kitchen gardens

What is that on the horizon - well, it's Spring of course. The klaxon for warmer, longer days is finally sounding and Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy are looking forward to it immensely. Spring is a wonderful time of year but also incredibly busy for all professional gardeners up and down the country as the gardens come alive with colour, texture and the occasional weed! Join them both as they navigate this beautiful time of year, bringing you the sights and sounds of Stonelands and East Donyland, as well as their home gardens and beyond.

Lucy is away on here Easter holidays, so Saul takes the opportunity to enjoy a sunny Saturday morning to bring you listeners along at a look at how is back garden, full of exotic and tender plants have fared. The winter has been very cold, very dry and very wet in equal thirds so his collection of unusual plants has been tested to its limit! Having said that many of the plants that are starting back into growth have surprised Saul and have given him good heart to plant out in the mild, maritime climate that he enjoys in his Devon garden.

Twitter links:
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC
Saul @GardeningSaul


Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

What is that on the horizon - well, it's Spring of course. The klaxon for warmer, longer days is finally sounding and Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy are looking forward to it immensely. Spring is a wonderful time of year but also incredibly busy for all professional gardeners up and down the country as the gardens come alive with colour, texture and the occasional weed! Join them both as they navigate this beautiful time of year, bringing you the sights and sounds of Stonelands and East Donyland, as well as their home gardens and beyond.

For this very special episode we're catching up with Lucy, who along with Audley End Gardeners Gemma Sturges and Kelly Fowler, are designing and building a Grow Your Own Show Garden at BBC Gardeners World Autumn Fair at Audley End. The trio are very experienced gardeners, especially with Fruit and Veg, but have stepped outside their comfort Zone with this Show Garden Project. So we catch up with them to see how the initial design was decided, how they are choosing which Veg and Fruit to display, those nurseries and companies that are helping them and a very special cameo appearance from Terry Porter, Show garden Veg supremo who passed on some sage advice and also super secret tips (Not disclosed in this podcast!). So join us for the start of Lucy, Gemma and Kelly's Show Garden adventure.

Twitter links:
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC
Saul @GardeningSaul
Gemma @gemma_sturges

Instagram Links:
Lucy headgardenerlc
Gemma madamtuberist
Kelly fedbyplants


Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

What is that on the horizon - well, it's Spring of course. The klaxon for warmer, longer days is finally sounding and Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy are looking forward to it immensely. Spring is a wonderful time of year but also incredibly busy for all professional gardeners up and down the country as the gardens come alive with colour, texture and the occasional weed! Join them both as they navigate this beautiful time of year, bringing you the sights and sounds of Stonelands and East Donyland, as well as their home gardens and beyond.

After our recent shout out for gardening conundrums, the Talking Heads podcast audience has done us proud! Between Lucy and Saul, the Head Gardener team answer all manner of horticultural questions, from how to keep strawberries healthy, to why magnolias are being denuded - and all manner of things in between. Why do red onions bolt? How do you grow lemongrass? How do I establish fritillaries in my meadow? What do you think of grafted vegetables? What can I grow in dry, windy shade? And our favourite question to answer: what will you do when you retire? Any guesses....?!

Twitter links:
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC
Saul @GardeningSaul


Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

Support the show

What is that on the horizon - well, it's Spring of course. The klaxon for warmer, longer days is finally sounding and Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy are looking forward to it immensely. Spring is a wonderful time of year but also incredibly busy for all professional gardeners up and down the country as the gardens come alive with colour, texture and the occasional weed! Join them both as they navigate this beautiful time of year, bringing you the sights and sounds of Stonelands and East Donyland, as well as their home gardens and beyond.

You can't of failed to be aware of the impact we have on our natural environment and this week one of the big stories has been the feeling of most of the trees in Plymouth city centre - where Head Gardener Saul calls home. So along with lucy the Talking heads pair discuss whether we are taking the green environment in our cities and towns seriously and whether we should invest more to bring the best of the built and natural environment in partnership - after all isn't that what gardening is all about!

Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

What is that on the horizon - well, it's Spring of course. The klaxon for warmer, longer days is finally sounding and Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy are looking forward to it immensely. Spring is a wonderful time of year but also incredibly busy for all professional gardeners up and down the country as the gardens come alive with colour, texture and the occasional weed! Join them both as they navigate this beautiful time of year, bringing you the sights and sounds of Stonelands and East Donyland, as well as their home gardens and beyond.

This week, Lucy has been given the exciting task of observing an ancient Donyland border plan, and interpreting what direction it should take next. Given the climate's present desire to turn on a sixpence, should she attempt to preserve the original designer's plans, or is she at will to evolve them? All gardeners face similar questions in their borders, large and small, so she and Saul muse over what the modern day design process should be. Oh, and we also get exciting peach and tomato news!

Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

Support the show

What is that on the horizon - well it's Spring of course. The klaxon for warmer, longer days is finally sounding and Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy are looking forward to it immensely. Spring is a wonderful time of year but also incredibly busy for all professional gardeners up and down the country as the gardens come alive with colour, texture and the occasional weed! Join them both as they navigate this beautiful time of year bringing you the sights and sounds of Stonelands and East Donyland, as well as their home gardens and beyond.

Lucy is partial to a list - in fact if you've ever seen her notepad its endlessly filled with tasks to do, little squares and many ticks. Most Head Gardeners have a extensive 'To-do list' its part of the  fabric of our practice and they are all so important, so join the Talking Heads duo as they look through a few tasks on theirs and how they hope to accomplish them and stick that next tick down.

Twitter links:
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC
Saul @GardeningSaul

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

Support the show

We are in the depths of winter, and whatever the weather may - or may not - have in store for us in this traditionally chilly month, Head Gardeners Lucy and Saul turn their thoughts to the year ahead. Often mistaken for a quieter season, there are plenty of winter tasks to complete and projects to initiate. Winter pruning, leaf clearing, renovations and new plantings will all be discussed (we can't promise that conversations about biscuits and lists won't also appear...). Whatever the topic, the duo hope to prime us all for the unfolding gardening seasons.

Spring is beckoning, so Saul fires his mower up (but not where you'd think...!) while Lucy is busy deciding where and when to mulch. She also reports back on her visit to the Garden Press Event, and reveals her exciting project for 2023: a show garden! We then return to the topic at hand, gardening, to see what the two have planned for their respective estates during spring. The jobs list is certainly changing with the seasons.

Twitter links:
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC
Saul @GardeningSaul

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

We are in the depths of winter, and whatever the weather may - or may not - have in store for us in this traditionally chilly month, Head Gardeners Lucy and Saul turn their thoughts to the year ahead. Often mistaken for a quieter season, there are plenty of winter tasks to complete and projects to initiate. Winter pruning, leaf clearing, renovations and new plantings will all be discussed (we can't promise that conversations about biscuits and lists won't also appear...). Whatever the topic, the duo hope to prime us all for the unfolding gardening seasons.

Lucy has been at the cutting edge of journalism this week at the Garden Press Event, so Saul takes you on a solo journey down the Dawlish Water at Stonelands to look at what wildlife greets him on a beautiful February morning. Gardening for Wildlife is a big topic for discussion in the garden media at the moment, with many gardeners specifically creating elements of the garden with wildlife in mind - so Saul discusses his view on encouraging wildlife and why its necessary to think about our animal cousins as an essential part of the garden makeup.

Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

We are in the depths of winter, and whatever the weather may - or may not - have in store for us in this traditionally chilly month, Head Gardeners Lucy and Saul turn their thoughts to the year ahead. Often mistaken for a quieter season, there are plenty of winter tasks to complete and projects to initiate. Winter pruning, leaf clearing, renovations and new plantings will all be discussed (we can't promise that conversations about biscuits and lists won't also appear...). Whatever the topic, the duo hope to prime us all for the unfolding gardening seasons.

This week, Saul rests his mighty voice, while Lucy takes us on a tour of her home kitchen garden, just outside Colchester. Here, she talks you through her 2023 grow your own plans, as she daydreams of early broad beans, baby carrots and lush spinach. Fruit pruning also needs to be completed, and while some trees should be cut back in summer, there are plenty of edible berry and orchard crops that warrant attention now. The episode is also audio-bombed by Isaac (the cat). Never let it be said that we don't go the extra mile to lay on a suitably furry Saul stand-in...!

Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

We are in the depths of winter, and whatever the weather may - or may not - have in store for us in this traditionally chilly month, Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy turn their thoughts to the year ahead. Often mistaken for a quieter season, there are plenty of winter tasks to complete and projects to initiate. Winter pruning, leaf clearing, renovations and new plantings will all be discussed (we can't promise that conversations about biscuits and lists won't also appear...). Whatever the topic, the duo hope to prime us all for the unfolding gardening seasons.

Gardening, like all hobbies and professions, are not immune to the fashions of the moment - whether you're a Galanthophile, Daffodilaholic or need to be the biggest pumpkin on social media. But are these trends the horticultural world's friend or foe, the answer is complicated, whereas trends help highlight the garden to newcomers they can also form a barrier of gardening perfection and cost for some. Lucy and Saul take a look at what trends they follow and those that are maybe a little bemusing.

(Apologies for Saul's sound quality - his microphone decided to die, but the sledgehammer has been dutifully applied and it should be working again for next week!)

Twitter links:
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC
Saul @GardeningSaul

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

We are in the depths of winter, and whatever the weather may - or may not - have in store for us in this traditionally chilly month, Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy turn their thoughts to the year ahead. Often mistaken for a quieter season, there are plenty of winter tasks to complete and projects to initiate. Winter pruning, leaf clearing, renovations and new plantings will all be discussed (we can't promise that conversations about biscuits and lists won't also appear...). Whatever the topic, the duo hope to prime us all for the unfolding gardening seasons.

We've all enjoyed those visits to gardens where we've left with bellies full of cake and an imagination full of ideas, so why not become a significant part of that hugely rewarding process? Opening your garden for charity can feel like a daunting process, but inspired by the National Garden Scheme's recent 2023 media launch, Lucy and Saul discuss the many benefits it can bring. Talking to an NGS county organiser, and overcoming any hesitancies you might have, will help raise funds for brilliant causes and give your garden a motivational focus.

Twitter links:
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC
Saul @GardeningSaul

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

We are in the depths of winter, and whatever the weather may - or may not - have in store for us in this traditionally chilly month, Head Gardeners Lucy and Saul turn their thoughts to the year ahead. Often mistaken for a quieter season, there are plenty of winter tasks to complete and projects to initiate. Winter pruning, leaf clearing, renovations and new plantings will all be discussed (we can't promise that conversations about biscuits and lists won't also appear...). Whatever the topic, the duo hope to prime us all for the unfolding gardening seasons.

The constant rain or frost maybe slightly depressing at this time of year - especially if you are itching to get outside and start working the soil! But it does give us an excuse to sit in our potting shed or workshop and start writing up those plans for the year. Saul and Lucy are making plans now for the year as a great way of giving our work structure as we get busier and busier come the spring and summer. Ordering plants and seeds, maintaining or purchasing machinery, surveying trees and getting creative with new border designs are an ideal way to spend your time now to get on leg-up on the season ahead. So listen in to see what the Head Gardening pair are putting together!

Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

We are in the depths of winter, and whatever the weather may - or may not - have in store for us in this traditionally chilly month, Head Gardeners Lucy and Saul turn their thoughts to the year ahead. Often mistaken for a quieter season, there are plenty of winter tasks to complete and projects to initiate. Winter pruning, leaf clearing, renovations and new plantings will all be discussed (we can't promise that conversations about biscuits and lists won't also appear...). Whatever the topic, the duo hope to prime us all for the unfolding gardening seasons.

With snowfall and spring indicators at the forefront of Saul and Lucy's minds, it's clear the start of the season is still at the mercy of the weather. But this downtime is an excellent opportunity to initiate revamping or restructuring areas of your plot, so get your design head on! Regardless of whether your garden is estate- or courtyard-sized there are plenty of resources out there to whet our appetites and twitch our purse strings. So, with that in mind, the duo describe those that are their favourites.

Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

We are in the depths of winter, and whatever the weather may - or may not - have in store for us in this traditionally chilly month, Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy turn their thoughts to the year ahead. Often mistaken for a quieter season, there are plenty of winter tasks to complete and projects to initiate. Winter pruning, leaf clearing, renovations and new plantings will all be discussed (we can't promise that conversations about biscuits and lists won't also appear...). Whatever the topic, the duo hope to prime us all for the unfolding gardening seasons.

This week both Saul and Lucy are failures!! But does that matter - of course not. Failure - things going wrong, plants dying, weather ruining our garden are all part of the process, and in fact should be celebrated rather than hidden away. This episode we talk about failure as one of the most important parts in the life of gardener and how it informs a future practice and makes us look at the garden in a different light.

Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

We are in the depths of winter, and whatever the weather may - or may not - have in store for us in this traditionally chilly month, Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy turn their thoughts to the year ahead. Often mistaken for a quieter season, there are plenty of winter tasks to complete and projects to initiate. Winter pruning, leaf clearing, renovations and new plantings will all be discussed (we can't promise that conversations about biscuits and lists won't also appear...). Whatever the topic, the duo hope to prime us all for the unfolding gardening seasons.

In this episode, we hear from newly appointed Head Gardener, Danny, asking what advice we would have liked to have been given when we first stepped into our roles. Assessing resources, not rushing in, trusting your instincts and being happy with your decisions are all top of the list, as Lucy and Saul consider the varied tasks and responsibilities this role brings. Hopefully these will resonate with Head Gardener listeners, and guide up-and-coming horticulturists, too.

Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

Support the show

Autumn has arrived on the shores of the UK - a slight freshness to the mornings and a waning of the light signal that subtle change to the season. In the garden the peak colour and growth is starting to give way to the texture and autumnal colours that signal the slow, but beautiful descent, into a period of more dormant reflection. Autumn can be one of the most beautiful times of year and also a celebration of what has gone before, the present harvest of abundance but also the future excitement of gardening plans and work.

On 5th December each year we celebrate World Soil Day, where the importance of this unassuming brown mass is 'unearthed'. Saul and Lucy are both strong believers that a healthy soil is crucial for the consequent vitality of our plants - without soil, we simply wouldn't exist! So, the pair expand our knowledge of what exactly soil is, the role of soil pH, how macro- and microorganisms are fundamental for cycling plant nutrients - and so much more. Hopefully, by the end of this detailed episode, your appreciation of soil will be reinforced.

Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

From time to time Lucy and Saul decided they wanted to record conversations with other Head Gardeners, Curators, Garden Owners and fellow horticulturists across the UK, these will be published as Bonus Episodes alongside their usual format of chatting about their gardening lives. We hope you enjoy.

For the Bonus Episode #18 we are joined by Head Gardener Åsa Gregers-Warg of the Beth Chatto Gardens - one of the UK's finest gardens in Essex. Åsa came over from her homeland of Sweden in 2001 to start as a student gardener under Beth's tutelage, and in the past 20 years has evolved into the Head Gardener, driving the gardens development forward since Beth's death in 2018. Lucy and Saul chat to her about her love for gardening, Beth as a mentor and 20th Century Gardening Icon and also how Åsa sees the development of such a prestigious garden in the future.

Twitter links:
Beth Chatto Gardens @BethChattoGdns
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Instagram links:
Beth Chatto Gardens bethchattogardens
Lucy headgardenerlc

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Autumn has arrived on the shores of the UK - a slight freshness to the mornings and a waning of the light signal that subtle change to the season. In the garden the peak colour and growth is starting to give way to the texture and autumnal colours that signal the slow, but beautiful descent, into a period of more dormant reflection. Autumn can be one of the most beautiful times of year and also a celebration of what has gone before, the present harvest of abundance but also the future excitement of gardening plans and work.

Lucy and Saul scoured the internet (i.e. put a tweet out) asking for our podcast listeners to pose some of the most ruthless horticultural questions that could be asked - well now the pair of Head Gardeners try to answer them. What to do with Step-over apples, Favourite Waterproofs and Ladders and a curious case of 19th Century French Hotbed gardening are all on the agenda in the Talking Heads first ever 'Gardeners Question Time' episode.

Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

Autumn has arrived on the shores of the UK - a slight freshness to the mornings and a waning of the light signal that subtle change to the season. In the garden the peak colour and growth is starting to give way to the texture and autumnal colours that signal the slow, but beautiful descent, into a period of more dormant reflection. Autumn can be one of the most beautiful times of year and also a celebration of what has gone before, the present harvest of abundance but also the future excitement of gardening plans and work.

Far from closing the door on their respective estates for winter, Lucy and Saul are energetically ticking off a multitude of jobs from their 'to do' list, and they're encouraging their listeners to do the same. Be it clear out the potting shed, grow edibles in your greenhouse, harvest peasticks for plant supports, take hardwood cuttings, set up cold frames, plant garlic or lay mulches, there are endless jobs for this deceptively dormant time of year. With any progress to get ahead in the garden directly related to your enjoyment of it come spring, let the duo inspire you into action in the weeks ahead.

Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

Autumn has arrived on the shores of the UK - a slight freshness to the mornings and a waning of the light signal that subtle change to the season. In the garden the peak colour and growth is starting to give way to the texture and autumnal colours that signal the slow, but beautiful descent, into a period of more dormant reflection. Autumn can be one of the most beautiful times of year and also a celebration of what has gone before, the present harvest of abundance but also the future excitement of gardening plans and work.

When winter does arrive - a big if seeing the latest and average temperatures - its crucial we have those plants that need a little  extra TLC ready to overwinter - but to we focus too much on keeping the temperatures just right in our greenhouses and conservatories? Are moisture levels in the compost and soil around our plants precious roots as important (if not more) to how our precious collections fare over the winter period. Head Gardeners Lucy and Saul discuss along with a few more topics in the latest podcast episode.

Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Lucy @HeadGardenerLC

Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)