S6 Ep10: August - The driest summer on record! How to mitigate drought in your growing space

In this month’s interview episode, Fiona meets Lesley Greene, one of the founders of the Bisley Community Composting Scheme. The scheme is of the UK’s longest-running community composting initiatives.Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, Bisley Community Composting have been transforming local organic waste into valuable compost for the community in Gloucestershire for more than two decades. Fiona chats to Lesley about the scheme’s history, the joys and challenges of community composting, and how the scheme works. She also takes a tour of the site, which produces compost for around 160 local households every year.

This month, Fiona catches up with Chris to reflect on a challenging summer of extreme heat and drought, and what it could mean for the way we garden in the future. They discuss which crops have coped best, how gardeners can adapt what they grow and ways to conserve water and protect soil health. They also explore seed saving, companion planting and using shade to help gardens cope with hotter conditions.Also on this episode...Anton joins Fiona and Chris to answer your gardening questions, including green manures, raspberry pruning, propagating fig trees and dealing with vine weevil. They also discuss how we can make better use of household water during periods of drought.

In this month’s interview, Fiona is joined by agroecology writer Nancy Matsumoto to discuss her book, Reaping What She Sows. The book celebrates women changemakers from around the world who are helping to rebuild our broken food system. From maverick farmers, millers and bakers reviving local grain economies, to brewers, distillers and winemakers regenerating land and ecosystems, as well as Indigenous and diasporic seed savers, these inspiring women are creating shorter, more direct and transparent alternative food supply chains. Fiona and Nancy explore the people and ideas helping to shape a more resilient, sustainable and equitable food future.

It’s been an incredibly dry summer this year and gardeners country-wide have been dealing with extreme heat and drought conditions. In this month's episode, Chris and Fiona will be chatting about how their gardens & allotment are fairing in the unusually dry weather. They'll also be discussing how to mitigate common problems that have been caused by the prolonged heat.Later on, Anton joins the podcast to answer your questions on flea beetle, tomatoes not ripening and how to get rid of weeds on your paving.

In this month’s Organic Gardening Podcast interview, Fiona Taylor is joined by professional horticulturist and garden consultant Kate Turner.Kate has worked behind the scenes on BBC’s Garden Rescue, ITV’s Love Your Garden and BBC Gardeners’ World. She has also been head gardener at Charterhouse School and worked closely with The Therapy Garden, a thriving horticultural therapy centre in Surrey. In this episode, Kate joins us at our HQ in Ryton, where she shares stories from her career, including how she helped bring together the Army Wives Gardening Club, which went on to create a medal-winning garden at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show.

In June, we had our own stage at BBC Gardeners World Live, and we answered your questions live! Joined by Hosts Fiona Taylor and Chris Collins, Dr Anton Rosenfeld and special guest August Beth, from the Raymond Blanc Gardening School. We tackled questions on moles, soil improvers and aphids, as well as everyone's favourite subject, slugs and snails! 

In this episode, Fiona is joined by biologist, conservationist, and bestselling author Dave Goulson. Known for his work in bumblebee conservation and his Sunday Times bestselling books The Garden Jungle and A Sting in the Tale, Dave returns with his latest book, Eat the Planet Well.In this month's podcast, Dave discusses ethical eating, growing your own food and reducing food waste, as well as how small changes in our everyday choices can help create a healthier food system and a more sustainable future.

In this month’s podcast, Fiona and Chris chat about everything happening in the organic garden as summer gets underway. From coping with an unusually dry and unpredictable spring to deciding what can still be sown in June, they share practical advice for making the most of theis part of the growing season.Also in this episode...Our very own Anton Rosenfeld joins the podcast for a deep dive in to glyphosate, one of the world's most widely used herbicides. We explore concerns around its impact on human health and the environment, how it is used in gardens, public spaces and agriculture, and the alternatives available to gardeners. Be sure to come back later this month to hear Fiona’s conversation with Professor Dave Goulson, as they explore insects, biodiversity and the role gardeners can play in creating a healthier environment.

In this episode, Fiona visits the famous River Cottage kitchen garden and chats with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall about the joy of growing your own food, the power of healthy soil, and why gardening matters more than ever. From seed swapping and no-dig gardening to gut health and resilient local food systems, Hugh shares stories from nearly 30 years of growing at River Cottage and reflects on the future of gardening and food growing. 

In this month’s podcast, we’ve launched a new format! Expect the same Organic Growing advice, repackaged so you can enjoy podcasts from us twice a month.In May, Fiona and Chris dive into the wonderful world of seed sowing, including why it’s important not to sow all of your seeds at once, Chris’s top tips to get the best germination and how certain conditions can enable your seeds to get the best start.  Also in this episode...The team answer your questions on starting a new garden, gooseberry bush problems, converting an ornamental garden into a haven for food growing, and building your very first greenhouse. Be sure to come back on the 15 May as Fiona chats with author, chef and TV personality Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall from his garden at River Cottage.