The Organic Gardening Podcast

This month, we’re celebrating the slow beauty of autumn, from the changing of the leaves to creating colourful bulb trifles. There’s still so much joy you can get out of your garden, as we prepare for shorter days and longer nights.   

In this episode, Fiona chats with Helena Dove, Kitchen Gardener at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Helena has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the physiology of vegetables, and teaches us how we can better understand the makeup of plant life.  

In the postbag, Fiona, Chris and Emma answer your questions on using black plastic on the...

In this month’s episode, we're joined by Raymond Blanc OBE from his kitchen garden at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons. We toured the garden, which is home to over 100 heritage vegetable varieties. Raymond talks about his own gardening heritage, and how growing with his mother and father in France influenced the direction he's taken with Le Manoir's kitchen garden. We also hear from August Bernstein, head of the Raymond Blanc Gardening School, who chats with us about the relationship Le Manoir have with our Heritage Seed Library. 

Also in this episode: 

Fiona and Chris catch up i...

In this month’s episode, we’re diving deep in to the world of Green Manures, as Dr Anton Rosenfeld, Research Manager at Garden Organic explains how sowing these plants can be central to looking after your soil. 

Also in this episode: 

Fiona and Chris catch up to see how their harvests are going this year, and we answer your questions on what type of sand you can use in the garden, when not to harvest rhubarb and what to do when your potato plants result in no yield whatsoever.  

For more advice on Green M...

In this month's podcast, we're joined by garden designer, broadcaster, and author Juliet Sargeant. Juliet has just released her first book, Start with Soil, in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. She discusses the global impact of soil degradation and shares how gardeners can take control of their own soil health with simple at-home testing.

Also in this episode...
Fiona and Chris celebrate a summer of gardening successes (despite a few heatwaves), and Anton joins to answer your questions on banana peel water, no-dig gardening in raised beds, and whether it’s safe to use washing-up li...

In this month’s Organic Gardening Podcast, Fiona welcomes back seed guardian and writer Adam Alexander. Adam has travelled the world gathering heritage and land race vegetable seeds and in his latest book, tells the story of our “accidental seed heroes.” The backyard growers that are doing something extraordinary, championing old varieties, and also creating new generations of fruit and vegetables. 

Also in this episode...

Fiona and Chris reflect on their visit to BBC Gardeners’ World Live, What they learned from our rooted in nature show garden and what inspired them. They also share tips for coping wi...

In this month's Organic Gardening Podcast, Fiona visits Huw Richards, in his experimental permaculture garden in Mid-West Wales. Huw gives us an insight in to the the principles of permaculture through his 7 acre garden, as we explore his linear food forest, syntropic planting, and how permaculture fits in with the organic principles. 

Also in this episode... 

Fiona and Chris are catching up on their planting progress after an incredibly dry spring. In the postbag, Anton Fiona and Chris answer your questions on pernicious weeds, grafted fruit trees and how to reuse your grey water.  

This month, Fiona visits trained ecologist and author Becky Searle. Becky has been showing the world how to garden organically via her Instagram account (@sowmuchmore) since 2018. This year, Becky embarked on a new journey with the release of her first book “Grow a new Garden.” Fiona and Becky spoke about what ignited her passion for gardening, the role ecology plays in her garden and the importance of seed saving. 

 Also in this episode...
 
 Chris is away this month, so Fiona is joined by Jules Duncan, one of our expert organic gardeners at Ryton. They reflect on the beau...

This month, Fiona visits author and garden writer Kate Bradbury, at her garden in Brighton. Kate shared her passion for wildlife-friendly gardening and the power of small actions to create meaningful change. Fiona and Kate discussed how connecting with nature, whether by planting pollinator-friendly flowers, creating habitats, or simply observing the life in our gardens, can combat eco-anxiety and create a community.
 
Also in this episode... 
 
It's sowing time at Chris’s Allotment, and Fiona discusses the 5 vegetables she’s growing this year. Chris, Fiona, Anton and special guest Pauline Pears answer your questions in the Postbag...

If you enjoyed our previous podcast with Åsa Gregars-Warg from Beth Chatto’s Plants and Gardens, this extended version is well worth a listen. Join Fiona and head gardener Åsa Gregers-Warg as we take a deeper dive into Beth Chatto's pioneering approach to gardening in harmony with nature. From plant choices and soil care to adapting to climate change, this full-length conversation is packed with extra insights and inspiration for gardeners of all kinds.

This month, Fiona speaks with Tristram Stuart, award-winning author and campaigner, about the positive trends in reducing food waste and his unique approach to sustainable farming. Hear how his cattle are "enhancing the wilderness," and discover his perspective on the global food system. Tristram also inspires us to connect with nature, whether through small garden projects or community initiatives. 

Also in this episode... 

Spring is here, and Fiona and Chris are excited to get seed sowing. Chris, Fiona, and new guest Jules answer your questions in the Postbag, discussing healthy houseplants, comfrey, and how to grow su...

In this month's episode, Fiona and Anton spoke with Eddie Bailey. Eddie has spent years studying the soil during his career as a geologist and now shares what he's learnt with gardeners and growers through his company, Rhizophyllia. 

"In my garden, the effect I had when I stopped digging was instantaneous, the following season, germination rates just dramatically improved and got better and better within three years. It was a completely different landscape. The soil is absolutely critical to our health on this planet."

Also in this episode...

Fiona and Chris are "chomping at t...

Join us as we recap an interesting year in organic gardening. From persistent rainfall and slug battles to delightfully late harvests, we've faced it all with a dose of humour and a lot of resilience. In this month's episode, we're looking back on your most intriguing questions from 2024, exploring everything from suspicious strawberry piles to the secrets of healthy soil. You may even hear questions you haven't heard before! 

This month, Fiona visited River Cottage, to chat with Author, Chef and Fermentation Expert Rachel DeThample. Rachel breaks down how eating organically grown vegetables can have a positive impact on the gut microbiome, and dives in to how fermenting the produce from your garden can lead to better nutrition and a stronger connection to nature. 

“We’re a no dig garden, all organic” says Rachel, “so we’re constantly feeding the soil with healthy ingredients to help with it’s diversity, and that’s a really lovely way of reflecting that you can do the same thing with your own microb...

This month, Fiona meets Åsa Gregers-Warg, head gardener at Beth Chatto Plants and Gardens. They tour the gardens, and reflect on Beth Chatto’s legacy, discussing how we can adapt our gardens to promote resilience and withstand changing environmental conditions.

“We haven't used any herbicides or pesticides for the last few years. And we all have to be water wise these days as well. It started off with the gravel garden being the only part of the garden that was never irrigated. But since a couple of years ago, we don't water the rest of the gardens either.”

It's safe to say the weather has been incredibly unusual this year. A wet cold spring was followed by a slug-filled summer. And here in the Midlands, we’ve already experienced our first frosts! 

Sally Morgan, author of the Resilient Garden Handbook, has been tackling these challenges head on. She speaks with Fiona about what makes a resilient garden, and how we can overcome unusual growing conditions. 

“We’re perhaps the first generation of gardeners who can't look back to their grandfathers and ask for advice. I know what my grandfather would tell me and it's totally...

As the nights draw in, Chris sits down with Nick Dunn, professor of urban design at Lancaster University. Nick is also the founding director of the Dark Design Lab, exploring the impacts of nocturnal activity on nature. Nick enlightens us about the role darkness plays in our gardens and artificial light's impact on the wider environment. 

“What light pollution basically does is it alters the way plants and animals behave. The classic example is of moths being drawn to bright lights. But beyond that it's much more serious because it can interfere with important feeding, mating, navigating and als...

Fiona chats with Nick Mole, Policy Officer from the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) UK who shares why pesticides should be banned from use in our urban spaces, and how communities can be affected by pesticide use.
 
 “Knowing that there are alternatives to pesticides that do work, pesticide use in our towns and cities is completely unnecessary. France has banned the use of all non-agricultural pesticides. They have legislation in place and it works. It is often hard, councils are facing all sorts of difficulties. So we do need that support from our legislators.”
 
 Also in this episode…...

What do bed sheets, hessian and bacteria have in common? They might help us reduce the amount of plastic we use in our veg plots! 

Award-winning author, gardener, peat- and plastic-free advocate Sally Nex shares fascinating advice for reducing, reusing and recycling the 500 million pots, seed trays, and other bits of plastic we get through in our gardens every year in the UK.

“When we chip a pot and it goes directly into our soil, it's going to stay there for the next 400 years,” says Sally. “Experiments have shown that earthworms, which are living in soils high in...

We’ve got a double bill this month to help you save more water in your garden over the summer.
We’re joined by Jo Osborn from the charity Waterwise – who tells us that in England alone, we face a potential water deficit of close to 5,000 million litres of water every day by 2050. She shares how crucial it’s we conserve more of it in our homes and gardens.
And climate change gardening guru Sally Morgan talks rainwater and grey water harvesting. She reveals ways to water plants more effectively, and the importance of soil health.
“No dig is imp...

In this month’s Organic Gardening Podcast, Chris Collins chats to Nick Hamilton – son of organic gardening pioneer Geoff Hamilton – and finds out more about his gardening journey and life at his beloved Barnsdale Gardens.
We’ve always had a close relationship with the gardens and Nick, a former Garden Organic trustee, and shared many planting schemes and plant cuttings over the years. Our ‘Paradise Garden’ (now part of Coventry University), with its pergolas and pond, was built to commemorate Nick’s father and TV gardener Geoff. 

More than 25 years ago, Nick had what seemed like an impossible task...

Chris Collins chats to Josiah Meldrum, co-founder and owner of Hodemedods, about growing beans and pulses in the UK climate.
Josiah explains how Hodemedods works with British farmers to supply pulses, such as lentils and chickpeas, in as sustainable way as possible and often using organic methods.
He shares some varieties that can grow well in our gardens and how they grow more unusual crops such as chickpeas and lentils. He also shows how easy it is for British gardeners to overlook the multiple uses of beans.
“People miss a trick in the UK when it comes to...

To celebrate Food Waste Action Week (18-24 March), Chris Collins and David Garrett join Fiona to bust the myths around composting. If you want to know how, why and what to compost this is a must-listen.
David, our head of knowledge transfer at Garden Organic, shares the reasons he loves compost, and talks through the different composting systems at our organic demonstration garden, and how to use them.
“We're producing kitchen waste at home so why not process it ourselves and produce compost? It's a circular economy in our own homes,” says David. “We're taking ownership of the waste...

Our CEO Fiona Taylor visits Slimbridge to chat to Simon Rose from the  Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) about ways to create similar habitats in your growing space. 
With 75 per cent of wetlands in the UK lost in the last 300 years, Fiona explores the importance of urban bluescapes and bogs as a homes for wildlife.
“Wetlands are really rich in wildlife – in fact 40 per cent of the world's species are reliant in some way on wetlands,” says Simon, who is Head of Experience Development at the WWT, which is based at Slimbridge Wetlands Centre in Gloucestershire. “But they also help...

Join Fiona Taylor as she chats to Adam Alexander, aka the Seed Detective. Adam is a volunteer Seed Guardian for Garden Organic's Heritage Seed Library, and self-confessed seed nut! Adam shares stories of his travels around the world, and why seed saving and sharing is so important.

For information on the Heritage Seed Library and how to get involved, visit gardenorganic.org.uk/what-we-do/hsl

For information on Adam Alexander, visit theseeddetective.co.uk/

Our guest this month is Anthony McCluskey from Butterfly Conservation, who shares some fascinating advice about how to support butterflies and caterpillars in your growing space.

We chat to Butterfly Conservation’s urban butterfly project officer about the importance of attracting more butterflies and nighttime pollinators such as moths. And he provides some brilliant advice on things you can plant and do in your garden to help support pollinator populations.

“Recent studies show more than 80 per cent of our UK butterfly species are in decline and a lot of our moths are in decline too,” says Anthon...

In this month’s podcast, Chris hops across the border to visit the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to learn more about its conservation work.

He chats to Kirsty Wilson, herbaceous supervisor at the botanic gardens, to discover more about its 350-year-old living collection of plants and its research projects.

Kirsty, a presenter on BBC Scotland’s Beechgrove Garden, explains the steps the garden is taking to help fight climate change, including preserving struggling plants, using green and clean technology and biocontrols for pests. 

“We're doing a lot of work conserving Scottish native flora, as well as...

In this month’s podcast, we chat to Pam ‘The Jam’ Corbin about making seasonal jams and chutneys from homegrown produce.

As the UK's leading expert on preserving, Pam shares some of her best-kept preserving secrets in October’s Organic Gardening Podcast.

Pam cemented her reputation as a preserving expert at Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s River Cottage. And in her latest book, Pam the Jam: The Book of Preserves, she provides detailed instructions for making more than 100 of her favourite recipes from classic pickles to savoury jams.

Fiona caught up with her at her home in th...

In this month’s podcast, Fiona chats to environmentalist Jane Davidson – our new Vice President - about the impact of climate change on her life and her gardening.

In a fascinating discussion for our September Organic Gardening Podcast, the former Welsh Government minister shares her organic gardening trials and triumphs in North Pembrokeshire, and the importance of the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act, which she spearheaded.

“We’ve lost 70 per cent of species in my lifetime…and we’re likely to exceed the crucial 1.5 degrees this year - and that's a massive wake-up call,” says Jane, who is C...

This month’s delicious Organic Gardening Podcast offers 50-minutes of organic gardening advice and growing stories from our experts at the height of the harvest.

The August garden might be bursting at the seams but now’s a great time to be planning for next year.

Chris and Fiona chat about growing potatoes for a Christmas crop and planting for the hunger gap in early spring. And discuss protecting your soil over autumn and winter with green manures.

Also in this episode

Fiona finds out more about gardening in Scotland with our new...

In this unpruned episode of the Organic Gardening Podcast, Sarah Brown sits down for a chat with ecological grower and garden designer Jack Wallington about his book, A Greener Life. 

Whether you're a seasoned gardener seeking to deepen your understanding of sustainable practices or a beginner eager to embark on a greener gardening journey, prepare to be inspired as Jack imparts his wisdom, revealing his secrets to a more sustainable and fulfilling gardening experience.

From incorporating ecological principles into your garden design to nurturing biodiversity "A Greener Life" aims to empower you to create a garden th...

 In this month’s podcast, our Head Gardener Emma O’Neill gives us a backstage tour of her brilliant Backyard Biodiversity show garden at Gardeners’ World Live – and the take aways to use in your own garden.

Emma talks to Fiona about the climate-change focus of the silver award-winning garden, which gave gardeners inspiring ideas to help their garden better withstand drought and flooding. 

She shares the benefits of permeable paths and gravel gardens for absorbing run off. And growing a short flowering lawn – with beneficial plants - for attracting insects. Fiona and Emma also discuss how low hedg...

In this month’s podcast, Chris Collins chats to the ‘Banksy of Veg’ - food and gardening activist Sara Venn – about the importance of community gardening.

The founder of Incredible Edible Bristol talks us through her journey into gardening and how she realised eco-friendly, organic gardening was the right route.

“I learnt there's an awful lot of horticulture that isn't very good for the planet,” she says. “There's an awful lot of horticulture that's quite posh…and there’s a lot that suggests it’s regenerative but is actually just about shifting people out of the way.”

Over...

Our gardens and growing spaces have never been more important as biodiversity declines. Listen to our fascinating conversation with wildlife gardening pioneer Chris Baines as he discusses the “wildlife revolution” in our gardens and the sea-change in attitudes towards incorporating nature-friendly habitats and techniques.
“Gardens made a big, positive difference [to wildlife] once people started to see them as a place where they could enjoy and encourage wildlife, rather than a place that they needed to keep wildlife out,” says Chris, who suggests creating ‘service stations’ in your garden to influence bird and insect survival.
“The past 60-70 years have bee...

In this Cut Flower Special of The Organic Gardening Podcast, Sarah Brown chats with Jo Wright from Flowers from the Farm and Debbie Scott, from East Lothian Flower Farm, as they share their experience of growing cut flowers organically, offering valuable insights into the benefits of supporting local flower growers.

“Growing organic flowers made complete sense as we think about what we do very carefully," says Jo. "Cut flowers are a luxury, and we think the onus is much greater on the growers of a luxury crop, to protect the environment. We cannot be wasting resources on something th...

The first day of spring is here and we’re starting to sow the seeds of the gardening year. Chris Collins pays a visit to Richard Wilford at Kew Gardens where he talks about tackling pests and reducing digging.

“Our tolerance of pests has changed,” says Richard. “You’ve just got to accept the fact you’re going getting some aphids sometimes, and not get your sprayer out every time you see one. Allow the garden ecosystem to do what it needs to do…and then you won’t need to worry about pest outbreaks because they’re naturally controll...

Spring is just around the corner and our Organic Gardening Podcast team are sharing their excitement at the gardening year ahead.
Our head of horticulture Chris Collins chats to Fiona about his love of hardy annual flowers. He discusses how to prepare ahead and get the ground ready, and what to sow for a fabulous display in the summer. At his allotment, he’s making new plants from old by lifting and dividing herbaceous perennials.
And Sarah Brown chats to Jack Wallington about his move from London to an exposed hillside smallholding in Yorkshire.

The ecological gr...

 “Everyone deserves a meal” is one of the mottos of organic gardener Sarah Mead as she tackles garden pests – and is the thread running through this month’s podcast.

Fiona takes a tour of Sarah’s beautiful, Soil Association-certified organic garden at Yeo Valley dairy farm in Blagdon, and find out how she works alongside wildlife rather than trying to eradicate pests.

“It’s critical to leave things alone so you don’t break the food chain because once you’ve done that you’ve lost the battle,” says Sarah, who uses sacrificial plants, companion planting and copper tape to help...

Preservation of produce, soil and seeds are some of the topics covered in this month’s podcast. Chris Collins and Fiona Taylor share their experience of storing vegetables such as cabbage and beans over winter, and using up fallen apples. 
And our lead horticulturalist for the Heritage Seed Library, Marcin Salnikow, helps answer your postbag questions. This month we look at how and when to prune a wildlife-friendly native hedge and share advice on plants for pond edges.
Fiona also meets chef and passionate organic advocate Sophie Grigson. Having written more than 20 cookbooks, Sophie has always been a veg...

We get up close to our soil in this month’s Organic Gardening Podcast with a fascinating discussion about protecting soil over winter, warming up wormeries and creating veganic compost. 

Fiona joins Chris Collins to share details of her trip to a new compost demonstration site in Cumbria. And discusses how she looks after her wormery in winter to protect her worms and make the most of her vermicompost. And we learn how ‘spraing’ can affect potato tubers.

Dr Anton Rosenfeld pays a visit to Becca Stevenson, head grower at the certified organic Five Acres Community Farm, i...

Chris and Fiona discuss the highlights of the season, and what’s keeping them busy on the plot, including planting bulbs, looking after dahlias and sowing microgreens for indoor crops.
Fiona shares her tips for making and using chilli oil, including a rather strange combination of peanut butter and chilli oil on toast – if you’ve tried it let us know your verdict! 
Chris chats to Stephanie Slater, Founder and CEO of charity School Food Matters. We hear Stephanie’s inspiration behind setting up the charity, the fantastic outcomes they’ve already achieved, and what they plan for the future...