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Master My Garden podcast with John Jones. The gardening podcast that helps you master your own garden. With new episodes weekly packed full of gardening tips, how to garden guides, interviews with gardening experts on many gardening topics and just about anything that will help you in your garden whether you are a new or a seasoned gardener. I hope you enjoy.John
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Imagine transforming your garden with a beautiful perennial border—all grown from seed at a fraction of the cost of buying established plants. This episode kicks off our exciting Perennial Grow Along project, guiding you through the entire journey from seed to spectacular flowering plants. Growing perennials from seed isn't just economical; it fills gardeners with immense pride. There's something truly special about nurturing a tiny seed into a magnificent flowering plant that will grace you...
Gardening isn't static—it evolves as we learn, as plants grow, and as our vision for our outdoor spaces changes. Today's episode tackles the art and science of moving plants within your garden, a skill that frees you to redesign without starting over or breaking the bank. We begin by exploring the foundational principle of "right plant, right place" that should guide your initial planting decisions. Understanding your garden's conditions and matching them to plant requirements can prevent th...
Wondering what to plant as summer wanes? Don't put away those seed packets just yet! September offers the perfect conditions for establishing winter-hardy crops that will provide fresh harvests throughout the coldest months. This episode explores the often-overlooked opportunities of September sowing, focusing on crops that thrive when planted now. While the list may be shorter than spring and summer guides, these strategic plantings deliver exceptional value. Discover which lettuce varietie...
Spring flowering bulbs are gardening's ultimate return on investment. Planted from September through November, these botanical powerhouses burst forth from winter's grip with waves of colour that evolve from the first snowdrops after Christmas through magnificent tulips and alliums in late May. What sets bulbs apart from other garden plants is their remarkable ability to naturalize—multiplying year after year with zero additional effort. Plant a single daffodil bulb this autumn, and next spr...
Water might be the most overlooked factor in garden success. As temperatures soar and rainfall becomes scarce across the UK and Ireland, understanding proper watering techniques has never been more crucial for garden survival. This episode tackles the surprisingly complex art of effective watering. While not the most glamorous gardening topic, it addresses the root cause of numerous garden problems listeners have been experiencing recently. From struggling roses to disease-prone hedges and u...
1Soil health emerges as the unlikely hero in our quest to feed a growing population, reverse climate change, and restore human health in this eye-opening conversation with documentary filmmaker Josh Tickell. As the creative force behind the acclaimed "Kiss the Ground" and "Common Ground" documentaries, Josh brings decades of environmental advocacy experience and firsthand observations from regenerative farms across the globe. The conversation challenges fundamental assumptions about our food ...
Welcome to your essential guide for August gardening success! As summer peaks and the first harvests fill our kitchens, smart gardeners are already planning their next moves. This episode unpacks exactly what you should be sowing now to maintain productivity through autumn and beyond. The transition from July to August brings significant changes in the garden. I've just returned from holiday to find dramatic growth (and sadly, some losses in the heatwave), reminding me how crucial proper pla...
Dive deep into the fascinating world of wildlife ponds with expert Ashley Dowling, who reveals that creating a thriving aquatic ecosystem involves far more than simply digging a hole and filling it with water. This episode uncovers the secrets to designing pond environments that genuinely support biodiversity through thoughtful construction and planting. Ashley shares her expertise on creating multi-layered pond structures that provide diverse habitats for different creatures. From deep area...
Garden enthusiasts, mark your calendars! The Carlow Garden Festival returns for its annual celebration of horticultural excellence, running from July 26th to August 3rd, 2024. This year's lineup features an extraordinary collection of gardening luminaries, innovative formats, and breathtaking garden settings across Carlow. The festival opens with a fascinating pairing as BBC Gardener's World presenter Adam Frost sits down with Irish rugby star Peter O'Mahony to explore how gardening provides...
Transform your garden with powerful homemade fertilisers hiding in plain sight! This episode dives into the world of natural plant nutrition, answering listener Cian's question about nettle and comfrey teas. Discover why these humble "weeds" might be your garden's greatest untapped resource. Nettle tea, packed with nitrogen, creates remarkably resilient leafy growth with glossier, darker foliage that naturally resists pests and disease. Meanwhile, comfrey provides the potassium boost floweri...
Welcome to your essential July seed sowing guide for continuous harvests! While many gardeners think the main growing season has passed, strategic planting now ensures your garden remains productive through autumn, winter, and into early spring. Though July's planting possibilities are fewer than May's abundant options, this focused approach actually gives you the most benefit in extending your harvest calendar. Continue your monthly successional sowings of quick-growing crops like spring on...
Horticultural journeys often begin in unexpected ways. For Colin Jones, head gardener at Salterbridge Gardens, it started with his grandfather's fruit patch and eventually led to prestigious gardens across Ireland and Scotland. Now managing a magnificent private estate in Waterford, Colin brings passion, expertise and global perspective to garden creation. The transformation of Salterbridge under Colin's stewardship has been remarkable. Over just three years, he's planted 1,600 trees and shr...
Perennial borders may be all the rage in contemporary garden design, but have we forgotten the humble flowering shrub? In this eye-opening episode, we explore how these garden stalwarts are being overlooked despite offering year-round structure, extended seasons of interest, and spectacular flowers when perennials lie dormant. From the architectural presence of Cornus kousa to the intoxicating fragrance of Philadelphus, we'll guide you through ten magnificent flowering shrubs that deserve a ...
Ever wondered what to plant in June when your garden beds already seem packed to capacity? This episode answers that crucial question, revealing why continuous sowing through early summer is the secret to garden abundance all year round. The truth is, June represents a pivotal transition in the vegetable garden. While your growing spaces might appear fully occupied now, within weeks early crops will be harvested, creating valuable real estate for new plantings. The gardeners who stop sowing ...
Tom Coward is headline speaker at Laois Garden Festival on Sunday 8th June 2025 celebrating the work of legendary Laois native and garden revolutionary William Robinson. What if the current trend for wild-looking, naturalistic gardens isn't just aesthetic preference, but actually a profound reaction to our technology-saturated lives? Tom Coward, head gardener at the world-renowned Gravetye Manor, draws fascinating parallels between William Robinson's revolutionary "wild garden" concept ...
Deep in the heart of West Cork lies a garden unlike any other in Ireland – an immersive 11-acre botanical wonderland where rainforest meets meadow, bamboo forests neighbor natural swimming ponds, and plants from distant corners of the world create a magical landscape that challenges everything you thought you knew about Irish gardens. When Americans Paul and Daniel acquired Ardea Garden in late 2021, they inherited not just a property but a botanical treasure trove – thousands of exotic plan...
Ready to break free from the cycle of planting, maintaining, and replacing summer bedding? This episode explores thoughtful alternatives to traditional bedding plants that offer beauty, functionality, and sustainability for your containers and pots. We dive into fruit-bearing options that deliver multiple seasons of interest—from the compact Coronet apple tree that thrives in large containers to strawberries and raspberries that cascade beautifully over pot edges. These plants don't just loo...
Summer has arrived with its warm embrace, transforming gardens seemingly overnight from soggy spring plots to sun-drenched growing spaces. With this dramatic shift comes the perfect opportunity to maximize your greenhouse or polytunnel, turning it into a powerhouse of production. Your greenhouse crops demand a counterintuitive approach to thrive. Rather than daily watering, which creates dependency and weak root systems, a calculated "miserly" approach with water forces plants to develop res...
The biodiversity crisis might seem like an insurmountable challenge, but amidst the doom and gloom shines a remarkable story of hope and transformation. Welcome to Wild Acres Nature Reserve in County Wicklow, where a couple's decision to trade corporate careers for conservation has created a thriving ecological paradise. When Brian and Gilly purchased four fields of intensively grazed perennial ryegrass in 2017, they faced a landscape stripped of life. Seven years later, their 34-acre reserv...
The garden awakens fully in May, transforming into a hub of activity that demands both attention and strategy. This explosion of growth creates the perfect environment for sowing an impressive variety of seeds, making it arguably the most productive month in the gardening calendar. With beds filling up rapidly, lawns growing vigorously, and perennials emerging from their winter dormancy, May presents an opportunity to maximize your garden's potential through thoughtful planning. The dramatic...
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