirt. It's jam-packed with good advice, hilarious mess-ups and garden chat.
06.22.2021
I transformed a field of chest-high grass into an amazing allotment, says Adam Barnes
This week on The Dirt, we were joined by British Army paratrooper and allotment enthusiast, Adam Barnes. Adam's allotment featured in the July issue of Grow Your Own magazine and in this episode we got to hear even more about...
06.11.2021
New allotments are overwhelming but don't give up, says Rekha Mistry
Now an expert grower, Rekha Mistry joined us on this week's episode of The Dirt and recalled how overwhelming her new allotment was when she first took it on. Rekha also imparts plenty of wisdom in the form of garden...
06.04.2021
You have to be creative when using your crops, said ‘Two Dirty Boys’
We were joined by Robin and Paul, AKA ‘Two Dirty Boys’, who told us all about their allotment successes and failures. They gave us some fantastic ideas for creative crop uses, crop-swapping and discussed growing peaches in the UK. The Dirt...
05.28.2021
When I started I had no growing skills whatsoever, says Sinead Fenton
Sinead Fenton has been on an amazing gardening journey. Now an accomplished grower with her own small farm, she explains to us how she got there and some of the lessons she learned along the way. The Grow Your Own...
05.25.2021
Does a parsnip feel kinship with a carrot? Asks Alys Fowler
Does a parsnip feel kinship with a carrot? This question and so many more are mulled over by special guest, Alys Fowler, on this week's episode of our award-winning podcast The Dirt. Alys explained her biggest successes on the plot,...
05.14.2021
You can cut corners if you know how, says David Boggis
Keen grower David Boggis joins us on the pod this week, sharing his experience, tips and tricks from the garden. David tells us about his biggest successes in the garden as well as one or two corners to cut.
05.07.2021
We love finding organic solutions to overcome hurdles, say Aga and Kay
This episode we’re joined by a pair of passionate (and award-winning!) allotment-holders from North Norfolk – Aga and Kay. They’re here to share all about how they use the abundance of fresh, seasonal produce from their plot at Aga’s nearby...
04.30.2021
I turned a wasteland into a garden, says Aaron Nelson
Aaron Nelson turned an un-touched yard with "nothing living" into an amazing garden, buzzing with plants and wildlife. We heard about his successes and failures in his Manchester garden on this week's episode of The Dirt.
04.23.2021
I’ve had success with some pretty unusual crops, says Mark Diacono
Mark Diacono joins us on this week’s episode of The Dirt. As a grower and writer, Mark has had success with some wonderfully unusual crops - raising a pecan harvest in the UK, for example. In this episode he shares...
03.26.2021
Gardening changed my life – I call it my green pill, says Mark Lane
For the final episode of series 4, we’re finishing with a bang! TV expert and garden designer Mark Lane joins us to tell us all about his beautiful Kent garden and fruit orchard. Plus he shares some quick and easy...
03.19.2021
Extend your tomato season with these tips says Jo Jo Yee
On this episode of The Dirt, Jo Jo Yee explains how to extend your tomato growing season and we hear from Marshalls Garden experts on how best to site plants in your garden. We cover a wide variety of crops...
03.11.2021
I just hide all my allotment weeds, admits Ashley Nwokorie
Ashley Nwokorie is keen to teach her children that gardening is fun (even when they sabotage her efforts!) and a great way to connect with nature. She shares some top tips for growers and even asks us a few big...
03.04.2021
Get stuck in – gardening isn’t the hobby for the cautious, says Sarah Raven
Sarah Raven prides herself on being able to pick fresh salad leaves year-round and has some delicious recommendations for you to add to your kitchen garden (as well as a handy hack for harvesting cut-and-come-again leaves). Plus she confesses to...
02.26.2021
My giant pumpkin has been a part of my life, like a person, says Kirsty Ward
On The Dirt this week, Kirsty Ward tells us all about the joys of growing giant pumpkins, experts from Marshalls debate dig vs no dig and Laura and Blake discuss unexpected kiwis. We’re dispelling myths, dishing out tips and generally...
02.19.2021
Bindweed is pure evil but you can turn it into homemade liquid feed, says Derek Daly
Derek Daly loves spending time on his Nottingham allotment accompanied by his young son. He joins us this week to tell us all about their plot successes, occasional fails and some handy pieces of gardening advice, too. Plus, Mike Bracegirdle...
02.11.2021
Life’s too short to wait for turmeric to sprout in an airing cupboard, says Alex Mitchell
Alex Mitchell has a few funny tales to tell from her years of gardening, including the time that her flock of sheep ate most of her apple trees, or her realisation that a quick trip to Tel Aviv to buy...
02.09.2021
Some years I’ve sown 3,000 seeds in return for six carrots, says Liz Zorab
You may be familiar with Liz Zorab from her popular YouTube channel where she documents life on her homestead – Byther Farm. This week Liz joins us on The Dirt to reveal all about her gardening journey to near self-sufficiency...
01.29.2021
Get twice the yield for half the effort with this tomato hack, says Sally Nex
Garden writer Sally Nex drops by to tell us about her triumphant 8-foot tree chilli, some upside-down tulip bulbs that never gave up, and her best advice for low-carbon gardening if you’re hoping to reduce your environmental impact this year....
01.21.2021
I’m not a celeb, I’m just a man who loves his garden, says Gerald Stratford
Gerald Stratford has become quite the internet gardening phenomenon over the past year, captivating the Twittersphere with photos of his giant vegetable harvests. We were thrilled to get him on the line for a chat about his new-found fame, to...
12.23.2020
Simon says: Use companion plants to distract unwanted pests
For one final time, Simon Toomer of The National Trust joins Laura and Blake to unpick your gardening problems and offer his expertise to overcome them. Plus, with Christmas nearly upon us, the GYO team is here to spread some...
11.26.2020
Simon says: Get practical jobs done now to hit the ground running in spring
The National Trust’s Simon Toomer returns to shed some light on some of your biggest gardening problems right now, including planting sweetcorn, combatting canker in fruit trees and the tasks you should be finding time for on the plot during...
11.12.2020
Simon says: These simple tweaks will help to boost your garden
Simon Toomer from the National Trust is back again to answer your gardening questions. In this episode, he’s giving his advice for improving sandy soils, getting more bang for your buck from strawberry plants and looking after cucumber crops to...

What's The Dirt: the gardening podcast from Grow Your Own magazine about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Dirt: the gardening podcast from Grow Your Own magazine episodes:

The Dirt Christmas Special!

The whole point of gardening is to experiment and learn from your mistakes, says Mark Dwelly

There’s something about that feeling of being cocooned in the polytunnel, says Hannah Bates

Instead of a beekeeper, I’m a bee host, says Kevin Hancock, founder of the Gardener’s Beehive

It’s my dirty little secret that I’m not very good at seed sowing, says Pollyanna Wilkinson

The garden has so many faces, and you can love them all, says the RSPB’s Adrian Thomas

Anyone who can grow a cauliflower deserves a medal, says Kathy Slack

The way I garden is rooted in letting go of control, says Poppy Okotcha

Gardening cuts across all ages and cultures, says Mark Ridsdill Smith

On the farm we’ve achieved the full sustainable cycle, says chef Clodagh McKenna

If a plant won’t grow without spraying, grow something else, says The National Trust’s Andy Eddy

To me, there’s no such thing as green fingers, says Dominica McKevitt, Head Gardener at Ardgillan Castle

Gardening takes away all of life’s deadlines, says Carl Mintern from Self Sufficient Hub

My wee killed my fruit tree, so always stay hydrated on the plot, says Kevin Wilson

Soil is the foundation of life, says David Jeffrey

Apparently, male pee is good for your compost, says Lee from 2nd City Cottage

It’s really rewarding – I know where our food comes from, says Rachel from gardening blog Don’t Crop Me Now

When it comes to growing, the Victorians really were ahead of their time, says Heidi Savage

Something always goes wrong, but people looking around the gardens don’t see that, they say it is just beautiful, says the National Trust’s Jonny Norton

Cottage garden vs traditional veg beds – which is best?

To feed or not to feed you plants – Laura and Ellen discuss this burning question!

To chit, or not to chit? Laura and Ellen have their say

Do you save or buy seeds? Laura and Ellen discuss this hot topic!

Are you the proud owner of a greenhouse or a polytunnel? Laura and Ellen discuss which is best

Gloves or no gloves? Laura and Ellen discuss a topic that is more controversial than you might think!

Step out of your back door into an edible haven, or pay a visit to the plot? Laura and Ellen debate garden vs allotment growing

Does digging make you a glutton for punishment? Ellen and Laura dig in and find out!

Cream of the crop - The best of Season 5

I transformed a field of chest-high grass into an amazing allotment, says Adam Barnes

New allotments are overwhelming but don't give up, says Rekha Mistry

You have to be creative when using your crops, said ‘Two Dirty Boys’

When I started I had no growing skills whatsoever, says Sinead Fenton

Does a parsnip feel kinship with a carrot? Asks Alys Fowler

You can cut corners if you know how, says David Boggis

We love finding organic solutions to overcome hurdles, say Aga and Kay

I turned a wasteland into a garden, says Aaron Nelson

I’ve had success with some pretty unusual crops, says Mark Diacono

Gardening changed my life – I call it my green pill, says Mark Lane

Extend your tomato season with these tips says Jo Jo Yee

I just hide all my allotment weeds, admits Ashley Nwokorie

Get stuck in – gardening isn’t the hobby for the cautious, says Sarah Raven

My giant pumpkin has been a part of my life, like a person, says Kirsty Ward

Bindweed is pure evil but you can turn it into homemade liquid feed, says Derek Daly

Life’s too short to wait for turmeric to sprout in an airing cupboard, says Alex Mitchell

Some years I’ve sown 3,000 seeds in return for six carrots, says Liz Zorab

Get twice the yield for half the effort with this tomato hack, says Sally Nex

I’m not a celeb, I’m just a man who loves his garden, says Gerald Stratford

Simon says: Use companion plants to distract unwanted pests

Simon says: Get practical jobs done now to hit the ground running in spring

Simon says: These simple tweaks will help to boost your garden