Festive traditions, with Frances Tophill

For a lot of people, this time of year is all about cosying up indoors, but out in the garden there's still so much fun to be had from making natural wreaths and decorating with evergreens, to feeding the birds, sewing onions, and even bringing in a little magic indoors with some festive foliage. Join Frances for Christmassy folklore and the little seasonal rituals and cheerful jobs that make festive gardening feel special. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the time of year when we start thinking about how to make our homes feel festive and, instead of reaching for tinsel and glitter, why not look to the garden for inspiration? Arit reveals how to decorate for a stylish and natural Christmas, combining sustainability with beauty, and explores what to gather from the garden, how to design with natural colour and texture, and ways to make your decorations last throughout the festive season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Christmas fast approaching and the desire to find the right gardening present for the right person, why not look to source sustainable gardening gifts for your friends and family. Even if the recipients aren’t green-fingered, the Gardeners’ World magazine team have you covered with a selection of our favourite gifts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carol Klein has had an interesting, illustrious, and often surprising life and career from jobs as varied as a bus conductor cleaner and art teacher to gardener and TV presenter. She's travelled, got herself into and out of many precarious situations often, but not always in search of plants, and she's met fascinating people along the way. Join us as Carol unearths some of the fascinating stories that have got her to where she is today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tracy Wilson, MBE from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the government department on the frontline of protecting our plants from pests and diseases, discusses what biosecurity means and what we can do as gardeners to help stop threats before they spread to keep our gardens and countryside safe and thriving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's something genuinely magical about heading out into your garden or local woodland on a crisp winter morning, secateurs in hand, gathering armfuls of evergreen foliage. It connects us to those ancient midwinter traditions which go back thousands of years to when our ancestors celebrated the winter solstice. They understood that bringing evergreen branches indoors was a promise that spring would return. And don’t we all still find ourselves wishing for the same in the depths of winter? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Discover Adam's early gardening influences and the people who have helped him throughout his career - from his younger years with Scruffy Nan in the garden, to his informative years in Devon and with landscape gardener Geoff Hamilton. This podcast was recorded at Gardeners’ World Live with Nicki Chapman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lydia Millen has amassed millions of devoted followers across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, showcasing her idyllic life in the countryside and her gorgeous garden. Yet such fame is not without its price. Lydia shares her experience of the darker side of social media, how gardening and nature have transformed her outlook on life, and helped her be her best self. And why she has swapped designer Hermès handbags for pottering in her greenhouse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now is a great time to mulch. It's a chance to get out in the garden and do something practical when everything seems to be on the wane and dying down. It's also a good physical workout, a nice way to use a chilly but sunny day. You might think mulching is just about feeding the plants, but it's really about looking after the soil itself, the life beneath our feet, and it's easy to overlook. When you mulch, you’re adding nutrients and feeding the soil life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gardening can provide us with many benefits, from being in fresh air, surrounded by nature, exposing us to sunlight and increased levels of vitamin D, bringing enjoyment from a colourful flower border, and dietary benefits too from the food we grow, to name a few. Being in the garden and in outdoor spaces can also be a fantastic way to stay fit and healthy. Jacqueline Hooton’s garden gym helps women in their 50s and 60s to become strong and fit and stay healthy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices