For the Love of Birds

This week we explore the history of Kiftsgate Court Gardens and catch a glimpse of their famous, gigantic, eponymous rose. We chat to self-confessed fern fanatic Julian Reed about what makes this group of plants so fascinating. Plus, we hear why thinking more about the soil microorganisms in our garden could benefit our blooms and crops.  Host: Guy Barter Contributors: Anne Chambers, Julian Reed, Eddie Bailey  Other Links: Kiftsgate Court Gardens  British Pteridological Society Rhizophyllia  Become a member of the RHS

Welcome to the largest flower show in the North of England; RHS Flower Show Tatton Park! This show is all about exploring the infinite possibilities of your back garden – whether you have an acre of land, or simply a patio or windowsill – Tatton really celebrates spaces of all shapes and sizes. We visit Leon Davis’ UnPave the Way garden to find out how to transform dull paved driveways into inviting spaces which are full of clever take-home ideas designed to ‘slow the flow’ of rainwater. We also hear from some of the exceptional growers who have filled the floral marquee to the rafters with botanical wonders, and finally Tom Saunders – designer of the Orchid terrace garden – highlights some of the threats facing one of the most diverse and widespread flowering plants on earth.   Presenters: Jenny Laville, Gareth Richards   Contributors: Leon Davis Colin Hickman (Hoyland Plant Centre) John Amand (Jacques Amand Limited) Luke Whiting (D’Arcy & Everest) Tom Saunders   Other links: RHS Flower Show Tatton Park Tickets Ferns & Carnivorous Plants Show Unpave the way garden North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee: Unpave the Way project Orchid terrace garden Inside Tatton’s Floral Marquee Long Borders The Kaleidoscope Ginnel Garden The Woodland Trust: 49% Garden

In this episode we delve into the profound connection between nature and well-being. Landscape Architect Adam White discusses creating dementia-friendly sensory gardens, designed to evoke early memories and nostalgia. Mandy Barber from Incredible Vegetables shares the benefits of growing perennial edibles. Plus, we visit RHS Garden Wisley to get expert answers to your pressing gardening questions. Host: Gareth Richards Contributors: Mandy Barber, Adam White, James Lawrence, Amy Ashman, Nick Turrell Other Links: Advice on creating a dementia friendly garden Supporting people with dementia - a guide for community gardens Incredible Vegetables RHS Sustainable Planting Combinations ISHS Symposium on Greener Cities: Improving Ecosystem Services in a Climate-Changing World

Welcome to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2024! We’re exploring the site and transporting you right to the heart of this buzzing showground. Anya Lautenbach – best known as ‘Anya the Garden Fairy’ on Instagram, and RHS Ambassador and passionate plantsman Jamie Butterworth share some top tips on how to create a showstopping garden on a budget. Groundbreaking young garden designer Bea Tann illuminates the magic of moss and makes the case for what new build homes could benefit from embracing these prehistoric plants. Finally graduates of the London College of Garden Design show us just how versatile the Asteraceae (daisy) family can be in your garden. All this and more coming up on this special Hampton edition of Gardening with the RHS.   Presenters: Jenny Laville, Gareth Richards & Guy Barter   Contributors: Anya Lautenbach, Jamie Butterworth, Bea Tann, Brian Youngblut, Garden Girls Collective (Melissa Wilkinson, Rachel Barnard, Annie Shephard and Bev Small), Kate Campbell, Sally-Anne Rees and William Murray   Other links: RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival tickets 10 thrifty tips from The Money-Saving Gardener The Magic of Moss All About Asteraceae   Contact: [email protected]

Chris Kidd, Curator of Ventnor Botanic Gardens, discusses his pioneering low-intervention approach to horticulture with a two decade long experiment which has yielded some surprising results on the Isle of Wight. New research from Butterfly Conservation reveals letting parts of your garden grow wild can increase butterfly numbers by up to 93%, we meet entomologist Dr Richard Fox to find out why moths and butterflies are such important members of the garden community. And finally, we catch up with Gemma Burr at RHS Garden Wisley to learn what you can sow right now to ensure your garden stays insect friendly throughout the season. Host: Guy Barter Contributors: Chris Kidd, Dr Richard Fox, Gemma Burr Other links: Ventnor Botanic Gardens website Butterfly Conservation wild garden study Wild Spaces website The Big Butterfly Count Sustainable Planting Combinations Become a RHS member

After a deluge of questions relating to garden critters, RHS Principal Entomologist Hayley Jones makes the case for why you shouldn’t be too quick to eradicate slugs and snails from your garden. Artist and ‘accidental activist’ Paul Harfleet shares how he has been transforming sites of hate crime through guerilla gardening. Finally, Rosemoor's Peter Adams talks about the benefits of potager gardening, a style of ornamental kitchen gardens with roots in the formal gardens of the French Renaissance. Host: Gareth Richards Contributors: Hayley Jones, Paul Harfleet, Peter Adams Other Links: The Pansy Project More Information on Slugs and Snails The Potager and Cottage Garden

This week we’ll be dropping in with the advisory team at RHS Garden Wisley to answer some of your most asked questions this season. Plantsman Ed Cooper will be shining some light on the enigmatic delphiniums he’s been growing down at the trials field, and horticulturist Verity Battyll shares some top tips on how to keep your rose garden looking stunning all year round. Host: Guy Barter Contributors: Ed Cooper, James Lawrence, Amy Ashman, Nick Turrell, Verity Batyll Other Links: Bowes-lyon rose garden Delphiniums Become a RHS member

This week we’re diving into the enchanting world of herbs. Join us as author and horticulturist Connor Smith uncovers the rich history of these remarkable plants, celebrated in food, medicine, and mythology for millennia. The Queen of Herbs, Jekka McVicar, shares her expert advice on cultivating your own herb garden. From RHS Garden Wisley, Liz Mooney delivers a heartfelt love letter to her favourite herb. Plus, we’ll hear reflections from Wisley curator Matt Pottage as he bids a fond farewell after 20 dedicated years with the RHS. Host: Gareth Richards Contributors: Connor Smith, Jekka McVicar, Liz Mooney, Matt Pottage Other Links: How Herbs Healed the World by Connor Smith 100 Herbs to Grow by Jekka McVicar Jekka’s farm website

From butternuts to tromboncinos – on this week's show, Wisley’s Liz Mooney tells us about some of her favourite squashes with top tips on how to grow them. Roz Marshall talks us through the results of the RHS Hebe trial at Wisley and Harlow Carr, and Director General Clare Matterson reflects on the announcement of King Charles III as the new patron of the RHS. Presenter: Guy Barter Contributors: Liz Mooney, Roz Marshall, Clare Matterson Contact: [email protected]  Links: Shrubby Veronica (Hebe) trial results How to grow squashes - RHS RHS patron announcement

Welcome to RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024! We’re diving headfirst into all of the trends and highlights this hotly anticipated show has to offer; from the growers filling the Great Pavilion with their dazzling botanical displays, to the striking RHS Plant of the Year Prunus ‘Starlight’, and of course the legendary garden designers lining main avenue with some truly spectacular show gardens.  This year is all about celebrating the young gardeners of tomorrow, so join us for a peak inside The RHS No Adults Allowed Garden designed by Harry Holding in collaboration with local schoolchildren, as well as Ula Maria’s Best Show Garden-winning Muscular Dystropy UK - Forest Bathing Garden showstopper, Tom Massey and Je Ahn’s Gold medal-winning WaterAid Garden, Tom Stuart-Smith’s luscious Gold-winning The National Garden Scheme Garden, Ann-Marie Powell’s RHS Children Choice Award-winning garden, and much, much more…   Presenters: Jenny Laville, Gareth Richards, Guy Barter Contributors: Tom Massey, Je Ahn, Ula Maria, James Armitage, Ann-Marie Powell   Contact: [email protected]  Other links: RHS Chelsea Flower Show Website SheGrowsVeg Urban Organic Pure Grenada