Épisodes

  • Tiny Wetlands, Big Impact: The Wildlife Power of Garden Ponds

    Tiny Wetlands, Big Impact: The Wildlife Power of Garden Ponds
    Nov 13 2025
    All life begins with water — and in gardens across the UK, ponds are becoming vital sanctuaries for wildlife. Now is an excellent time of year to create one, and RHS expert Helen Bensted-Smith walks us through everything you need to know: from position and depth, to lining material, structure, and how to fill it! It’s the first in our four-part mini-series on making your own wildlife haven this autumn — starting from the ground up with tips on planning, design, and making your pond truly work for nature. Plus, Emma McFarline returns to share the fascinating histories and healing traditions of two timeless plants — the apothecary rose and camomile — and Duncan McLean offers expert advice on finding the perfect indoor plant to brighten up your home through the November chill. From ponds to petals and everything in between, it’s a celebration of how nature connects us — indoors and out. Host: Jenny Laville Contributors: Helen Bensted-Smith, Emma McFarline, Duncan McLean Links: How to build a wildlife pond RHS Rosemoor RHS plants
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    35 min
  • Plants for Purpose: How Research is Reimagining Our Gardens

    Plants for Purpose: How Research is Reimagining Our Gardens
    Nov 6 2025
    This week we’re taking a moment to look ahead. Carol Barrie from the RHS  Science and Collections Department joins us to talk about Plants for Purpose, an ambitious new project she’s leading in collaboration with the University of Nottingham. It’s using the power of AI, alongside the RHS’s vast Herbarium, to build a living knowledge bank of plants that benefit the environment. We’ll also turn our gaze to spring, as now’s the perfect time to get tulips in the ground before the ground gets too wet or freezes. We revisit Arundel Castle, where back in 2022, 80,000 tulip bulbs arrived for a spectacular spring display. And finally, we head to RHS Rosemoor to meet Emma McFarline, who’ll be exploring the practical, and sometimes surprising, uses of familiar garden plants, from their roles in history to their value today. Host: Guy Barter Contributors: Carol Barrie, Martin Duncan, Emma McFarline Links: Plants for Purpose Project RHS Plants for Pollinators Planting tulips for seasonal colour Scientific overview of rosemary Biomedical research on rosemary as a therapeutic agent Therapeutic effects of rosemary on nervous system disorders Calendula in modern medicine Common mullein, pharmacological and chemical aspects
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    31 min
  • Halloween in the Garden: From Bats to Deadly Blooms

    Halloween in the Garden: From Bats to Deadly Blooms
    Oct 30 2025
    As the days grow shorter and Halloween marks the end of harvest and the beginning of winter, we explore the mysterious, the nocturnal, and the beautifully eerie corners of nature. Ecologist and bat expert Greg Slack joins us to uncover the secrets of these misunderstood night flyers — essential to our ecosystems but increasingly under threat. Then, houseplant expert and author Jane Perrone takes us on a chilling journey through the world’s most intoxicating and poisonous plants, revealing the strange allure of nature’s most dangerous creations. And finally, we turn toward the light again. RHS Garden Rosemoor’s Emma McFarline shares how she’s preparing her cottage garden for the seasons ahead, proving that even in the darkest months, there’s always something growing just beneath the surface. Host: Nick Turrell Contributors: Greg Slack, Jane Perrone, Emma McFarline Links: The Atlas of Deadly Plants RHS Garden Rosemoor RHS advice on gardening for bats
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    36 min
  • Grow Forward: Designing Resilient Gardens and Stronger Communities

    Grow Forward: Designing Resilient Gardens and Stronger Communities
    Oct 23 2025
    It’s time to look ahead to the future: From the coming season to the years beyond, the way we garden must evolve with a changing world. Award-winning garden designer Tom Massey joins us to share his tips on how to be more water-wise in the garden. We’ll also explore the growing importance of community gardens, as the RHS unveils its landmark Space to Grow report: the first comprehensive mapping of the scale, impact, and needs of community gardening across the UK. Sarah Galvin, Head of National Community Programs at the RHS, will join us to discuss some of the most inspiring findings. And finally, we’ll take a step into the wonderfully eccentric world of competitive fruit and vegetable growing with Pumpkins and Prizes, a new exhibition at RHS Garden Wisley. Curator Fiona Davison will be on hand to share the stories behind this vibrant tradition. Host: Jenny Laville Contributors: Sarah Galvin, Tom Massey, Fiona Davison Links: RHS Waterwise Garden by Tom Massey RHS Space to Grow Pumpkins and Prizes Exhibition
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    33 min
  • From Mushrooms to Matrix Planting: Exploring Nature’s Design

    From Mushrooms to Matrix Planting: Exploring Nature’s Design
    Oct 16 2025
    This week, Dr Jassy Drakulic returns to guide us through the hidden zones of your garden, uncovering the fascinating world of fungi and the mushroom magic that may be thriving right under your nose. RHS Principal Entomologist Dr Hayley Jones joins us to introduce the charming yet troublesome vine weevil — a notorious menace for potted plants — and reveals how we can give a helping hand to the beneficial insects that prey on them in our gardens as winter approaches. Finally, horticulturist Louisa Neale takes us on a tour of the breathtaking Oudolf Landscape at RHS Garden Wisley, sharing practical tips on how to bring a touch of Piet Oudolf’s iconic matrix-style planting to your own outdoor space. Host: Guy Barter Contributors: Dr Jassy Drakulic, Dr Hayley Jones, Louisa Neale Links: RHS Fungi for Gardeners book Science & Collections at the RHS Info on vine weevils The Oudolf Landscape
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    34 min
  • Hidden Worlds: From Fungal Networks to Literary Landscapes

    Hidden Worlds: From Fungal Networks to Literary Landscapes
    Oct 9 2025
    This week, RHS Senior Plant Pathologist Dr Jassy Drakulic shares her passion for the mysterious world of fungi, revealing the hidden lives of their fruiting bodies and the ingenious ways they spread their spores. At RHS Garden Rosemoor, horticulturist Alex Paines takes us behind the scenes to explore the art of shaping formal hedges and offers expert tips for keeping them looking their best. And finally, Fiona Davison, RHS Head of Libraries and Exhibitions, delves into the gardens and landscapes that inspired the pages of Jane Austen’s beloved novels. Host: Guy Barter Contributors: Dr Jassy Drakulic, Alex Paines, Fiona Davison Links: RHS Fungi For Gardeners book RHS Garden Rosemoor Chawton House
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    35 min
  • Living Libraries: Stories from The Plant Review

    Living Libraries: Stories from The Plant Review
    Oct 2 2025
    Gardens are more than places of beauty — they’re living archives, preserving stories of the past. In this episode, we leaf through the September issue of The Plant Review to uncover what history can teach us about the gardens of today. RHS horticulturist Jack Aldridge recalls the rare purple-leaved Stachyurus—first spotted in a Devon garden in the 1970s, lost for decades, then rediscovered at a Cornish plant fair. Judith Taylor, a 91-year-old retired neurologist and garden historian, explores the legacy of Roy Genders, one of the most prolific gardening voices of the 20th century. And plant taxonomist and collector Jamie Compton joins James to untangle the thorny mysteries of the Banksian roses. Host: James Armitage and Gareth Richards Contributors: Jack Aldridge, Judith Taylor, Jamie Compton Links: The Plant Review
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    40 min
  • The Autumn Shift: Hibernaculums, Snowdrops, and Jane Austen

    The Autumn Shift: Hibernaculums, Snowdrops, and Jane Austen
    Sep 25 2025
    As astronomical autumn settles in, the rhythm of our gardens begins to change — plants, fungi, and wildlife all adapting to cooler days and longer nights. This week, horticulturist Tim Smith shows us how to support our hibernating garden visitors by creating your very own hibernaculum at home. Camilla Bassett-Smith shares her expert tips on planting snowdrops now for a stunning early spring display. And Fiona Davison from the RHS takes us into the archives to uncover the surprising connections between Jane Austen and the Royal Horticultural Society. Host: Jenny Laville Contributors: Tim Smith, Camilla Bassett-Smith, Fiona Davison Links: RHS Garden Rosemoor How to grow snowdrops RHS Digital Collections
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    30 min