In this episode, Dan & Julia chat to Lorraine Caley of Caley Brothers, gold medal-winning mushroom growers. Lorraine and her sister, Jodie, have built a thriving business by running mushroom-growing workshops and selling mushroom kits, gaining fame with their eye-catching, intriguing displays of edible fungi at the Chelsea Flower Show. If you don't know a lot about fungi, listening to this interview is a must! Later in the episode, Julia shares her experience of growing oyster mushrooms using a kit, and Dan suggests ten things you can do in your garden over the next fortnight. Here's a reminder:

Jobs to do this fortnight

1. Plan spring bulb displays for autumn planting, succession planting for late summer colour and cropping. 
2. Arrange for someone to water your garden if you’re planning a holiday in July or August.
3. Sow annual flowers for an extended season of colour, salads for summer, vegetables for autumn cropping, all the autumn and winter-picking brassicas and biennial flowers to bloom next spring. 
4. Plant container-grown shrubs, roses, perennials and climbers. Summer bedding and dahlias. Plant up containers of all shapes and sizes.
5. Prune early-spring-flowering shrubs, taking care not to disturb nesting birds.
6. Harvest asparagus, broad beans, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, mint, parsley, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, spring cabbage, spring onions, strawberries, gooseberries, and elderflowers.
7. Pick - peonies, roses, delphiniums, lupins, alstroemeria, sweet peas, lavender. Please give them a long drink in a bucket of cold water before arranging.
8. Buy - plants that fill the ‘June gap’, young vegetable plants, bedding plants, peat-free compost for containers, tomato and lawn food, liquid seaweed and weeding tools. It might also be a good time to invest in a new hose or watering can.
9. Enjoy the early mornings and long, light evenings, the increasing temperatures, and strawberries and gooseberries eaten straight from the plant.
10. Visit - open gardens and nurseries across the country, but especially those specialising in roses. 

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Caley Brothers' website

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

After a busy visit to the Chelsea Flower Show, Dan and Julia reflect on how the UK's premier horticultural showcase is evolving. They compare what caught their eye, from bonsai potentillas to pelargonium-scented candles. As always, you can expect a candid assessment of the show through your hosts' eyes, accompanied by laughter and amusing anecdotes.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's Chelsea Survival Guide
• Dan's article on the Chelsea Chop
• Parker's Patch
• Kent Wildflower Seeds Website

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

In this episode, Dan and Julia talk to Charlotte Denne of Kent Wildflower Seeds about her family business, growing native wildflowers in your garden, and the groundbreaking exhibit she's taking to the Chelsea Flower Show. We learn how wildflower seeds are produced for sale and which are best suited to beds, containers and meadow areas. Julia highlights the many wildflowers you can eat and throws in some cultivated ones for good measure, while Dan suggests two products to help create the perfect seedbed for outdoor sowing. Your hosts conclude with a list of jobs to do in your garden and share what they're getting up to over the next fortnight.

If you notice a little background noise during this podcast, that's Julia's builders working around the clock to complete her new extension! We hope the sound of busy tradesmen won't impact your enjoyment of this uplifting episode.

Jobs to do in the garden this fortnight

1. Regularly water direct-sown seeds, including wildflowers, new plantings and containers.
2. Sow biennials, eg dianthus barbatus, hesperis & digitalis.
3. Chelsea Flower Show week is a good week to cut back herbaceous perennials and herbs. This will extend the flowering season and produce more growth.
4. Feed strawberry plants in flower and make sure they are watered regularly.
5. Throw netting over strawberries and other soft fruit.
6. Divide houseplants that are getting too big.
7. It's a good time to propagate spider plants, monstera, coleus and philodendrons.
8. Sow more salads, beetroot, radish, peas and spring onions for later crops.
9. Earth up potatoes
10. Plant out sweetcorn or sow if you have not started yet.
11. Watch out for pests namely, lily beetle, asparagus beetle and box moth caterpillar, all three can destroy overnight.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's article on sowing a wildflower meadow
• Dan's article on the Chelsea Chop
• Parker's Patch
• Kent Wildflower Seeds Website

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

In this episode, Dan & Julia talk to Thomas Pearson, a young entrepreneur who takes an old-fashioned approach to selling terracotta pots from his yard in rural Herefordshire. Julia extols the virtues of growing salad leaves in containers and ponders on how long to protect her precious lemons, while Dan suggests three products to take the strain out of filling and watering pots. Your hosts conclude with a list of jobs to do in your garden and share what they're getting up to over the next fortnight.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Tom's Yard Website
• Tom's Instagram Account

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

In this episode, Dan & Julia talk to Katie Derham, BBC Radio 3 broadcaster, Queen of the Proms, and Strictly Come Dancing finalist, about how she combines her love of gardening and music. Julia grows tomatoes from shop-bought fruit, and Dan shares alternative Easter gift ideas. Your hosts round off with a list of jobs to do in your garden over the Easter holidays.

Katie's Instagram account - https://www.instagram.com/thekatiederham

Music in Bloom on BBC Radio 3 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001yr8j

Dan's alternative Easter gift ideas - https://www.dancoopergarden.com/collections/easter

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Kew Wakehurst

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

In the first episode of their new series, Dan and Julia chat with Paolo Arrigo of Seeds of Italy, discovering why it's important to preserve old vegetable varieties and exploring their importance to Italian cuisine. Julia enlightens Dan about cultivating garlic greens, and Dan prepares to tiptoe through the tulips in his new Italian gardening clogs.

Paolo's 'eternal' tomatoes: https://seedsofitaly.com/tomato-principe-borghese-da-appendere-or-eternal-tomatoes/

Spinach 'Monstreux de Viroflay': https://seedsofitaly.com/spinach-monstreux-de-viroflay-16th-century-paris/

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

In this bonus episode, Dan and Julia set the scene for Series 5 of Two Good Gardeners. They share what caught their eye at the Garden Press Event in February and what hot topics are coming up later in the spring. Listen to find out whether Dan can speak Cornish and how Julia managed to break her nose.

Episode 1 will be released on Friday, March 28th 2025

Dan's article:

Heritage vegetables - what they are and why you should grow them

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

To round off Series 4 of Two Good Gardeners, Dan & Julia test each other's memory with a New Year quiz. The scores may not be high, but there are laughs aplenty! Join in and see if you can guess Dan's Desert Island flower and the length of Julia's prize-winning parsnip!

The Two Good Gardeners will return in spring 2025 with a brand new series.

Jobs to do in the garden this fortnight:

1. Dan - Sow chilli seeds under cover - a warm environment is essential!
2. Clean, sharpen and oil tools.
3. Sort out your seed tin and order seed catalogues.
4. Keep feeding the birds and refreshing/topping up their water.
5. Plant tulip bulbs if they're still hanging about.
6. Don’t panic if you see spring bulb foliage appear, and be careful not to squash emerging shoots - many things are coming up early this year.
7. Order and continue to plant bare-root trees and shrubs.
8. Prune soft fruit bushes, e.g. currants and gooseberries.
9. Prune apples, pears and figs.
10. Force rhubarb under forces or deep buckets.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

We've had some rough weather to start the winter, which is miserable enough for us, but spare a thought for the wild creatures in our garden that might have been unable to forage and find food. In this episode, Dan & Julia talk to Clare Carhill, founder of A Little Bird Co., about caring for birds during winter, with some surprising information about the threat caused by cats. Later in the show, they share tips about how you can take care of other animal visitors, too.

Jobs to do in the garden this fortnight

1. Make sure brassicas and taller plants are securely supported.
2. Firm back in plants that have rocked in the ground - use the heel of your boot and stake if necessary.
3. Brussel sprouts should be ready to harvest; pick from the bottom upwards.
4. Collect fallen debris and use any attractive foliage to decorate the house for Christmas.
5. Take hardwood cuttings.
6. Prune climbing roses.
7. Remove the lower leaves from hellebores to see the flowers more clearly when they emerge.
8. Do a health check on the greenhouse and house plants. Look for whiteflies and fungus gnats and treat them if necessary.
9. Sow sweet peas through to January.
10. Garlic should be planted on the shortest day, the 21st of December.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves
• Lettuce Publishing - use code Xmas 2024 to get a signed copy
• A Little Bird Co.

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

To celebrate the season of plum puddings and cranberry sauce, Dan and Julia devote this episode to all things fruity. They reveal their favourite fruits and share tips on how to grow and use them. Dan describes one of his favourite tools for pruning fruit trees, and Julia delves deeper into the art of cultivating blueberries.

Listen to the end to hear Dan & Julia's list of jobs to do in the garden over the next fortnight and to find out where they'll be popping up in the run-up to Christmas.

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight:

1. December is the last call for planting spring-flowering bulbs. It's a little late for everything other than tulips, but it's still worth getting bulbs in the ground or pots now rather than wasting them. 
2. Collect redundant bamboo canes and store them safely. Errant plant supports cause hundreds of accidents yearly, and the last thing anyone wants is to spend Christmas in A&E.
3. During cold weather, put out high-energy food and ensure animals can access fresh water. Cleanliness is vital for the health of garden birds, so it's a good time to start cleaning out bird boxes in readiness for the spring.
4. If it's grotty outside, or you haven't got the energy to move beyond the sofa, now's a great time to sort your seedbox, discarding any that are out of date (although they could still be worth trying) and making a note of new varieties you'd like to source. 
5. On fine, dry days, gather any remaining seed heads to provide decoration around the home or use them for making wreaths and garlands. 
6. Should it snow, shake the excess from trees and shrubs where the weight might cause branches to bend and break. Columnar (pillar-shaped) trees and topiary are particularly vulnerable. 
7. If you store tubers, fruit, and vegetables in a shed or garage, check them every fortnight to ensure there's no sign of mould, rot, or shrivelling. They should be firm to the touch with taught skin.
8. If you planted potatoes in anticipation of fresh spuds at Christmas, you should be able to start lifting them now. Main crop potatoes still in the ground can be dug as needed, but don't forget they are there as they'll begin to sprout as soon as the weather warms up in spring.
9. The wind is one of our greatest enemies. Firmly stake new trees and support or 'earth up' tall brassicas such as Brussels sprouts, kale and purple sprouting broccoli. 
10. Many of our greatest gardens put on spectacular light displays from now until early in the New Year. These events might not offer a complete escape from the madding crowd, but they highlight the magnificent structure of gardens we're used to seeing fully clothed. 

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves
• Lettuce Publishing - use code Xmas 2024 to get a signed copy
• Brenton Roberts on Instagram

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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