Two Good Gardeners (Dan Cooper & Julia Parker)

Welcome to Two Good Gardeners, sponsored by Alitex, home of the modern Victorian greenhouse. In our first episode, we ask the question 'to chit or not to chit', share thrifty tricks with toilet roll tubes, explain how to help your garden survive the mad March snow and offer tips for staying on top of your garden over the next fortnight.

If you've enjoyed our foray into podcasting, please subscribe for notifications when we upload new episodes.

Resources

• For more on how to chit potatoes, you'll find Dan and Julia's combined wisdom crystalised right here.
• If you're interested in using seaweed as a garden fertiliser and soil conditioner, there is more information on Dan's blog, The Frustrated Gardener.
• For help with snow damage, and how to revive ailing plants, there's help at hand here.
• You can find out all about Julia on her website: https://www.parkers-patch.com/
• To buy rubber seed trays and explore Dan's range of handpicked garden tools, accessories and gifts, visit https://www.dancoopergarden.com/

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Will it? Won't it? As March draws to a close, spring is teasing us, but Dan and Julia see signs of spring everywhere they look. In episode 2, the Two Good Gardeners get animated about April, celebrating foraged food in the form of wild garlic, sharing the joy of daffodils and warning against planting delicate plants outside too soon. Dan offers advice on growing dahlias from seed, cuttings and tubers, and Julia shares a thrifty Easter project involving egg boxes.

Additional resources:

• Dan's guide to growing dahlias
• Dan's advice on hardening off seedlings and plants
• Dan's April garden guide
• More about wild garlic
• More about daffodils

Dan & Julia's jobs for the next fortnight:

1. Start to feed citrus with summer feed
2. Mow lawns. (start with the blades set high).
3. Sow hardy annuals outside...
4. Plant out potatoes: earlies in the first half and main crop at the end of April.
5. Sow squashes, courgettes, and pumpkins under cover this month and protect them from mice.
6. Stay on top of weeds.
7. Sow parsnips direct into the ground.
8. Hand-pollinate peach and apricot blossoms using a paintbrush.
9. Plant out leeks.
10. Pot up dahlia tubers and take cuttings when shoots reach 5-7cm long.

https://www.dancoopergarden.com/

https://www.parkers-patch.com/

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In episode 3, Dan and Julia discuss how to grow awesome asparagus, go crazy for Japanese kenzan, celebrate a much-overlooked foliage plant and bemoan the fate of the suburban front garden. Julia explains how to get more bang for your buck when buying pot-grown herbs from the supermarket, and Dan reveals the top jobs to do in your garden over the next fortnight. You'll find these listed below, along with details of the plants, products and events mentioned in the podcast.

Dan and Julia's jobs for the next fortnight:

1. Plant potatoes - dig a trench or use a bulb planter to get them in, and remember to earth them up when the shoots emerge to protect them from frost.
2. Sow sweetcorn, courgettes and pumpkins, butternut squash, basil, coriander, and other tender herbs and sunflowers under cover. Beetroot, carrot, chard kale, lettuces, radishes, pak choi, leeks, spinach and broccoli can now be sown directly outdoors.
3. Sow annual flower meadow mixes into prepared soil, which should be weed-free and raked to a fine tilth, like a crumble mixture.
4. Deadhead daffodils, unless you want them to seed.
5. Water pots and containers, even when it's been raining.
6. Cleaning patio furniture and terraces on a dry, sunny day.
7. Tie in clematis, which will be growing vigorously now.
8. Stake perennials, including peonies, lupins, phlox and delphiniums.
9. Check for bugs and encourage predators such as ladybirds by leaving material in your garden that they can find shelter in.
10. Remove rhubarb forcers, and don't put any further strain on forced crowns by continuing to pick the leaves.
11. Start hardening off plants if you live in milder areas.
12. Remember to wear sunscreen! The April sun is fiercer than you think.

Plant List

• Dichroa' Long March' (Chinese quinine)
• Delphinium' Blue Tit'
• Lathyrus vernus' Rainbow' (spring pea)
• Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican flea bane)
• Baptista australis (false blue indigo)
• Ocimum basilicum 'Sweet Genovese' (sweet basil - as you will find in supermarkets and atop pizzas)
• Ocimum basilicum 'Crispum' (lettuce-leaf basil)
• Ocimum basilicum var. minimum (Greek basil)
• Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora (Thai basil)
• Ocimum basilicum var. purpurascens x kilimandscharicum (African blue basil)
• Asparagus officinalis 'Gijnlim''Pacific 2000'
• Solenostemon's Burgundy Wedding Train', 'Lord Falmouth', 'Pink Chaos', 'Wisley Tapestry', Henna', 'Campfire'

Useful Links

• Songbird Survival charity
• Artisan nesters
• Great Comp Spring Fling Plant Fair
• Green Rooms Market
• Arundel Castle Plant Fair
• Alitex open morning

https://www.dancoopergarden.com/

https://www.parkers-patch.com/

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In this fortnight's episode, Dan & Julia talk tomatoes, chat about compost and wax lyrical about wallflowers. Dan introduces his new Dutch planting trowel, similar to the traditional tool cherished by Monty Don, and Julia explains how to grow ginger from supermarket-bought roots. Your hosts look forward to an action-packed coronation weekend and the crowning of King Charles III, one of the nation's most celebrated garden makers.

Julia's jobs to do in the next two weeks:

1. Earth up potatoes as shoots emerge to protect them from frost and boost the crop.
2. Harden off and plant out sweet peas and other hardy annuals.
3. Sow pumpkins, sweet corn, courgettes, French beans and runner beans indoors.
4. Sow sunflowers inside or out.
5. Prune Forsythia and Ribes after flowering.
6. Remember not to clear away daffodil foliage. Let it die down naturally to boost the bulbs.
7. Repot houseplants now they're starting to grow again.
8. Feed lawns with a nitrogen-rich feed to replace nutrients that have leached away over winter.
9. Continue sowing tender herbs such as basil, coriander and dill. Sow salads and radishes at regular intervals.
10. Check lilies and fritillaries for lily beetles - clumps of black gunge where leaves should be are a telltale sign they've been at work.
11. Start using slug and snail protection as soon as vulnerable plants emerge from the ground.
12. Protect fruit blossoms from late frosts using specially designed fruit sleeves.

Plant List

Julia's tomatoes:

1. San Marzano Plum
2. Black Cherry
3. Green Zebra
4. Yellow Submarine
5. Barry's Crazy Cherry
6. Black Russian
7. Feo De Riogordo
8. Gardeners' Delight

Dan's wallflowers:

1. Fire King
2. Vulcan
3. Cloth of Gold
4. Cottage Fragrance' (mixture)
5. 'Persian Carpet' (mixture)

Useful Links

• Dan's Signature Dutch trowel
• Saltwood Castle open garden and plant fair on April 29th
• Hatfield House plant fair on April 30th
• One Garden Brighton - Julia's book signing on May 1st
• Borde Hill plant fair on May 7th

Websites

https://www.dancoopergarden.com/

https://www.parkers-patch.com/

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Episode 5 has a Chelsea Flower Show flavour. Dan & Julia debate the value of a ticket to the world's most prestigious horticultural event and explain how to administer the Chelsea chop to flowering perennials and herbs. Crisp, crunchy radishes are Julia's pick of the crop, and Dan breaks a self-imposed rule by celebrating deciduous azaleas, a plant that doesn't thrive in his chalky soil.

For Dan & Julia's complete guide to surviving Chelsea, click here.

For more advice on administering the Chelsea chop, click here, and you'll find the perfect pair of shears to do it with here.

Plants that respond well to the Chelsea Chop

1. Yarrow - Achillea 
2. Dyer's chamomile - Anthemis tinctoria 
3. Aster
4. Bell flower - Campanula
5. Coneflower - Echinacea 
6. Joe Pye weed - Eupatorium
7. Blanket flower - Gaillardia
8. Sneezeweed - Helenium 
9. Perennial sunflowers - Helianthus
10. Candytuft - Iberis
11. Shasta daisy - Leucanthemum × superbum
12. Purple loosestrife - Lythrum salicaria
13. Bergamot - Monarda didyma
14. Catmint - Nepeta
15. Penstemon
16. Garden phlox - Phlox paniculata
17. Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia
18. Stonecrop - Sedum telephium (now Hylotelephium telephium)
19. Golden rod - Solidago
20. Culver's root - Veronicastrum
21. Chives - Allium schoenoprasum

Dan's favourite deciduous azaleas:

1. FIREBALL
2. GIBRALTAR
3. GOLD TOPAZ
4. IRENE KOSTER
5. KLONDYKE
6. STRAWBERRY ICE

Where you'll find us over the next fortnight:

Julia will be at Nomad Books in Fulham on Saturday, 13th May, running a workshop and signing copies of her book. You'll also find her on the Alitex stand (MA 336) on the Chelsea Flower Show's Main Avenue on and off between the 23rd and 28th of May.

Dan will be at Salthrop House, Wroughton, near Swindon, this Sunday, 14th May, 11 am - 4 pm and at the American Museum & Gardens in Bath on Sunday, 21st May, with Rare Plant Fairs. He takes his tea strong with milk, and no sugar, if you want to treat him to a cuppa!

Alitex will be at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival from 11th -14th May, showcasing the Mottisfont greenhouse from the National Trust range. Then, they will be at RHS Chelsea Flower Show with their 'Good Life' inspired exhibit, styled by our very own Julia!

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Join us for our first-ever outside broadcast from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023. We celebrate Alitex's Best Trade Stand award and discover how Julia was involved in making it happen. We share our show highlights and reveal some of the work that goes on behind the scenes to deliver the world's most prestigious flower show.

Please note that batteries for charging your phone can be hired for £3 for every 30 minutes, not every hour, as Dan states.

Should we do more outside broadcasts? Would you like us to report from other RHS shows and garden events? We'd love to receive your feedback.

Finally, leaving us a rating and a review will help us to reach other gardening enthusiasts like you. Happy gardening!

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Dan and Julia discuss how to spot and deal with common summertime pests, including cabbage white butterflies, red spider mites and asparagus beetles. Julia gets stuck into salads, explaining how to grow a succession of lush leaves throughout the year. Dan recalls happy memories of Dame Edna Everage and her wonderful gladies, sharing tips on how to grow these fabulous flowers without all the stiffness and formality they've become known for.

Julia's Favourite Salad Leaves:

1. Lettuce 'Black Seeded Simpson'.
2. Lettuce (Little Gem) ‘Delight’.
3. Lettuce 'Cocarde' - very attractive arrowhead leaf green-tinged red. Good for spring, summer and autumn growing.
4. Lettuce 'Salad Bowl' - both green and red, RHS recommended.
5. Lettuce 'Lollo Rosso'.
6. Lettuce 'Butterhead'.
7. Lettuce 'Winter Density' - good for cooler months.
8. Wild rocket - hardy and the best flavour.

Dan's Favourite Gladioli:

1. G. papilio ‘Ruby’ - just delicious - the colour of crushed blackberries.
2. G. communis subsp. byzantinus - Mediterranean but naturalised in the UK.
3. G. murielae - the Abyssinian gladiolus - very late flowering and needs baking in a sunny spot, but the flowers are deliciously fragrant.
4. G. ‘Sancerre’ - pure white.
5. G. ‘Shaka Zulu' - deep, deep purple.
6. The ‘Flevo’ varieties, such as G. 'Flevo Cool' and G. 'Flevo Laguna' are perfect for small gardens and growing in pots.

Where you'll find us:

• Dan will be at Gilbert White’s House in Selborne near Petersfield for their 30th Annual Unusual Plants Fair on June 17th and 18th , ready to supply visitors with any last-minute Father’s Day Gifts. 
• Alitex is hosting an open morning on 16th June 9 am - 4 pm, at Torberry Farm, near Petersfield. To book a visit, use this link.

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In the final episode of this series, Dan and Julia share tips for adapting your garden to cope with hotter, drier summers. Julia offers advice on getting your plot holiday-ready, and Dan showcases a product that can act as a mulch, fertiliser and slug deterrent. This episode's drought-proof 'top of the crops' is the stately artichoke, and Dan chooses salvias as his sun-loving 'pick of the bunch'.

Your hosts return in late summer / early autumn for Series 2 and would love to hear about any topics you'd like to be featured.

Want to know more? Here are this episode's show notes:

• Dan's guide to creating a drought-tolerant garden
• Dan's guide to preparing your garden for the summer holidays
• Dan's guide to watering wisely

Julia's recommended artichoke varieties: 'Green Globe', 'Purple Globe', 'Romanesco'.

Note that cardoons (Cynara cardunculus) are a close relative of the artichoke (Cynara scolymus). Cardoons are grown for their edible stalks rather than their flowers. The cardoon is much more cold-tolerant as well.

Dan's recommended salvia varieties: 'Hot Lips' - red and white; 'Nachtvlinder' - inky purple; 'Royal Bumble - bright red; 'Trellisick Creamy Yellow'; 'Jemima's Gem' - cerise; 'Amistad' - purple; 'Blue Suede Shoes' - dusky pale blue; 'Amante' - pink.

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight:

1. Find someone to water your garden if you plan a holiday this month or next.
2. Sow salad leaves, turnips, French beans, spring cabbages, chicory, kohlrabi, dill, coriander and parsley.
3. Take Cuttings of hydrangeas, lavender, rosemary, salvias, penstemon, mint, thyme and sage.
4. Plant autumn-flowering bulbs such as colchicums, autumn crocuses, cyclamen and nerines.
5. Prune early spring flowering shrubs, rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias, conifers, plums, cherries, damsons and wisteria.
6. Harvest courgettes, calabrese, French beans, Swiss chard, lettuce, mint, parsley, radish, beetroot, carrots, spinach, spring cabbage, spring onion, garlic, onions, globe artichokes, strawberries, raspberries and loganberries.
7. Pick sweet peas, roses, zinnias, cosmos, gladioli, dahlias, lilies, carnations and pinks.
8. Buy reduced perennials in your local garden centre - trim back, plant out and water thoroughly to encourage lush new growth. Stock up on plant food.
9. Enjoy a stroll around the garden or a moment on your balcony after sundown.
10. Visit open gardens across the country, especially those with herbaceous borders. The RHS holds shows at Hampton Court and Tatton Park in Cheshire this month.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses
• Middleton Nurseries - salvia specialists
• Dyson's Nurseries - salvia specialists

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The gardens at Great Dixter are famed across the globe for their exuberance, colour and intimacy. Driven by a sense of adventure and a mission to help others get involved in horticulture, Fergus Garrett has built on the legacy of his friend and mentor, Christopher Lloyd, never allowing Dixter to stand still and delighting thousands of visitors every season.

In mid-August 2023, Julia and I were lucky enough to grab half an hour with Fergus to get his tips on late summer colour, discover his desert island plants and understand what he looks for in a plant when choosing what to grow. We cover a lot of ground, and Fergus is as generous with his knowledge as his time. Make sure you listen right to the very end, as there are gems throughout!

If you enjoy this episode, be sure to follow us on your favourite podcast platform and leave us a rating and review. We'll be back in September with a brand-new series!

https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/

https://www.dancoopergarden.com/

https://www.parkers-patch.com/

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As summer eases into autumn, our gardens reach a colourful crescendo. In this episode, Dan & Julia share their favourite flowers and crops for extending the season, taking inspiration from their gardens and visits to Great Dixter, Sussex Prairies, East Ruston Old Vicarage and Doddington Place.

Julia offers advice on autumn sowing and shares her top of the crops - delicious, juicy figs. Dan describes his new range of flower bowls and explains how to keep dahlias healthy and blooming for as long as possible.

Find Julia's favourite fig recipe here.

Explore Dan's collection of flower bowls here.

This fortnight's jobs to do in the garden:

1. Order onion sets.
2. Order tulip bulbs.
3. Keep watering and feeding pots and containers.
4. Harvest courgettes regularly.
5. Remove leaves on grape vines and figs, allowing more sunlight to ripen the fruits.
6. Sow salads, fennel and beetroot for late crops in a greenhouse or under cover.
7. Take cuttings - it's an ideal time for figs, hydrangeas, lavender, rosemary, salvias and coleus.
8. Order indoor bulbs for Christmas forcing.
9. Remove shading or netting in greenhouses as the light starts to diminish.
10. Keep looking for box moth caterpillars and spray or pick them off.

Dan & Julia's top plants for early autumn colour:

1. Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’
2. Rudbeckia triloba' Prairie Glow'
3. Rudbeckia laciniata 'Herbstsonne'
4. Helianthus' Monarch'
5. Helianthus 'Velvet Queen'
6. Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Bleeding Hearts’
7. Cosmos bipinnatus 'Double Click Cranberry'
8. Ratibida columnifera ‘Red Midget’
9. Eutrochium maculatum (Atropurpureum Group) 'Riesenschirm'
10. Althaea cannabina
11. Aster x frikartii 'Mönch'
12. Eurybia divaricata
13. Vernonia arkansana 'Mammuth'
14. Anemone japonica
15. Hydrangea "Annabelle"

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses
• Alitex Adventures In Flowers Workshop

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In a break from their standard format, Dan & Julia chat about how they began gardening, reminisce about their first gardens and recall the gardens and gardeners that inspired them.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Middle-Sized Garden You Tube Channel
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses
• Alitex Adventures In Flowers Workshop

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In episode 3, Dan and Julia mull the merits of putting your garden to bed for winter, sharing tips on preparing for windy weather and making space for tender plants that need protection from the cold. Julia chooses chillies for her 'top of the crops' slot and explains how to take cuttings from herb plants, while Dan offers advice on choosing and planting tulips, throwing the spotlight on three of his favourite bulb-planting tools.

Julia's top chillies: 'Cayenne', 'Longhorn', 'Basket of Fire' (bush and yellow-green and red small chillies), 'Sigaretta di Bergamo' (suitable for decoration and it's not too hot), 'Habanero', 'Tokyo Hot'.

Dan's most perennial tulips: 'Apeldoorn' (red), 'Golden Apeldoorn' (yellow), 'Apeldoorn's Elite' (yellow and orange), 'Pink Impression', 'Apricot Impression', 'Spring Green' (white and green), 'Flaming Spring Green' (red, white and green), 'Artist' (peach and green), 'Queen of Night' (inky purple) and 'Negrita' (smoky purple pink), Tulipa kaufmanniana, Tulipa greigii, Tulipa tarda, Tulipa turkestanica and Tulipa praestans.

Dan's top bulb-planting tools: Dutch trowel, Tulip trowel, Barrel bulb planter

Dan & Julia's jobs for the next fortnight

1. Order and plant onion sets and garlic bulbs
2. Order tulip bulbs for planting next month
3. Remove spent tomato plants - burn them if you spot any signs of blight
4. Sow more salads, fennel and beetroot for late crops in a greenhouse or undercover
5. Take cuttings of herbs and salvias
6. Clean greenhouse benches and glazing as crops die back
7. Make space in sheds and garages for plants that will need winter protection. Don't wait until the evening before the first frost
8. Last spray of the season for box moth caterpillars; you won't see them until next May with any luck.
9. Pick dahlias regularly, as they'll soon become pale and feeble.
10. Take cuttings of plectrathus and coleus while the weather is still mild.
11. Pick and store apples when they're dry and blemish-free - many varieties will keep for weeks or even months
12. Keep an eye out in the hedgerows for sloes that can be steeped in gin to make a delicious winter warmer.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses

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In episode 4, Dan and Julia offer advice on filling your home with plants and flowers this Christmas, including how to force bulbs and buy and care for seasonal plants such as poinsettia and cyclamen. Julia explains how to grow a crop of spuds for your Christmas dinner, and Dan shares his favourite garden-inspired Christmas decorations. Julia champions the humble beetroot (pickling recipe below), and Dan is elated that others are finally joining his crusade to revive the much-maligned chrysanthemum.

Julia's recipe for pickled beetroot, adapted from a recipe by Clodagh Mckenna 

Ingredients

• 6 small beetroot 
• 4 sprigs of thyme 
• 160 ml white wine vinegar 
• 150 ml cold water 
• 110 g caster sugar ( Suggest adding 90 g, then taste if you want it sweeter, add the rest) ½ tsp mustard seeds 
• ½ tsp black peppercorns 
• ½ tsp sea salt 

Method

1. Cook the beetroot in a saucepan covered with cold water for 30-40 mins or until tender. Drain and refresh under cold water. 
2. Peel the beets and cut them into small wedges. 
3. Place in sterilized jars 
4. Put the thyme, vinegar, caster sugar, mustard seeds, peppercorns, sea salt and 150ml cold water in a saucepan and heat until all has dissolved. 
5. Pour this vinegar mixture over the beetroot and allow to cool completely. 
6. Seal and store in the fridge for up to one year. 

Dan's favourite chrysanthemums:

• 'Dixter Orange' - very early, starting late June / early July and over by September - completely self-supporting and makes a terrific low hedge.
• 'Percy Salter' - the colour of a well-baked custard cream, pretty and long-lasting.
• 'EH Wilson' - produces delicate sprays of butter-yellow single flowers.
• 'Breitner's Supreme' - lax form with white daisy-like blooms - use to flop over other plants.
• 'Burnt Orange' - fiery orange quilled petals that are yellow inside.
• 'Dulwich Pink' - neat and smothered with cranberry red flowers in November.

Dan's Christmas decorations - https://www.dancoopergarden.com/collections/christmas

Dan & Julia's jobs for the next fortnight

1. Start planting tulip bulbs and indoor bulbs to be forced.
2. Keep gutters clear of leaves and moss.
3. Gather fallen leaves and store them in hessian bags to break down into leafmould.
4. Clean bird feeders thoroughly before filling them with fresh seed.
5. Sow sweet peas, broad beans, peas, radishes and rocket.
6. Cut away the old stems of autumn-fruiting raspberries, blackberries and loganberries.
7. Reduce excessive top growth to prevent wind damage.
8. Plant up, tidy and wash greenhouses and clear benches.
9. Continue to mow lawns but on dry days.
10. Visit arboreta to enjoy the blazing autumn colours.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses

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As the days get shorter and the nights colder, it's time to bite the bullet and protect your tender plants from the cold, wet and wind. Dan explains how to tackle different groups of plants, from annuals to evergreens, and Julia shares advice on keeping herbs, citrus, ginger, chillies and pineapples happy until spring.

Your hosts anticipate the outcome of the Garden Media Guild Awards, where Two Good Gardeners has been shortlisted (see below if you want to know the result) and look forward to visiting their sponsor, Alitex, so record a special episode which will air before Christmas.

Julia offers advice on growing garlic from shop-bought or own-grown cloves, and Dan reveals a new Christmas trend - including seeds in your Christmas cards.

Dan's guide to overwintering tender plants: https://www.dancoopergarden.com/blogs/advice-inspiration/how-to-protect-tender-plants-over

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses
• Alitex Events

*our congratulations to Gardens Illustrated, who won the category for best podcast or radio broadcast.

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Owning a greenhouse is a luxury and privilege many gardeners dream of. In this special episode, recorded at Torberry Farm in Hampshire, Dan and Julia meet Nelly Hall, Brand Director at Alitex, to discover how to make the most of a greenhouse all year round. As the year draws to a close, Nelly explains how to use a greenhouse to prepare plants for Christmas and get an early start on spring, learning the importance of light and heat. Moving on to summer, we learn about ventilation, maintaining humidity and keeping pests under control before coming full circle to autumn for Nelly's tips on good glasshouse hygiene.

Nelly's top greenhouse gardening tips

1. Good light in a greenhouse is as essential as heat to keep plants compact and healthy.
2. Buy the biggest greenhouse you can - no one ever wishes they'd bought a smaller model!
3. Think carefully about how you want to use your greenhouse to maximise the space and create the right growing conditions.
4. Instal power in your greenhouse, even if you have no immediate plans. It gives you options in future.
5. Consider using solar power to reduce energy costs.
6. Make space for a chair and table so that you have somewhere to take time out and enjoy.
7. Keep sacks of compost in the greenhouse over winter so it doesn't freeze and remains usable in cold weather.
8. Play with a greenhouse to bring forward flowering and cropping to extend the growing season.
9. Use the winter months, when there's less to do, to experiment by taking cuttings and making compost.
10. Be vigilant and don't allow pests to take control - good hygiene is essential in an enclosed space.
11. Don't over-sow and stagger your seed planting to avoid waste.
12. Vents between a greenhouse and a cold frame can help keep a cold frame warmer.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses

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Christmas is a frenetic season when time and budgets are often overstretched. With less time to focus on living sustainably, how can we make the best environmental choices, especially when they're not always obvious? Talking as amateur gardeners, Dan & Julia discuss some of the options and reveal surprising facts - did you know, for example, that burning a real Christmas tree on a bonfire is far more sustainable than putting it out for collection and composting?

Julia shares how much of her Christmas lunch she grows herself (prepare to be impressed), while Dan divulges how he keeps his dinner candles upright using a flower frog - watch him do it here.

Your hosts wish all their listeners a very happy Christmas and a fruitful New Year 🎄 They'll be returning soon with a review of 2023, when they'll also share their resolutions for 2024.

Useful links:

Dan's guide to choosing the perfect real Christmas tree (and disposing of it!)

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses

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In the final episode of Series 2, Dan & Julia reflect on the many highlights of a busy and eventful year and share their New Year's resolutions.

They'll return with Series 3 in spring 2024. If you've enjoyed Series 2, then click follow on your favourite podcast platform, so you're notified when new episodes are launched. Leaving a rating or writing a review will help us know what you like and how we can do better in future.

The book 'The Secret Gardens of Cornwall', which Dan talks about, is available from Waterstones. Sussex gardens are covered in 'Secret Gardens of the South East' by our friend Barbara Segall (which we really should have remembered!), also available from Waterstones.

Your hosts wish you a very Happy New Year and look forward to entertaining you again soon.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses

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In the first episode of the new series of Two Good Gardeners, Dan and Julia debate whether it's worth saving your own seeds and throw a spotlight on wool, the secret ingredient our gardens have been crying out for. Julia shares her top tips for growing lemongrass to fill your kitchen with oriental flavours, and Dan waxes lyrical about hostas, the foliage plant we'd all love to love if slugs and snails didn't love them more! As always, your hosts round off with a list of things to do in your garden over the next fortnight and news of where you can find or hear them next.

Jobs for your garden this fortnight:

1. Plant out hardened-off sweet peas.
2. Deadhead daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs.
3. Put in supports for perennials and climbers before they get too large.
4. Lift and divide hostas and other perennials you’d like more of.
5. Protect fruit blossoms from late frosts.
6. Feed citrus with summer feed.
7. Plant out second-early potatoes.
8. Sow carrots, beetroot, chard, spinach, salads, radish & peas.
9. Watch out for box moth caterpillars and treat them if necessary.
10. Ventilate greenhouses on sunny days.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

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

In this episode, Dan and Julia discuss whether no-mow May is good for our gardens and discover the many magical properties of copper tools. Julia advises on how to look after tomato plants while waiting for the weather to warm up, and Dan highlights Calycanthus, aka Carolina allspice, an increasingly popular shrub that produces exotic-looking flowers and a culinary spice.

The pros and cons of not mowing in May

Pros:

• Reduces time spent mowing
• Requires no fertilisers, pesticides or watering 
• Allows some wildflowers to bloom freely
• Encourages insects, birds and mammals that like to shelter or feed in longer grass
• It can look attractive and even romantic
• It Increases the cooling of the surrounding air and locks up more carbon dioxide than short grass

Cons:

• It may take a while to restore the neat appearance of a lawn, depending on the weather in June
• Reduces space to play and walk in a small space.
• It doesn’t increase biodiversity long-term. It's a gesture rather than a long-term commitment.
• It may increase the number of weeds, especially dandelions, that appear in adjacent beds and borders.
• Some birds, insects and flowers prefer a habitat with shorter grass.

Our conclusion - a mix of grass lengths maintained all year round is probably better than not mowing for a month. However, No Mow May is a good reminder to take steps to balance what we need from our gardens against what wildlife needs.

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight

1. Tie in sweet peas
2. Deadhead tulips
3. Sow runner and French beans
4. Continue to sow salads, radish, and beetroot for succession crops
5. Continue to earth up potatoes to protect from frost
6. Place citrus trees outside in a sheltered spot
7. Net gooseberries & strawberries as fruit forms to keep birds off
8. Watch out for lily beetles and remove them fast!
9. Ventilate greenhouses
10. Pinch out growing tips on broad beans when 3-4 ft tall

Dan's upcoming events:

Saturday, 4th May - Plant Fair and Open Garden at Saltwood Castle near Hythe, Kent

Sunday, 5th May - Chiswick Flower Market, London

Monday, 6th May - Spring Plant Fair at Belmont House, Throwley, near Faversham, Kent

Sunday, 12th May - Rare Plant Fair at Salthrop House, near Swindon, Wiltshire

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

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

Occasionally, your hosts like to explore a garden in depth ..... and have a good old natter. In this episode, Dan and Julia revisit Sissinghurst Castle, starting in an area of the garden known as Delos. Recently resurrected after a long spell in the doldrums, they consider the challenges of recreating a slice of ancient Greece in Kent. Back in the studio, they each share five ways that Sissinghurst inspired them. Dan reveals his current 'must have' garden tool and shares exciting news about new product launches. Julia talks about an alternative method of training and pruning her fig tree. As usual, Dan and Julia finish off with a list of essential jobs to do in your garden over the next two weeks and tell you where they'll be popping up next.

Jobs for the fortnight

1. Finish hardening off annuals and tender perennials
2. If all danger of frost has passed, start planting containers and hanging baskets
3. Prune forsythia, flowering currant and Japanese quince
4. Take cuttings of woody herbs such as hyssop, rosemary and thyme. 
5. Tie in wisteria, honeysuckle, passionflower and clematis to keep them from wandering in their own direction. 
6. Pheromone traps can be hung in apple and plum trees and box hedges to control pests like codling and box moths.
7. Indoors, take stem cuttings from tradescantias, coleus, plectranthus, impatiens and pothos and root them in water.
8. Damp down greenhouse paths on hot days to increase humidity
9. Take the opportunity to clean garden furniture, jet wash patios and scrub barbecues.
10. Settle down and watch the BBC coverage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show - you'll have the best seat in the house.

Dan's product of the week:

Niwaki Japanese Weeding Hoe: https://www.dancoopergarden.com/products/niwaki-weeding-hoe

Dan's upcoming events:

Sunday, 19th May - Rare Plant Fair at The American Museum in Bath

Sunday, 26th May - Rare Plant Fair at Kingston Bagpuize House, Oxfordshire

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

This podcast was produced by the brilliant Scott Kennett of Red Lighthouse Local https://linktr.ee/redlocallighthouse

The episode was sponsored by Dan Cooper Garden, where garden lovers go to find outstanding garden products, sage advice, and abundant inspiration. You can shop online at dancoopergarden.com or plant fairs and garden events across the south and east of England.

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

In this episode, Dan & Julia reflect on this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, sharing features that impressed them and those that left them wanting more. Dan highlights two ways to keep bugs at bay, which are chemical and plastic-free, while Julia shares family-friendly tips for growing vegetables in recycled containers. As always, your hosts offer their suggestions of jobs to do in your garden over the next fortnight and reveal where they’re popping up next!

Dan's products of the week:

Bugnet - Bug Killer Spray Concentrate

Insectonet - Plastic-Free Insect Net

Buy Julia's book, 'The Little Grower's Cookbook' at Lettuce Publishing.

Garden Jobs for the Week

1. Support herbaceous plants in borders. 
2. Harvest early potatoes, usually when they are in flower.
3. Start making your own plant food using nettles, comfrey or seaweed soaked in a bucket.
4. Pinch outside shoots on cordon tomatoes and tie into canes.
5. Plant out sweet corn and continue to successionally sow salad crops.
6. Net strawberries and other soft fruit crops to keep birds off.
7. Sow runner beans.
8. Be on guard for slugs and snails and treat accordingly.
9. Spray box moth caterpillars every few weeks on a dry day; they are highly prevalent at present.
10. Evict exotic plants from house and greenhouse.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

This podcast was produced by the brilliant Scott Kennett of Red Lighthouse Local https://linktr.ee/redlocallighthouse

The episode was sponsored by Dan Cooper Garden, where garden lovers go to find outstanding garden products, sage advice, and abundant inspiration. You can shop online at dancoopergarden.com or plant fairs and garden events across the south and east of England.

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

Dan and Julia delve into the subtle, little-understood subject of companion planting, revealing which plants get along well and which really don’t! Dan describes three fantastic new tools that have just joined his Signature range, and Julia explains the Three Sisters method of growing beans, squash, and sweetcorn together.

Dan & Julia's Favourite Plant Companions:

1. Plant basil near or at the base of tomatoes to ward off white fly
2. Grow nasturtiums as sacrificial plants to attract black fly
3. Position French marigolds attract aphids from cucumbers and runner beans
4. Tansy deters ants due to its spreading nature underground and planted under fruit trees; it helps deter flies. (It is, however, toxic to pets.)
5. Plant strong-smelling herbs such as sage and parsley to keep aphids away
6. Black mint or Hucatay, Tagetes minuta is part of the marigold family. It is an excellent companion plant for greenhouse veggies such as cucumbers, chillies, tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. The pungent smell helps repel and confuse insect pests through the flowers and leaves and releases anti-nematode compounds into the soil. 
7. Grow strawberries beneath grape vines as they succumb to vine weevils first, giving you a fighting chance to save your grapes. Strawberries also indicate if scale insects are a problem on vines by getting covered in sooty mould first.
8. Grow chamomile amongst other plants to keep fungus, mildew, mould and blight away.
9. Plant onions or garlic between carrot rows to deter carrot root flies.
10. Grow lavender alongside carrots and/or leeks. The scent attracts many pollinators and keeps pests at bay.
11. Plant borage and strawberries together - borage attracts pollinators and has a mild cucumber scent; this will help keep predators off the strawberries and improve their flavour.
12. Plant calendula with courgettes as the calendula protects the courgettes from slugs and snails, in theory!

Dan's Product Picks:

1. Signature T-handle Spade - perfect for border work, planting roses and perennials
2. Signature T-handle Fork - great for working on your hands and knees in beds.
3. Signature Japanese Weeding Hoe - great for weeding raised beds.

Gardening Jobs for the Fortnight Ahead:

• Make a final sowing of summer annuals like cosmos and zinnias.
• Sow biennials, including sweet williams, foxgloves, hesperis, honesty, stocks and wallflowers.
• Sow broccoli, kale, spinach, and a final batch of runner and French beans.
• Don’t let containers dry out - bright and breezy weather dehydrates plants very quickly.
• Deadhead roses to keep them neat and tidy and encourage further flushes of flowers.
• Pinch out dahlias, fuchsias and coleus to encourage bushy growth.
• Give wisteria its summer prune, cutting all the long side shoots back to 20cm.
• Prune late-spring or early-summer shrubs after flowering, thinning out the flowered stems.
• Install a water butt if you don’t already have one.
• Harvest salads regularly.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Produced by Red Lighthouse Local

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

In this episode, Dan & Julia celebrate the rose, Britain's most popular flowering plant. With so many species and varieties available to buy, there's a rose for every garden, but the choice can be bewildering - your hosts share their favourites for containers, walls, banks, wild areas and coastal gardens. Dan highlights his favourite tools and gloves for maintaining roses, and Julia explains how and why you should condition cut roses and other flowers before displaying them indoors. As always, your hosts supply a list of jobs you can do in your garden over the next fortnight.

Dan & Julia's Rose Picks

Climbers and Ramblers - 'Albertine', 'Masquerade', 'Bobby James', 'New Dawn', 'Buff Beauty', 'American Pillar Rose', 'Paul's Himalayan Musk', banksia 'Lutea', laevigata 'Cooperii'

Hybrid Teas - 'Peace', 'Fragrant Cloud', 'Just Joey'.

For Wild Areas - 'Canary Bird', x odorata 'Mutabilis', x odorata 'Bengal Crimson'.

For Coastal Gardens - rugosa 'Hansa', pimpinellifolia 'Dunwich Rose'.

For Ground Cover - 'The Fairy', 'Grouse 2000', 'Partridge', 'Magic Carpet'.

For Pots - 'Boscobel', 'Blue for You', 'Pearl Drift', 'Gabriel Oak'.

For Borders - 'Queen of Sweden'.

Dan's Product Picks:

1. Mainichi Snips - perfect for picking and pruning roses
2. Opinel No.12 Pruning Saw - ideal for tackling rampant ramblers
3. Gold Leaf Tough Touch Gloves - to protect your hands and wrists from thorns and prickles

Gardening Jobs for the Fortnight Ahead:

1. Mist houseplants with rainwater to keep the humidity up and ward off red spider mites.
2. If you're going on holiday, arrange for a friend or neighbour to take care of the watering.
3. Water and feed tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines regularly. Irregular watering can cause the fruits to split.
4. Watch out for vine weevils in potted plants. The telltale signs are little notches in the leaf edges.
5. Keep deadheading all flowering plants and feed with a high potash fertiliser to keep the blooms coming.
6. Divide bearded irises and replant so the rhizome is exposed on the soil surface.
7. Trim vigorous climbers such as vines, jasmine, honeysuckle and wisteria if they get unruly. Prune rambling roses after flowering, removing about a third of the flowered stems.
8. Harvest courgettes and beans regularly - daily if possible so they aren't watery or tough.
9. Harvest garlic as soon as the leaves turn yellow and start to wither.
10. Keep birdbaths and ponds topped up with water - rainwater if you can, but small amounts of tap water are better than no water.
11. Thin out parsnips and carrots. You can't replant the thinnings, so eat them lightly steamed. They are delicious.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Produced by Scott Kennet at Red Lighthouse Local

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

In this episode, Dan and Julia share tips for keeping your garden in top condition while you take a well-deserved summer break. Your hosts advise on preparing lawns, vegetable plots, containers, greenhouses, and houseplants before your holiday. Dan chooses his favourite tools for trimming hedges and cutting back early-flowering perennials, and, inspired by Wimbledon, Julia shares a money-saving trick for propagating new strawberry plants.

Dan & Julia's Pre-Holiday Checklist:

1. Check your home weather forecast before departure and plan accordingly.
2. Water everything thoroughly, especially container plants, camellias, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and houseplants.
3. Install a drip irrigation system or seeper hose - use a timer to save water and hassle.
4. Cut and edge lawns - but not too short if hot weather is predicted.
5. Weed everywhere.
6. Guard against pest damage by laying traps, using nets and maintaining good ventilation.
7. Support tall and heavily laden plants with canes or stakes.
8. Pick open flowers, ripening fruit and vegetables - give them away or preserve them for later.
9. Move outdoor pots into the shade and houseplants out of the full sun
10. Top-up ponds and birdbaths and provide water for pollinating insects
11. Secure valuables in sheds or move them into a locked garage

And remember, if your garden looks a little shaggy when you return, it will be superficial and can quickly be fixed.

Dan's Product Picks:

• Niwaki Shears
• Niwaki Mini Shears
• Jakoti Hand Shears
• Grow Bag Trays for keeping houseplants moist while away.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Produced by Scott Kennet at Red Lighthouse Local

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

In this episode, the last in series three, Dan & Julia explain how to transform your garden into a tropical paradise using bold foliage, bright flowers and exciting edibles. They share tips on creating the perfect environment for exotics and some of their favourite plants to grow. You'll discover that anything is possible! As always, your hosts round off with a list of jobs you can do in your garden over the next fortnight and share what they’re up to over the coming weeks.

Two Good Gardeners will return for a fourth series in early autumn 2024.

Tender Plants for Exotic Effect:

• Banana (Musa and Ensete)
• Canna
• Ornamental ginger (Hedychium)
• Castor oil plant (Ricinus)
• Lantana
• AngelAngels'pets (Brugmansia)
• Tree ferns (Dicksonia and Cyathea)
• Taro (Colocasia and Alocasia)
• Gloriosa lily
• Papyrus (Cyperus)
• Begonia
• Coleus (Solenostemon)
• Persian shield (Strobilanthes)
• Caladium
• Chinese rice paper plant (Tetrapanax)

Hardier Plants with Exotic Looks:

• Alstroemeria
• Agapanthus
• Bistort (Persicaria)
• Fatsia
• Hosta
• Indian bean tree (Catalpa)
• Foxglove tree (Paulownia)
• Large-flowered clematis
• Reeds and grasses (Arundo and Miscanthus)
• Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
• Rodgersia
• Ornamental rhubarb (Rheum)
• Waterlily
• Tuberous and bulbous plants such as Amaryllis, Amarine, Dahlia, oriental and trumpet lilies, Gladiolus and Nerine

Dan's Product of the Episode:

• Romney Marsh Wools Garden Kneeler Cushion

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Jungle Seeds

Produced by Scott Kennet at Red Lighthouse Local

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

The Two Good Gardeners return for a new series with an episode devoted to autumn seed sowing. Dan and Julia reveal which varieties you can plant right now for fabulous flowers and delicious edibles next year before sharing a list of jobs you can do in your garden during the second half of September. Your hosts announce a new sponsor—Gold Leaf Gloves—and celebrate with a giveaway: visit their Instagram account @twogoodgardeners for details. Closing date: Friday, 27th September 2024.

Julia's recommended crops for autumn sowing:

1. Carrots 'Nantes', 'Autumn King' and 'Parabel'
2. Broadbeans, 'Aquadulce' and 'The Sutton'
3. Lettuce 'Oak Leaf', 'All Year Round', Winter Density'
4. Parsley
5. Pea 'Meteor'
6. Radish 'Wintella', 'Sparkler'
7. Spring Onion 'White Lisbon'
8. Spinach 'Perpetual'
9. Pak Choi 'Red Choi', 'Glacier', 'Cholo F1'
10. Onion 'Red Baron', 'Electric', 'Snowball', 'Radar', 'Autumn Champion'
11. Shallot 'Jermor'

Dan's recommended flowers for autumn sowing:

1. Ammi majus
2. Cornflower
3. Corncockle
4. Calendula
5. Chrysanthemum carinatum
6. Linaria
7. Nigella
8. Poppy (corn and opium)
9. Phacelia
10. Antirrhinum
11. Anaethium
12. Eschscholzia
13. Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens'
14. Clarkia
15. Godetia

Requiring a cold spell - Rudbeckia, Monarda (bergamot), Orlaya, Echinacea, Eryngium (sea holly), Persicaria, Larkspur, Centaurea (Batchelors’ buttons)

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight

1. Protect Brussels sprouts, kale and broccoli from birds, bugs & butterflies

2. Add compost to any beds you are clearing to improve soil structure and boost nutrients

3. Order tulips, but don’t be tempted to plant them until November

4. Plant narcissi, daffodils and alliums

5. Order indoor bulbs for forcing

6. Bring exotic/tender plants back into the greenhouse, conservatory or house when nighttime temperatures drop below 10ºC

7. Switch summer feed to winter feed for all citrus trees

8. Collect seeds from perennials

9. Lift, divide and replant large clumps of herbaceous perennials

Dan's Products of the Episode:

• Gold Leaf Gloves

Website links:

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

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

In this episode, Dan & Julia consider the gardening chores we could do less to free up time for new projects or relaxation. Dan explains why anvil secateurs are better for some pruning jobs and Julia shares how to sustain your crop of annual herbs into the late autumn and early winter. Your hosts round off with a list of jobs to do in your garden this fortnight and reveal what will keep them out of mischief until the next episode.

A few of Dan & Julia's time-saving measures:

• Not washing or sterilising pots.
• Not using crocks at the bottom of pots and containers.
• Not sowing seeds too early in the season.
• Using a mulch of bark, compost or grit to reduce watering time.
• Choosing shrubs that grow slowly and neatly and require little pruning.
• Selecting tried and tested plants that aren’t too fussy - an RHS Award of Garden Merit is a good sign that a plant won’t be too diva-ish!

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight

1. Clear out greenhouses and clean the glass to let more light in.
2. Sow wildflower seeds.
3. Lift and divide dahlias after the first frost unless left in the ground, in which case cover them with mulch.
4. Compost or mulch empty beds - or still time to sow green manure.
5. Cut back asparagus fern when turning yellow.
6. Make a final cut to topiary and hedges before winter sets in - but it’s too late for most conifers now.
7. Clean and sterilise bird feeders before refilling with high-energy seeds.
8. Sow sweet peas and broad beans.
9. Stake sunflowers if they’re still blooming.
10. Reduce the height of any roses or perennials that might rock about in the wind.

Dan's Products of the Episode:

• Original LÖWE anvil secateurs

Website links:

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

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

In this episode, Dan and Julia talk to Charlotte Molesworth at Balmoral Cottage, the garden she and her husband, Donald, have been creating for 42 years. Charlotte describes the art of making a garden from scratch and on a shoestring, rarely buying plants. Most of the trees and shrubs she has trained into birds, crowns, pyramids, mounds and spirals have been grown from cuttings or seedlings grubbed up or given by friends.

Charlotte also explains the legacy of 'Cherry' Ingram, the English country gentleman who found and reintroduced the Great White Cherry, Prunus 'Tai Haku', to Japan. Ingram once lived next door and led a particularly long and interesting life.

'Cherry' Ingram - The Englishman Who Saved Japan’s Blossoms - Naoko Abe

Listen carefully as Charlotte shares her wisdom and challenges Dan & Julia not to give up on beleaguered box.

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight

1. Cut back the old stems of summer fruiting raspberries and tie in the new green stems.
2. Apply grease bands to the trunks of apple trees to deter winter moths.
3. Apply a winter wash to other fruit tree trunks.
4. Use a fork or spiked shoes to aerate the lawn to avoid water logging.
5. Reuse the compost from spent grow bags to grow some winter salad leaves.
6. Now is an excellent time to move plants, shrubs and trees,
7. Harvest pumpkins in time for Halloween.
8. Prune rambling and climbing roses now, removing old, tangled branches.
9. Apply a final biological spray to box, to eradicate box moth caterpillars.
10. Continue planting spring-flowering bulbs, and prepare to plant tulips from early November.

Dan's Products of the Episode:

• Niwaki Mini Shears
• Jakoti Hand Shears

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves
• European Boxwood & Topiary Society

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

In this episode, Dan & Julia dispel the myth that winter gardens must be devoid of colour. Your hosts choose their favourite flowering and foliage plants to display in pots during the colder months, from shrubs to tiny bulbs. Dan reveals why the Japanese 'leisure knife' we call a Hori Hori has taken the gardening world by storm, and Julia explains how and when to plant onion sets - be quick, as time is running out! Your hosts round off with a list of jobs you can do in your garden over the next fortnight:

1. Mulch around plants and over empty beds and borders. Over winter, worms will busily pull the organic matter into the soil, improving its structure. 
2. Collect leaves and add them to your compost heap, or pack them into jute sacks. They'll slowly decompose to make leaf mould, one of the most precious ingredients in good compost. Shredding them will make them break down faster.
3. Brush paths with coarse sand or use a jet washer to remove moss and algae, which can become slippery when wet or icy.
4. In exposed gardens, reduce the height of tall shrubs such as roses, buddleia, and lavatera to prevent them from rocking in high winds. For the same reason, newly planted trees should be staked low down.
5. Turn off the water supply to outdoor taps and drain hosepipes before storing them. Install a water butt if you need a ready supply of water over winter.
6. If you've experienced blight, black spot, rust, or mildew this season, removing and destroying any infected plant matter is essential. 
7. Cutting off this year's hellebore leaves is a good idea, allowing an uncluttered view of the nodding blooms in spring.
8. Take a walk around the garden and inspect large shrubs and trees, noting any branches that appear as if they might fall. Remove them yourself using loppers or a pruning saw if you feel able. Call an arborist for a second opinion and to carry out the work if in doubt. Do the same exercise for fences, garden buildings and ornamental structures, such as pergolas. 
9. Give the lawn one last cut, avoiding emerging bulbs - some early-flowering varieties can appear above ground well before Christmas.
10. Order and plant bare-rooted plants. This is one of the cheapest and most environmentally friendly ways to create a hedge, rose garden, orchard or woodland area. 

Dan's Products of the Episode—Niwaki's Japanese Hori Horis—are available to buy at most of his events. Click here for details.

Dan & Julia's Favourite Plants for Winter Containers:

1. Iris reticulata 'George', 'Spot On', 'Katherine Hodgkin', 'Blue Note'
2. Narcissus'  Rijnveld's Early Sensation'
3. Aconites
4. Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop)
5. Helleborus niger and Helleborus x sahinii 'Winterbells'
6. Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' (dogwood_
7. Sarcococca confusa (winter box)
8. Skimmia japonica
9. Edgeworthia chrysantha (paper bush)
10. Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'

Website links:

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

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

In this episode, Dan & Julia change their usual format to focus on Christmas gifting. They chat to Lucy Hutchings, co-founder of She Grows Veg, about her take on the traditional advent calendar and ask what she'd like to find in her stocking on Christmas morning. Later in the show, your hosts receive festive voice memos from some of their horticultural friends and heroes, discovering what's on their wish lists.

Our guests in this episode:

1. Lucy Hutchings, Co-Founder She Grows Veg - https://shegrowsveg.com/
2. Thordis Fridriksson, BBC Presenter and Podcaster - https://www.thordis.co.uk/, https://www.getgardeningnow.co.uk/talking-dirty
3. Alexandra Campbell, The Middle-Sized Garden - https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/
4. Pat Marsh, Presenter, BBC Radio Kent, Sussex and Surrey - http://www.patmarsh.com/
5. Steve Newland, Gardener and Allotment Holder - https://www.instagram.com/snewland97/
6. Nelly Hall, Creative Director at Alitex! - https://www.instagram.com/nellyatalitex/
7. Steve Edney, Gardener and co-owner of The No Name Nursery - https://www.thenonamenursery.co.uk/
8. Alex Mitchell, aka The Edible Gardener, Writer and Flower Farmer - https://alex-mitchell.co.uk/
9. Jamie Marsh, Allotmenteer, Writer and Podcaster - https://www.instagram.com/jamies_little_allotment/
10. Michael Perry, aka Mr PlantGeek, Presenter and Horticulturalist - https://mrplantgeek.com/
11. Phillipa Lepley - Couture Wedding Dress Designer - https://www.phillipalepley.com/
12. Barbara Segall, Editor, Garden Writer and Horticulturalist - https://thegardenpost.com/about-barbara-segall/
13. Charles Dowding - The God of No-Dig - https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/
14. Jimi Blake - Plant nerd, Gardener and Custodian of Hunting Brook Gardens.https://www.huntingbrookgardens.com/

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves
• Scilly Flowers
• Milli | Proust

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

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

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

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight:

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

Website links:

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

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

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

Jobs to do in the garden this fortnight

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

Website links:

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

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

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

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

Jobs to do in the garden this fortnight:

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

Website links:

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

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

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

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

Dan's article:

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

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

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

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

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

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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

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

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

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

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

Website links:

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

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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