The Organic Gardening Podcast

Chris Collins chats to Josiah Meldrum, co-founder and owner of Hodemedods, about growing beans and pulses in the UK climate. Josiah explains how Hodemedods works with British farmers to supply pulses, such as lentils and chickpeas, in as sustainable way as possible and often using organic methods. He shares some varieties that can grow well in our gardens and how they grow more unusual crops such as chickpeas and lentils. He also shows how easy it is for British gardeners to overlook the multiple uses of beans. “People miss a trick in the UK when it comes to runner beans. We tend to think of them as something you harvest green, but the rest of the world don't do that: they also dry them,” says Josiah.  “In Poland, they've got a fantastic tradition of growing and harvesting these delicious white runner bean seeds…and in Greece, you'll have giant ‘Gigantes’. I would encourage everyone to save beans and eat them. The scarlet runners and the white seeded beans are absolutely delicious!” Also in this episode… Anton reveals how to grow ‘green chickpeas’, and whether it’s worth growing a crop of lentils. From the postbag, he discusses how to deal with moss on vegetable plots, and Chris and Fiona chat about the effects of the wet and windy spring. Many thanks to our sponsor Andermatt Garden, which offers high quality environmentally-sustainable products for the home and garden at andermattgarden.co.uk.

To celebrate Food Waste Action Week (18-24 March), Chris Collins and David Garrett join Fiona to bust the myths around composting. If you want to know how, why and what to compost this is a must-listen. David, our head of knowledge transfer at Garden Organic, shares the reasons he loves compost, and talks through the different composting systems at our organic demonstration garden, and how to use them. “We're producing kitchen waste at home so why not process it ourselves and produce compost? It's a circular economy in our own homes,” says David. “We're taking ownership of the waste and not relying on someone else to deal with it for us.” Also in this episode… Chris and Fiona chat about what to sow and plant now and how to care for winter ponds. 

Our CEO Fiona Taylor visits Slimbridge to chat to Simon Rose from the  Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) about ways to create similar habitats in your growing space.  With 75 per cent of wetlands in the UK lost in the last 300 years, Fiona explores the importance of urban bluescapes and bogs as a homes for wildlife. “Wetlands are really rich in wildlife – in fact 40 per cent of the world's species are reliant in some way on wetlands,” says Simon, who is Head of Experience Development at the WWT, which is based at Slimbridge Wetlands Centre in Gloucestershire. “But they also help prevent flooding and reduce carbon emissions. Wetlands are actually faster than rainforests at locking up carbon.” Simon and Fiona discuss ways you can mimic these diverse habitats in your own growing space. “Whenever you introduce water into the garden it's one of the best biodiversity boosters, and that could be anything from a bucket to half a barrel. Dig a hole, fill it with water, put some rocks and some plants in it and I guarantee that within weeks you’ll attract wildlife,” says Simon. “The sediment that settles on the bottom of a pond is another opportunity for carbon sequestration, even in a back garden setting.” Also in this episode… Chris Collins and Fiona chat about jobs you can be getting with this month, and Anton Rosenfeld delves into the postbag to help answer your questions. This month, they chew over using woodchip as a mulch, how to tackle rats, and ways to save money in the garden.

Join Fiona Taylor as she chats to Adam Alexander, aka the Seed Detective. Adam is a volunteer Seed Guardian for Garden Organic's Heritage Seed Library, and self-confessed seed nut! Adam shares stories of his travels around the world, and why seed saving and sharing is so important. For information on the Heritage Seed Library and how to get involved, visit gardenorganic.org.uk/what-we-do/hsl For information on Adam Alexander, visit theseeddetective.co.uk/

Our guest this month is Anthony McCluskey from Butterfly Conservation, who shares some fascinating advice about how to support butterflies and caterpillars in your growing space. We chat to Butterfly Conservation’s urban butterfly project officer about the importance of attracting more butterflies and nighttime pollinators such as moths. And he provides some brilliant advice on things you can plant and do in your garden to help support pollinator populations. “Recent studies show more than 80 per cent of our UK butterfly species are in decline and a lot of our moths are in decline too,” says Anthony, who is based in Stirling. “If you want to boost butterfly numbers locally, you need to pack your garden with ‘caterpillar plants’.” Also in this episode… Chris, Emma and Fiona take time to reflect on their successes and failures this year, and Emma answers questions from the postbag including how to plant wildlife-friendly hedges, tackle leek moth and improve soil in greenhouses.

In this month’s podcast, Chris hops across the border to visit the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to learn more about its conservation work. He chats to Kirsty Wilson, herbaceous supervisor at the botanic gardens, to discover more about its 350-year-old living collection of plants and its research projects. Kirsty, a presenter on BBC Scotland’s Beechgrove Garden, explains the steps the garden is taking to help fight climate change, including preserving struggling plants, using green and clean technology and biocontrols for pests.  “We're doing a lot of work conserving Scottish native flora, as well as plants that are dying out in the rest of the world,” says Kirsty. “It’s important to understand biodiversity and plant life – and the species that are struggling - so we can protect them…and raise awareness with governments.” Also in this episode… Chris and Fiona discuss the benefits of not being too tidy in the garden, and planting whips for hedging. From the postbag, we offer advice on what to do after tomato blight, ways to tackle invasive weeds and allium leaf miner.

In this month’s podcast, we chat to Pam ‘The Jam’ Corbin about making seasonal jams and chutneys from homegrown produce. As the UK's leading expert on preserving, Pam shares some of her best-kept preserving secrets in October’s Organic Gardening Podcast. Pam cemented her reputation as a preserving expert at Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s River Cottage. And in her latest book, Pam the Jam: The Book of Preserves, she provides detailed instructions for making more than 100 of her favourite recipes from classic pickles to savoury jams. Fiona caught up with her at her home in the West Country to take a tour of her pretty garden, and find out why she loves to make the most of delicious garden fruit and vegetables. Also in this episode… Chris Collins and Anton discuss creating the right conditions for healthy grapevines, friendly ways to tackle box moth caterpillars, and box alternatives, and how to avoid plum tree rot.

In this month’s podcast, Fiona chats to environmentalist Jane Davidson – our new Vice President - about the impact of climate change on her life and her gardening. In a fascinating discussion for our September Organic Gardening Podcast, the former Welsh Government minister shares her organic gardening trials and triumphs in North Pembrokeshire, and the importance of the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act, which she spearheaded. “We’ve lost 70 per cent of species in my lifetime…and we’re likely to exceed the crucial 1.5 degrees this year - and that's a massive wake-up call,” says Jane, who is Chair of Wales Net Zero 2035. “I'm absolutely passionate about the idea that if we teach young children about the value of nature, then we actually breed habits that can sustain forevermore. Also in this episode Fiona and Chris discuss the effect of this year’s changeable weather on their gardens and crops, looking at what’s done well and what hasn’t.  Chris shares insights into tomato blight, and how to bring a pop of autumn colour into your planting schemes. And from the postbag, Anton discusses harvesting carrots and parsnips and autumn seed sowing.

This month’s delicious Organic Gardening Podcast offers 50-minutes of organic gardening advice and growing stories from our experts at the height of the harvest. The August garden might be bursting at the seams but now’s a great time to be planning for next year. Chris and Fiona chat about growing potatoes for a Christmas crop and planting for the hunger gap in early spring. And discuss protecting your soil over autumn and winter with green manures. Also in this episode Fiona finds out more about gardening in Scotland with our new Vice President Pam Whittle CBE – including her tireless work as president of The Royal Caledonian Horticulture Society and why accessibility to gardening is key to public health. “Finding spaces where human beings and nature can coexist is crucial,” says Pam. “And, for me, it’s all about sharing knowledge, not just showing. People learn better when they can do it for themselves.” From the postbag, Emma and Chris chew over your gardening questions including what causes tomato leaf curl and how to regrow supermarket herbs. And you can discover more about a little weed called nipplewort.

 In this month’s podcast, our Head Gardener Emma O’Neill gives us a backstage tour of her brilliant Backyard Biodiversity show garden at Gardeners’ World Live – and the take aways to use in your own garden. Emma talks to Fiona about the climate-change focus of the silver award-winning garden, which gave gardeners inspiring ideas to help their garden better withstand drought and flooding.  She shares the benefits of permeable paths and gravel gardens for absorbing run off. And growing a short flowering lawn – with beneficial plants - for attracting insects. Fiona and Emma also discuss how low hedges of lavender and herbs can function as pollinator corridors, and which wildlife habitats can be slotted into a small garden. Also in this episode Chris Collins and Fiona share tips on conserving water, the importance of nurturing your soil and your front garden.    And from the postbag, you can learn how to use nematodes, prevent blossom end rot and when to harvest your garlic. 

In this month’s podcast, Chris Collins chats to the ‘Banksy of Veg’ - food and gardening activist Sara Venn – about the importance of community gardening. The founder of Incredible Edible Bristol talks us through her journey into gardening and how she realised eco-friendly, organic gardening was the right route. “I learnt there's an awful lot of horticulture that isn't very good for the planet,” she says. “There's an awful lot of horticulture that's quite posh…and there’s a lot that suggests it’s regenerative but is actually just about shifting people out of the way.” Over the last decade, Sara has worked with more than 60 communities to create local, cost-effective gardens that give people access to nature, food and wellbeing. And she shares lots of advice for communities thinking about starting an eco-friendly garden in their neighbourhood. “Let's grow more food!” she says. “Let's make food available to anybody that needs it. But let’s also looks at who we share the planet with. We can't survive without pollinators, however much we think we can. Our garden space is bigger than the space the National Parks cover, so imagine if everybody was gardening.”

Our gardens and growing spaces have never been more important as biodiversity declines. Listen to our fascinating conversation with wildlife gardening pioneer Chris Baines as he discusses the “wildlife revolution” in our gardens and the sea-change in attitudes towards incorporating nature-friendly habitats and techniques. “Gardens made a big, positive difference [to wildlife] once people started to see them as a place where they could enjoy and encourage wildlife, rather than a place that they needed to keep wildlife out,” says Chris, who suggests creating ‘service stations’ in your garden to influence bird and insect survival. “The past 60-70 years have been a disaster for wildlife. The one saving grace in the UK has been gardens. Gardens have got better for wildlife, while the wider countryside has got worse. There’s a real growing up of the idea that we can’t just stand back and watch everything disappear, we have to intervene.”

In this Cut Flower Special of The Organic Gardening Podcast, Sarah Brown chats with Jo Wright from Flowers from the Farm and Debbie Scott, from East Lothian Flower Farm, as they share their experience of growing cut flowers organically, offering valuable insights into the benefits of supporting local flower growers. “Growing organic flowers made complete sense as we think about what we do very carefully," says Jo. "Cut flowers are a luxury, and we think the onus is much greater on the growers of a luxury crop, to protect the environment. We cannot be wasting resources on something that is primarily decorative." Our CEO Fiona Taylor catches up with our Head of Horticulture, Chris Collins, and shares top tips for ensuring seedlings thrive and flourish. They also discuss getting the most out of your local garden centre, so you can make more informed choices.  “You do need to be wise about what you’re buying. It’s a question of walking around and seeing what’s native and getting the best out of your shop, getting your money’s worth and supporting biodiversity,” says Chris.

The first day of spring is here and we’re starting to sow the seeds of the gardening year. Chris Collins pays a visit to Richard Wilford at Kew Gardens where he talks about tackling pests and reducing digging. “Our tolerance of pests has changed,” says Richard. “You’ve just got to accept the fact you’re going getting some aphids sometimes, and not get your sprayer out every time you see one. Allow the garden ecosystem to do what it needs to do…and then you won’t need to worry about pest outbreaks because they’re naturally controlled.” He talks about his plans for a new Carbon Garden at Kew that will demonstrate which plants can cope with climate change and offset it, and what you can do in your own garden. “The soil is the most important thing in a garden…and the health of the plants is so much better when you’re not disturbing the soil. It acts as a great big carbon sink,” Richard adds. Chris also catches up with Garden Organic’s head gardener Emma O’Neill about what she’s doing in our organic demonstration garden this month. They discuss successional sowing - and how important a sowing timetable is for planning vegetables all year round, and share details of their favourite flowers. “Growing organically is not just about food production but also about incorporating ornamentals,” says Emma. “The more diversity you’ve got in your garden, the more beneficial stuff you’re going to get in including more pollinators.”

Spring is just around the corner and our Organic Gardening Podcast team are sharing their excitement at the gardening year ahead. Our head of horticulture Chris Collins chats to Fiona about his love of hardy annual flowers. He discusses how to prepare ahead and get the ground ready, and what to sow for a fabulous display in the summer. At his allotment, he’s making new plants from old by lifting and dividing herbaceous perennials. And Sarah Brown chats to Jack Wallington about his move from London to an exposed hillside smallholding in Yorkshire. The ecological grower, garden designer and author of A Greener Life, shares the challenges and joys of gardening in a new location. The focus of his new garden follows the same sustainable principles of his London garden and allotment, with nature at its heart. “We’re not here to control the garden, it’s the other way around – we’re here to help everything else thrive,” he says. “But you can do something really good for the world by producing a home for insects or growing your own food, so you reduce transport miles and packaging. Organic gardening is core to all of that – better for you and the planet.”

 “Everyone deserves a meal” is one of the mottos of organic gardener Sarah Mead as she tackles garden pests – and is the thread running through this month’s podcast. Fiona takes a tour of Sarah’s beautiful, Soil Association-certified organic garden at Yeo Valley dairy farm in Blagdon, and find out how she works alongside wildlife rather than trying to eradicate pests. “It’s critical to leave things alone so you don’t break the food chain because once you’ve done that you’ve lost the battle,” says Sarah, who uses sacrificial plants, companion planting and copper tape to help manage whitefly, slugs and other challenges in the six-and-a-half-acre garden. “Organic gardening is all about being hands off. It’s less work in the long run: less digging, less mowing, less spraying. It can be done on a large scale or a small one. Just start by apply one principle and keep going.”  To mark Veganuary, Fiona and Chris also discuss veganic gardening, and moving away from animal-based ingredients in the garden. They touch on the value of plant-based diets that encourage us to grow and eat more vegetables, which are great for our health and for biodiversity. And they also share their love of feeding the birds in winter - and look forward to Big Garden Birdwatch at the end of this month.

Preservation of produce, soil and seeds are some of the topics covered in this month’s podcast. Chris Collins and Fiona Taylor share their experience of storing vegetables such as cabbage and beans over winter, and using up fallen apples.  And our lead horticulturalist for the Heritage Seed Library, Marcin Salnikow, helps answer your postbag questions. This month we look at how and when to prune a wildlife-friendly native hedge and share advice on plants for pond edges. Fiona also meets chef and passionate organic advocate Sophie Grigson. Having written more than 20 cookbooks, Sophie has always been a vegetable enthusiast and now she lives in Italy, she’s discovering new and interesting varieties. This includes a tasty broccoli called Cimi di Rapa and 60 local varieties of cherry tomato. You can try out two of her delicious recipes below. Thanks to our sponsors The Organic Gardening Catalogue, visit www.organiccatalogue.com/POD9 to take advantage of their Autumn Bliss raspberry offer. 

We get up close to our soil in this month’s Organic Gardening Podcast with a fascinating discussion about protecting soil over winter, warming up wormeries and creating veganic compost.  Fiona joins Chris Collins to share details of her trip to a new compost demonstration site in Cumbria. And discusses how she looks after her wormery in winter to protect her worms and make the most of her vermicompost. And we learn how ‘spraing’ can affect potato tubers. Dr Anton Rosenfeld pays a visit to Becca Stevenson, head grower at the certified organic Five Acres Community Farm, in Ryton, to find out what’s involved in a community supported agricultural (CSA) farm. Becca shows Anton how CSA farms allow communities to buy shares in what they produce to get local produce on to local plates, cut down on food waste and increase community engagement with food growing. She talks about the challenges of pests and diseases and getting through the hungry gap with bundles of stored and preserved produce. Thanks to our sponsors The Organic Gardening Catalogue, visit www.organiccatalogue.com/POD8 to take advantage of their Autumn Bliss raspberry offer.

Chris and Fiona discuss the highlights of the season, and what’s keeping them busy on the plot, including planting bulbs, looking after dahlias and sowing microgreens for indoor crops. Fiona shares her tips for making and using chilli oil, including a rather strange combination of peanut butter and chilli oil on toast – if you’ve tried it let us know your verdict!  Chris chats to Stephanie Slater, Founder and CEO of charity School Food Matters. We hear Stephanie’s inspiration behind setting up the charity, the fantastic outcomes they’ve already achieved, and what they plan for the future to connect school children to the food they eat. “I have the easiest Chief Exec job around, I go to people and I say: Is it a good idea to serve children fabulous tasty nutritious food, yes or no? Is it a good idea that we expose children to the joys of outdoor learning and learning to grow their own food and become skilled individuals and skilled adults? There aren't many people who are going to say no." Finally, Anton and Chris answer listener questions, including splitting tomatoes, green manures for No Dig growers and organic options for playing field maintenance. Thanks to our sponsors The Organic Gardening Catalogue, visit www.organiccatalogue.com/POD7 to take advantage of their listener offer of a heated propagator for just £11.99.

Shoes filled with dust, salads shrivelling, and a bad case of watering can elbow - it’s certainly been one of the most challenging summers for gardeners!  In this month’s Organic Gardening Podcast, Garden Organic Chief Executive Fiona Taylor is joined by Head of Organic Horticulture Chris Collins and Head Gardener Emma O’Neill as they look ahead to spring and ­share tips for weatherproofing your garden.  The takeaway messages are: embrace the imperfect, don’t be put off if things fail – and just give it a go! The team talk about the importance of learning about your local conditions, rather than relying on what it says on the seed packet. And building resilience from the ground up by nurturing the soil and choosing a diverse range of plants. The team will show you how to plan ahead with tips for seed collecting and bulb planting. Including Chris’s ‘bulb trifle’ method! And to mark Organic September, you can find out why the team chose to go into organic horticulture. And learn what they wished they’d know before they started – all the while busting the myth that organic gardening takes more effort and money.