Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast

You can find out more about Mark by heading to his Instagram page or website and you must read his brilliant, Mark Diacono's Imperfect Umbrella Substack page which can be accessed via this link. 

You can also follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thank you so much for listening, and if you are able, please do subscribe/follow and if you are able please leave a review.

See you next week.

Mike

You can buy a copy of 'to stand and stare' by clicking this link.

You can get more information about Andrew by visiting his website, and you can follow him on his Instagram account by clicking here. You can also follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thanks for listening and please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more episodes to come. And, if you are able, please leave a review with your preferred podcast provider.

Thank you!

See you next week.

Mike

It's a fascinating episode, which will have you reaching for pen and paper before heading to the Cranesbill Nursery website, www.cranesbillnursery.com. 

You can also follow the Cranesbill Nursery on Instagram by clicking here. 

You can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thanks for listening and don't forget to follow/subscribe, and if you are able, please do leave a review.

See you next week.

Mike

You can follow Erica on her Instagram page by clicking here or head to her website www.ericajames.com.

Please don't forget to follow/ subscribe as there are still more episodes to come. And, if you are able, please do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider.

See you next week.

Mike

You can follow us on Instagram, where I am @mike_thegardener and Otis is @otisthegardener.

We will be back here again on the slot very soon.

Thanks for listening.

Mike

It's a fascinating, delightful and insightful chat with one of our favourite TV gardening presenters and authors. To learn more about Frances head to her Instagram page by clicking here.

You can follow me on my own Instagram account by clicking here.

Thanks for listening and as always, don't forget to follow/subscribe, as there are plenty more episodes still to come. And, if you are able, please do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider if you are able.

Thank you.

Mike

You can follow Otis and Ben on their respective Instagram accounts by clicking here for Otis, and here for Ben.

You could also follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here

As always, thanks for listening and don't forget to follow/subscribe and leave a review if you are able.

See you all soon.

Mike

You can get more information about hellebores, and buy online by visiting www.ashwoodnurseries.com and you can follow Ashwood Nurseries on their Instagram account by clicking here.

Whilst I'm in the process of thanking people, my thanks to all of you for your questions, your support, and for listening to the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast.

You can follow me in my garden on my Instagram account by clicking here.

As always, please don't forget to follow/subscribe and leave a review if you are able.

See you next week.

Mike

In this week's, episode, I chat with a passionate young horticulturalist, Josh Simmonds. I first met Josh a couple of years ago, when I travelled to Ipswich to record a podcast episode with Michael Perry (a.k.a. Mr Plant Geek). I was early and Michael suggested I visit Kiln Farm Nursery before our interview.

On arrival, a young lad was setting up for the day. This young lad was Josh, who invited me in to come and have a look around.  Josh's passion for plants and all things gardening was incredible. As such, I was delighted when he contacted me recently to ask if he could come onto the show and chat about getting other young people interested in horticulture and gardening.

It was a no brainer for me. Encouraging a younger generation of gardeners and horticulturalists into the industry is something I am extremely passionate about too.

You can follow Josh on his Instagram account by clicking here.

Follow Kiln Farm Nursery, where he works, by clicking here.

And last, but certainly not least, you can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thank you for listening and please do follow/subscribe, so you don't miss a future episodes. And, if you're able, please leave a review with your preferred podcast provider.

See you all next week and thanks for listening.

Mike

You can follow me on Instagram by clicking this link 

See you all next week. 

Mike

Some of you will be aware that I visited Val last August to talk about Val's illustrious career to date. Click here to listen to that episode. 

To ensure you don't miss future episodes of them Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, please hit the subscribe/follow button. 

Thank you to all of you who have left wonderful reviews. If you are able to leave a review with your podcast provider, it would be greatly appreciated. I read each and every one of them, but more importantly, it's a great way to attract new listeners. 

Happy gardening!

Mike

We talk about Kate's wonderful new book 'The Tree in My Garden: Choose One Tree, Plant It - Change the World' published by DK Books which is a real page turner and packed with useful information to help you choose one (or more) perfect trees for your garden. We also chat at length about Kate's career to date and much, much more. 

You can follow Kate on her Instagram page by clicking here.  

Make sure you don't miss out on the exciting future episodes of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast by hitting the FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE button. 

You could also learn more about me by following me on my Instagram account. Click here for details. 

Thanks for listening and see you soon.  

Mike 

Today I chat once again, to another returning guest to the podcast, Michael Perry a.k.a. Mr Plant Geek. Michael was a guest on the podcast at the beginning of Series 2 (click here to listen to that episode) when I travelled to his wonderful garden and sat in the August sunshine talking all things gardening, plants, social media and of course lots lots more.

So I'm absolutely delighted to invite Michael back again to chat about his new book, Hortus Curious, published by DK books.

In this episode Michael tells me everything about the book including how it came about, how the writing process worked for him and the illustrator Aaron Apsley. We also talked at length about the look, feel and style of this incredible book which will literally pop off the shelves when you walk into your local bookshop.

We also touch on social media, awards and what Michael is up to next.

And at the very beginning of our chat there are some extremely helpful tips on how and when to use a certain brand of moisturising oil to keep the wrinkles at bay… Yes, you heard me right!

If you haven't already, please follow/subscribe to the podcast and if you're able, please do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider.  

You can also follow me on Instagram where you will find me as @mike_thegardener. 

Thanks so much.

Mike

Hello and welcome back to this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast sponsored by Natural Grower.

If you're look for amazing results with all your fruit and vegetables, flower beds, lawns and house plants, then Natural Grower's award-winning, certified organic peat-free compost and fertiliser knock the socks of chemical products! All products are certified organic, 100% chemical free and 100% peat-free.

And those lovely people and Natural Grower have given me an exclusive 10% discount off all products. Just pop MIC10 in the apply coupon field when you checkout.

In this weeks episode I speak to garden writer Barbara Segall about her new book ’Secret Gardens of the South East’ published by Frances Lincoln. In Kent, Sussex and Surrey, a wealth of history and horticulture has combined with geography in the shape of rolling landscapes, would it valleys and meandering waterways, to provide some of the most beguiling and interesting gardens in the United Kingdom. Barbara tells me all about her new book, how she writes and talks about her career, her friendship with the late Peter Seabrook and much more.

You can find out more about Barbara by heading to her website or why not subscribe to her blog, The Garden Post.

My thanks to Barbara for coming along to chat with me this week.

Well folks, that's it for today thank you so much for joining me and Barbara.  There are just a few more episodes to go before we reach the end of Series 4 so do make sure you follow and subscribe to make sure you don't miss out on any of the horticultural fun here on the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast and I will see you, as always, next week

Bye-bye for now, bye-bye

Otis - https://www.instagram.com/otisthegardener/

Ben - https://www.instagram.com/shortish/

Amy - https://www.instagram.com/grow.yourself.a.garden/

And if you wish to get more inspiration, have a look at Amy's wonderful allotment real by tapping here.

As always, I will be back next week with another horticulturally packed episode so please don't forget to follow/subscribe. And, if you're able, I'd be very grateful if you could leave me a review with your preferred podcast provider.

See you all next week.

Mike

You can find out more about Val by heading to her website https://www.valbourne.co.uk/home. 

And to view some pictures of Val‘s garden click this link - https://www.instagram.com/p/CimYhcJKaLm/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= 

You can find out more about me and my own garden by following me on Instagram where you'll find me under @mike_thegardener. 

And if you want more information about the podcast including sneak previews and exclusive pictures head to @mic.thegardenerpodcast.  If you haven't already, please subscribe/follow as there is still lots more to come.  

And, if you're able, why not leave a review with your preferred podcast provider. 

Thank you and see you next week. 

Mike

In this week’s episode I travel to Denbigh, North Wales, to chat to the owners of the exquisite Laundry Garden Retreat, Tom & Jenny Williams, who take me on a tour of their beautiful garden. 

We chat about how they came to be its owners, how the gardens have progressed including the design and planting ethos in each part of the garden, who does what, their plans for the future and much, much more. 

During this delightful episode we visit the House Garden, the Dragon Garden, the beautiful Lime Alley and of course the stunning walled garden. 

You can see pictures and a video of the stunning walled garden of the garden by heading to my Instagram page. Click this link to see more. 

It’s a great fact-filled, fun chat and a fascinating ‘look behind the scenes’ with Tom & Jenny. And of course you can find out even more by visiting the Laundry Garden Retreat. Visit https://thelaundryretreatnorthwales.co.uk or visit the Laundry Garden Instagram page for more information.

Please do follow/subscribe as there is more to come on the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast. And if you're able, please leave a review with your preferred podcast provider

And, as promised in the episode, here are some of the things that we can and can't compost: 

CAN COMPOST: Animal manure from herbivores / brown paper products (cardboard toilet rolls, cereal boxes, brown paper bags / paper towels, tissues / coffee grounds and filters / cotton, wool / Hoover waste /  and dryer lint from natural fabrics / crushed eggshells / grass clippings, garden trimmings / hair, fur / hay, straw / houseplants / leaves / shredded newspaper / wood chips, sawdust, wood toothpicks, burnt matches / fruit and vegetable peels / old vegetables / stale bread / non-glossy junk mail or catalogues (shredded) / fir cones / cardboard egg cartons / tea leaves/used tea / annual weeds 

CAN'T COMPOST: Baked or cooked food / treated wood/sawdust / oils or greasy foods / pet waste / human waste / weeds that have gone to seed / plastic or coated cardboard / Sellotape / diseased plants & houseplants / pesticide-treated plants / coal ash / feminine hygiene products / nappies / synthetic fabric / leather goods / glossy paper / perennial weeds / tea bags - empty the contents only 

Please don't forget to follow/subscribe and if you're able, please leave a review with your preferred podcast provider. 

Many thanks. 

Mike

You can find out more about Nick, his career and indeed Barnsdale Gardens by heading to the Barnsdale Gardens website or the Barnsdale Gardens Instagram account.  

Don't forget to follow/subscribe to the podcast as there's still lots more to come in the weeks ahead.  You can also follow me on my Instagram account (@mike_thegardener). 

See you next week!

Mike

As always, you can follow Otis on Instagram (@otisthegardener) and you can also follow me on my Instagram account (@mike_thegardener).

There's still more to come in this series of the podcast, say do it hit that follow/subscribe button to ensure you don't miss out on any of the gardening fun.

And, if you could leave a review with your podcast provider that would be wonderful.

See you next week.

Mike

Hello and welcome back to this week's episode  of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast. This week you find me heading to Great Chalfield Manor gardens in Melksham, Bradford-on-Avon to chat to a previous guest on the podcast, garden writer, journalist, author, garden consultant and garden designer, Naomi Slade.

After a personal tour of the garden we found the perfect place to record this episode at the back of the Manor House, looking out over the perfectly planted Well Court and the beautiful gardens beyond.

I invited Naomi back to the podcast to chat about her new book ‘Lilacs - Beautiful Varieties for Home and Garden’ published by Pavilion Books (7th April).  We chat about the book and how it came about, the stunning photography photography Georgianna Lane and of course, lilacs.

To find out more about Naomi and/or to order her book head to www.naomislade.com. You can also follow Naomi on Twitter (@NaomiSlade) and Instagram (@NaomiSladeGardening).

You can also follow me on Instagram (@Mike_TheGardener).

In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you all here next week.

Mike

To view pictures taken on the day of this recording, head to my Instagram page by clicking here. 

Follow Martyn on his Instagram page by clicking here. Follow me on my Instagram page by clicking here.

Thank you. 

Mike

You can follow Otis on Instagram where you will find him as @OtisTheGardener. 

In this the final episode of the series, I chat to Head Gardener Tom Clarke of https://www.exbury.co.uk

We chat about: 

My thanks to Tom for taking the time to chat to me and for showing me around the gardens. And if you want more information about Exbury Gardens or wish to visit the garden, head to their website www.exbury.co.uk. And you can follow Exbury Gardens on their Instagram account.  

And talking of Instagram, you can follow me on my Instagram account @mike_thegardener where I do a weekly live broadcast from my own garden most Sundays at 10am (BST). 

I will be back in a few weeks time with Series 4, so don't forget to follow/subscribe to make sure you don't miss out. 

Bye-bye for now, bye-bye. 

To find out more about Chris, head to his website and you can follow him on his various social media platforms, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

If you enjoy this episode, please do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider. And don't forget to follow/subscribe as there's still more to come  in this series.

If you'd like to get in touch with me, and I love hearing from you all, you can email me at micthegardener01@gmail.com or message me directly via my Instagram account at @Mike_TheGardener.

Mike

As an organic gardener, I won't use chemicals / pesticides in my garden. So, in this enlightening episode I chat to Tess the owner of Ladybird Plant Care about how we can deal with garden pests organically.

Ladybird Plant Care has a range of organic, pest control solutions which are safe for pets and children alike.

In this fascinating episode we chat about vine weevils, slugs, snails, aphids and ants, explaining how you identify if you have these pests in your garden, the symptoms, their lifecycles and how, where, when and why we treat them.

For further information head to the Ladybird Plant Care website.

If you haven't already followed or subscribed, do you hit the follow/subscribe button to ensure you don't miss out on future episodes. And, if you're able, please leave a review with your podcast provider.

Many thanks.

Mike

In this episode we are talking about one of our favourite garden plants roses. I know we all love a beautiful rose in our gardens so today I'm talking to PR and Project Manager from Roses UK, Marilyn Stevens.

Roses UK oversee the very popular Rose of the Year competition and in this fascinating episode Marilyn tells me everything that’s involved with the Rose of the Year. I've been in gardening & horticulture for quite a few years but have to admit to not knowing exactly how much goes in to deciding the winner. I know you will be absolutely amazed.

We talk about everything including:

As always, please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there's still lots more to come. And, if you are able, it would be lovely if you could leave a review with your podcast provider.

You can follow Roses UK on Instagram by clicking here. You can also follow me on Instagram by clicking here.

Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing you here next week.

Mike

In this weeks episode I’m bringing you another Plant special – Sweet Peas!  I chat to Sweet Pea expert and President of the National Sweet Pea Society, Roger Parsons. Roger has been growing sweet peas for 35 years and has his own family run business, Roger Parsons Sweet Peas. He is also the author of the book "Sweet Peas: An Essential Guide’ and co-author of ‘Lathyrus: A Complete Guide”. 

In this fact filled episode Roger tells me everything about growing sweet peas including:

Roger also tells me about the different types of sweet peas and shares his own personal favourite, named after his wife and tells us why he chose this particulsr sweet pea.  We also discuss customer favourites and sweet pea trends.

If you need more information about sweet peas, then head to Rogers website www.rpsweetpeas.com  or perhaps consider joining the National Sweet Pea Society.

As always, please do send me your comments about this episode and the Mic the Gardener podcast to the show’s email address micthegardener01@gmail.com. I’d also be very grateful if you could leave a review with your podcast provider.

And don’t forget to follow/subscribe as there’s lots more still to come in the weeks ahead.

Bye-bye for now bye-bye!

Mike

Hello, I'm Mike Palmer, your host of the Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, sponsored by Natural Grower.  Welcome back to this week's episode.

The Mic the Gardener Gardening Podcast has been up and running for just over a year now. In that year I have listened to more gardening podcasts than I've ever done before. One of my go-to podcasts is always Talking Heads, presented by Saul Walker and Lucy Chamberlain, who are both modern day head gardeners in private estates.

This week I'm delighted to be joined by both Saul and Lucy who chat to me about their careers to date, their roles as head gardeners in private estates and much much more.

If, like me, you listen to their podcast, you'll know I was legally obliged to start the conversation by talking about the weather, however, we also discussed:

If you haven't already listened to the Talking Heads podcast, (and I can't believe you haven't), click on this link to have a listen.

Thank you, as always for listening to this weeks podcast. If you haven't already, please do follow/subscribe and leave a review via your preferred podcast provider.

You can also follow me on my Instagram account, @mike_thegardener where I have a live, weekly broadcast from my own garden, every Sunday at 10am (GMT).

Join me next week when I will be discussing everything you need to know about growing sweet peas from seed with leading sweet pea expert, Roger Parsons.

See you next week.

Hello, I'm Mike Palmer, your host of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast. Welcome back to this week's episode.

It's the middle of March (already!) and my garden is full of daffodils. I always think daffodils really are the harbingers of spring with their bright, cheery yellow trumpets. And of course, not just yellow trumpets these days, as you’ll find out today.

In today's episode I chat to the Chair of The Daffodil Society, Ian Tyler about everything you could possibly need to know about growing daffodils in the ground and in containers.

In fact-filled episode we talk about:

And, as discussed during this episode the Daffodil Society Show is 16-17 April at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, B15 3TR.

If you're looking for more information on daffodils or perhaps looking to join The Daffodil Society head to their website, www.thedaffodilsociety.com.

If you've enjoyed this episode, and I sincerely hope that you have, why not follow/subscribe to my podcast to ensure you don't miss some of the exciting episodes coming up. I'd also be really grateful if you could leave a review with your podcast provider.

You can find out more about me and my own garden by following me on Instagram where you'll find me as @mike_thegardener. 

If you want to contact me, do you send an email to the show email address micthegardener01@gmail.com or message me via my Instagram account shown above.  

See you next week!

Mike

In this week's episode I pay a visit to the Harold Hillier Winter Garden near Romsey, United Kingdom.

It's a stunning garden year-round, but the winter garden is beautifully planted with trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs which provide amazing winter colour, scent, texture and all-round interest.

I chat with Head Gardener, Fran Clifton about:

We also chat about her role as Head Gardener, her career, her own garden and much, much more.

For more information about the Harold Hillier Gardens, click on the link to their website - https://www.hants.gov.uk/thingstodo/hilliergardens.

As always, thanks for listening to this episode.

If you're new to the podcast, do check out the previous episodes from the first two series. There are some cracking interviews, plant specials and much more.

If you've enjoyed this episode, don't forget to follow/subscribe and please do leave a review with your podcast provider.

And finally, I love hearing from all of you, so please do contact me if you have any messages, questions or ideas for future episodes. You can email me at the shows email micthegardener01@gmail.com or follow me on my Instagram page @mike_thegardener where you can message me directly.

See you next week.

Mike

This week I head to the stunning Arundel Castle Gardens, West Sussex, United Kingdom  to chat with Head Gardener, Martin Duncan.

As you will hear, Martin is an extremely experienced and knowledgeable Head Gardener with some very prestigious jobs under his belt. We chat about Martin’s illustrious career to date, some of the very distinguished people he has worked for, his love of landscape design, the role of Head Gardener and much more.

We also discuss how to attract the younger generation into the world of horticulture and gardening, as subject very close to my own heart.

Later in the episode we chat to Rose Philpot, a young gardener about gardening at Arundel and how she was attracted to gardening and her hopes for her future.

I also chat to senior gardener, Izzy McKinley, who is responsible for the organic, kitchen garden and propagator who tells us about her career, her love of gardening and propagation and her own garden.

I have posted a selection of pictures taken at Arundel Castle Gardens on the day of the podcast. Click here to view

To learn more about Arundel Castle Gardens head to their website or you can find them on Instagram.  

If you wish to contact me you can do so through my Instagram page or by emailing the show at micthegardener01@gmail.com.

As always, don't forget to follow/subscribe and to leave a review with your podcast provider.

See you next week.

Mike

In this episode I chat to Dr Anton Rosenfeld, from Garden Organic who tells us everything we need to know about our soil. He tells us:

Its a fact-filled episode and really is the starting point of any garden, irrespective of whether you’re growing your own or maintaining a beautiful ornamental garden, or indeed both.

You can find out more about your soil and growing organically at www.gardenorganic.ork.uk.

If you wish to contact me, please email micthegardener01@gmail.com or you can follow me on my Instagram account (@mike_thegardener) where you can also message me directly.

Please don’t forget to FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE to the Mic the Gardener Gardening Podcast to make sure you don’t miss out on the fun and of course the great gardening content. And perhaps you’d be kind enough to leave a review and tell your friends about the podcast

See you next week.

Mike

As always, I love to hear from you so please drop me an email (micthegardener01@gmail.com) or follow me through my Instagram account (@mike_thegardener) where are you can follow my gardening exploits, my weekly live garden Sunday Stroll and much more. And of course you can message me through my Instagram account. 

Mike

In this week's episode I chat to curator of RHS Wisley, Matt Pottage. And in this conifers special, Matt tells us all about the best conifers we can grow in our gardens.

Conifers have had a bad press in recent decades, following the controversy over leylandii hedges. Yes, the ones which some people have allowed to tower over properties, depriving them of light and causing many neighbourly disputes. Further, very popular in the 1970s were dwarf conifers, which eventually grew into huge, unsightly blobs in our gardens.  

But,conifers are due a revival. There are many, many beautiful evergreen and deciduous conifers out there which make perfect garden worthy plants.  Planted alongside other shrubs and perennials, they make a great addition to the garden. There are also conifers for statement pieces and, in light of the recent issues around box blight and box caterpillar, some conifers can make great hedging alternatives.

Matt talks us through conifers for different soil locations, discusses pests and diseases (of which there aren't many!) and tells us how we can propagate conifers for our own garden.  He also mentions by variety some specifically great examples that we can use, including some particular favourites of his own.

If you love conifers, or are looking to re-introduce conifers into your garden, grab a pen and paper, a cuppa and enjoy this information packed episode.

Some of the conifers we talk about today, I photographed during my visit to RHS Wisley, and can be seen by clicking the link here. 

As always, thank you so much for listening to the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast and please do FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE to ensure you don’t miss new episodes.  And, if you listen through Apple Podcasts, please do leave a review.

You can follow me for more gardening action through my Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

Thanks for listening and I'll see  you next week. 

Mike

This week I have a rather exciting Plant Special episode for you featuring penstemon.  I speak to RHS gold medal winning nursery owner, Julia Mitchell of GreenJJam nurseries, specialists in growing penstemon.

As with all of my Plant special episodes, we chat about everything you need to know about growing penstemon including:

It's a truly in-depth chat which will enable us all to go away and grow the best penstemon in our borders next year.

If you're looking to add more penstemon to your collection, or, indeed to start growing penstemon, then you can head to the nursery website www.greenjjam.co.uk.  For still more information, why not follow GreenJJam Nurseries on their Instagram page.  And, if you don't already follow me, then you can head over to my Instagram page, @mike_thegardener. 

As always, my thanks to Julia for sharing her knowledge and expertise with us.  

I'll be back next week, as usual with another Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast episode.  In the meantime, if you wish to send me a message, you can email me at the pod email address micthegardener01@gmail.com. 

I'd like to say ‘hello' to you if you're new to listening to my podcast… welcome along! Don't forget to follow/subscribe to make sure you don't miss out on any new episodes. And finally(!), if you listen via Apple podcasts, please do leave a review.

See you next week.

Bye-bye!

In this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener gardening podcast, I chat to the owner of Natural Grower, Charlotte Beatty.

I am thrilled to have Natural Grower sponsor my podcast. I've used their products in my own gardening for a while now, and certainly well before Charlotte agreed to sponsor the podcast.  As such, having natural growth as a podcast sponsor is fantastic as I genuinely love their products, but not quite as much as my garden and plants do!

In this episode, Charlotte tells me about how the business came about, how the products are made and manufactured and how they coped through the difficulties of a lockdown in 2020, and lots more.

Here’s some important information about Natural Grower’s products:

The Natural Grower's natural liquid fertiliser is concentrated and, once diluted, can be poured around the base of all plants in the garden and in your home, to be quickly absorbed as a potent source of organic food. Houseplants can be fed by pouring around the base of the plant, or they love to have a bottom feed by standing the plant pot in a bowl or sink with the diluted liquid feed and leave it to soak all the goodness up.

Natural Grower's natural plant feed and soil conditioner is a mulch that can be mixed into the soil/compost before planting, or used on the surface of your beds and pots as a top dressing. Rich in nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and other trace elements, it will be broken down gradually by organisms in the soil/compost as a long-term, slow release fertiliser. If you have clay soil, or soil which is full of stones, the plant feed and conditioner will improve the quality and structure of your soil. The mulch is also excellent at helping to retain moisture, which in turn reduces the amount of watering you will need to do – perfect!

As always, my thanks to you all for listening to my podcast each week. Please do spread the good word and don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are still a few more episodes left in series 2.  And, if you listen through Apple podcast, please do leave a review.

If you wish to contact me, please drop me an email at micthegardener01@gmail.com or contact me via my Instagram page @mike_thegardener.

See you here next week.

Mike

In this episode, another Plant Special, I chat to nurserymen Chris Potts and Ollie Walker of Sienna Hosta. Chris and Ollie are hosta fanatics and what they don't know about hostas isn't worth knowing. And, I can assure you, there isn't much if anything they don't know!

Following a walk around the hosta-packed nursery I sat down with them both to chat about everything you could possibly need to know about growing hostas successfully.

We chat about:

And, following their debut at the Chelsea Flower Show in September 2021, they tell me about how their spectacular stand came together, and how they found out they had been awarded the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medal for their stand.

You can find out more about Sienna Hosta and order hostas from their website www.siennahosta.co.uk or follow them at their Instagram account @_siennahosta_. And talking of Instagram, click here to see some pics of me with Chris and Ollie on the day the podcast was recorded

My thanks to Chris and Ollie for their time and I look forward to chatting again and seeing you both in 2022 at some of the shows.

As always, please do follow/subscribe and if you listen through Apple podcast, please do leave a review.  You can also follow me at my Instagram account @mike_thegardener or email me at micthegardener01@gmail.com. 

See you next week.

Mike

In this week's episode I chat to RHS Young Designer of the Year, Freddie Strickland.

This episode was recorded at the beautiful Iford Manor Gardens near Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, a garden which both Freddie and I have wanted to visit.  Luckily, garden owners William and Marianne allowed us to sneak in through the back door as the garden is currently closed for winter.

Freddie tells me how he got into garden design, about his course and his lecturer and landscaper, Matt James. He also talks about the process he went through to apply for the RHS Young Designer of the Year and his Tatton Park show garden, ‘On Tropic’. He recounts the build of the garden, the judging process and the moment when he was announced as the winner of the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition, live on national television.

In an in-depth conversation Freddie talks about making the transition from college to starting out on your own in the world of garden design world and the importance of building a great relationship with clients to ensure the best possible garden is designed, built and planted for them.

Freddie is clearly an ambitious, enthusiastic and dedicated garden designer.  I look forward to seeing what he does next and will follow his career with much interest. Head over to Freddie's website for more information, www.freddiestickland.com. 

My thanks to Freddie for taking the time to chat to me and for taking me to Iford Manor Gardens.

Pictures of our visit to Iford Manor gardens can be found by visiting my Instagram page, @mike_thegardener. And you can find out more about Freddie by visiting his Instagram page @freddiestricklandgardens.

As always, please do follow/subscribe as there are still more episodes to come in series 2.  And, if you listen via Apple podcast, please do leave a review.

And I will see you next week with a Hosta plant special episode!

Mike

In this week's episode I chat to world renowned garden designer and plantsman Andrew Fisher Tomlin.

I've been a huge fan of Andrew's work for many years, so it was a privilege to chat with him.

We were originally due to meet in Andrew's south London garden, but unfortunately, the UK petrol price put paid to that.

Nonetheless, Andrew starts this episode by giving us a detailed tour of his garden and talks about some of the more unusual plants in it. We also talk about how Andrew started his journey into horticulture and garden design with Andrew recounting his very first Chelsea Flower Show show garden and his first 'Alan Titchmarsh moment'.

Andrew founded his garden design company Fisher Tomlin Bowyer in 1991 and his approach focuses on creative solutions and sound horticultural advice.  Andrew chats at length about garden design and the skills needed by garden designers today in a profession where ecology, sustainability and biodiversity are increasingly important.

Andrew is also one of the directors at the London College of Garden Design (LCGD) and he talks about the extremely popular planting design course that he wrote, his love of plants and planting design and much, much more.

My thanks to Andrew for taking the time to chat with me in this thoroughly enjoyable episode.

And, as always, my thanks to you for listening.  Please do ensure that you follow/subscribe as there's still more to come. And, if you listen via Apple podcast, please leave a review.

Thank you.

Mike

In this week’s episode I chat to author Gareth Richards about his new RHS book ‘Weeds - The Beauty and Uses of 50 Vagabond Plants’.

There can't be one of us who doesn't battle with at least a handful of weed varieties in our own gardens. In my own garden, it's hairy bittercress, couch grass and bindweed, and that, is quite enough, thank you very much.

Like many of us, you'll find me hissing and cussing under my breath as I fight to extract them from my borders.

However, Gareth's fascinating book has made me step back and look again at the weeds in my own garden. They've earned a new found respect and acknowledgement for the many uses they have, many of which, we're probably not aware of. Many weeds have medicinal properties, some can be eaten and, going back in time, some were even used as fabric!

In this episode we chat about Gareth's role at the RHS, the book and how it came about. More specifically we chat about:

We also discuss the beautiful illustrations throughout the book and much more.

This is a truly fascinating episode and Gareth's book is a must have for all gardeners, available through the RHS online shop and other outlets.

As always, thank you for listening and if you don't already, please do follow/subscribe as there is still lots more to come.  And, if you listen via Apple Podcasts, please do leave a review.

See you all next week. 

Mike

In this episode Mike chats to BBC TV Gardeners' World and BBC Breakfast presenter Mark Lane. This episode was originally due to be recorded in Marks own garden, but unfortunately the UK petrol crisis put paid to that and this episode was recorded via Zoom.

Nonetheless, Mark talks passionately and descriptively about his own beautiful garden, describing the trees, shrubs, plants and features and how it's developed over the years.

Mark also tells Mike about his career and how he first became a TV presenter for the BBC Chelsea Flower Show, which in turn led to his job as a popular presenter on Gardeners' World.  They also chat at length about Mark's award winning garden design practice and how he found himself designing gardens following a road traffic accident over 20 years ago.

Following his accident, Mark naturally went through a period of grief and he talks to Mike about the turning point in this journey, when horticulture and gardening played a key part in his rehabilitation.

In recent years Mark has also authored a book, Royal Gardens of the World and alongside artist Sharon Walters, was responsible for one of the popular ITV idents in between ITV television programmes.

And finally, Mike chats to Mark about being a finalist in the National Diversity Celebrity of the Year award 2021.

You can see and hear more from Mike through his popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

Thank you

As always, if you have any questions about this episode, and in particular a dry shady border of your own, please contact Mike through the podcast email address, micthegardener01@gmail.com. 

As promised, here is the plant listing discussed in today's episode, alongside some pictures of Mikes beautiful dry-shade border in his  Bournemouth garden on the south coast of the United Kingdom. 

Plant list:

There are many plants that will cope and thrive in dry shade. A little homework beforehand to check on how much shade specific plants can cope with is advisable.  The following list of plants are those which thrive in Mike's dry, shady border - See pictures here!

Acers in variety, tree ferns (Dicksonia antartica), Skimmia japonica 'Rubella' / 'Fragrant Cloud' / 'Kew White', spotted laurel (Aucuba japonica), winter box (Sarcococca confuse, S. hookeriana), Mahonia 'Charity', climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris), hydrangeas in variety, hellebores in variety, pheasant grass (Anemanthele lessoniana (syn. Stipa arundinacea)), hakon grass (Hakonechloa), narcissus, snowdrops & tulips in variety, ferns in variety (incl Dryoptris affinis 'Cristata', Asplenium scolopendrium, Polystichum setiferum, Dryopteris erythrosora), epimediums in variety, heucheras in variety (incl Heuchera 'Obsidian', H. 'Marmalade', H. 'Fire Chief'), foxgloves (Digitialis purpurea), Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty', astrantia in variety, hosta in variety, hardy geranium (incl Geranium phaeum 'Samobor', G. phaeum 'Album'), Persicaria 'Red Dragon', camellias in variety. 

Thank you for listening to this episode, and please do FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE and if you listen on Apple PodcastS, please do leave a REVIEW.

In this episode Mike chats to garden writer, designer and broadcaster (and in fact most things 'garden'), Naomi Slade, in her sunny, urban, Bristol garden.

Naomi tells Mike how the garden has developed in the four years since she took it on. Despite being an urban garden it is home to a heavily laden pear tree, several ornamental crab apple trees, a pretty little greenhouse, a decked seating area, a compost bin and a lovely selection of shrubs and perennials. And, Mike also discovers that there isn't just the one Naomi Slade in the garden!

Mike chats to Naomi about her career to date, including a punk inspired, gold medal and best in show winning garden that she designed called 'Never Mind the Hollyhocks'. And, of course, they chat about her career as a successful writer and journalist, including her collaboration with photographer Georgianna Lane for her best selling books. 

You can find out more about Naomi's garden by reading her popular, fortnightly column in Garden News magazine. And for more information about Naomi Slade, head to her website www.naomislade.com where you can also purchase her books.  Naomi can also be found on Instagram and Twitter. 

You can also follow Mike on his popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

Please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there is still lots more to come in Series 2. And, if you're new to the 'Mic the Gardener' podcast, why not head over and listen to some great interviews and plant specials from Series One. 

See you next week!

In this episode Mike chats to Danny Clarke, a.k.a. The Black Gardener.

You'll know Danny from the BBC TV series 'The Instant Gardener' and most recently he has become part of the ever-popular ITV gardening makeover programme, 'Love Your Garden' alongside Alan Titchmarsh, Frances Tophill, David Dominey and previous podcast guest, Katie Rushworth (Series 1). Click here to listen to Mike chatting to Katie Rushworth. 

Danny tells Mike about his childhood, his early career and how he moved into gardening and design. He also recounts how changing the name of his gardening business to 'The Black Gardener' led to an unbelievable change in the direction of his career.  

During the chat, Mike & Danny also discuss:

The interview was recorded in Kelsey Park, Beckenham, South London, a favourite park of Dannys, which teems with bird and wildlife. Some pictures of the park & Danny and I, taken on the day can be viewed here. 

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, do you contact Mike directly on the shows podcast email micthegardener01@gmail.com, or, contact Mike via his popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

Don't forget to follow/subscribe as there's lots more to come. And, if you listen via Apple Podcasts, please do leave a review as it helps others to find the podcast. Talking of which, do tell all your gardening friends, family and loved ones about the podcast. 

Thanks for listening!

In this episode Mike chats to garden writing legend, Anna Pavord, author of the Gardening Bible, The Tulip. 

Anna was the gardening correspondent for The Independent and author of a number of bestselling gardening & plant books. She is also an associate editor of Gardens Illustrated magazine and has also written for The Observer for over twenty years. 

In this delightful interview, she chats to Mike by telephone from her West Dorset home about The Tulip, her writing and career as a successful, freelance journalist.

In a sneaky preview, Anna tells us about her new book, 'The Seasonal Gardener', due for publication Spring 2022. 

She also talks about her long friendship with Fergus Garret and her dear friend, the late Christopher Lloyd and shares some lovely stories about their friendship. 

This is a truly enchanting chat with the most wonderfully engaging garden writer. 

Please do follow/subscribe so you don't miss Mike's forthcoming weekly episodes. 

And, if you wish to contact Mike to ask a question or comment on his podcast, you can use the podcast email address micthegardener01@gmail.com or contact him via his popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

The Knoll Gardens website is also a really useful resource for more information, including galleries, useful 'how to' videos and plant listings. You can also purchase a wide range of grasses and perennials directly through their website and Neil's best-selling book 'Designing with Grasses'. 

You can also view Mike's stunning pictures of Knoll Gardens taken on the day of the recording by clicking here

If you have any comments or questions about this episode, you can email Mike through the shows email address micthegardener01@gmail.com or message him directly on Instagram on his account @mike_thegardener.

As always, please do follow/subscribe as there is so much more to come in the second series of the Mike the Gardener podcast. And, if you listen through Apple podcasts please leave a review as it helps others to find us.

In this episode Mike chats to Ben Cross of Crosslands Flower Nursery, a family business growing and delivering British alstromeria nationwide all year round since 1936. 

Ben is passionate about the importance of growing their beautiful alstroemerias in a sustainable way.  He regularly give talks about the importance of buying British grown flowers in order to reduce the carbon footprint when flowers are imported from across the world, packed with chemicals before ending up in our supermarkets, florists, garages and farm shops. An unbelievable 90% of the flowers we buy in the UK are imported! 

His 'British Flowers Rock' campaign aims to highlight the importance of buying homegrown flowers ('Grown not Flown') and Mike is delighted to help Ben spread the message of this important issue.   

Ben chats to Mike about the history, challenges and all aspects of running this successful 4th generation family run business.  They also chat about supermarket labelling, chemicals, how to grow alstromeria and much more. 

See pictures of Crossland Flower Nursery alstroemerias here!

Find out more about Ben's campaign and Crosslands Nursery follow him on Instagram & Facebook.

And you can see and hear more from Mike by following him on his popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please don't forget to FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE and if you listen to Mic the Gardener via Apple Podcasts please leave REVIEW. 

Thank you.       

In this first episode of the second series, Mike chats to Michael Perry, a.k.a. Mr Plant Geek. 

Michael is a TV presenter, speaker, podcaster and social media influencer (voted as Social Media Influencer of the Year 2020 by the Garden Media Guild).

In this exciting episode, Mike chats to Michael in his glorious, sunny Suffolk-based garden about the garden itself, the design, the hard landscaping and quite a bit about the plants, of course!

Also in this episode, Michael talks about why weeds are great in any garden, what his parents think of his garden and we also discuss his career to date including his TV work and being voted Social Media Influencer of the Year in 2020.

Later in the episode, Michael tells about the phenomenally successful Plant Based Podcast, which he co-presents with Ellen Mary with Mike questioning him about his 'serious' side.

To see pictures of Mr Plant Geek's garden, click here. 

Thank you for listening, and if you've enjoyed this podcast, please FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE and why not leave a REVIEW for Mike on Apple Podcasts. 

You can see and hear more of Mike through his popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener. 

So tune in from Friday 27th August when Mike will take you 'Up the Garden Path' of plant fanatic, presenter and social media sensation, Michael Perry, a.k.a. Mr Plant Geek. 

Mike chats to Michael about his career to date and explores his beautiful new garden in Suffolk and of course, lots more!

Thanks to all of you who have left wonderful reviews. And if you haven't already, why not pop over to Apple Podcast and leave a review for Mike. 

You can follow Mike on his very popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener, where he shares his own garden through regular posts and live broadcasts (Mike's Sunday Stroll). 

He will also be starting a new series of live, 'Mike Chats to...'with some fantastic new guests. 

The 'Mic the Gardener' podcast is sponsored by Natural Grower. 

Sound Recordist & Post Production - SoNiche Productions. 

In this episode, the third in a series of 'plant special' podcasts, Mike chats to Clematis King, Raymond Evison, owner and founder of Raymond Evison Clematis. 

Raymond has spent six decades searching for, breeding and developing the world's best clematis.  Born in 1944, Raymond started his horticultural career at the age of 15 in Shropshire and quickly became the director of his first company 'Treasures of Tenbury Ltd'. A brutal winter killed a third of his mother stock and he moved the clematis operations to Guernsey, in the sunny Channel Islands, near France, where he set up the 'Guernsey Clematis Nursery' in 1985, to take advantage of the milder climate and longer growing season.

In this Clematis Special episode, Mike chats to Raymond who shares some invaluable hints, tips and advice about growing clematis. You'll learn what to look out for when you're buying clematis, how to plant them and everything you need to know about how to care for them. Raymond also provides some easy to follow instructions on how to prune clematis, a subject which some of us worry about needlessly.

For the more adventurous maybe, some invaluable hints and tips on how to propagate clematis.

And, amongst much more, you'll learn where the name for the popular Clematis 'Freckles' comes from.

After this wonderful episode, I'm sure, like me, you'll be ready to buy more clematis for your green space. Raymond's stunning collection of clematis can be found at his website www.raymondevisonclematis.com.

As always, if you wish to contact the show, you can email Mike at his email address micthegardener01@gmail.com or message him directly via his Instagram account @mike_thegardener.

In this exciting, second 'plant special' podcast, Mike chats to world-leading rosarian, Michael Marriot, formerly of David Austin Roses, where he was an integral part of the team for 35 years.

What Michael doesn't know about roses, frankly isn't worth knowing.

Mike chats to Michael about everything you need to know about growing the best possible roses, including how to chose the best varieties, planting, pruning, feeding, watering and pests & diseases. He discusses some great practical and organic solutions whilst also dispeling some urban myths about growing roses along the way.

Alongside his incredible knowledge and common-sense approach to looking after roses, he is also well-known for his rose garden design. As a garden designer, Michael is famed for his dense, romantic beds, whether planted purely with roses or mixed in with perennials. He has also designed many rose gardens and borders around the world.  Alongside private gardens, Michael has also designed gardens in the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Queen Mary's Rose Garden in Regents Park, Hampton Court Palace, Wynyard Hall, Trentham Gardens and the David Austin garden near Osaka in Japan.

In his work, Michael has travelled the globe, often sharing his expertise on the radio, television, and garden media publications and interviews.

He has played a vital role in the development and popularisation of English roses and has an intimate knowledge of all of the 200+ English roses, bred and introduced by David Austin roses.

So come and spend just under an hour with us and you’ll go away with the very best rose growing knowledge you could ever wish to have.

You can follow Michael on his Instagram account and at his website www.michaelmarriotrosarian.org

And if you wish to contact Mike, you can contact him via his Instagram account or by his email micthegardener01@gmail.com. 

In this episode Mike chats too Skinny Jean Gardener, Lee Connelly. Lee, one-time Blue Peter gardener, bestselling author of the 'How to get your Kids Gardening' book, successful podcaster with his Sunday Times Top 5 Podcast, the Skinny Jean Gardener podcast and spokesman and advocate for getting kids into gardening. 

Lee chats about his inspirational initiative, the School Gardening Success Plan, which aims to give 30,000 UK primary schools the capacity to teach their children to Grow Your Own. He also talks about his journey into gardening, some interesting 'behind the scenes' facts about being a Blue Peter gardener, and lots more!  You can find Skinny Jean Gardener on Instagram and Twitter.

Later in the episode, Mike thanks all of his listeners their support of his new podcast, which in just four months has attracted over 2.6 K listeners and regularly falls just outside of the Top 10 Apple UK Home and Garden podcast charts. 

If you wish to contact Mike, email micthegardener01@gmail.com or message him directly via his popular Instagram account. 

Who doesn’t love a blooming good dahlia? In this special edition of the Mic the Gardener podcast, Mike chats to Farmer Gracy horticulturalist, Naomi Jones about everything you need to know to grow dazzling dahlias in your green space. 

Every aspect is covered from what to do when you buy your dahlia tubers, what potting compost to use, how to start them into growth, watering, feeding, pest control and deadheading. 

And, irrespective of whether you’re a dahlia newbie or a dahlia doyenne, there is a special 10% discount on all Farmer Gracy dahlia orders until midnight, 18th April 2021. 

The Mic the Gardener podcast is sponsored by Natural Grower.

In this episode Mike chats to gardener, garden writer and author, Sally Nex about her incredible new book 'How to Garden the Low Carbon Way'. Her new book is packed with brilliant, topical and practical tips to help us in our own green spaces. Which potting compost should we be using? What can we plant to lower our carbon footprint? Are there alternatives to synthetic fertilisers?  How can we cut out single-use plastics? 

In this fascinating episode Sally chats to Mike about the book, her career as a gardener, writer and author and we learn a few things about Sally's previous career as a broadcast journalist and war correspondent for BBC News which she hasn't chatted about before!  You can follow Sally on her website and her Instagram account @sally.nex. 

We also catch up with Otis Scadding, a local, professional gardener and best friend of Mike, who works in the beautiful Dorset area. Otis, has just moved into a new home and garden and chats to Mike about his plans for the garden and what he has done so far. 

To see more of Otis' new garden you can follow him on his Instagram account @otisthegardener. 

And you can follow Mike's progress in his garden on his Instagram account @mike_thegardener. Mike also has a LIVE(!) weekly Sunday Stroll around his garden every Sunday at 10am (GMT), so why not join him to see first hand what he's getting up to in his beautiful garden. 

If you wish to contact Mike, you can email him at the podcast email micthegardener01@gmail.com or message him directly via his Instagram account

Thanks so much for listening and please don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and if you are listening on Apple podcast, please leave a REVIEW. 

Mike chats to television presenter, Katie Rushworth of ITV's highly popular garden makeover programme 'Love Your Garden' about making beautiful gardens in the rain, being a jobbing gardener and coarse fishing..., yes, coarse fishing!  They also talk about her own family garden makeovers (see Katie's Instagram for more information) and her very successful garden consultation business. You can find more information about this at https://katierushworth.com.

Also in this episode, Mike takes us for a wander around his beautiful garden in Bournemouth, on the south-coast of England and tells us about some of the gardening jobs we can all be doing in our gardens and green spaces.

You can find out more about Mike through his Instagram accounts, @mike_thegardener and @mic.thegardenerpodcast and his website    www.mike-palmer.com.

And you can contact Mike through the podcast email micthegardener01@gmail.com.

And don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW and if you listen through Apple podcasts, please leave a REVIEW.  Thank you for listening.