Mike The Gardener - Gardening Podcast (Michael Palmer)

In this fascinating episode,  I chat to Charles Carr, who is the Head of Wholesale Nurseries at Hillier Nurseries Limited. 

Charles took me on a tour of the site and it's just incredible to see this massive operation, and the technology thats in use, the skills of the staff all around the site and most importantly, the quality of the plants that are produced.

I chat to Charles about his role and, as with so many conversations I've had in this series, we talk about the impact of climate change and going peat free and how the industry is responding to these very real challenges. Hilliers Nurseries are pretty much peat free, and they have some fascinating technology to help them learn about this new growing medium. And for all of us, whatever the size of our garden, we too will need to learn about how to grow our plants in a peat, free medium.

As you might expect, we cover a lot of ground within this discussion, including pests and diseases, what happens during the winter months, the importance of learning and development for staff, new plant development, and Charles own plant passions and of course lots more.

Thank you all for listening to this series of the Mike The Gardener – Gardening Podcast and I will be back in the New Year with one more episode for this series, before picking up again in spring with Series 7.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy, 2024.

Mike

In this episode of the Mike the Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I go back to a garden, that's not too far from me, the Harold Hillier Gardens in Ampfield near Romsey to chat to Head Gardener, Fran Clifton.

I last visited Fran a couple of years ago, when we talked about the stunning winter garden, but today, we talk about:

• Fran's role as head gardener
• What the role entails
• How much time does she actually get to spend in the garden as opposed to looking after the paperwork in the office
• How has her role as head gardener changed over the years and more. 

We also touch upon the very important topic of climate change and Fran shares how she is responding to the challenges of an ever-changing weather pattern.

And for those of you, who think that gardening comes to an end in winter, Fran tells us exactly how she and her team get ready for next year's season and what jobs need to be done.

We also talk about dahlias, tulips, the Chelsea Flower Show, re-wilding, National Collections and lots, lots more.

I think it's fair to say this episode is crammed with helpful information.

In this week's episode of the Mike The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I chat with Scotland Grows Editor and Podcaster and freelance writer M.T. O’Donnell. 

Amongst many topics, we discuss:

MTs, role as Editor and Podcaster for Scotland Grows.

The Scotland Grows magazine.

The challenges of gardening in Scotland. 

The TRELLIS charity - Gardening for Well-Being, and lots more. 

You can find out more about Scotland Grows by clicking here.

My thanks to MT for taking time out of her schedule to come and chat to us today. You can follow MT on her Instagram account by clicking here.  

And you can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.   

My thanks, as always, for listening, and please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more great episodes to come.

See you very soon. 

Mike

Hello there, it's Mike Palmer here, your host from the Mic the Gardener podcast. 

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for listening to the podcast and to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a very happy holiday period and my very best wishes for a happy, healthy & safe new year. 

I'll be back sometime very early next year so keep your eyes peeled for more news from me very soon.

In the meantime.... HAPPY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Mike 

In this week's episode I chat to RHS Young Designer of the Year, Freddie Strickland.

This episode was recorded at the beautiful Iford Manor Gardens near Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, a garden which both Freddie and I have wanted to visit.  Luckily, garden owners William and Marianne allowed us to sneak in through the back door as the garden is currently closed for winter.

Freddie tells me how he got into garden design, about his course and his lecturer and landscaper, Matt James. He also talks about the process he went through to apply for the RHS Young Designer of the Year and his Tatton Park show garden, ‘On Tropic’. He recounts the build of the garden, the judging process and the moment when he was announced as the winner of the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition, live on national television.

In an in-depth conversation Freddie talks about making the transition from college to starting out on your own in the world of garden design world and the importance of building a great relationship with clients to ensure the best possible garden is designed, built and planted for them.

Freddie is clearly an ambitious, enthusiastic and dedicated garden designer.  I look forward to seeing what he does next and will follow his career with much interest. Head over to Freddie's website for more information, www.freddiestickland.com. 

My thanks to Freddie for taking the time to chat to me and for taking me to Iford Manor Gardens.

Pictures of our visit to Iford Manor gardens can be found by visiting my Instagram page, @mike_thegardener. And you can find out more about Freddie by visiting his Instagram page @freddiestricklandgardens.

As always, please do follow/subscribe as there are still more episodes to come in series 2.  And, if you listen via Apple podcast, please do leave a review.

And I will see you next week with a Hosta plant special episode!

Mike

Hello and welcome back to this week’s episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast. 

In this weeks episode we are: 

• Looking at how to make the best quality garden compost 
• Chatting with Ellen Mary about her new book ‘How to Grow a Garden' 
• Seeing what’s grabbing the horticultural headlines, and 
• Answering some of your gardening questions 

Click here to see a Instagram trailers for this episode. 

• Trailer 1
• Trailer 2

And, as promised in the episode, here are some of the things that we can and can't compost: 

CAN COMPOST: Animal manure from herbivores / brown paper products (cardboard toilet rolls, cereal boxes, brown paper bags / paper towels, tissues / coffee grounds and filters / cotton, wool / Hoover waste /  and dryer lint from natural fabrics / crushed eggshells / grass clippings, garden trimmings / hair, fur / hay, straw / houseplants / leaves / shredded newspaper / wood chips, sawdust, wood toothpicks, burnt matches / fruit and vegetable peels / old vegetables / stale bread / non-glossy junk mail or catalogues (shredded) / fir cones / cardboard egg cartons / tea leaves/used tea / annual weeds 

CAN'T COMPOST: Baked or cooked food / treated wood/sawdust / oils or greasy foods / pet waste / human waste / weeds that have gone to seed / plastic or coated cardboard / Sellotape / diseased plants & houseplants / pesticide-treated plants / coal ash / feminine hygiene products / nappies / synthetic fabric / leather goods / glossy paper / perennial weeds / tea bags - empty the contents only 

Please don't forget to follow/subscribe and if you're able, please leave a review with your preferred podcast provider. 

Many thanks. 

Mike

Hello and welcome back to this weeks episode of the Mike the Gardener – Gardening Podcast. I

In this week's episode I return to Otis and Ben's allotment to see how things are progressing there. You'll recall, we are calling this occasional series, the Slot from the Plot.

Today I catch up with Otis to see what's growing well, what's not growing so well and more importantly, why and their plans for the season ahead.

As always, you can follow Otis on Instagram (@otisthegardener) and you can also follow me on my Instagram account (@mike_thegardener).

There's still more to come in this series of the podcast, say do it hit that follow/subscribe button to ensure you don't miss out on any of the gardening fun.

And, if you could leave a review with your podcast provider that would be wonderful.

See you next week.

Mike

Join me in the second episode of Series 8, when I share what I'm doing here in my own garden on the south coast of the UK.

I talk about:

• What plants I'm growing including tithonia, and ornamental grasses
• How to care for hostas
• Overwintering hardy and Abyssinian bananas
• How to plant a garden effectively
• Lots of gardening hints, tips and hacks

If you have any gardening related questions, do contact me via my Instagram account - click here

Thanks for listening and don't forget to follow and subscribe to ensure you don't miss any future episodes.

Thank you.

Mike

Hello, and welcome to this weeks episode of them Mike The Gardener - Gardening Podcast. 

This week I chat with Harry Baldwin, the Head of Horticulture at the beautiful Borde Hill Gardens near Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK. 

In this current series of the podcast, I've been chatting to a number of Head Gardeners & Heads of Horticulture about their roles, their careers and the gardens they work in. 

I met with Harry in late September to talk about his career, his job at Borde Hill, the gardens, the challenges they face and lots, lots more. 

To follow Borde Hill Gardens, click here. 

To follow me on my Instagram page, click here. 

As always, thanks for listening and don't forget to follow/subscribe.

Mike

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast.

In this week's episode, The Slot from the Plot, we're heading back to the allotment to have a chat with… Ben! The rather elusive Ben Short finally makes an appearance and tells us about his experience of starting a new allotment with his partner Otis.

And in part two of this 'Slot from the Plot' special, I chat to new allotmenteer, Amy Wall about her new allotment. Amy shares her story and gives us some great tips for new allotment owners along the way.

To find out more about all of these wonderful allotmenteers, do you head to their Instagram pages:

Otis - https://www.instagram.com/otisthegardener/

Ben - https://www.instagram.com/shortish/

Amy - https://www.instagram.com/grow.yourself.a.garden/

And if you wish to get more inspiration, have a look at Amy's wonderful allotment real by tapping here.

As always, I will be back next week with another horticulturally packed episode so please don't forget to follow/subscribe. And, if you're able, I'd be very grateful if you could leave me a review with your preferred podcast provider.

See you all next week.

Mike

In this week's episode of the Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I chat with friend and nursery owner, Ruth Goudy.

Ruth is one of the owners of the Kiln Farm Nursery in Kesgrave, Ipswich alongside husband Paul.

We chat about:

• How the nursery came about
• How it grew and developed into the thriving business it is today
• What is entailed in running a successful garden centre
• What are the future plans for the garden centre?
• And lots, lots more.

It's a fascinating insight into garden centres, which we, as avid gardeners frequent in the hunt for good, quality plants and garden supplies for our gardens.

My thanks to Ruth for her time. You can find out more about Ruth by following her popular Instagram page @theflowerwriter.

and, you can find out more about me by following my Instagram page @mike_thegardener.

Please don't forget to follow/subscribe, and if you are able, please leave a review.

Thanks for listening.

Mike

Hello there and welcome back to this weeks edition of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast.  In this weeks edition, I'm mixing it up slightly, and you're stuck with me, and me alone. Come back! Don't go away.  It's what I'm calling a magazine edition, and I'll be covering a few topics this week including: Plant of the Month - The Nitty Gritty - this month, I'll be giving you the lowdown on English lavender and we'll be looking at everything you need to know to grow lavender, including maintenance, some interesting facts and more.  Job's Worth - some important jobs for us all to be getting on with now in our green spaces.  In the News - some interesting and topical news items in the world of gardening and horticulture.   Your Questions - Mike answers some of the questions you have sent into him.  Thank you!  Mike

Hello and welcome back to the Mic the Gardener Gardening Podcast. 

In this week's episode I chat to garden & landscape designer and author, Jack Wallington about his new book 'A Greener Life: Discover the Joy of Mindful & Sustainable Gardening'. This book is a must have if you wish to pursue and learn more about sustainable garden practices and to work alongside nature in your own green space. 

Jack tells us about how this, his third book, came about including how and where he writes and much more. He also tells us why it's the most important and personal thing he's ever done.

I talk to Jack about how he got into writing, how you write your first ever book and the book writing process. 

Jack, his partner and Rumbles the cat have also moved from London to Yorkshire, and we chat about his new garden and how the pressures of working and living in London led to changes in Jack's outlook on life. 

As an experienced and successful landscape and garden designer, I ask Jack if the process of designing your own garden is different from designing a clients. We also look at his aspirations to build a Chelsea Flower Show garden.

To learn more about Jack head to his website Jack wallington.com or to his Instagram account

You can also follow me on my Instagram account Mike_TheGardener, where you will find me broadcasting live, every Sunday at 10am from my own garden. 

If you have enjoyed this episode, please leave a review with your podcast provider and don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more weekly episodes to come. 

Hello and welcome back to the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast with me, your host, Mike Palmer.

In this week's episode I pay a visit to the Harold Hillier Winter Garden near Romsey, United Kingdom.

It's a stunning garden year-round, but the winter garden is beautifully planted with trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs which provide amazing winter colour, scent, texture and all-round interest.

I chat with Head Gardener, Fran Clifton about:

• What makes a great winter garden
• What plants to use
• Plants for colour, scent and texture
• Great planting combinations

We also chat about her role as Head Gardener, her career, her own garden and much, much more.

For more information about the Harold Hillier Gardens, click on the link to their website - https://www.hants.gov.uk/thingstodo/hilliergardens.

As always, thanks for listening to this episode.

If you're new to the podcast, do check out the previous episodes from the first two series. There are some cracking interviews, plant specials and much more.

If you've enjoyed this episode, don't forget to follow/subscribe and please do leave a review with your podcast provider.

And finally, I love hearing from all of you, so please do contact me if you have any messages, questions or ideas for future episodes. You can email me at the shows email micthegardener01@gmail.com or follow me on my Instagram page @mike_thegardener where you can message me directly.

See you next week.

Mike

In this week's, episode of the Mike The Gardener – Gardening Podcast, I chat to my friend and one time tutor, garden writer, broadcaster, and author, David Hurrion.

Twenty years ago, I was lucky enough to have had David as the tutor of my RHS level 1 course. As you will hear in today’s episode, David’s vocation has been to share his vast knowledge of all things, plants, gardening and horticulture with others. He’s also been a journalist, writer and editor, working for publications, including Amateur Gardening magazine and Gardeners’ World magazine.

David’s new book The Raised Bed Book, has recently been published by DK books, and in today’s episode we chat about:

• David’s new book and how it came about
• David’s career to date
• The importance of inspirational teachers/tutors
• Broadcasting on radio and television, and lots lots more

My thanks to David for joining me in today’s episode, and to find out more about him or to order the book, please click here.

You can find out more about me and follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thanks for listening, and please don’t forget to follow/subscribe, and if you are able, please do leave a review.

See you next week.

Mike

Hello, and welcome back to this weeks episode of them Mic The Gardener – Gardening Podcast.

The word legend is often bandied around without too much consideration as to it meaning. These days, it seems you can have two minutes of fame and still become a legend.

Today, however, I am going to use the word legend for my very special guest.

He's a world renowned plantsman, a bestselling author, a well-known TV presenter and I have been a fan of his for as long as I can remember.

Today, I chat to horticultural legend, Roy Lancaster.

In this wonderful episode, Roy chats to me about his early days, his first book, his love of plants and nature and much much more.

Please don't forget to follow/subscribe to the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast as there's still lots more to come. And, if you're able, it would be absolutely wonderful if you could leave a review with your podcast provider.

In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you next week.

Mike

In this week's episode of the Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I chat with hardy geranium expert, Gary Carroll of the Cranesbill Nursery.

Geraniums are a fantastic, genre with plants that fit into so many different aspects within our gardens and indeed in containers. In this episode, Gary tells us about:

• Geraniums for different places (dry and damp locations in sun, shade and containers)
• How to look after hardy geraniums
• Pests and diseases
• How to propagate hardy geraniums, and much, much more

It's a fascinating episode, which will have you reaching for pen and paper before heading to the Cranesbill Nursery website, www.cranesbillnursery.com. 

You can also follow the Cranesbill Nursery on Instagram by clicking here. 

You can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thanks for listening and don't forget to follow/subscribe, and if you are able, please do leave a review.

See you next week.

Mike

In this week’s episode of the Mike the Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I chat with garden writer, veg grower and author, Rob Smith. 

Rob’s new book ‘Grow to Eat: Growing Colourful & Tasty Vegetables From Seed’ is published by Quadrille Publishing on 28th March, 2024 and in this episode we chat about:

• How Rob’s passion for growing veg started
• His career to date
• How the book came about
• The BBC TV programme, The Great Allotment Challenge, which Rob won in 2015
• Rob’s plans for the future, and of course lots more. 

We also speak to Rob’s friend, gardener, maker, upcycler and lover of all things vintage, Darren Lakin. 

It’s a great episode and my thanks to Rob, and Darren for coming along to have a chat with us. 

You can learn more about about Rob by clicking here.

You can learn more about Darren by clicking here.

And, you can learn more about me by clicking here. 

Please don’t forget to follow/subscribe and please leave a review if you’re able. 

Thanks for listening. 

Mike

In this week's episode of the Mike the Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I chat with award-winning garden designer, Manoj Malde.

We chat about his new book 'Your Outdoor Room' published by Frances Lincoln on 21 March 2024.

We chat about:

• His childhood
• His career in the fashion industry
• The book and how it came about
• Manoj's Chelsea Flower Show Gardens
• His TV work, and lots more

You can find out more about Manoj by clicking here and follow him on Instagram by clicking here

You can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Please don't forget to follow/subscribe and leave a review if you can.

See you next week.

Mike

Hello, I'm Mike Palmer, your host of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast. Welcome back to this week's episode.

It's the middle of March (already!) and my garden is full of daffodils. I always think daffodils really are the harbingers of spring with their bright, cheery yellow trumpets. And of course, not just yellow trumpets these days, as you’ll find out today.

In today's episode I chat to the Chair of The Daffodil Society, Ian Tyler about everything you could possibly need to know about growing daffodils in the ground and in containers.

In fact-filled episode we talk about:

• How to choose healthy bulbs
• How to plant daffodils and their preferred growing medium
• How much light daffodils need to grow away
• Caring for daffodils and general maintenance
• After-care, once flowers have gone over
• Propagation
• Pests and diseases
• Daffodil blindness

And, as discussed during this episode the Daffodil Society Show is 16-17 April at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, B15 3TR.

If you're looking for more information on daffodils or perhaps looking to join The Daffodil Society head to their website, www.thedaffodilsociety.com.

If you've enjoyed this episode, and I sincerely hope that you have, why not follow/subscribe to my podcast to ensure you don't miss some of the exciting episodes coming up. I'd also be really grateful if you could leave a review with your podcast provider.

You can find out more about me and my own garden by following me on Instagram where you'll find me as @mike_thegardener. 

If you want to contact me, do you send an email to the show email address micthegardener01@gmail.com or message me via my Instagram account shown above.  

See you next week!

Mike

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast.

In this episode we are talking about one of our favourite garden plants roses. I know we all love a beautiful rose in our gardens so today I'm talking to PR and Project Manager from Roses UK, Marilyn Stevens.

Roses UK oversee the very popular Rose of the Year competition and in this fascinating episode Marilyn tells me everything that’s involved with the Rose of the Year. I've been in gardening & horticulture for quite a few years but have to admit to not knowing exactly how much goes in to deciding the winner. I know you will be absolutely amazed.

We talk about everything including:

• How the competition works
• How long the process takes 
• The naming process
• How supplies of the winning rose are bulked up, and lots, lots more

As always, please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there's still lots more to come. And, if you are able, it would be lovely if you could leave a review with your podcast provider.

You can follow Roses UK on Instagram by clicking here. You can also follow me on Instagram by clicking here.

Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing you here next week.

Mike

Mike chats to television presenter, Katie Rushworth of ITV's highly popular garden makeover programme 'Love Your Garden' about making beautiful gardens in the rain, being a jobbing gardener and coarse fishing..., yes, coarse fishing!  They also talk about her own family garden makeovers (see Katie's Instagram for more information) and her very successful garden consultation business. You can find more information about this at https://katierushworth.com.

Also in this episode, Mike takes us for a wander around his beautiful garden in Bournemouth, on the south-coast of England and tells us about some of the gardening jobs we can all be doing in our gardens and green spaces.

You can find out more about Mike through his Instagram accounts, @mike_thegardener and @mic.thegardenerpodcast and his website    www.mike-palmer.com.

And you can contact Mike through the podcast email micthegardener01@gmail.com.

And don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW and if you listen through Apple podcasts, please leave a REVIEW.  Thank you for listening. 

Hello and welcome back to this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast.

Temperatures are beginning to warm up, spring has well and truly sprung. Fountains of fresh green foliage are erupting from our borders and containers. It's a most welcome sight. However, with the warmer temperatures and the emergence of our perennials and favourite garden plants, comes an army of some unwanted visitors to the garden. Slugs, snails, aphids, ants, vine weevils and much more.

As an organic gardener, I won't use chemicals / pesticides in my garden. So, in this enlightening episode I chat to Tess the owner of Ladybird Plant Care about how we can deal with garden pests organically.

Ladybird Plant Care has a range of organic, pest control solutions which are safe for pets and children alike.

In this fascinating episode we chat about vine weevils, slugs, snails, aphids and ants, explaining how you identify if you have these pests in your garden, the symptoms, their lifecycles and how, where, when and why we treat them.

For further information head to the Ladybird Plant Care website.

If you haven't already followed or subscribed, do you hit the follow/subscribe button to ensure you don't miss out on future episodes. And, if you're able, please leave a review with your podcast provider.

Many thanks.

Mike

Hello, and welcome back to the last in the current series of them Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast.

In this the final episode of the series, I chat to Head Gardener Tom Clarke of https://www.exbury.co.uk

We chat about: 

• Tom's role as Head Gardener at Exbury
• The garden's original owner Lionel de Rothschild
• Looking after rhododendrons and azaleas and how to use them in our own gardens
• Everything you could possibly need to know about growing rhododendrons & azaleas
• How Tom develops the gardens
• His own private garden, and lots, lots more

My thanks to Tom for taking the time to chat to me and for showing me around the gardens. And if you want more information about Exbury Gardens or wish to visit the garden, head to their website www.exbury.co.uk. And you can follow Exbury Gardens on their Instagram account.  

And talking of Instagram, you can follow me on my Instagram account @mike_thegardener where I do a weekly live broadcast from my own garden most Sundays at 10am (BST). 

I will be back in a few weeks time with Series 4, so don't forget to follow/subscribe to make sure you don't miss out. 

Bye-bye for now, bye-bye. 

In this week's episode of the Mic The Gardener – Gardening Podcast we head back to Otis and Ben's allotment in Wimborne. 

Despite the cold, grey weather, there is plenty of activity going on on the plot as you'll hear in this episode.

But, Ben and Otis have also had their fair share of trials and tribulations to contend with, so it hasn't all been plain sailing.

If you are interested in jotting down exactly what they are growing in the allotment, at the moment, here is the list:

• Spring onions, garlic, French beans, wineberries, gooseberries, turnips, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, zucchini, shallots, potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, courgettes, sweet, peppers, and cucumbers.  
• And to keep all of us ornamental growers happy you come include lupins and dahlias on that list

Thanks for joining us, and don't forget, you can follow me on my Instagram account where I am @mike_thegardener, Otis is @otisthegardener and Ben is @shortish. 

As always, don't forget to follow/subscribe and if you're able and please do leave a review for other listeners.

And I will see you as usual next week for some more gardening podcast fun.

Mike 

In this week's episode I chat to world renowned garden designer and plantsman Andrew Fisher Tomlin.

I've been a huge fan of Andrew's work for many years, so it was a privilege to chat with him.

We were originally due to meet in Andrew's south London garden, but unfortunately, the UK petrol price put paid to that.

Nonetheless, Andrew starts this episode by giving us a detailed tour of his garden and talks about some of the more unusual plants in it. We also talk about how Andrew started his journey into horticulture and garden design with Andrew recounting his very first Chelsea Flower Show show garden and his first 'Alan Titchmarsh moment'.

Andrew founded his garden design company Fisher Tomlin Bowyer in 1991 and his approach focuses on creative solutions and sound horticultural advice.  Andrew chats at length about garden design and the skills needed by garden designers today in a profession where ecology, sustainability and biodiversity are increasingly important.

Andrew is also one of the directors at the London College of Garden Design (LCGD) and he talks about the extremely popular planting design course that he wrote, his love of plants and planting design and much, much more.

My thanks to Andrew for taking the time to chat with me in this thoroughly enjoyable episode.

And, as always, my thanks to you for listening.  Please do ensure that you follow/subscribe as there's still more to come. And, if you listen via Apple podcast, please leave a review.

Thank you.

Mike

Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast. 

This week I’m delighted to say my guest is award-winning, organic gardener  and lecturer Val Bourne. I was lucky enough to be invited to Val's beautiful Spring Cottage garden, high above Bourton-on-the-Water a few weeks ago to chat to her about her career, her garden, her gardening philosophies, her ‘best-beloved’ Joe and much, much more. 

Val is a lifelong, hands-on organic garden with a passion for plant. She writes for many publications including the Daily Telegraph, judges RHS floral and dahlia trials, lectures widely and writes excellent books with an organic theme, and always everything enthusiastically. 

You can find out more about Val by heading to her website https://www.valbourne.co.uk/home. 

And to view some pictures of Val‘s garden click this link - https://www.instagram.com/p/CimYhcJKaLm/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= 

You can find out more about me and my own garden by following me on Instagram where you'll find me under @mike_thegardener. 

And if you want more information about the podcast including sneak previews and exclusive pictures head to @mic.thegardenerpodcast.  If you haven't already, please subscribe/follow as there is still lots more to come.  

And, if you're able, why not leave a review with your preferred podcast provider. 

Thank you and see you next week. 

Mike

Hello and welcome back to this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast.

This week, I chat with BBC TV Gardeners' World and ITV Love Your Garden TV presenter and horticulturist, Frances Tophill.  

We chat about:

• Her career
• How she secured roles with ITV's Love Your Garden and BBC's Gardeners’ World
• The importance of community gardening
• Her very own new garden
• Collaborating on a show garden with Grayson Perry, and
• Lots, lots more.

I also ask Frances, if she were given him the opportunity to appear on one of the following reality TV programmes, which would it be:

• C4’s The Piano
• BBC TV’s The Great British Sewing Bee, or
• C4’s The Great Pottery Throwdown

It's a fascinating, delightful and insightful chat with one of our favourite TV gardening presenters and authors. To learn more about Frances head to her Instagram page by clicking here.

You can follow me on my own Instagram account by clicking here.

Thanks for listening and as always, don't forget to follow/subscribe, as there are plenty more episodes still to come. And, if you are able, please do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider if you are able.

Thank you.

Mike

In this episode of the Mike the Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I chat with Josie Lewis, the Head Gardener at Sarah Raven’s garden, Perch Hill in East Sussex.

We chat about:

• Josie’s career to date
• How she became Head Gardener at Perch Hill
• Her role and responsibilities
• The split between admin and gardening 
• Dahlias, of course, including selection and trialling
• And much more

To learn more about Sarah Raven, click this link

To follow Josie Lewis on Instagram, click this link

To follow me on Instagram, click this link

Thanks for listening and don’t forget to follow and subscribe, and if you’re able please leave a review. 

Thank you. 

Mike

Michael Marriott

In this episode Mike chats to one of the worlds leading rosarians, Michael Marriott about his new book 'Roses - An Inspirational Guide to Choosing and Growing the Best Roses' published by DK books. 

Michael tells us how the book came about, gives us an insight into its contents and talks about TOD tours and social media. 

Who doesn’t love a blooming good dahlia? In this special edition of the Mic the Gardener podcast, Mike chats to Farmer Gracy horticulturalist, Naomi Jones about everything you need to know to grow dazzling dahlias in your green space. 

Every aspect is covered from what to do when you buy your dahlia tubers, what potting compost to use, how to start them into growth, watering, feeding, pest control and deadheading. 

And, irrespective of whether you’re a dahlia newbie or a dahlia doyenne, there is a special 10% discount on all Farmer Gracy dahlia orders until midnight, 18th April 2021. 

The Mic the Gardener podcast is sponsored by Natural Grower.

In this exciting, second 'plant special' podcast, Mike chats to world-leading rosarian, Michael Marriot, formerly of David Austin Roses, where he was an integral part of the team for 35 years.

What Michael doesn't know about roses, frankly isn't worth knowing.

Mike chats to Michael about everything you need to know about growing the best possible roses, including how to chose the best varieties, planting, pruning, feeding, watering and pests & diseases. He discusses some great practical and organic solutions whilst also dispeling some urban myths about growing roses along the way.

Alongside his incredible knowledge and common-sense approach to looking after roses, he is also well-known for his rose garden design. As a garden designer, Michael is famed for his dense, romantic beds, whether planted purely with roses or mixed in with perennials. He has also designed many rose gardens and borders around the world.  Alongside private gardens, Michael has also designed gardens in the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Queen Mary's Rose Garden in Regents Park, Hampton Court Palace, Wynyard Hall, Trentham Gardens and the David Austin garden near Osaka in Japan.

In his work, Michael has travelled the globe, often sharing his expertise on the radio, television, and garden media publications and interviews.

He has played a vital role in the development and popularisation of English roses and has an intimate knowledge of all of the 200+ English roses, bred and introduced by David Austin roses.

So come and spend just under an hour with us and you’ll go away with the very best rose growing knowledge you could ever wish to have.

You can follow Michael on his Instagram account and at his website www.michaelmarriotrosarian.org

And if you wish to contact Mike, you can contact him via his Instagram account or by his email micthegardener01@gmail.com. 

In this week's, episode, I head back to the Cotswolds for what is fast, becoming my annual get together with garden writer, Val Bourne.

The weather, not on our side, this time, meant we had to record this episode in the lounge of Val's beautiful cottage.

We chat about:

• Writing for a living
• Val's pretty cottage garden
• Erythroniums
• Dahlias
• Ed Sheeran (!), and,
• Lots more as always

Please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more episodes to come. And please do leave a review if you are able.

To follow me on my Instagram account tap here.

See you next week.

Mike

Hello, and welcome back to episode two of series 6 of them Mike The Gardener - Gardening Podcast.

In this episode, I chat with Roz Chandler, a cut flower farmer and teacher, writer, speaker, and fellow podcaster. And, if that were not enough, she is also an award-winning wedding florist based in Milton Keynes.

I chat with Roz about everything you could possibly need to know about growing cut flowers from how she started to how to keep the business running successfully.

To learn more about Roz click here to check out her fantastic Instagram account

Thanks for listening to this episode and please don't forget to follow/subscribe. And, you can follow me on my Instagram account, Mike_the Gardener by clicking here.

And I will see you all very very soon.

Mike

In this episode Mike chats too Skinny Jean Gardener, Lee Connelly. Lee, one-time Blue Peter gardener, bestselling author of the 'How to get your Kids Gardening' book, successful podcaster with his Sunday Times Top 5 Podcast, the Skinny Jean Gardener podcast and spokesman and advocate for getting kids into gardening. 

Lee chats about his inspirational initiative, the School Gardening Success Plan, which aims to give 30,000 UK primary schools the capacity to teach their children to Grow Your Own. He also talks about his journey into gardening, some interesting 'behind the scenes' facts about being a Blue Peter gardener, and lots more!  You can find Skinny Jean Gardener on Instagram and Twitter.

Later in the episode, Mike thanks all of his listeners their support of his new podcast, which in just four months has attracted over 2.6 K listeners and regularly falls just outside of the Top 10 Apple UK Home and Garden podcast charts. 

If you wish to contact Mike, email micthegardener01@gmail.com or message him directly via his popular Instagram account. 

Hello, and welcome back to another episode of the Mic the Gardener podcast.

This week I head to the stunning Arundel Castle Gardens, West Sussex, United Kingdom  to chat with Head Gardener, Martin Duncan.

As you will hear, Martin is an extremely experienced and knowledgeable Head Gardener with some very prestigious jobs under his belt. We chat about Martin’s illustrious career to date, some of the very distinguished people he has worked for, his love of landscape design, the role of Head Gardener and much more.

We also discuss how to attract the younger generation into the world of horticulture and gardening, as subject very close to my own heart.

Later in the episode we chat to Rose Philpot, a young gardener about gardening at Arundel and how she was attracted to gardening and her hopes for her future.

I also chat to senior gardener, Izzy McKinley, who is responsible for the organic, kitchen garden and propagator who tells us about her career, her love of gardening and propagation and her own garden.

I have posted a selection of pictures taken at Arundel Castle Gardens on the day of the podcast. Click here to view

To learn more about Arundel Castle Gardens head to their website or you can find them on Instagram.  

If you wish to contact me you can do so through my Instagram page or by emailing the show at micthegardener01@gmail.com.

As always, don't forget to follow/subscribe and to leave a review with your podcast provider.

See you next week.

Mike

In this week’s episode of the Mike the Gardener - Gardening Podcast I chat with garden writer, author, garden designer and broadcaster Naomi Slade about her new book, Daffodils - Beautiful varieties for home and garden’, published by Pavilion on 11th March 2025. 

We chat about:

Her new book

The writing process

Her career

And, of course, much more

You can get a copy of Naomi’s new book, and indeed all of her book from her website www.naomislade.com. 

Follow Naomi on her Instagram account by clicking here. 

Follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here. 

Thank you for listening.

Mike

In this episode Mike chats to gardener, garden writer and author, Sally Nex about her incredible new book 'How to Garden the Low Carbon Way'. Her new book is packed with brilliant, topical and practical tips to help us in our own green spaces. Which potting compost should we be using? What can we plant to lower our carbon footprint? Are there alternatives to synthetic fertilisers?  How can we cut out single-use plastics? 

In this fascinating episode Sally chats to Mike about the book, her career as a gardener, writer and author and we learn a few things about Sally's previous career as a broadcast journalist and war correspondent for BBC News which she hasn't chatted about before!  You can follow Sally on her website and her Instagram account @sally.nex. 

We also catch up with Otis Scadding, a local, professional gardener and best friend of Mike, who works in the beautiful Dorset area. Otis, has just moved into a new home and garden and chats to Mike about his plans for the garden and what he has done so far. 

To see more of Otis' new garden you can follow him on his Instagram account @otisthegardener. 

And you can follow Mike's progress in his garden on his Instagram account @mike_thegardener. Mike also has a LIVE(!) weekly Sunday Stroll around his garden every Sunday at 10am (GMT), so why not join him to see first hand what he's getting up to in his beautiful garden. 

If you wish to contact Mike, you can email him at the podcast email micthegardener01@gmail.com or message him directly via his Instagram account

Thanks so much for listening and please don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and if you are listening on Apple podcast, please leave a REVIEW. 

Hello and welcome back to this week's episode of the Mike The Gardener - Gardening Podcast.

This week, I speak to garden, owner and author, TJ Maher.

TJ is an artist who has an incredible eye for using colour, forms and texture in his beautiful Patthana Garden in Wicklow, Ireland. His new book, published by Pimpernel Press on 7th March 2024 is ‘Grounded in the garden - an artist's guide to creating a beautiful garden in harmony with nature’ and looks closely at the creation of the Patthana Garden, including how to use colour, planting and lots more.

In this delightfully, intimate interview we chat about:

• TJ’s career to date
• The importance of colour in the garden
• How TJ crafted this stunning garden 
• How the book came about
• How TJ found the writing process 
• How the garden has developed, and of course lots more

My thanks to TJ for taking time to come and chat to us. You can follow TJ on his Instagram account by clicking here.

You can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thank you, as always for listening and don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more episodes to come.

If you are able, please do leave a review.

Thank you.

Mike

Hello and welcome back to the Mike, the Gardener – Gardening Podcast.

This time, in a spring bulbs special episode, I chat with Otis the Gardener about:

• Our favourite spring bulbs
• What we've ordered
• Where we're going to plant them
• What compost to use,
• Lasagna planting
• Snowdrops & scillas, and everything you could possibly imagine you need to know about spring bulbs

It's a fascinating and informative episode, so pop the kettle on, pull up a chair, and treat yourself to half an hour of great gardening facts and fun.

See you next time.

Mike

Hello and welcome back to this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast sponsored by Natural Grower.

If you're look for amazing results with all your fruit and vegetables, flower beds, lawns and house plants, then Natural Grower's award-winning, certified organic peat-free compost and fertiliser knock the socks of chemical products! All products are certified organic, 100% chemical free and 100% peat-free.

And those lovely people and Natural Grower have given me an exclusive 10% discount off all products. Just pop MIC10 in the apply coupon field when you checkout.

In this weeks episode I speak to garden writer Barbara Segall about her new book ’Secret Gardens of the South East’ published by Frances Lincoln. In Kent, Sussex and Surrey, a wealth of history and horticulture has combined with geography in the shape of rolling landscapes, would it valleys and meandering waterways, to provide some of the most beguiling and interesting gardens in the United Kingdom. Barbara tells me all about her new book, how she writes and talks about her career, her friendship with the late Peter Seabrook and much more.

You can find out more about Barbara by heading to her website or why not subscribe to her blog, The Garden Post.

My thanks to Barbara for coming along to chat with me this week.

Well folks, that's it for today thank you so much for joining me and Barbara.  There are just a few more episodes to go before we reach the end of Series 4 so do make sure you follow and subscribe to make sure you don't miss out on any of the horticultural fun here on the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast and I will see you, as always, next week

Bye-bye for now, bye-bye

In this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast, I chat to YPHA committee member, Sarah Want.

The YPHA is the Young People in Horticulture Association and is a fantastic initiative for anybody in gardening or horticulture under the age of 35. 

In this episode, I chat to Sarah about:

• What the YPHA is?
• Who it's for?
• What its objectives are?
• How it helps its members?
• And lots, lots more.

To join the YPHA, or get more information tap this link.

The YPHA can be found on Instagram and LinkedIn by tapping these links.

Thanks for listening, as always, and please don't forget to FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE, and if you are able, please do leave a review.

I will see you next week.

Mike

In this week's, episode, I chat to gardener, cook, writer and author, Mark Diacono. 

We talk about Mark's career and how he first got into gardening and became a foodie. We also chat about music, which is a strong theme in Mark's life, photography and Mark’s love of the written word and of course lots lots more. 

You can find out more about Mark by heading to his Instagram page or website and you must read his brilliant, Mark Diacono's Imperfect Umbrella Substack page which can be accessed via this link. 

You can also follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thank you so much for listening, and if you are able, please do subscribe/follow and if you are able please leave a review.

See you next week.

Mike

In this informative, fourth 'plant special' episode, Mike chats to leading ornamental grass expert and 13 Chelsea Gold Medal winner, Neil Lucas about ornamental grasses. 

Recorded in the grounds of the stunning Knoll Gardens, near Wimborne, Dorset, UK, Neil talks to Mike about everything you could possibly need to know about growing ornamental grasses successfully. It's an Ornamental Grasses Podcast Masterclass which covers:

• How to grow grasses
• Grasses for specific locations including dry shade, wet, boggy areas and dry gravel gardens in sun & more
• Planting companions
• Pests & diseases
• Propagation

The Knoll Gardens website is also a really useful resource for more information, including galleries, useful 'how to' videos and plant listings. You can also purchase a wide range of grasses and perennials directly through their website and Neil's best-selling book 'Designing with Grasses'. 

You can also view Mike's stunning pictures of Knoll Gardens taken on the day of the recording by clicking here

If you have any comments or questions about this episode, you can email Mike through the shows email address micthegardener01@gmail.com or message him directly on Instagram on his account @mike_thegardener.

As always, please do follow/subscribe as there is so much more to come in the second series of the Mike the Gardener podcast. And, if you listen through Apple podcasts please leave a review as it helps others to find us.

Hello and welcome back to this week's episode of the Mike the Gardener – Gardening Podcast.

If you're a regular to the podcast, you'll know I spoke to Victoria, national organiser and chair of the Young Horticulturist of the Year competition in May this year.  I'm passionate about looking to the future for gardening and horticulture and for getting the next generation of gardeners on board. One of the most reassuring things that came out of my chat with Victoria was that 2000 young horticulturists enter this competition.

Today I speak to the 2022 winner, Charles Shi.

We chat about his journey through the competition and what it feels like to be the winner of the Young Horticulturist of the Year competition 2022.

Thank you for listening today and do make sure you hit that follow/subscribe button to make sure you don't miss out on future episodes.

And, if you've enjoyed today's episode, do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider.

Mike

In this episode Mike chats to garden writer, designer and broadcaster (and in fact most things 'garden'), Naomi Slade, in her sunny, urban, Bristol garden.

Naomi tells Mike how the garden has developed in the four years since she took it on. Despite being an urban garden it is home to a heavily laden pear tree, several ornamental crab apple trees, a pretty little greenhouse, a decked seating area, a compost bin and a lovely selection of shrubs and perennials. And, Mike also discovers that there isn't just the one Naomi Slade in the garden!

Mike chats to Naomi about her career to date, including a punk inspired, gold medal and best in show winning garden that she designed called 'Never Mind the Hollyhocks'. And, of course, they chat about her career as a successful writer and journalist, including her collaboration with photographer Georgianna Lane for her best selling books. 

You can find out more about Naomi's garden by reading her popular, fortnightly column in Garden News magazine. And for more information about Naomi Slade, head to her website www.naomislade.com where you can also purchase her books.  Naomi can also be found on Instagram and Twitter. 

You can also follow Mike on his popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

Please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there is still lots more to come in Series 2. And, if you're new to the 'Mic the Gardener' podcast, why not head over and listen to some great interviews and plant specials from Series One. 

See you next week!

Hello and welcome to this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast.

Without a shadow of doubt one of the most popular BBC TV Gardeners' World TV presenters has to be the wonderful, greatly missed Geoff Hamilton.  Geoff was a gardener, broadcaster and author, best known as presenting the ever-popular Gardeners' World in the 1980s and 1990s.

In today's episode I speak to Geoff's son, Nick Hamilton, a horticulturist and garden writer in his own right. We chat about Nick's new book 'The Right Genes', which is a story about the relationship between a son and his dad and how, from the off, it was obvious that the son would turn out to be a 'chip off the old block'.

In this fascinating and humour field episode I chat to Nick about his father's career, the iconic Barnsdale Gardens, the writing of this book and much, much more.

You can find out more about Nick, his career and indeed Barnsdale Gardens by heading to the Barnsdale Gardens website or the Barnsdale Gardens Instagram account.  

Don't forget to follow/subscribe to the podcast as there's still lots more to come in the weeks ahead.  You can also follow me on my Instagram account (@mike_thegardener). 

See you next week!

Mike

Hello, and welcome to the Mike the Gardener – Gardening Podcast. This week, join us as we journey to Burford Garden Company in the stunning Cotswolds, to look at, and buy spring bulbs, and lots, lots more.

We have a good look around, enjoying the houseplants, the outdoor garden centre, and the spring bulbs.

My thanks to Jess and all at Burford Garden Company for allowing us to record this episode.

And I'll be back next week.

Thanks for listening.

Mike

Whether you're a tennis fan or not, it won't have escaped your attention that we're in the middle of Wimbledon fortnight. 

In this episode, recorded live at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club grounds, I chat to Wimbledon Head Gardener, Martyn Falconer about the incredible horticultural preparations to make Wimbledon what it is. 

To view pictures taken on the day of this recording, head to my Instagram page by clicking here. 

Follow Martyn on his Instagram page by clicking here. Follow me on my Instagram page by clicking here.

Thank you. 

Mike

Welcome back to another episode of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast.

In this week's episode I chat to curator of RHS Wisley, Matt Pottage. And in this conifers special, Matt tells us all about the best conifers we can grow in our gardens.

Conifers have had a bad press in recent decades, following the controversy over leylandii hedges. Yes, the ones which some people have allowed to tower over properties, depriving them of light and causing many neighbourly disputes. Further, very popular in the 1970s were dwarf conifers, which eventually grew into huge, unsightly blobs in our gardens.  

But,conifers are due a revival. There are many, many beautiful evergreen and deciduous conifers out there which make perfect garden worthy plants.  Planted alongside other shrubs and perennials, they make a great addition to the garden. There are also conifers for statement pieces and, in light of the recent issues around box blight and box caterpillar, some conifers can make great hedging alternatives.

Matt talks us through conifers for different soil locations, discusses pests and diseases (of which there aren't many!) and tells us how we can propagate conifers for our own garden.  He also mentions by variety some specifically great examples that we can use, including some particular favourites of his own.

If you love conifers, or are looking to re-introduce conifers into your garden, grab a pen and paper, a cuppa and enjoy this information packed episode.

Some of the conifers we talk about today, I photographed during my visit to RHS Wisley, and can be seen by clicking the link here. 

As always, thank you so much for listening to the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast and please do FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE to ensure you don’t miss new episodes.  And, if you listen through Apple Podcasts, please do leave a review.

You can follow me for more gardening action through my Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

Thanks for listening and I'll see  you next week. 

Mike

Hello, hello, hello!

I'm so excited to have started work on Series 3 of the Mic the Gardener podcast. In fact, much like the Forth Bridge, I never quite stop thinking about and/or working on the podcast.

I have one episode already recorded and almost ready to go on Friday 11th February, when I return.  And there are some very exciting episodes on the schedule for Series 3.  Don't worry, I'll be teasing more about those at the end of each episode.

As always, I love to hear from you so please drop me an email (micthegardener01@gmail.com) or follow me through my Instagram account (@mike_thegardener) where are you can follow my gardening exploits, my weekly live garden Sunday Stroll and much more. And of course you can message me through my Instagram account. 

Mike

Hello there and welcome to this weeks episode of them Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast. 

Are you a fan of ITV's Love Your Garden with Alan Titchmarsh? Or, BBC TV's Garden Rescue with Charlie Dimmock? Well, this week I chat with Matt Young, Head of Factual Entertainment at Spun Gold TV, who bring us these amazing TV programmes. I'll be asking all of those questions that we think about when we're watching the programme, including: 

• How do they select the lucky garden owners? 
• Who designs the gardens? 
• Who actually does all of the work? 
• And when the TV production team leaves the garden, how does the owner know how to look after the garden? 

It's a fascinating insight, behind-the-scenes of our favourite gardening programmes. 

Thanks for listening and don't forget to follow/subscribe to make sure you don't miss forthcoming episodes. And, if you're able, please do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider. 

You can follow me on Instagram by clicking this link 

See you all next week. 

Mike

In this week's episode, I head back to Otis and Ben's allotment to see how things are progressing so far this season.

I'm delighted to advise that for the first time in the series, so far, the weather was absolutely gorgeous. Clear blue skies, a very gentle breeze and temperatures soaring, especially in the tunnel.

Today we chat about:

• Some nifty little hacks, including how to make more cuttings from tomatoes
• Companion planting
• The impact of the current and prolonged dry spell in the UK and across Europe, and there's some food tasting along the way!

And of course, we have a good look around the plot to see what's cropping, what is due to crop and discuss any little problems along the way.

You can follow Otis on his Instagram account by clicking here. And, you can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Next week is our last proper episode in the current series, and I will be chatting to a very young gardener, Charlie and his mum Joanne. You can find out more about Charlie and Joanne by following them on their Instagram account by clicking here.

I will be heading back to the plot to chat to Otis and Ben in the weeks ahead, so do tune in to our specials in the weeks ahead.

In the meantime, please don't forget to follow/subscribe, and if you are able to leave a review that would be wonderful.

See you next week, as always.

Mike

In this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener gardening podcast, I chat to the owner of Natural Grower, Charlotte Beatty.

I am thrilled to have Natural Grower sponsor my podcast. I've used their products in my own gardening for a while now, and certainly well before Charlotte agreed to sponsor the podcast.  As such, having natural growth as a podcast sponsor is fantastic as I genuinely love their products, but not quite as much as my garden and plants do!

In this episode, Charlotte tells me about how the business came about, how the products are made and manufactured and how they coped through the difficulties of a lockdown in 2020, and lots more.

Here’s some important information about Natural Grower’s products:

The Natural Grower's natural liquid fertiliser is concentrated and, once diluted, can be poured around the base of all plants in the garden and in your home, to be quickly absorbed as a potent source of organic food. Houseplants can be fed by pouring around the base of the plant, or they love to have a bottom feed by standing the plant pot in a bowl or sink with the diluted liquid feed and leave it to soak all the goodness up.

Natural Grower's natural plant feed and soil conditioner is a mulch that can be mixed into the soil/compost before planting, or used on the surface of your beds and pots as a top dressing. Rich in nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and other trace elements, it will be broken down gradually by organisms in the soil/compost as a long-term, slow release fertiliser. If you have clay soil, or soil which is full of stones, the plant feed and conditioner will improve the quality and structure of your soil. The mulch is also excellent at helping to retain moisture, which in turn reduces the amount of watering you will need to do – perfect!

As always, my thanks to you all for listening to my podcast each week. Please do spread the good word and don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are still a few more episodes left in series 2.  And, if you listen through Apple podcast, please do leave a review.

If you wish to contact me, please drop me an email at micthegardener01@gmail.com or contact me via my Instagram page @mike_thegardener.

See you here next week.

Mike

In this week's episode of the Mike the Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I return to Kingston Maurward, horticultural college, where I learnt my trade many, many years ago.

Nigel Hewish, the Head Gardener there, is responsible for the national collection of salvias held within the grounds of the college. What Nigel doesn't know about salvias frankly, isn't worth knowing.

In this informative episode, we chat about:

• Where salvias originate from
• How to grow them
• How to propagate them
• How to get the very best from them
• Planting companions
• Pests and diseases, and much more

My thanks to Nigel for taking time to come and talk to us today.

If you want to know more about me and my own garden, you can follow me on my Instagram account, mike_the gardener. 

My thanks to you for listening, and please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more great episodes to come.

And, if you are able to, please leave a review so that other gardening enthusiasts can find us here.

Thanks for listening and see you next week.

Hello and welcome to this episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast, it's lovely to have you here, as always. 

There can't be a single gardener out there, who doesn't love snowdrops, can there? Well, in this week's episode, I catch up with garden writer and friend, Val Bourne in her beautiful Cotswold garden which is crammed cheek by jowl with a stunning array of snowdrops. And, as you will find out, when you listen to this episode, what Val doesn't know about snowdrops, frankly isn't worth knowing. 

We talk about: 

• Where they come from
• Maintenance 
• How to get the best from your snowdrops
• Best varieties 
• Propagation 
• And lots, lots more.

Some of you will be aware that I visited Val last August to talk about Val's illustrious career to date. Click here to listen to that episode. 

To ensure you don't miss future episodes of them Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, please hit the subscribe/follow button. 

Thank you to all of you who have left wonderful reviews. If you are able to leave a review with your podcast provider, it would be greatly appreciated. I read each and every one of them, but more importantly, it's a great way to attract new listeners. 

Happy gardening!

Mike

In this week's episode, I chat with garden writer and author, climate change expert and editor of Amateur Gardening magazine, Kim Stoddart.

We chat about:

• Kim's excellent new book, 'The Climate Change Resilient Vegetable Garden', published by Cool Springs Press.
• Resilience
• The importance of connecting with nature
• Wellbeing
• Emotional regulation
• Nutrient density, and, of course, lots more

To learn more about Kim head to her website by clicking here, or to her Instagram account by clicking here.

You can learn more about me by heading to my Instagram account bye clicking here, or have a read of my writing on Substack by clicking here.

Thanks to you all for listening and please don't forget to follow/subscribe and please leave a review if you are able.

I'll see you next week.

Mike

Welcome to this Chelsea Flower Show special addition with fantastic contributions from:

• TV presenters Gaby Roslin & Ben Thompson
• Garden designer Jo Thompson
• Garden writer Arthur Parkinson
• Michael Marriott & Rosie Irving
• Naomi Slade and daughter Holly
• She Grows Veg
• Kim Stoddart & Ruth Hayes
• Sienna Hosta
• Harespring Cottage Flowers
• Adam Kirtland
• Kelly Stone
• Tom Coleman
• Alice Hare, and
• Susie White

It's a fascinating episode, as always, which sees me snooping around the Chelsea Flower Show on press day. Thanks for listening and watch out for series 8 coming soon! Mike

Hello and welcome back to this week's episode of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast.

And so here it is, the one you've all been waiting for, including me!

So many of you have contacted me asking if we can do a special episode on hellebores. There's clearly a lot of love for our heavenly hellebores out there, and I'm a massive fan, that's for sure.

So, I racked my brain, wondering who I could approach to talk to about these wonderful plants. There was, in all honesty, only one person on my agenda, so I dropped him a line. And, lo and behold, he agreed.  I am, of course, talking about the wonderful, John Massey (VMH). John suggested, however, that he bring along his top hellebore breeder, Kevin Belcher, to join in the conversation. You wait just over two two years for a hellebore expert come along and then two come along at once!

This fascinating and insightful episode will have you reaching for pen and paper to jot down some timely and extremely helpful hellebore facts as we discuss:

• How to get the very best in your hellebores
• Planting tips
• Maintenance advice
• Dealing with pests and diseases
• Propagation, and much, much more

My thanks to John and Kevin for their time, and for making the recording of this episode an absolute delight.

You can get more information about hellebores, and buy online by visiting www.ashwoodnurseries.com and you can follow Ashwood Nurseries on their Instagram account by clicking here.

Whilst I'm in the process of thanking people, my thanks to all of you for your questions, your support, and for listening to the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast.

You can follow me in my garden on my Instagram account by clicking here.

As always, please don't forget to follow/subscribe and leave a review if you are able.

See you next week.

Mike

In this episode I head to the nursery of Sienna Hosta to chat about:

How to get the very best from your hostas

How to win the war with slugs & snails

Sienna Hosta's incredible success at nationwide flower shows and their exciting plans for Chelsea 2025, and of course lots more.

To find out more and see the incredible range of hostas available to buy, head to the Sienna Hosta website www.siennahosta.co.uk.

Don't forget to followed subscribe, and, if you're able please do leave a review.

See you shortly for Episode 2!

Mike

Hello and welcome back to Series III of the Mic the Gardener Gardening Podcast. I’m delighted to be back after the New Year break.

In this first episode I go back to the most fundamental and important component of our gardens…. soil.

Without soil we have no plants, trees, shrubs, vegetables, fruit, perennials or bulbs. My parents used to tell me to spend a pound on the hole and a penny on the plant. That’s so true.. Our gardens, containers and balconies will only truly flourish if the soil is healthy.

In this episode I chat to Dr Anton Rosenfeld, from Garden Organic who tells us everything we need to know about our soil. He tells us:

• How soil is made
• How to identify what soil type we have
• How to improve our soil and keep it healthy by incorporating organic matter
• Why mulching our soil is so important
• What green manures are and their benefits to our soil
• How to make & use leaf mould 
• What the benefits of 'no-dig' are
• Why earth worms are so important 
• What the acidity or alkalinity of our soil means

Its a fact-filled episode and really is the starting point of any garden, irrespective of whether you’re growing your own or maintaining a beautiful ornamental garden, or indeed both.

You can find out more about your soil and growing organically at www.gardenorganic.ork.uk.

If you wish to contact me, please email micthegardener01@gmail.com or you can follow me on my Instagram account (@mike_thegardener) where you can also message me directly.

Please don’t forget to FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE to the Mic the Gardener Gardening Podcast to make sure you don’t miss out on the fun and of course the great gardening content. And perhaps you’d be kind enough to leave a review and tell your friends about the podcast

See you next week.

Mike

In this second episode of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast I chat with award-winning garden writer, television presenter and wildlife gardening expert, Kate Bradbury.  

We talk about Kate's wonderful new book 'The Tree in My Garden: Choose One Tree, Plant It - Change the World' published by DK Books which is a real page turner and packed with useful information to help you choose one (or more) perfect trees for your garden. We also chat at length about Kate's career to date and much, much more. 

You can follow Kate on her Instagram page by clicking here.  

Make sure you don't miss out on the exciting future episodes of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast by hitting the FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE button. 

You could also learn more about me by following me on my Instagram account. Click here for details. 

Thanks for listening and see you soon.  

Mike 

In this weeks episode, the last interview of the second series, I chat to Danish gardening superstar, Claus Dalby.

As well as being the owner of a stunning garden in Denmark, Claus has his own publication company and incredibly considers himself a hobby gardener; a hobby gardener with 396,000 followers on Instagram.

In this Christmas special episode, I chat to Claus about his Christmases as a child, what Christmas means to him now and, of course, his wonderful do-it-yourself Christmas decorations, which are videoed from his Christmas Studio within the grounds of his own house.

We also chat about his career, his books, the gardens has visited across the world and much, much more.

Whilst this is the last interview of the second series, there is a final, compilation episode next week to round off Series 2.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you for listening each week and contacting me with your lovely feedback and for leaving comments and reviews on Apple Podcasts.  And if you don't already, do follow/subscribe to future episodes of the podcast. You can also catch up on the exciting first series of the podcast.

I am already working on the third series of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast podcast.

As such, if you have any ideas, people you’d like me to interview or things you think should be included in Series 3, you can email me at the podcast email, micthegardener01@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can follow/message me on Instagram (@mike_thegardener).

I wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas/holiday period and look forward to seeing you all again in the New Year.

Mike

Hello and welcome back to this week's episode of the Mike the Gardener – Gardening Podcast. In this weeks episode I speak to Chris Collins, horticulturalist, broadcaster and former Gardiner for the BBC TV programme, Blue Peter.

Chris is an extremely passionate plantsman and gardener who has travelled across the world and has some fascinating stories to tell about his exploits in Brighton, Scotland, Cameroon and Japan. He also tells us about his time as a gardener with your iconic British TV programme Blue Peter. 

This episode was recorded in the South Arboretum at the edge of Kew Gardens, on the banks of the River Thames, where Chris once worked. We were also on the London Heathrow flightpath, as you may hear during the course of this episode. 

To find out more about Chris, head to his website and you can follow him on his various social media platforms, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

If you enjoy this episode, please do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider. And don't forget to follow/subscribe as there's still more to come  in this series.

If you'd like to get in touch with me, and I love hearing from you all, you can email me at micthegardener01@gmail.com or message me directly via my Instagram account at @Mike_TheGardener.

Mike

Hello and welcome to this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast. 

In this week’s episode I travel to Denbigh, North Wales, to chat to the owners of the exquisite Laundry Garden Retreat, Tom & Jenny Williams, who take me on a tour of their beautiful garden. 

We chat about how they came to be its owners, how the gardens have progressed including the design and planting ethos in each part of the garden, who does what, their plans for the future and much, much more. 

During this delightful episode we visit the House Garden, the Dragon Garden, the beautiful Lime Alley and of course the stunning walled garden. 

You can see pictures and a video of the stunning walled garden of the garden by heading to my Instagram page. Click this link to see more. 

It’s a great fact-filled, fun chat and a fascinating ‘look behind the scenes’ with Tom & Jenny. And of course you can find out even more by visiting the Laundry Garden Retreat. Visit https://thelaundryretreatnorthwales.co.uk or visit the Laundry Garden Instagram page for more information.

Please do follow/subscribe as there is more to come on the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast. And if you're able, please leave a review with your preferred podcast provider

Welcome back to this weeks exciting episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast. I've always been passionate about looking to the future of gardening and horticulture, and in particular thinking about where the next generation of young gardeners will come from. In today's episode I chat to Victoria who is the Chair and the national organiser of the Young Horticulturist of the Year competition.  Now as the title of the competition clearly tells us, this is a competition to find the best young horticulturist. What are the most reassuring things that comes out of our chat is that there can be up to 2000 entrants into this competition, so there is young gardening and horticultural talent out there for sure. Victoria tells me all about the competition, including: How it came about What's involved in the process Who can enter How to enter What's the winner of the competition receives Key dates, and lots, lots more. It's truly a fascinating episode, and, if you know of anybody who is eligible to enter the Young Horticulturist of the Year competition, do point them in the direction of this podcast and the Young Horticulturalist of the Year website. How refreshing and reassuring to know that the hands of our gardens, horticulture in general and indeed our pallet is in safe hands. As always, it's been a pleasure spending time with you today, so do hit that follow or subscribe button to make sure he don't miss out on future episodes. And if you've enjoyed today's episode, do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider. Bye-bye for now bye-bye. Mike

In this weeks episode, I chat to another Head Gardener, Nigel Hewish of Kingston Maurward college in Dorchester.

I completed my horticultural training at Kingston Morwood many years ago, and it was a delight to catch up with Nigel to talk about the gardens and his career.

In this chat, we cover:

• Nigel's career to date
• His love of trees and shrubs
• The plant collections at Kingston Maurward
• The impacts of climate change, and lots more.

There's also some very handy gardening advice and tips about caring for penstemons and salvias.

To learn more about Kingston Maurward, click here.

To learn more about me, click here

Thanks to you all for listening to this series and I will be back shortly with Series 7.

Mike

In this first episode of the second series, Mike chats to Michael Perry, a.k.a. Mr Plant Geek. 

Michael is a TV presenter, speaker, podcaster and social media influencer (voted as Social Media Influencer of the Year 2020 by the Garden Media Guild).

In this exciting episode, Mike chats to Michael in his glorious, sunny Suffolk-based garden about the garden itself, the design, the hard landscaping and quite a bit about the plants, of course!

Also in this episode, Michael talks about why weeds are great in any garden, what his parents think of his garden and we also discuss his career to date including his TV work and being voted Social Media Influencer of the Year in 2020.

Later in the episode, Michael tells about the phenomenally successful Plant Based Podcast, which he co-presents with Ellen Mary with Mike questioning him about his 'serious' side.

To see pictures of Mr Plant Geek's garden, click here. 

Thank you for listening, and if you've enjoyed this podcast, please FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE and why not leave a REVIEW for Mike on Apple Podcasts. 

You can see and hear more of Mike through his popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

In this week's, episode of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast I chat with gardener, writer, podcaster, garden coach, and now author, Andrew Timothy O’Brien.

In his own words, Andrew says he is the owner of a too-loud laugh. I disagree, it’s great to hear the sound of people laughing in a world where there’s too much sadness and bad news, don’t you think?

I chat to Andrew about his new book 'to stand and stare' published by DK books. There's a lot of gardening advice out there. But none that invites you to think about how to be while you're in your garden. With increasingly busy lives, yet another list of chores seems like the last thing we need when it comes to our own practice of self-care and relaxation. After all, aren't these the things we wanted to escape to the garden for in the first place? What if there was a more low-intervention way to garden, some reciprocal arrangement through which both you and your soil get fed - with minimum fuss, effort and guilt on your part, and the maximum measure of healthy, organic growth for your garden?

We chat about: 

• How the book came about
• Andrew’s love of the writer and spoken word
• Andrew’s podcast, Garden Weeds & Words,
• Our thoughts on gardening on social media and of course, lots more

You can buy a copy of 'to stand and stare' by clicking this link.

You can get more information about Andrew by visiting his website, and you can follow him on his Instagram account by clicking here. You can also follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thanks for listening and please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more episodes to come. And, if you are able, please leave a review with your preferred podcast provider.

Thank you!

See you next week.

Mike

Hello! And welcome back to the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast page.

This week I have a rather exciting Plant Special episode for you featuring penstemon.  I speak to RHS gold medal winning nursery owner, Julia Mitchell of GreenJJam nurseries, specialists in growing penstemon.

As with all of my Plant special episodes, we chat about everything you need to know about growing penstemon including:

• What soil to grow them in and where
• How to grow them in containers
• General maintenance
• Pests and diseases
• Feeding and watering, and
• Propagation

It's a truly in-depth chat which will enable us all to go away and grow the best penstemon in our borders next year.

If you're looking to add more penstemon to your collection, or, indeed to start growing penstemon, then you can head to the nursery website www.greenjjam.co.uk.  For still more information, why not follow GreenJJam Nurseries on their Instagram page.  And, if you don't already follow me, then you can head over to my Instagram page, @mike_thegardener. 

As always, my thanks to Julia for sharing her knowledge and expertise with us.  

I'll be back next week, as usual with another Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast episode.  In the meantime, if you wish to send me a message, you can email me at the pod email address micthegardener01@gmail.com. 

I'd like to say ‘hello' to you if you're new to listening to my podcast… welcome along! Don't forget to follow/subscribe to make sure you don't miss out on any new episodes. And finally(!), if you listen via Apple podcasts, please do leave a review.

See you next week.

Bye-bye!

Hello and welcome back to Series 6 of them Mike The Gardener - Gardening Podcast. The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed the title of the podcast has changed very slightly. I'm ditching the 'MIC' (which was a nod to the microphone element) in favour of MIKE.

And, in a further change for this series, I will have an occasional co-host who I introduce you to in today's episode.

Going forward, there will still be your favourite content, including:

• Interviews with great, gardening, personalities, gardeners, garden, designers, broadcasters, and more.
• In-depth plant specials
• The ever-popular Slot From the Plot, and
• Much, much more

As always, please do contact me with your questions, suggestions, comments and feedback at my new email address mikethegardenerpodcast@gmail.com, or you can contact me via my Instagram account @mike_thegardener.

Please do recommend the podcast to your gardening friends & family and if you're able, why not give me a share on social media. And to make sure you don't miss out on a single episode please follow/subscribe.

Thank you!

Mike

Hello and welcome to this week's, episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast.

In this week's, episode, I chat with a passionate young horticulturalist, Josh Simmonds. I first met Josh a couple of years ago, when I travelled to Ipswich to record a podcast episode with Michael Perry (a.k.a. Mr Plant Geek). I was early and Michael suggested I visit Kiln Farm Nursery before our interview.

On arrival, a young lad was setting up for the day. This young lad was Josh, who invited me in to come and have a look around.  Josh's passion for plants and all things gardening was incredible. As such, I was delighted when he contacted me recently to ask if he could come onto the show and chat about getting other young people interested in horticulture and gardening.

It was a no brainer for me. Encouraging a younger generation of gardeners and horticulturalists into the industry is something I am extremely passionate about too.

You can follow Josh on his Instagram account by clicking here.

Follow Kiln Farm Nursery, where he works, by clicking here.

And last, but certainly not least, you can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thank you for listening and please do follow/subscribe, so you don't miss a future episodes. And, if you're able, please leave a review with your preferred podcast provider.

See you all next week and thanks for listening.

Mike

In this episode I travel to Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens near Weymouth in Dorset (UK) where I chat to Curator, David Pearce.

We chat about:

• His role as Curator.
• The gardens and how they're looked after and maintained.
• The historic plant collection
• Gardening jobs for autumn and winter.
• David's own plant passions.
• Why people should go to Abbotsbury Gardens.
• The joy and passion that working in the garden, and within the horticultural industry brings about.

To learn more about Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, click this link.

To learn more about David Pearce, click this link.

As always, don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more great episodes to come.

And you can learn more about me by following me on my Instagram account by clicking this link.

Thanks for listening and see you soon. Mike

In this week's episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast, I chat with best-selling novelist, Erica James.

Erica's latest novel, ‘A Secret Garden Affair' has just been published and unsurprisingly is already heading towards the top of the charts.

We chat about:

• Her career to date.
• How she first got published.
• How she writes.
• Her new novel, A Secret Garden Affair, and lots, lots more  

And, did we really record the second half of our chat in the shower? You'll just have to listen to find out more.

You can follow Erica on her Instagram page by clicking here or head to her website www.ericajames.com.

Please don't forget to follow/ subscribe as there are still more episodes to come. And, if you are able, please do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider.

See you next week.

Mike

Hello, hello, hello and welcome to this weeks episode of the Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast. 

Today I chat once again, to another returning guest to the podcast, Michael Perry a.k.a. Mr Plant Geek. Michael was a guest on the podcast at the beginning of Series 2 (click here to listen to that episode) when I travelled to his wonderful garden and sat in the August sunshine talking all things gardening, plants, social media and of course lots lots more.

So I'm absolutely delighted to invite Michael back again to chat about his new book, Hortus Curious, published by DK books.

In this episode Michael tells me everything about the book including how it came about, how the writing process worked for him and the illustrator Aaron Apsley. We also talked at length about the look, feel and style of this incredible book which will literally pop off the shelves when you walk into your local bookshop.

We also touch on social media, awards and what Michael is up to next.

And at the very beginning of our chat there are some extremely helpful tips on how and when to use a certain brand of moisturising oil to keep the wrinkles at bay… Yes, you heard me right!

If you haven't already, please follow/subscribe to the podcast and if you're able, please do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider.  

You can also follow me on Instagram where you will find me as @mike_thegardener. 

Thanks so much.

Mike

S4 = Trailer

In this week's episode of the Mike the Gardner - Gardening Podcast I chat with garden writer, podcaster, gardener and author, Lucy Chamberlain.

Lucy's new book, 'Grow Food Anywhere' - published by DK Books and the RHS is out now.

We chat about:

• Her new book & how it came about
• How Lucy writes
• Her career in gardening and garden media
• Her own garden, and, of course lots more

Thanks so much for listeningDon't forget to follow and subscribe to ensure you don't miss future episodes

See you very soon.

In this week's, episode of the Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I chat to Gardeners' World presenter, garden designer, and author, Adam Frost.

Probably one of the most requested chats from all of you over the last two years, and finally it's happened.

In an open, frank and very honest, interview Adam talks about:

• His career to date.
• Working alongside the legend that was Geoff Hamilton.
• His new garden
• His own recent health issues
• “An Evening with Adam Frost” UK shows, and much , much more

Adam will be appearing at this year's Gardeners' World Live in Birmingham 15-18 June.

Check show press for his appearances and schedule of activities.

My thanks to Adam, his team and the BBC Gardeners' World team for their help in arranging this chat.

As always, please don't forget to follow/subscribe and leave a review if you are able.

And, as always, I will see you next week.

Mike

Hello, I'm Mike Palmer, your host of the Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, sponsored by Natural Grower.  Welcome back to this week's episode.

The Mic the Gardener Gardening Podcast has been up and running for just over a year now. In that year I have listened to more gardening podcasts than I've ever done before. One of my go-to podcasts is always Talking Heads, presented by Saul Walker and Lucy Chamberlain, who are both modern day head gardeners in private estates.

This week I'm delighted to be joined by both Saul and Lucy who chat to me about their careers to date, their roles as head gardeners in private estates and much much more.

If, like me, you listen to their podcast, you'll know I was legally obliged to start the conversation by talking about the weather, however, we also discussed:

• How their career paths crossed
• How they got started in the industry
• What the role of a modern Head Gardener is
• How much input their respective garden owners have on their gardens
• What Lucy & Saul's own gardens are like
• And their career aspirations are, and much more

If you haven't already listened to the Talking Heads podcast, (and I can't believe you haven't), click on this link to have a listen.

Thank you, as always for listening to this weeks podcast. If you haven't already, please do follow/subscribe and leave a review via your preferred podcast provider.

You can also follow me on my Instagram account, @mike_thegardener where I have a live, weekly broadcast from my own garden, every Sunday at 10am (GMT).

Join me next week when I will be discussing everything you need to know about growing sweet peas from seed with leading sweet pea expert, Roger Parsons.

See you next week.

In this episode, we go back to Otis and Ben's allotment to talk about:

• How the weather has impacted growing this year
• What crops they've grown, what has done well, and not, and why
• Things they've learnt after three years of growing on the allotment
• Some useful and helpful hints, tips and hacks

You can follow me and Otis on Instagram by clicking the following links:

⁠Mike⁠

⁠Otis⁠

We will be back again soon to discuss spring flowering bulbs, so do stay tuned.

Don't forget to follow and subscribe to ensure you don't miss any episodes.

Thank you.

Mike

In this bonus episode, Mike visits the Chelsea Flower Show on press day and has a chat with some wonderful people including:

• Tayshan Hayden-Smith
• Danny Clarke, AKA The Black Gardener (a previous podcast guest)
• Daisy Desire, AKA The Drag Queen Gardener
• Charlotte Durrant & Mo Bhula of the Aroid Attic

Mike chats to Tayshan & Danny about their 'Hands off Mangrove Garden' by Grow 2 Know, which one and RHS silver-gilt metal, before tracking down the Drag Queen Gardener, Daisy desire, to chat about her Chelsea experience. 

Mike also chat to Charlotte Durrant and Mo Bhula of the Aroid Attic about their silver-gilt medal winning 'Social Media Versus Reality' house plant studio. 

Hello and welcome to this last episode in the current series of a Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast.

As I said last week, we have a great final guest today, in fact, it's my youngest guest on the podcast ever. 

Now, one day, when I was whiling away time on good old Instagram, I stumbled across an account in the name of The First Time Gardener. Now, there are two people behind this particular account, one of whom is probably more in charge of the shall we say administration, whilst the other person is the face of the account. So, completely bowled over by the contents of their page, I contacted them to ask if they would come and have a chat on the podcast.

So, today, I'm absolutely delighted to be joined by Joanne and her son Charlie. We talk about:

• How the account came about?
• What Joanne was hoping to achieve through the account?
• How Charlie became the face of the account?
• Their plans for the future (gardening and Instagram), and
• Charlie's plans for the future, and lots more.

My thanks to Joanne and Charlie for taking time to come and have a chat with me. You can follow their account by clicking here.

You can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

I will be back shortly with another Slot from the Plot special.

As always, please don't forget to follow/subscribe and please leave a review if you are able.

Mike