#37 JULIANNE ROBERTSON - ORCHIDS a no fuss guide

In this episode of the podcast, I'm coming to you from the Garden Press Event 2026, where I've been talking to some of the most interesting and innovative people in the gardening world.   I first meet up with former guest Andrew Cousins from The Dipping Tank Company, whose rainwater-harvesting tanks double as beautiful water features, now joined by a clever new accessory, the "Little Dipper," for easy, thumb-controlled watering straight from the tank.   Next up is Philip Redmond of Premier Seeds Direct, an online-only seed specialist offering over a thousand varieties, including new collaborations with no-dig guru Charles Dowding and a huge new range of dahlias.   From there, I chat with Luke of Hortiwool, who's turning British sheep's wool into versatile garden products, from hanging basket liners to wildlife bedding. I'm then joined by Jennifer and Steve from Pro-Grow and Veolia, to explore volcanic rock dust, recycled green-waste composts and topsoil, and how they're helping gardeners grow stronger, healthier plants.   I also speak with Alison Edwards from Burgon & Ball, celebrating nearly 300 years of toolmaking and with a range of stylish RHS-licensed gifts. Chris Wiley from Horty.ai is launching an AI gardening companion, and Matthew Dent from Fertile Fibre, tells us about his consistent, peat-free, coir-based composts.   Finally, Julia Mitchell tells me all about the newly launched Nursery Exhibitors Organisation which is bringing togeher small nurseries and helping them get seen in a busy market.  

Orchids have a reputation for being fussy, fragile divas – but what if they're actually some of the toughest, most forgiving houseplants you can grow? In this episode Joff Elphick chats with writer and garden media specialist Julianne Robertson about her new book, ORCHIDS: a no fuss guide to keeping your houseplant happy.   Julianne explains what orchids really need to thrive indoors: the right light, temperature, feeding, and watering – without the myths, gimmicks or ice cubes. From the ever-popular Phalaenopsis (moth orchid) to other Cambria, Cattleya, Cymbidium, and Dendrobium, Julianne shares practical tips, surprising orchid history, and reassuring advice for anyone who's killed an orchid (or three) before.   Whether you're an anxious beginner or an orchid addict looking to learn more, this episode will help you keep these elegant plants blooming for years, not weeks.    

In episode 36 Joff Elphick visits the Garden Press Event at London's Business Design Center. Sue Morgan from Songbird Survival discusses the charity's work addressing the alarming 50% decline in UK songbirds over the past 50 years. She attributes this to complex factors including climate change, land use changes, pesticides, and habitat loss. Sue offers three key tips for bird-friendly gardens: provide shelter (places to perch and feel safe), food (through plants with berries and seeds), and year-round water sources. She also mentions their upcoming Chelsea Flower Show garden designed by Nicola Okey. Alexander Hall from Everedge talks us through their range of powder-coated and corten steel raised-bed and edging products. Founded 30 years ago their products have been used in gardens such as Wisley as well as 100's of other gardens around the UK. Mark Meadows from Buzzbox explains their beekeeping starter kit, which includes everything except the bees themselves. He describes how honey production works with the queen in the brood box and honey storage in the supers, separated by a queen excluder. Andy Rollings reveals David Austin Roses' meticulous 12-year development process, starting with 40,000 hand pollinations generating nearly 400,000 seeds. Only roses tough enough to thrive without special care make it to market, budded onto Rosa laxer rootstock. Paul Duffy from Onduline discusses their lightweight, recyclable corrugated roofing sheets, which are quieter than metal alternatives and last for 15+ years. Anthony from Garden on a Roll offers pre-designed garden layouts on biodegradable paper with lettered plants to match, making gardening accessible for beginners. Jane from Dale Foot Compost creates eco-friendly growing media from bracken (high in potassium) and sheep wool (providing nitrogen and water retention), while also working on peatland restoration. Andrew Tolly from King Seeds highlights their heritage since 1888, specializing in sweet peas (100+ varieties) and vegetable seeds for allotments nationwide. Lastly, Florian introduces Fryd, a gardening app that helps plan  gardens with automatic to-do lists for planting and maintenance.

In this episode sponsored by Genus Garden Wear,  Joff talks to Kate Bradbury about her new book ONE GARDEN AGAINST THE WORLD - in search of hope in a changing climate from Bloomsbury wildlife Kate is an award-winning writer specialising in wildlife gardening and the author of The Bumblebee Flies Anyway, Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything, How to Create a Wildlife Pond and The Tree in Your Garden. She's the Wildlife Editor of BBC Gardeners' World Magazine and has a regular Country Diary column in The Guardian. She writes regularly for the RHS The Garden magazine, The Wildlife Trusts members' magazine and BBC Wildlife. Her garden was featured as part of the BBC Springwatch Garden Watch campaign, and she and her garden have also appeared on Autumnwatch and Gardener's World.  She is a patron for two charities: amphibian and reptile charity Froglife and bumblebee charity Bumblebee Conservation Trust. She is also an Ambassador for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and conservation charity Butterfly Conservation. She lives in Brighton. We go a bit off-piste and discuss wildlife in general and Kate recommends plants and methods of attracting more insects, birds, and mammals into our gardens.  Hoverflies, butterflies, moths, hedgehogs, birds, frogs, toads, slowworms, etc etc. All get a mention in the book. Theres an interesting Q and A section where Joff asks questions from friends of the podcast.        

In this episode Joff hops on the train to Paddington and navigates the London underground to find The Business Design Centre in Islington, London. It's the Garden press Event and he get to talk to some amazing people who have produced some equally amazing and well thought out products. Previous guest on the podcast Andy from Dahlia Beach tells us about her flower farm, the highs and lows of growing flowers, and her plans for 2024. Joff tries to sell her a double decker bus. Sue O'Neil form Genus Gardenwear is launching a fabulous new product - The Pro-Pant. Feature rich, designed by gardeners, and built to last these trousers are going to be a firm favourite amongst professional gardeners and landscapers.  Guy Grieve from Atlantic Garden has lived an intersting life writing books, living in the wilds of Alaska, diving for scallops in Mull, and now turning seaweed into a product that will put the life back into your soil. Alex Curran started Roots Plants three years ago and has a network of UK nurseries supplying sustainable plants with provenance.  Dick Woods from Finches Friend has decided to combat the problem of parasite transference on garden bird feeders and has produced several new products that will save a lot of our garden birds from trichomonosis. Stuart fro Niwaki introduces us to a new secateur the latest addition to there fabulous range of japanese garden tools.

In this episode Joff talks to Adrian Bloom about his new book FOGGY BOTTOM - A GARDEN to SHARE. From breaking turf in an empty meadow in 1966, to its near maturity in 2023 it is the story of a garden and its plants. That's a 56-year-old garden with stories to tell.  More important in Adrian's view is what the Foggy Bottom Garden represents today and how many more can benefit from sharing it. He shows and describes changes in weather and habitats, dramatic seasonal changes shown through the diversity of many worthwhile plants.   How to keep a balance between design and 'right plant', 'right place' and need for change as the garden grows and develops. Adrian has continually adapted his garden as the once empty windswept meadow became sheltered and shaded. Flooding still happens from time to time, spring frosts seek out early flowers, occasional gale blows the tops out of trees. Joff discovers Adrian's early passion for speed skating, how a seed brought back from his adventures is now a 100 foot Redwood tree, the fashion for conifers and the changing markets. The early days of Foggy Bottom from a stark new-build bungalow with a small garden to a six acre garden planted as a test ground for perrenials and conifers.  To have a look at the books and it's contents or to purchase go to the Foggy Bottom website here.  

Derek Gow is a farmer and nature conservationist. Born in Dundee in 1965, he left school when he was 17 and worked in agriculture for five years. Inspired by the writing of Gerald Durrell, all of whose books he has read - thoroughly - he jumped at the chance to manage a European wildlife park in central Scotland in the late 1990s before moving on to develop two nature centres in England. He now lives with his two children on a 300-acre farm on the Devon/Cornwall border which he is in the process of rewilding. Derek has played a significant role in the reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver, the water vole and the white stork in England. He is currently working on a reintroduction project for the wildcat. I ask Derek about his transition from Scottish farm to Scottish wildlife park to a 300 acre rewilding project in Devon. We talk extremes from huge water buffalo to tiny harvest mice and from Heck cattle whose sole aim in life seems to be to kill you to water voles and white storks.  Derek is a straight talker with a dislike for commitees much prefering to be hands on getting jobs done while others continue to discuss and debate.  If you like what you hear you can stay on Derek's farm to see for yourself what he's getting up to. Go to www.rewildingcoombeshead.co.uk   

Liz Zorab is author of the bestselling 'Grounded – A Gardener's Journey to Abundance and Self-Sufficiency'. She spent more than 20 years working with specialist housing charities and in community development, with an emphasis on innovative volunteering practices. An award-winning gardener, she gained an RHS Silver Medal for a community-led garden featured on BBC's 'Gardeners World Live' in 2002. A health crisis led Liz to turn to her life-long passion for gardening and growing food as a career. Liz spent several years transforming her 0.8 acre plot in Monmouthshire into an abundant smallholding. She is now regenerating a tired and over-grazed 4.5 acre site using permaculture practices. On less than an acre, she grows most of the food and drink her family enjoy each year, giving them food security, resilience and increased self-reliance. She enjoys spending time with Mr J (her husband) and her family, watching rugby and creative handicrafts, and has a distinct dislike of housework. Liz regularly writes for Permaculture Magazine, teaches gardening and self-sufficiency skills and encourages thousands of people to take up their trowels and live their dreams through a vibrant YouTube Channel, Liz Zorab – Byther Farm. If you want to dig deeper into the processes of growing your own organic food, self-sufficiency practitioner, Liz Zorab, offers insights to the rhythm and patterns of her gardening year. In this personal gardening journey, she explores seasonal harvests and how the vegetable garden sits within the wider context of the gardening landscape – including weather, microclimates, water cycles, light levels, seasons and the gardener's personal tastes and preferences. Liz's salt of the earth approach to life and to the garden and her gentle humour makes The Seasoned Gardener an easily digestible read. She provides hundreds of practical tips, including how-to guides, observations and inspiration for both the beginner and practiced gardener alike. Unlike many gardening books that run from January to December, this book starts in the autumn when harvesting is at its peak. Most of the fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers highlighted in this book are grouped according to when we enjoy them most – at the point of harvest. The Seasoned Gardener will show you how to: Enjoy the abundance of each month of the year Decide which plants are best to grow in your garden Find pleasure in your growing space year-round Avoid the pitfalls of doing too much at once Be creative with your garden resources Make the most of your time and energy Celebrate nature's productivity as much as your own. This is a journey of experiment and learning that will inspire you to grow tastier food and savour the experience.

In this episode sponsored by Genus Gardenwear  Joff Elphick takes his annual pilgrimage up to the big smoke where he visitis the old horticultural halls - now known as The Business Design Centre - to meet horticutlural businesses for The garden Press Event. He speaks to Simon for Hydrialife who tells us about his self contained award winning water fountain kit with rechargeable batteries and a programmable timer. Great for indoors or out. Kate from Capi-Europe has a great range of pots and water butts produced in a CO2 neutral factory and made completely from discarded fishing nets.  Karen Abbott is with Spear and Jackson a company with 260 years of experience producing garden tools. A long handled trowel, a pruning saw, a cape cod weeder, and a mini spade ideal for splitting perennials is new to their range for 2023. Adrian Bloom a well known name in the plant world is from bressingham gardens. His new book Foggy Bottom - a gardeners share will be available in september 2023. Old friends of the show Haws Watering Cans were at the show and Josh explained teir new concept in 'the art of watering'. He also explains the process and huge amount of work that goes into their British made cans. Sarah Gerard-Jones Is from The Plant Clinic. Sarah explains how her business saves plants, the potting medium, and the pots from going ito landfill through the use of her Pkant Rescue Boxes. It's an ingenious concept that is currently being trialled by The RHS at their centre in Wisley. Sean Kelly is from Fauna Bird a Dutch company that have worked with Tetra pak to come up with the technology to removed the plastic fim from inside cartons and then turn them into garden bird feeders. They also offer a complimentary range of bamboo and ceramic feeders and nest boxes. Tea Francis loves spiders so much she has them tatooed onto her body. Tea is an arachnologist who wants us to appreciate the role that spiders play in our homes and gardens.   

The Generous Gardener ran by Sarah Biddulph and Sarah Rivett- Carnac offer a series of garden lectures throughout the year in Rodmarton Manor a beautiful arts and craft property located in Gloucestershire between Cirencester and Tetbury. Lectures in 2023 are being delivered by a brilliantly curated set of speakers most of whom are well known to keen gardeners and people in the world of horticulture. Speakers include Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, Richard Miers, James Alexander Sinclair, Pippa Greenwood, Lulu Urquart and Adam Hunt, Jimi Blake, Niff barnes, Jinny Blom, Clive Nichols, and Georgie Newbury. Plant Sales are ran from Charlton Farm near the historic market town of Malmesbury have some well know nurseries and growers attending including hardy's Cottage Garden Plants, Riverside Bulbs, Tortworth Plants, Harry's Honey, Malcolm Allinson Plants, Tom's Yard, Exedera Plants, Old Court Nursery, Chris Cooke, Sparrow Plant Supports, Kitchen Garden Plants, Malvern Salvias, and Special Plants Nursery.  The entry fee includes a donation to The Simon Rivett-Carnac Trust.  The 8 acre garden at Rodmarton is famed for it's snowdrops and is open for visits at the start of February  as well as other times of the year.