Gardening with the RHS

This week's programme is jam-packed with great gardening advice from our RHS experts on a huge range of topics to get your garden off to a flying start, including how to smarten up your garden and plants for spring colour. It's dahlia planting time and top dahlia breeder Dr Keith Hammett offers insight into the wonderful world of this most variable of garden flowers ('I like to call them the dogs of the plant world'!). Did you know you can propagate some houseplants by literally pulling the roots apart? And others can be grown from sections of leaf? RHS gardening advisor James Lawrence explains. Plus Chris Young with a preview of the latest issue of The Garden magazine.

Did you know that running a lawnmower for an hour can create the same carbon emissions as driving a car for 93 miles? Or that using peat-free compost in your garden is a great way to save wildlife and cut your carbon footprint? This week's show is all about the ways we can all make a difference on our doorstep. Featuring Catherine Cutler from The Eden Project, author Sally Nex and no-dig gardening guru Charles Dowding. Plus the latest in our series celebrating the unsung heroes of horticulture: the inspirational story of George Washington Carver; born a slave, he overcame overwhelming obstacles to become one of the most eminent and forward-thinking scientists of his day.

This week's programme is devoted to all things edible. Writer and podcaster Lucy Chamberlain shares expert tips on growing crops in small spaces and hot dry spots. Allotmenteer Ashley Nwokorie finds delight in growing a taste of her native Zimbabwe – covo or African kale. In the latest part of our Hidden Horticulturists series we highlight the story of Robert Thompson, a Victorian writer who help make gardening accessible to the masses. Host Guy Barter shares tips on hedges for allotments and shares some of his growing fails, proving that even the experts sometimes get it wrong. And finally, award-winning food writer Mark Diacono reveals the Far Eastern spice you can grow in your garden.

From winter floods to summer droughts, water is becoming ever-more of an issue for gardeners. This week, we talk to RHS Water Scientist Janet Manning, to discover clever ways we can all make the most of what we've got. The gardening advice team answers listeners' questions on plants that help prevent flooding, and those that tolerate both drought and waterlogging. Plus a look at the enduring legacy of pioneering plantswoman Beth Chatto's Dry Garden.

Discover a world of daffodils; from their amazing cultivars, the forgotten story of a man who saved them from a dreaded pest to their modern uses in treating Alzheimer’s disease. Plus, do you know the difference between a bulb, corm and a tuber? An RHS gardening advisor busts more botanical jargon.

Growing plants from seed has to be one of gardening’s most profound pleasures, and now is the ideal time to start thinking about what you’re going to grow this year. Today’s programme is jam-packed with great advice, including a surprising rule of thumb you may never have heard of from our resident allotment guru Guy Barter. Plus RHS Gardening Advisor James Lawrence gives tips on growing houseplants from seed and organic grower Claire Ratinon shares her love of tomatoes.

Love is in the airwaves this week. We’re bewitched by witch hazels, exploring the amorous history of the rose and the forgotten love language of flowers. Hear growing advice on roses and a Valentine’s bloom you can pick from the garden on the day itself, the violet. Plus expert flower arranging tips from florists Puttnam & Puttnam.

Wildlife is a hugely important part of gardens, and one that we’ve come to appreciate all the more in the last year. This week we discover the secret winter lives of native butterflies, learn how to make a wildflower meadow, and unearth why moles can actually be good for gardens. Plus author and wildlife expert Kate Bradbury discusses wildlife in RHS Gardens with editor of The Garden magazine Chris Young, and reflects on how our animal neighbours are helping humans get through lockdown. For links and info please see the show notes or rhs.org.uk/podcast

If you love nature and growing your own, but don't love digging, listen up! This week we're exploring permaculture, an environmentally-friendly way of growing that encompasses both edible, ornamental and wildlife-friendly plants in the same space. Including contributions from grower and forager Poppy Okotcha; Sylvia Travers, Team Leader in the Forest Garden at RHS Garden Bridgewater; and Vera Greutink, permaculturist and author of Edible Paradise.

It's an often-repeated phrase in gardening but putting the 'right plant in the right place' really is a shortcut to growing success. So this week we're exploring how to match plants with places – both indoors and out – to get the absolute best out of your garden and house plants. RHS gardening advisor James Lawrence gives tips on picking the right houseplant for different rooms and garden designer Lee Burkhill shares tips on getting to know your plot. Plus designer and nursery grower Gerry Price offers advice on growing plants in coastal gardens.

In this week’s episode we visit Cambo Gardens in Fife to meet snowdrop enthusiast Lady Catherine Erskine and her impressive collection of these iconic winter flowers. Plus contributions from nurserywoman Jane Rowlinson of Galanthus specialists Morlas Plants, and snowdrop growing tips from RHS gardening advisor Nikki Barker.

As the new year begins, our outdoor spaces seem more important than ever. This week we're looking at gardening can benefit the mind, body and soul. Grower and forager Poppy Okotcha shares the seasonal delights of winter purslane (Claytonia perfoliata) – a little-known salad plant that can provide fresh, healthy greens throughout the coldest months. Award-winning garden designer Juliet Sargeant gives her thoughts on how the way we garden will change in 2021, and what she's doing on her own plot to encourage wildlife. Plus the RHS's first 'Wellbeing Fellow', Dr Lauriane Suyin Chalmin-Pui details the results of a four-year scientific study onto how having a green front garden can reduce stress and improve your mental and physical health.

Do you know why we kiss under the mistletoe, or why holly and ivy are associated with Christmas? Head of RHS Libraries Fiona Davison explores the ancient myth and magic of Christmas plants. How green is your Christmas tree? Hear our guide to making sure your festive focal point doesn't cost the earth. Plus a look at an unusual cactus that grows on trees (and on your windowsill).

From changing patterns of frost and rainfall to increasing risks of summer heatwaves, climate change presents a unique set of challenges – and some opportunities – for gardeners. This week’s show is all about our increasingly variable weather and what it means for gardens, gardeners and our wildlife. Featuring weatherman and BBC broadcaster Peter Gibbs, WWF Head of Climate Change Gareth Redmond-King and RHS Gardening Advisor Nikki Barker.

This year our expert RHS panel comprises Fiona Davison (Head of Libraries and Exhibitions), Chris Young (Editor of The Garden magazine) and Guy Barter (Chief Horticulturist). They share their favourite gardening publications of 2020, and look forwards to some exciting new titles for 2021. We also speak to award-winning author Robert Macfarlane, who, like many people, was dismayed to discover that many nature-related words such as 'bluebell', 'acorn' and 'jay' were being lost from children's dictionaries. Unwilling to sit by and watch nature slip from the consciousness of our young people, he wrote a book – The Lost Words – which is now taught in schools across the country.

Snakebark maples, winter-flowering camellias and a sacred Central American shrub that makes itself at home on our windowsills... there are many amazing plants that give us colour and interest in even the darkest months. We visit the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens* to discover an incredible range of hardy plants that look great all winter. Garden designer Juliet Sargeant gives her seasonal tips for adding interest to your garden at home and we uncover the surprising story of a perennial Christmas favourite, the poinsettia. Plus plantsman and nursery owner Claire Austin's ode to an unusual evergreen iris that flowers from December to March. *Please note that this RHS Partner Garden is open free to RHS members in January and February. See link in the show notes for more detail.

Hear the incredible story of EK Janaki Ammal, a pioneering scientist who overcame race, class and gender discrimination to become the first female botanist at RHS Garden Wisley. Dr Chris Thorogood of Oxford Botanic Garden shares insight into the weird world of mutualism – plants and animals cooperating in unexpected ways to make the most of tough conditions. Plus the RHS gardening advisors gather to answer questions on roses (can you grow them in shade and can you move them?), a passionflower that refuses to bloom and growing herbs in planters.

This week we meet Andrew Forsyth of Weasdale Nurseries in Cumbria who explains the challenges of gardening 850ft up in the hills of Cumbria, and shares tips on how to garden in cold and exposed situations. Kate Risely, head of pioneering research project Garden BirdWatch, explains what changes have been observed since the project launched in 1995. Plus RHS advisors share insight on epiphytic plants and how to encourage birds into your garden.

This week we're unwrapping lots of gardening goodness, from expert seasonal advice and untold stories to wildlife tips. Nursery owner and plantswoman Claire Austin shares inside information on what the people who produce plants for our gardens are doing at this time of year (it's much more than you might think!); Zehra Zaidi tells the little-known story of John Ystumllyn, an 18th century African gardener in North Wales and Helen Bostock heads into the undergrowth to share tips on how to help hedgehogs in your garden.

This week we're all about planning for the months ahead. RHS Gardening Advisor James Lawrence offers tips on how to keep your houseplants happy and healthy through the winter. We visit Holehird Gardens* in Cumbria for inspirational seasonal planting ideas. Plus garden designer Flo Headlam offers tips on how to really make the most of fragrant plants in your garden. *Holehird Gardens are looking forward to welcoming visitors after lockdown. The gardens are un-manned and visitors are encouraged to show their support via the donation boxes.

Join us on a Halloween spooktacular! Dr Chris Thorogood of Oxford Botanic Garden delves into the weird and wonderful world of parasitic 'vampire' plants including the rainforest giant Rafflesia, the largest flower in the world; to one you can grow at home. Plus RHS gardening advisors Leigh Hunt and Becky Mealey talk death in the garden, with a guide to telling if your plants are ill or just resting, and how to rescue them from a near-death experience. Sometimes Frankestein-style surgery really is the way forward!

From Japanese digging knives to LED growing lights, tools and technology are transforming the way we garden. In this episode RHS experts share some unusual favourite gardening implements. We discuss how technology – from 19th century lawnmowers to 21st century sensors and apps – has changed and continues to change the face of gardening. Chelsea designer Hay Joung Hwang describes how she incorporates technology into her gardens. Paul Myers of Farm Urban explains how a zero-waste underground farm is bringing fresh year-round local food to the heart of Liverpool.

In week's programme we’re going wild for weeds. Author and designer Jack Wallington sings the praises of these much maligned plants and offers ideas for using them in gardens. RHS gardening advisor Nikki Barker offers insight on dealing with Japanese knotweed. California-based educator Indy Srinath shares her love of dandelions and writer Gareth Richards offers insight into the secrets of weeds’ success.

If you thought that fungi are just toadstools, think again. In this episode we discover how they make food, both help and hinder plants, and even inspire music. Featuring author and biologist Merlin Sheldrake, mushroom grower Ann Miller and RHS gardening experts.

This week we're turning young fingers green in a programme dedicated to the gardeners of tomorrow. Alana Cama and RHS Young Ambassador George Hassall hear heartwarming stories of people involved with the RHS Campaign For School Gardening; including last year's School Gardening Champion of the Year, Michelle Jones. Plus Lee Connelly, aka the Skinny Jean Gardener shares tips on how to engage children in gardening.

If you love spring bulbs but aren't sure where to start, we've got you covered. RHS Gardening Advisor Jenny Bowden gives her bulb planting 101 with lots of handy hints and tips; plus some lovely recommendations of which varieties to plant. Organic food grower and writer* Claire Ratinon tells the story of how she got into an ecologically-based way of gardening, and why it matters. Claire gives tips for organic growing in small spaces and containers. Plus garden designer Tom Massey's love letter to London's green lung, Richmond Park.

This week's show is all about saving. Jack Wallington is saving veg for the winter – who doesn't love being able to reach into the freezer or pantry for a quick taste of summer on a cold November day? RHS Water Scientist Janet Manning shares some expert tips on how to make the very best use of water and mulches in your garden, revealing some surprising facts along the way. And as ever our resident gardening guru Guy Barter is full of useful info and gardening tips too.

This week we've a bumper crop of help and advice to get your garden into shape for autumn. RHS experts give timely tips on everything from picking seasonal bedding plants, smartening up your plot, growing lemons and how to prune a purple-leaf elderberry. Horticulturist and TV presenter Flo Headlam gives a garden designer's take on how to get the best from your garden in autumn and shares her favourite plants for late-season impact.

This week we're exploring the weird, wild and wonderful world of foraging with activist Indy Srinath. Dr Chris Thorogood from Oxford Botanic Garden explains the deadly secrets of some of our most common plants and garden designer Juliet Sargeant shares her love of a particular hebe which has some really useful qualities in the garden.

This week we’re exploring the colourful world of floral arrangements. We’re taking a journey from the field to the florist, starting with sustainable British grower Cel Robertson from Forever Green Flower Company. Then, we’re heading to one of the most famous floral centres in the world, New Covent Garden Market, to hear about its history. We’re meeting florist to the stars Simon Lycett in LA as he shares some of his career highlights: from arranging royal wedding flowers, to film set bouquets. Plus we finish with some top tips from our advisory team on how to grow spectacular cut flowers at home.

The transformative power of gardening has never been more evident – or more necessary – than it is now. This week guest presenters TV gardener Danny Clarke and Alana Cama from the RHS Campaign for School Gardening explore communal urban gardens tackling inequality and food poverty in Los Angeles with activist Indy Srinath. Closer to home we meet Tayshan Hayden-Smith. He's CEO of Grow2Know, a non-profit organisation born from the ashes of the Grenfell Tower disaster, that now empowers young people through horticulture. Tayshan talks about breaking through the barriers to make gardening and horticulture truly inclusive and sharing their amazing benefits for health and wellbeing with everyone. Plus a look at what the RHS is doing to promote community gardening across the country.

From growing exotic veg and making Middle Eastern spice mixes to the fascinating world of fermentation, this week's show is dedicated to all things edible.

Seed saving can be a powerful and life-affirming act – permaculture designer Poppy Okotcha shares her thoughts on how and why we should all be saving our own seeds. Resident gardening guru Leigh Hunt dispenses timely gardening advice with his top 10 jobs for August, and RHS advisors discuss rain gardens. Plus: how long can seeds and plants last? Dr Chris Thorogood of Oxford Botanic Garden reveals some surprising facts.

Did you know that the lotus leaf inspired the creation of self-cleaning glass and paints? Or that some tropical carnivorous plants get so big they can eat shrews? Plant hunter and scientist Dr Chris Thorogood shares some of the incredible floral feats that made him fall in love with plants. Garden writer Pattie Barron recounts a meeting with plant that makes a fragrant waterfall of edible foliage with an unmistakeable Mediterranean ambience. Terry Richardson (aka 'The Black Thumb') is a plant paramedic who rescues orchids from bins; hear his tips on turning trash plants into prize specimens. Plus the RHS gardening advice team tackle questions on evergreen shrubs for pots, poorly-looking roses, growing indoor ferns, and how to make your pond water clear.

This week we join in with Tatton Park at Home, as our much-loved Cheshire flower show heads online. Meet designers whose careers have been kickstarted by the show's Young Designer of the Year competition. Last year young designer Charlie Hartigan's 1 in 10 garden won the People's Choice award; hear her story and tips for aspiring designers. We speak to Ruth Bolam from English Country Gardeners to get advice for anyone starting a career as a professional gardener, and hear heuchera tips from the show's Master Growers, Plantagogo.

This week's programme is dedicated to perhaps the quintessential foliage plant, the fern. Firstly, garden designer Danny Clarke shares his love of the majestic tree fern, Dicksonia antarctica. Then we head into the dark and mysterious Stumpery at RHS Garden Rosemoor to meet a magnificent cast of ferns luxuriating in the cool, moist conditions there. Author and journalist Richard Mabey explores a fern frenzy that swept Victorian Britain, the catchily-named Pteridomania. And finally, RHS horticultural advisor Jenny Bowden offers hints and tips on how to get the best out of ferns in your garden.

Writer, broadcaster and houseplant obsessive James Wong encourages us to face our fear of killing plants and reap the incredible benefits of indoor gardening. There's never been a better time to think outside the (plant) pot, curating miniature worlds at home and getting creative with alternative planting spaces such as terrariums. Head of RHS Libraries Fiona Davison explores the history of plant medicine prior to next week's launch of the Healing Garden online exbitition. Erin Lovell Verinder, author of Plants for the People: A Modern Guide to Plant Medicine shares some of the herbal remedies that might just be lurking in our own garden weeds. Plus therapeutic gardener Ozichi Brewster outlines her pioneering social prescribing project at RHS Garden Bridgewater near Manchester.

This week we're gardening on barges, balconies and in bathrooms in a programme dedicated to urban gardening. Writer Alice Vincent dispenses tips on plants, pots and more from her London balcony garden 40ft above the ground. Freddie Blackett of Patch Plants talks about the changing ways we're buying and using houseplants, and permaculture designer Poppy Okotcha shares her experiences gardening on a houseboat in the heart of the city.

This week we're talking all things edible with a programme entirely devoted to growing your own fruit and vegetables. Award-winning garden designer Juliet Sargeant shares veg garden wisdom in a piece that's a must-listen for anyone starting out on a homegrown journey. Allotment holder and Instagram gardener Kirsty Ward shares her life-long love of gooseberries, along with tips on how to grow them. Plus the RHS Gardening Advice Team answer listeners' questions on crop rotation, Florence fennel and growing veg in the shade.

This week we have an ode to oaks as we celebrate grandfather of British native trees. Wisley Curator Matthew Pottage shares his personal love for Quercus, and wisdom on how to garden with them. Professor Fiona Stafford from the University of Oxford, (author of 'The Long, Long Life of Trees') reveals their history and folklore. Plus Nikki Barker from the RHS Gardening Advice team offers extra advice on ways to use oaks in your garden.

This week we're talking green roofs with designer Ula Maria (past winner of the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition). We have part two of our chat about houseplants with biophilic designers and Virtual Chelsea exhibitors Studio Roco; plus the Gardening Advice team answer members' queries on dealing with lily beetle, groundcover shade planting and growing olives.

Plants might not seem like front-line weapons in our fight to stay healthy, but as our contributors to this week's programme show, green is good for everything from coronavirus to PTSD. My Little Allotment Kirsty Ward tells the story of how she used an allotment to help her rebuild her mental health after being diagnosed with PTSD following a traumatic childbirth experience. Nurse Kate Tantam (who cared for the 84 year old explorer we featured in last week's show as he was recovering from Covid-19) explains how and why hospital gardens are so good for patients. Plus RHS Young Ambassador George Hassall shares his love of the Acer (Japanese maple).

Show Manager Katherine Potsides takes us on a tour of this year's virtual version of the 'Greatest Flower Show on Earth'. Featuring biophilic design from Studio Roco, who give houseplant tips and talk us through their inspiration from artist, film-maker and activist Derek Jarman's renowned seaside garden in Kent. Meanwhile, Fiona Davison, RHS Head of Libraries, explores the show's history and origins, including a look at how the gardens have changed over time. Award-winning designer Tom Massey tells the tale of how unused Chelsea plants have brought joy from tragedy. After the show's cancellation was announced, they were planted in a hospital garden – with transformative results. One patient in particular felt the benefit: seeing this new garden literally gave Robin Hanbury-Tenison (an 84 year-old famous explorer) a new lease of life after his long battle with Covid-19.

This week Chelsea designer Jilayne Rickards and agricultural entrepreneur Beauty Gombana share the stories behind Jilayne's Zimbabwean-themed garden 'Giving Girls a Space to Grow', created for female education charity CAMFED. The advice team answers listeners' questions on subjects including taking cuttings, growing rubber plants and how to improve soil without buying compost. Plus designer Sarah Eberle's ode to the hawthorn tree.

Lots of us are drawing on creative pastimes as a way of getting through the current situation. This week we speak to artist, scientist, author and Deputy Director of the Oxford Botanic Garden, Dr Chris Thorogood. Chris shares his fascination with weird and wonderful plants and offers some expert tips on how to paint and draw them. Fiona Davison explores the history of botanical art at what is generally considered the world's biggest collection of plant paintings, the RHS Lindley Library. Young RHS Ambassador George Hassall is also a fan of plants that bite back, and he tells us about his passion for the gruesomely beautiful pitcher plants, Nepenthes. And finally... our resident allotment guru Guy Barter talks to gardening advisor Leigh Hunt about cunning ways to beat seed shortages and grow your own at home.

As we approach International Dawn Chorus Day this Sunday (3rd May), we've decided to dedicate an entire episode of the podcast to our feathered friends. We meet the RSPB's Adrian Thomas, who orchestrated a top 40-charting single composed entirely of birdsong; RHS wildlife guru Helen Bostock offers advice on how to make your garden bird-friendly, and Dr John Grimshaw of The Yorkshire Arboretum shares his love of peafowl. Plus an unforgettable rook impression from RHS Chief Horticulturist Guy Barter.

Anna Greenland, former Head Vegetable Gardener at Raymond Blanc's renowned restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons shares experiences gained from years of growing veg and herbs for use in Michelin-star meals. Meanwhile Wisley Curator Matthew Pottage muses on monkey puzzles and RHS Gardening Advisor Rebekah Mealey heads into the garden with her daughter Faye to get growing too.

This week we've got seasonal lawncare tips galore, RHS entomologist Andy Salisbury shares his love of beetles, and award-winning designer Lee Burkhill explains how to use gardening to promote mental wellbeing. Plus design duo Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg discuss multi-dimensional design inspirations and storytelling in their creations both at RHS Garden Bridgewater and their garden that would have been at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.

Award-winning designer Sarah Eberle gives us a virtual tour of the garden she designed for this year's Chelsea Flower Show. Plus we're feeling the love for allotments and sharing advice on quick-growing vegetables to provide speedy harvests during lockdown. RHS water scientist Janet Manning explores the results of an experiment to find out how much water hanging baskets really need.

April is always a busy month in the plant world, and despite lockdown, this year is no exception. So this week's show is full of ideas of how to grow when you've nowhere to go. Lee Burkhill, winner of an RHS Feel Good Garden competition, shares his personal guide on how to keep on gardening during lockdown. Plus we're talking houseplants: Wisley Curator Matt Pottage shares one of his all-time favourite plants, and gardening advisor Jenny Bowden offers seasonal care tips. Nikki Barker has some expert help for a listener who wants to keep their herbs in shape, and offers some handy hints on growing herbs indoors.

Our human world might've changed completely in the past few weeks but the joyful beauty of plants and flowers shines brighter than ever. This week, Rob Evans of Pheasant Acre Plants shares his love for one of the brightest stars of flower gardens everywhere, the dahlia. RHS Gardening Advisor Becky Mealey brings us back to earth with some timely advice on how to get the best from peat-free compost, and Jenny Bowden encourages us all to make the most of our front gardens, sharing design tips and planting ideas to make them bloom.

This week's show is a bulging barrowful of edible gardening advice. RHS Horticulturists Guy Barter and Lenka Cooke discuss how to grow tomatoes, recommended tomato varieties and ways to beat blight. The Gardening Advice team gather to debate the best strawberries to grow on a patio and how to get rid of scale insects on a lemon tree. Plus seasonal gardening jobs to do in March.

How do you make your garden wildlife friendly? What are the star plants for helping out the birds and the bees? Horticultural Advisors Jenny Bowden and James Lawrence discuss top tips for bringing nature to your plot. Meanwhile Guy Barter and entomologist Andy Salisbury discuss the results of a pioneering RHS research project to discover whether native plants are better for bugs and Hayley Jones shares advice on what's hot and what's not when it comes to insect hotels. Plus an allotmenteer shares his love of bees.

What flowers can you grow for a September wedding? How do you tame a wisteria that's got a bit too involved with an apple tree? What's the best way to propagate snowdrops? Can you save climbers when replacing a rotten fence? Our team of experts gathers together to solve your gardening questions. Plus, advice on xylella, a major new plant disease; and we continue our mini-series on houseplants as Jane Perrone, Matthew Pottage and Anne Swithinbank share their personal favourites and offer tips on how to care for them.

Wake up and smell the chlorophyll! In a special collaborative edition we're simulcasting with On The Ledge podcast, panelists Jane Perrone, Anne Swithinbank and Matthew Pottage discuss all things houseplant. From their first ever plants that sparked a love of greenery, to what they're growing now, to fantasy houseplants for a fantasy house. Weird, wild and wonderful – full of interesting plant suggestions and practical tips on how to grow them. See our programme page at rhs.org.uk/podcast for a plant list and useful links

This week our resident gardening guru Guy Barter gazes into his crystal ball to make some predictions for the year ahead in horticulture, before heading to the Glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley to come face to face with some very naughty houseplants. So naughty in fact that they've taken over an entire Victorian house, elbowing the human occupants aside in a verdant invasion that's sure to delight visitors. Garden Manager Emma Allen braves the bristling bromeliads and chess-playing cacti to take Guy round this quirky new attraction. Plus part two of our visit to gardening charity Thrive, who help people with disabilities or ill health to keep on gardening. Training, Consultancy & Education Manager Damien Newman gives useful advice on ways to garden when sight loss becomes an issue.

A look back over the past year to some of the best bits of our gardening podcasts. In March we met the staff and inmates at HMP Hull to find out how an award-winning prison garden has helped transform lives behind bars. Plus garden writer Sally Nex charts her quest for a plastic-free plot, and we discover what curators, editors and other RHS staff members are most looking forward to horticulturally in 2020.

This week we head to Reading to discover how gardening can bring positive life changes to people living with disabilities or ill health, thanks to the work of the charity Thrive. Plus RHS staff share their tips for homegrown Christmas decorations and Wisley's Curator Matthew Pottage shares some seasonal highlights to look out for and tips on houseplants.

Free yourself from everyday mundanities and dive into other worlds from the comfort of your own home... yes it's our annual books special! This year our literary committee share a huge range of favourites, including unusual and delightful books for gifts this Christmas, books to excite children and stimulate the minds of adults too. This year's panel comprises Fiona Davison (Head of Libraries and Exhibitions), Chris Young (Head of RHS Editorial), James Armitage, (Editor of The Plant Review) and Guy Barter (Chief Horticulturist).

With flooding, climate change and wellbeing becoming ever more important topics, planting trees has become a call to arms to anyone interested in making the future a brighter place. We talk to Carol Honeybun-Kelly from the Woodland Trust about a nationwide tree-planting campaign, The Big Climate Fightback. Dr Andrew Hirons, Senior Lecturer in Arboriculture at University Centre Myerscough offers advice on the best trees for challenging urban situations, making some personal selections that should prove resilient in the face of climate change and increasing pest and disease threats. Meanwhile, back at RHS Garden Wisley, our Gardening Advice teams offers tips on how to propagate bear's breeches (Acanthus) and shares advice on how to garden alongside cats and dogs.

What type of hedge is best for trapping pollution? Which hedging plants help mitigate flooding risks? Can you grow roses and clematis together to make a flowering hedge? We went to a recent 'Hedging Your Bets' event at RHS Garden Wisley to find out more. Plus the Gardening Advice team gathers to answer queries on houseplants for a shady bathroom, growing houseleeks and aeoniums, the secrets of making great compost – and whether you can grow your own wasabi peas?!

This week the Wisley teams share their wisdom on growing great veg and dealing with the sweet-sounding but deadly bane of many gardens: honey fungus. Pathologist Matthew Cromey shares the results of recent RHS research which shines new light on which plants are most resistant. Plus the heartwarming story of an unused church plot that was transformed with help from the RHS's Greening Grey Britain campaign into a garden to soothe and feed the mind, body and soul.

Horticulturists Joe Olds and Bernard Boardman are in the orchard at Wisley, discussing how to get the best from apples and grapevines. Alex Hankey talks plant trials and Sabatino Urzo shares the results of a recent People's Choice vote to discover the favourite clematis from a trial of 28 varieties at RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Meanwhile, our gardening advice team gather to answer questions on growing British native trees from seed, making gardens hedgehog-friendly and pruning lavender and rosemary.

As autumn hits its stride we're at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex to sample the exotic yet seasonal delights of the Global Growth Vegetable Garden with Matthew Oliver and Head Chef James Curtis. Meanwhile back at Wisley, Team Leader Verity Bradbury shares her favourite autumnal plants from the Equinox Borders and entomologist Imogen Cavadino has a call for gardeners to help research into a new(ish) slug on the block which seems to be elbowing out its relatives. (If a slug could elbow!)

This week we return to Wisley for a very special event as HRH The Duchess of Cambridge opens the new Back to Nature Garden, which was inspired by show gardens co-designed by HRH alongside landscape architects Andrée Davies and Adam White at the Chelsea and Hampton Court Palace flower shows. It's a place for families and friends to have fun in nature, while hopefully igniting a love for gardening and growing plants. Plus seasonal gardening advice from entomologist Hayley Jones who offers timely tips on dealing with bugs, Mark Tuson who's busy planting bulbs at Wisley and we meet master daffodil grower Ron Scamp.

As autumn approaches and a new generation of gardeners re-discovers the late-season charms of chrysanthemums, we get expert advice on how to grow them from RHS Master Grower Martyn Fish of Chrysanthemums Direct. We talk to James Armitage, editor of The Plantsman, who shares some exciting news about this magazine for plant lovers ahead of its September re-launch. Plus seasonal lawn-care advice from David Hedges-Gower and joyful garden memories from Chelsea gold medal-winning designers Jilayne Rickards and Miki Sato.

This week we discover two fantastic new gardens - RHS Bridgewater near Manchester, which is gearing up to open its doors in 2020; and the Cool Garden which is already becoming a horticultural highlight at RHS Rosemoor in Devon. As peak hedge-cutting season approaches, hand surgeon Professor Grey Giddins gives some timely advice on gardening health and safety. Plus joyful garden memories from Chelsea designers Andy Sturgeon and Taina Suonio.

This week we're at RHS Wisley where we meet garden managers Peter Jones and Emma Allen who share seasonal horticultural highlights and tips on what to do now. The Gardening Advice team deal with a bulging post bag of queries on a range of topics including lining hanging baskets, feeding tomatoes, summer lawn care, growing plants in pots and more. Plus we have joyful garden memories from designers Sarah Eberle and Chris Beardshaw.

At the last major RHS flower show of the year we're talking bugs, slugs and lawns and visiting the show's Bridgewater garden, which is inspired by the new RHS site that will open in Salford next year. Plus we meet the winner of the Young Designer competition, whose garden aims to raise awareness of some important plant health issues that gardeners need to be aware of this summer.

This week we're going back to nature at the world's biggest annual flower show. Designer Jo Thompson explains how she's gone wild with the BBC Springwatch Garden, Dave Green shares his meditative spaces in the Stop and Pause Garden and Matthew Childs contemplates new approaches to energy use in the Smart Meter Garden. Plus we visit the RHS Back to Nature Garden (co-designed by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, Andrée Davies and Adam White), discover a drought-tolerant garden in memory of horticultural hero Beth Chatto, meet community allotmenteers and hear a surprising botanical cocktail recipe from food writer Mark Diacono.

This week we uncover untold histories of 19th-century gardeners with Fiona Davison, author and Head of Libraries and Collections at the RHS. Then we head out into the Chelsea crowds to meet Sue and Steve Hall who are part of our purple-clad cadre of volunteers; un-sung modern day gardening heroes who help run the RHS Flower Shows – they share what volunteering means to them. Plus a look at the incredible floral art from the National Association of Flower Arranging Societies (NAFAS) as the organisation celebrates its 70th year.

In this edition we're at the newest RHS Flower Show on the block in the stunning estate of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. We explore the power of trees, get dazzled by dahlias and inspired by the innovative gardens and plants galore. Plus a live recording of a question and answer session where an expert panel helps showgoers with their thorny gardening questions

This week we're at the world's premier floral extravaganza in the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. We meet garden designers, celebrities and plantspeople to discover the stories behind the gardens and plants that make the show so special.

Our gardening advisors gather to help RHS members with their horticultural queries, including propagating peperomias and repotting aloe veras, growing cauliflowers successfully and when to plant an acer. Plus Wisley horticulturist Bernard Boardman offers seasonal tips on garden ponds and broadcaster Matthew Biggs shares insights from his new book, A Nation in Bloom.

This week we head across the Severn Bridge to the RHS Flower Show Cardiff. Guest presenter James Alexander-Sinclair chairs a panel of gardening experts – Rob Evans from Pheasant Acre Plants, Jane Linsday from Tynings Climbers and Chairman of RHS South West in Bloom Jon Wheatley – who answer a bumper crop of show-goers' queries. Topics covered include which plants to grow with children in a community garden, which plants give you most return for your effort, how to get a bougainvillea to flower, dealing with overgrown trees in pots, and more. We also hear from some of the plant exhibitors and garden designers. (Ep 153: 25 Apr 2019) Selected plants mentioned: Verbena bonariensis, bougainvillea, Edgeworthia chrysantha (paperbush), Trachelospermum (star jasmine)

In this mini-edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, James Alexander-Sinclair chairs a panel of experts who answer show-goers' plant puzzles on the first day of the show. A full version of the Question and Answer session will be broadcast on 25 April.

Our trusty advisors gather to help RHS members with their gardening problems including what to do about an apple tree that produces nasty apples, which are the most blackspot resistant roses and how to stop your peace lilies going brown. Garden writer Melissa Mabbitt and Deputy editor of The Garden magazine Phil Clayton debate this month's hot topic – whether forcing plants out of season is an acceptable sales tactic. And finally, Jenny Bowden reveals the results of a nationwide survey into which plants are most deer resistant. Selected blackspot-resistant roses: Rosa rugosa , 'Roseraie de l'Hay', 'Blanche Double de Coubert', 'Shepherdess'

This week we meet the staff and inmates at HMP Hull and discover how a prison garden has helped transform lives behind bars. Last year the prison's horticultural achievements won them the coveted Windlesham Trophy, an RHS award for the best prison garden. Meanwhile back at RHS Garden Wisley we meet pathologist Matthew Cromey who shares advice on the top 10 plant diseases reported to our gardening advice service last year. And finally, entomologist Andy Salisbury introduces a new kind of insect that marks the first new 'order' to be found in the UK in over a century.

As the annual Hit Parade of garden nasties is revealed, Entomologist Andy Salisbury shares the results and offers advice on how to deal with them. Meanwhile the Gardening Advice team gathers to debate questions sent in from young gardeners at St Patrick's School in Stratford, including whether you can grow flowers from flowers and how to tell a good caterpillar from a bad one. And following the recent announcement of a forthcoming ban on metaldehyde-based slug pellets, our resident gastropod guru Dr Hayley Jones offers research-based advice on slug and snail control. Plus questions from members on box problems, growing your own dye plants and dealing with blackfly. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

This week we lift the lid on the RHS Herbarium, a unique collection of dried plant material from around the world that's used by scientists, researchers and artists. We learn how and why samples are prepared for inclusion – and share the recent discovery of a very special part of the collection: a potato that was brought back from the voyage of HMS Beagle by Charles Darwin. Plus, plant pathologist Matthew Cromey shares tips with Guy Barter on how gardeners can avoid potato blight and Chris Young gets an insider's view on what visitors can expect at this year's RHS Flower Show Cardiff. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

We visit RHS Garden Wisley to discover the new plant propagation facilities and what they mean for the gardeners there. And it's not just plants that the RHS is cultivating: as we look to the next generation of horticulturists there's still time to enter the Young School Gardener of the Year competition. Plus an exploration of our Partner Gardens, more than 200 glorious gardens nationwide (and overseas) that open their gates for free to RHS members at selected times throughout the year; and our advice team troubleshoots a poor courgette harvest and offers suggestions on replacing an overgrown shrub border. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

This week we follow in the footsteps of the Duchess of Cambridge who recently visited King Henry’s Walk Garden in Islington, an RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood group, to meet the community gardeners. Meanwhile back at our horticultural HQ, we meet Fiona Davison, Head of Libraries and Collections, who shares details of an exciting programme of upcoming exhibitions on hidden horticulturists, digging for victory and more. Plus a look into the murky waters of garden ponds to discover the difference between frog, toad and newt spawn and  get advice on how to protect these valuable garden amphibians. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

What can you plant for winter colour - that's not a dogwood? Should you remove the yellow leaves on sprouts? Tune in and find out the answers to these and lots more seasonal gardening questions. We talk to pest and disease experts to find out how the wild weather of 2018 affected plants and gardens. Plus a look at what's coming up at RHS Flower Shows this year. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

As 2018 draws to a close, here's a look back at some of our favourite moments of the year. From the energy and dynamism of the Chelsea Flower Show, interviews with luminaries of the gardening world such as Fergus Garrett and Beth Chatto, to an exploration of the tranquil streamside plantings at Harlow Carr, join us on a leisurely stroll through the audio annals of 2018 - a year in gardening. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

The Gardening Advice team gathers together for a bumper question-and-answer session, sorting out enquiries ranging from whether you can grow your own vine leaves, which figs grow best in the UK, using an old hot water tank as a pond, how to get rid of those pesky little compost flies in your houseplants, and more. Plus ideas for last-minute Christmas presents and a look at 2018's changes at RHS Garden Wisley. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Wildlife expert and writer Kate Bradbury shares her top tips on what to do now to help garden wildlife through the winter. Paul Wood discusses the past, present and future of street trees, and shares some of his discoveries of the more unusual botanical residents of our towns and cities. Meanwhile back at RHS HQ, our magazine team debates the pros and cons of the 'novelty' plants - painted, bejewelled with glitter and more - that seem to pop up everywhere at this time of year. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

In this special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we're joined by experts and authors who discuss their favourite gardening books both classic and modern, and give recommendations of books for presents this Christmas. For more information, including a list of the titles mentioned, please see rhs.org.uk/bookspodcast

Nestled in a Devon valley, RHS Garden Rosemoor blends formal and informal plantings to magical effect. From delightful cottage gardens to orchards, vegetables and peaceful woodland plantings, there's something for everyone, at any time of year. Join us as we go behind the scenes, meeting the people who make it all happen and uncovering the garden's history along the way. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

A visit to the recent RHS Urban Garden show uncovers an ultraviolet garden, dancing plants, terrariums and much more. Plus a delve into dahlias, what to do with an abundant grape harvest and smaller, slug-resistant sunflowers. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

This week's podcast is all about gardening winners - from Edwardian trailblazer who ruffled feathers by daring to win a nationwide horticultural competition while being a woman - to brilliant begonias, which won the RHS People's Choice Award last year on the Wisley trials field. Plus a look at how RHS Plant Trials are conducted and what the Awards of Garden Merit they produce mean for gardeners. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

The RHS Campaign for School Gardening touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of children throughout the UK, providing children with gardening opportunities to enhance their skills while boosting their development and wellbeing. We meet the people behind the campaign as well as the winners of its recent School Gardening Awards. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

This week's episode is jam-packed with helpful info on growing your own fruit and veg, including pumpkins and squashes, courgettes, garlic, pears, French and runner beans and more. Plus the Garden Advisors discuss banishing an over-enthusiastic Virginia creeper and growing cut flowers for a wedding. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

If you go down to the shops today, you're in for a big surprise. If you live in Sheerwater, Surrey, that is - where a new community garden is taking root as a result of an innovative new partnership between community groups, the RHS, local councils and the HLF*. Plus our Gardening Advice team gather to untangle a postbag bulging with horticultural heartaches including questions on dahlias, damsons, roses, hydrangeas, sweetcorn and more. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Have you ever dreamed of travelling to distant lands to see and study plants in their native habitats? Or perhaps you'd like to grow your knowledge in other ways? An RHS bursary may be able to help. Past recipients share their stories of travels to Portugal and the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Closer to home, Matt Pottage gives an update on the latest in RHS Garden Wisley's multimillion-pound redevelopment, we head to Harlow Carr for tips on helping hedgehogs. Plus news on the Big Soup Share from the RHS Campaign for School Gardening. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

From iconic blue Himalayan poppies and drifts of streamside primulas to subtropical borders and precious alpines, Harlow Carr is a paradise for plant lovers. In this episode we meet the gardeners who share their favourite plants and parts of the most northerly RHS Garden. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

We head behind the scenes at Wisley to find out what RHS scientists are studying in their ongoing work to keep our beloved garden plants safe and healthy. And with just a few weeks to go until the ever-popular People's Dahlia Competition at the Wisley Flower Show, we get some top tips on how to get the best from these colourful flowers. Back in the science department, Dr Hayley Jones shares some wisdom on wasps and pathologist Matthew Cromey gives an update on ash dieback and what gardeners can do about it. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Join us on a journey through a Floral Fantasia and around the world in 80 veg... As our easternmost garden reaches the end of a multi-million pound investment programme, we visit a revitalised site that's bursting with colourful flowers and exotic edibles, discover what's new for visitors and find out how it has become more environmentally sustainable. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

This week we're at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in Cheshire, revelling in this floral extravaganza in the glorious Cheshire countryside. We explore some of the show highlights before heading into 'The Beehive' with author and broadcaster Matthew Biggs who chairs a live question and answer session with gardening experts Mark Diacono, Lia Leendertz and Tony Dickerson. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Join us at the largest annual flower show on earth! We meet horticultural hero Piet Oudolf, chef and home-grown veg champion Raymond Blanc, RHS Master Grower Matt Soper of Hampshire Carnivorous Plants, among others in this whistle-stop tour of just a few of the highlights of this incredible show. Plus garden designer and TV presenter Ann-Marie Powell gives a guided tour of Countryfile's 30th Anniversary Garden. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Designer Ann-Marie Powell explains the ideas behind her garden celebrating 30 years of BBC’s Countryfile, which aims to inspire and reconnect visitors with nature. The space explores a critically important world residing on our doorsteps as well as the wider countryside. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

This year at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show there's a real feeling of coming together and growing communities alongside delicious, healthy food. We meet the people behind these transformational gardens that promise to be a treat for the mind, body and soul. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

To mark the centenary of the first female suffrage in the UK, the RHS asked four female designers, all aged under 30, to create gardens to resonate with different lifestyles and reflect the owner's personality and way of life. It's the ideal category for visitors wanting ideas to create a garden at home that they can fall in love with, as Show Manager Gemma Lake and designer Lilly Gomm explain. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

As new plantings emerge from the dust and hubbub of the redevelopments at Wisley, we explore the Wisteria Walk and Heather Landscape. Plus a round-up of RHS partner gardens to visit this summer, results of a two-year science research project into how gardeners can best deal with carrot fly and wildlife writer Kate Bradbury rallies gardeners in defence of some surprising allies - wasps! For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

This week we're at the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show in Derbyshire, revelling in this floral extravaganza in the heart of the Peak District. Florist Jonathan Moseley reveals the UK's largest ever orchid display and James Alexander-Sinclair chairs a live question and answer session with leading gardening experts including Martin Fish, Leigh Hunt and Helen Bainbridge. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

One of the greatest gardeners of the 20th century, Beth Chatto, recently died at the age of 94. Beth was admired and loved by family, friends and gardeners around the world. One of those friends was another legendary plantsman, Roy Lancaster. He visited the garden in Essex she created with her late husband, Andrew, to discuss the development of what she described as a "horticultural and ecological experiment". Hear Beth and Roy in an interview which was to become an article, Dear Mrs Chatto, in the January 2010 issue of The Garden magazine.

Garden designer, TV presenter and RHS flower show judge James Alexander-Sinclair takes us on a journey into the heart and soul of the Chelsea Flower Show, exploring top-end design, incredible plants and planting, and meeting the people who make it all happen and the celebrities who turn out in force to soak up the Chelsea buzz. Find out about feel-good gardens, exciting new plants and garden products, and get design tips for your garden. This year's show also shows the power of gardening as a force for good. We meet the creator of The Lemon Tree Trust Garden, inspired by the gardens of Domiz refugee camp in Iraq. It's a heartwarming tale of human spirit and triump over adversity, and the RHS is proud to have been able to support the Trust in its work. We also speak to Baroness Floella Benjamin and singer and actress Beverley Knight about Birmingham City Council's display celebrating 70 years since the Empire Windrush arrived in Britain, marking the beginning of a new chapter in our nation's history. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

In the final part of our exclusive behind-the-scenes Chelsea preview podcasts, we meet designer Matt Keightley who's in the process of creating a trailblazing health and wellbeing garden - the RHS Feel Good Garden - which will live on after the show as a permanent garden at the Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Get an exclusive peek behind the scenes of the greatest flower show on earth. Today we celebrate the real stars of the show – the plants! Designers Chris Beardshaw, Bunny Guinness and Kate Gould share their insights into the planting in this year’s show gardens and Show Manager Katherine Potsides outlines some of the other plant highlights to look out for. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Get an exclusive peek behind the scenes of the greatest flower show on earth! Join us as we discover what's in store in our new 'Space to Grow' garden category, meeting designer Kate Gould who shares the trials, triumphs and tribulations that are all part and parcel of the Chelsea experience, along with a healthy dose of tips and hints for making the most of small, urban gardens. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Hear behind the scenes interviews with award-winning garden designer Jo Thompson and Show Manager Katherine Potsides, who give a tantalising preview of the show and explore the increasing presence of women at Chelsea from designers to engineers and planting teams. Wildlife gardening expert Kate Bradbury shares a call to arms for gardeners to get involved in the Great British Bee Count, and we get timely advice from RHS experts on growing your vegetables – including how to avoid blossom end rot on tomatoes and how to grow a giant beanstalk! For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Garden designer and television presenter James Alexander-Sinclair meets Sue Biggs, RHS Director General to discuss the Society's plans to invest millions of pounds in the future of gardening - revolutionising our gardens and horticultural research. Plus advice on restoring damaged lawns, coping with cats in the garden and suggestions on shrubs for clay soil. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

We speak to orchid experts at the recent RHS London Orchid Show and Plant Fair to get top tips on how to grow these most alluring of houseplants. Author and naturalist Jon Dunn shares his love of the native orchids that grow across the British Isles. Plus we talk to the people behind the incredible orchid displays planned for this year's RHS Chatsworth Flower Show. Chris Bavin, presenter of BBC's Britain in Bloom shares his experiences in filming the series, and we continue our countdown of the top garden problems from last year; this time it's over to diseases - will honey fungus stay top of the rots? For more info including plants mentioned and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

The results are in! A gruesome lineup of slugs, bugs and other garden baddies has been compiled in our annual round-up of the most troublesome garden pests. We head to the Laboratory to find out who's on the list and how to deal with them, and then out into the garden to see what's going on in the beds and borders at Wisley. Plus we open the postbag to discuss RHS members' enquiries on growing fruit in pots, whether you can grow your own edamame beans and how to minimise plastic and peat use in the garden. For more info including plants mentioned and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Hear timely tips on what to do now if you want to grow fruit this year, plus we meet Wisley's plant propagation team and scientist Hayley Jones shares hints on how to get wildlife on side to help against common garden pests. And should gardeners be worried about sepsis? We get expert advice on this and other gardening health and safety issues. Plus news on our I Can Grow campaign and botanist James Armitage unearths more horticultural histories in his latest Wisley Plant Encounter. For more info see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Can houseplants be dangerous for pets? And what is the new plant disease Xylella and how can gardeners avoid it? The Gardening Advice team discusses these and other enquiries, while Wisley Curator Matthew Pottage shares his love of houseplants, focusing on one old favourite in particular. Plus we hear about an exciting new garden feature planned for Wisley later this year. For links to more information on the topics discussed see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

The RHS Shows season got off to a flying start with the Early Spring Plant Fair last week. We went along to marvel at the hanging snowdrop extravaganza and meet the growers and celebrity experts who make it all happen - including Alys Fowler who gives seasonal houseplant tips and the team from Birmingham Botanical Gardens who share insight into the wonderful world of cyclamen. Plus a look at the RHS Master Grower Scheme, which is now in its third season. For links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Discover the benefits and pleasures of growing indoor plants, and get some expert tips on how to make yours flourish. Experts pick their favourite houseplants and share tips on common pitfalls to avoid. Plus we discuss the findings of ongoing RHS research into the health benefits of growing indoor greenery, and get an insider's guide on how to keep your flytraps happy. For links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

As we begin the slow ascent to spring, the advice team shares wisdom on how to tackle rabbits eating bulbs, organic slug control, and whether you can grow the seaside plant samphire in Birmingham among other queries. Plus discover what's in store at our upcoming London Shows and how you can enter your favourite plants into one of the many RHS horticultural competitions. For links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

We visit the press launch for 2018's Chelsea Flower Show to discover the exciting gardens in store this year. Our trusty team of gardening experts answers questions on how to dig safely, keeping potted Christmas trees alive, whether you can grow houseplants in dark rooms, and what to do about a lawn that keeps dying. Plus botanist James Armitage unearths more horticultural histories in his latest Wisley Plant Encounter ( see www.rhs.org.uk/wisleyplantencounters ).

Are you dotty about dahlias, fanatical about ferns or ardent about alpines? Then why not join a plant society? In this episode we meet a band of enthusiasts who are keen to share a love of plants with others and help new gardeners grow their favourite plants. Plus part two of our mini-series on attracting birds to your garden.

We look back at the best bits of 2017 including 'feel good' gardens at Chelsea, a brand new flower show at Chatsworth and groundbreaking RHS research on gardening in a changing climate. Plus botanist James Armitage meets an incredibly ancient plant in his latest Wisley Plant Encounter. See www.rhs.org.uk/wisleyplantencounters

The gardening advisors gather to solve queries on what you can prune now, whether you can plant trees in winter and how to protect bay trees from cold weather. Resident wildlife expert Helen Bostock meets Adrian Thomas from the RSPB to find out which birds come to Britain in winter and how gardeners can encourage our feathered friends. Plus a look at the incredible transformation happening to Wisley's iconic Laboratory building, and the science team discusses two emerging threats to a traditional Christmas favourite, the chestnut.

We visit a thriving community garden in an unlikely spot close to the M1 in Bedfordshire, and speak to local residents and volunteers who say it has changed their lives. Meanwhile, Wisley's curator Matt Pottage meets life-long conifer fan Adrian Bloom who encourages gardeners to take another look at these much-maligned plants.

Our trusty team of gardening experts answers questions on growing rhubarb, pears and strawberries. Plus we hear about a new RHS study on honey fungus and botanist James Armitage unearths more horticultural histories in his latest Wisley Plant Encounter. Listen out too for some of the seasonal highlights from our hundreds of partner gardens, as selected by Garden Visits Editor Sian Thomas.

We visit the RHS London Autumn Garden Show to hear expert advice on growing an edible forest garden, growing avocado plants and some imaginative ideas on floristry from the RHS Floral Artist in Residence. We’re also joined by bird and wildlife enthusiast Bill Oddie who recalls memories of the gardens of his youth and how they inspired his love of birds.

Wisley's Curator Matthew Pottage shares seasonal gardening tips and gives us an update on all the exciting new developments that are transforming RHS Garden Wisley. We visit the RHS London Harvest Festival Show to hear growing tips and fascinating ideas for uses of garlic. Plus, botanist James Armitage unearths an ancient larch tree with a mysterious past in his latest Wisley Plant Encounter.

We visit Wisley's stunning new Exotic Garden to discover the plants that give it such a tropical ambience, and get tips of how to get the look at home. Wildlife expert Kate Bradbury makes the case for being relaxed about autumn tidy-ups to provide habitats for overwintering wildlife. Meanwhile at the Lindley Library, we discover an exhibition of the RHS's remarkable 200-year project to protect heritage apples.

Wisley’s fruit specialists join the advisory team to answer listeners' questions, including poorly strawberries, maggoty apples and rotten tomatoes. We also visit RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex to discover the amazing wildlife that now shares our easternmost garden, and botanist James Armitage concludes his ongoing series of Wisley plant encounters.

Chickpeas, yard-long beans and shark's fin melons... all on a windy hilltop near Chelmsford... we visit RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex to hear some inspirational Grow Your Own ideas from their new Global Growth Vegetable Garden. We also hear about some of the latest research the RHS has conducted in the Plant For Bugs project and as usual we have all the latest on events across our RHS Gardens.

We visit RHS Garden Hyde Hall to discover a garden undergoing an incredible transformation, with huge new meadows linking it to the surrounding countryside. The RHS advisory team is back to answer listeners' seasonal questions including distorted leaves on fuchsias, moving roses, which tulips will come back next year and how to deal with whitefly. Plus we hear the latest instalment in botanist James Armitage’s Wisley plant encounters.

Curator Matt Pottage shares his personal highlights from RHS Garden Wisley this summer, and reveals how the redevelopment of the garden is progressing. Wildlife expert Kate Bradbury visits Chapel End Early Years Centre in East London to discover low-cost ways of encouraging wild creatures, and owner of a pioneering French nursery shares his tips for getting the best out of your orchids.

In this edition we have a focus on slugs - how to identify different species and how they can actually help your garden. We also have news on family events across all four RHS Gardens as well as the latest in our continuing series of Wisley Plant Encounters. The RHS advisory experts answer this month’s listeners' questions covering topics such as summer pruning of wisteria, growing courgettes and tips for making your soil more workable.

This week's edition comes from the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, where BBC's Hairy Bikers share their love of edible gardening in the RHS Kitchen Garden, created by award-winning designer Juliet Sargeant. Plus we discover cunning designs aimed at coping with climate change, and reconnecting children with nature through play.

We visit the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show in Derbyshire for some expert advice on gardening in a changing climate and moveable gardens. Botanist James Armitage reads the latest in his series of Wisley Plant Encounters, discovering some of the garden's more unusual residents.

If you’re interested in gardening, why not grow your knowledge with the RHS? Anyone can learn with us; whether you’d like to take a day course to find out how to prune your apple tree or become a fully-qualified gardener, we can help. Hear stories from people whose lives have been transformed by getting into horticulture in this special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast.

We go behind the scenes at the Chelsea Flower Show to speak to the unsung show garden heroes and find out what it really takes to make a medal-winning show garden. We also catch up on this year’s RHS Photographic Competition and meet the lucky winners of the Greening Grey Britain garden.

As this year’s gardens take shape, we visit the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to meet the designers. These include the brand-new, sensory Feel Good Gardens, created in conjunction with BBC Radio 2 DJs and celebrities including Jo Whiley and Jo Malone. Plus we have seasonal expert advice on questions including poorly-looking tomato plants and a wisteria whose flowers have changed colour.

Botanist James Armitage continues his series of Wisley Plant Encounters with a look at a tree peony with a back-story that spans the globe. Team leader Sam Gallivan explains where the missing plants at Wisley have gone; and following a major new report, the horticultural advisors discuss what climate change means for gardeners. Useful links: Gardening in a Changing Climate report Wisley Plant Encounters

Let your gardening imagination run riot at our world-famous flower shows this year. In this special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we meet people behind the shows including designers, judges and show managers to find out what’s in store for 2017 and look back at the highlights of 2016.

Our gardening experts help listeners with queries including rabbit-proof plants, tulips with no flowers and dealing with a lopsided plum tree. We meet the manager of the Chelsea Flower Show to find out about BBC Radio 2's new Feel Good Gardens, and we celebrate 30 years of the RHS Plant Finder. Plus, botanist James Armitage continues his series of Wisley Plant Encounters (open full description for links). Useful links: Feel Good Gardens Wisley Plant Encounters

Hear the latest on the redevelopments at Wisley with Curator Matthew Pottage and find out about the huge range of events at RHS Gardens over the Easter holidays. We visit Angell Town to find out if the residents are still enjoying their relocated 'Greening Grey Britain' Chelsea Show Garden from last year, and discover how you can win plants from a garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.

We visit the fruit and vegetable gardens at Wisley to find out what seasonal jobs the gardeners are up to. Following on from episode 100, we discover which plant diseases plagued gardeners the most last year. Entomologist Anna Platoni shares tips on how to encourage native butterflies into the garden, while botanist James Armitage heads into the woods on the trail of beautiful vampire.

With the recent release of the RHS top 10 pests and diseases 2016 list, our horticultural advisors get together to help gardeners deal with these troubles. Topics covered include small trees that are resistant to honey fungus, slugs and snails, vine weevils and fuchsia gall mite. We also discuss raised beds and seasonal gardening jobs to help you get ahead this spring.

Do you have problems with your pots or suffer complications with your containers? Luckily help is at hand as our RHS gardening advisors and scientists sit down to help listeners get the best from their potted plant treasures. Topics include which compost to use, how to deal with pests and diseases and to crock or not to crock!

Our gardening experts help listeners with queries including how to use plants to tackle air pollution, dealing with an ugly concrete path, making gardens hedgehog-friendly and what to do if your hellebore won't flower. We also discover the wide range of educational opportunities on offer for adults looking to pursue a career in horticulture.

We’re at Wisley to see some of the highlights of the garden in winter including an update on the Winter Walk, butterflies in the Glasshouse and Bernard Boardman gives his expert guide to building the perfect pond.

As we welcome in 2017, we hear the latest news about redevelopments at RHS Garden Wisley from curator Matthew Pottage, plus the RHS Advisory Team are on hand to tackle some tricky new year gardening questions - including composting fallen fruit, caring for African violets and a sticky problem with a star jasmine. Plus all the latest on events across our four gardens.

In our final 2016 edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, the team revisit some favourite interviews from a busy and productive year at the Royal Horticultural Society - from the winning designers at the Chelsea Flower Show, invaluable advice from our expert Horticultural Advisors, words of inspiration from RHS Ambassador for young people, Baroness Floella Benjamin and our community project at Angell Town. We also hear Wisley Curator Matthew Pottage’s plans for the garden in 2017.

As we approach Christmas it's all about fruit and festivities as the Wisley gardening team discuss winter pruning of apple trees and our advice team scour the RHS shop for those all-important last minute Christmas gift ideas for garden lovers. We also have all the latest news on holiday events across our four RHS gardens.

In this special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we're joined by experts and authors who discuss their favourite gardening books both classic and modern, and give recommendations of books for presents this Christmas. For a list of the books mentioned, please see rhs.org.uk/books-podcast

In a special edition of the RHS Members' Podcast, open to everyone, our Gardening Advice team tackles listeners' questions including what to do about a Bramley apple tree with tiny fruit, how to plant gooseberries and how to feed young trees. Plus, RHS Ambassador, Baroness Floella Benjamin, shares her love of gardening (the second part of an interview from episode 94 of the fortnightly RHS Gardening Podcast).

The RHS advisors are in session, helping gardeners pick the best plants for upright accents, sorting out sickly Brussels sprouts and rooting around the cause of a death in the shrubbery. Plus seasonal tips on lawncare, dealing with pesky garden flies and looking after your vegetable garden among other topics.

At the recent RHS Shades of Autumn Show, Anne Swithinbank gives us her essential seasonal gardening tasks, and expert nursery growers reveal their choices for plants that can bring sensational autumn colour into your garden. Plus, RHS Ambassador Baroness Floella Benjamin shares her enthusiasm for gardening and inspiring the next generation of gardeners.

We look at the benefits of leafmould and how we can create it, and general compost, for the garden. Plant suggestions for difficult situations and how to deal with usual and unusual autumn pests. We also catch up with gardeners from Angell Town on their visit to a master class at Wisley.

The team visit the annual RHS London Harvest Show at the Lindley Hall to meet award-winning nursery growers and hear expert advice on fruit and vegetables as well as exploring the ever-popular Giant Pumpkin Competition. We also hear about some exciting changes to this year’s RHS Photographic Competition and as always, we have the latest news on events across our four gardens.

The RHS Gardening Advice team tackle listeners' questions on dealing with lily beetles, which bulbs combine well for dazzling spring displays, and how to repair lawns after a summer of wear and tear. We also visit the Wisley Flower Show and meet visitors and growers including experts on ferns, dahlias and airplants. Useful links: Take part in our lily beetle survey RHS Advice: planting bulbs Autumn lawn care

This week we're at RHS Garden Wisley getting tips from the professionals on the very best rose varieties and what to plant with them for a long-lasting and fragrant display. Entomologist Andy Salisbury gives seasonal advice on dealing with vine weevils and chafer grubs, and resident vegetable expert Mario Di Pace shares his tips on growing onions, garlic and shallots - finishing with some delicious recipe ideas.

The RHS Advice team answer listeners' questions on camelias, acers and caring for trees that are close to buildings; plus we have seasonal advice on apples and an expert guide to propagating tender perennials. Plus an update on late summer events across the four RHS Gardens.

We’re in Cheshire for the 2016 RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. Listen to all the best bits from the show including expert advice from local nurseries, the winning gardens in the 2016 RHS Young Designer of the Year Competition and all of the Tatton favourites, including inspiring ideas for back-to-back gardens.

THis week we answer a bumper crop of gardening questions, including: • How to get clear water in your pond • Which fruit and veg are wildlife-friendly • How to grow bottlebrush plants • Growing potatoes for Christmas • Spotting and controlling box tree moth Plus Wisley's youngest-ever curator, Matthew Pottage discusses the garden's big plans for the future, and RHS edibles guru Jim Arbury gives advice on seasonal tasks in the vegetable and fruit garden.

Renowned for its rose displays, fantastic shopping opportunities and innovative garden displays, the show is a wonderful day out for garden lovers of all ages and runs until the 10th July. We hear from garden designers at the show, speak to the winners of this year’s RHS and BBC Garden Design Competition, ’A Feel Good Front Garden’, and have some expert advice on creating gardens with man’s best friend in mind.

We’re at Columbia Road Flower Market in East London with RHS on Tour - a pop-up event showcasing some of the best that RHS shows have to offer in local communities. We also hear details of our exciting new RHS Show at Chatsworth in 2017 and there's seasonal advice for jobs to do in your own gardens right now, including tips on spotting rosemary beetles and collecting seed.

Wisley’s Edibles team give seasonal advice on caring for fruit, award-winning designers at the 2016 RHS Chelsea Flower Show have tips on moving plants and the RHS Gardening Advice team answer listeners' gardening queries on everything from pests including pigeons, caterpillars and squirrels, to keeping bamboo within bounds.

We talk to leading designers, celebrities and nursery-people at the world's most famous flower show, including Cleve West, Jo Thompson, Richard E Grant and Diarmuid Gavin. Discover the inspirations behind award-winning gardens, and join us as we celebrate a surge in female designer talent at this year's show.

Get your garden into gear with professional advice on what to do now. We visit the RHS Allotment project at Wisley, and as always we have the latest news on events across our four RHS Gardens. The RHS Gardening Advice team answer listeners' seasonal questions on a wide range of topics including: • growing rainbow chard • how to prune early-flowering clematis • choosing the right jasmine for you • what to do if your daffodils didn't flower

Hear our expert guide to fertilisers, including all you need to know about those essential nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium combinations. We celebrate 150 years of the RHS magazine for members, 'The Garden’ and we have what to do now tips from Wisley’s Edible plants team. Plus all the latest spring events across our four RHS Gardens.

Expert advice from RHS Garden Wisley on what to do in your garden this week, including controlling bindweed and preparing your pots. Our Horticultural Advisors answer listeners' questions on fig trees, repairing lawns and watering succulents. Also, herb expert and RHS Ambassador Jekka McVicar explores how to improve health and wellbeing through plants.

It's an exciting time for horticultural science, and in response to new opportunities (and new challenges), the RHS has launched a five year plan: the 'RHS Science Strategy 2015–2019'. We go behind the scenes to find out what this will mean for gardens and gardeners up and down the country, as well as unearthing details of exciting plans for a new science centre at RHS Garden Wisley.

We venture into the fruit and vegetable gardens at Wisley to learn what to do in March to ensure the best performance from your fruit and vegetables in the year ahead. We also hear about plans to keep gardeners fit during this year’s National Gardening Week and we have the latest on new additions to the RHS Lindley Library - an Aladdin's cave of rare books and exquisite botanical art which is now more accessible than ever before. All of that plus the latest news on Easter events across the four RHS Gardens.

We visit the RHS Early Spring Plant Fair in London for seasonal hints and tips from leading nurseries. We also hear an expert guide to composting and the RHS Gardening Advice team are on hand to answer listeners' gardening questions.

As well as outlining gardening tasks you can do now our expert horticulturists, from RHS Garden Wisley, explain how to choose, plant and care for your roses, whether they are bush, climbers or hybrid teas. Plus the RHS advisors answer some of the most common questions gardeners ask about roses, and we have details of the latest RHS events.

As the days finally start to lengthen, there's plenty to be getting on with in the garden. Matt Pottage, Curator at RHS Garden Wisley, gives advice on dividing snowdrops and what to do in the rose garden this month. Meanwhile, the Gardening Advice team tackle a range of questions, including: • Which fruit and veg to grow in a small shady area • Using 'vintage' recycled materials in your garden • How to spot box blight and what to plant instead We also get inspiration for houseplants from the Glasshouse at Wisley, and give details of events across the four RHS Gardens.

The RHS Gardening team at Wisley share their seasonal suggestions of what you can be doing in your greenhouses and gardens to get ahead for spring. We also hear expert advice on dealing with extreme weather including waterlogging and cold temperatures. We have news on the latest research into how gardening can improve mental and physical health, plus Matthew Pottage, Curator at RHS Garden Wisley, gives his suggestions for plants with coloured stems that bring that a much-needed injection of colour at this time of year.

The garden team at Wisley give expert tips on the first jobs you should be doing this year including both soil and greenhouse preparation. Our team of horticultural advisors answer listeners' questions on a wide range of topics including. • Quick-growing plants for screening • Growing monkey puzzle trees • Heritage apple recommendations We also explore Italy with a look at RHS Gardening Holidays as well as events closer to home, with the latest on activities across the four RHS Gardens

We take a look back at the highlights of the gardening calendar from the past 12 months. Hear the best bits from our fortnightly podcasts from 2015 as we give seasonal advice, go behind the scenes at our RHS Flower shows and discover hidden gems of our four RHS Gardens. With advice on a wide range of topics from Grow Your Own, plants for shade, pests and diseases, garden design and much more, our 2015 review is an essential listen for gardeners of any level.

The RHS Gardening Advice team answer seasonal questions on festive favourites including poinsettias, cranberries and scented wreaths. RHS Wisley’s new curator, Matthew Pottage talks us through the gardens' winter highlights and we have the latest news on Christmas and New Year events across our the RHS Gardens

Many plants are winding down for winter, however December is still a busy time for gardeners. We speak to the team at RHS Garden Wisley to find out the seasonal jobs they are doing around the garden. Our RHS Advisors answer your questions on subjects including: starting in a new garden from scratch, planting apple trees and how to care for olive trees. We discover the berries, flowers, colourful stems and evergreen foliage on display in Wisley's Winter Walk. There is also an update of the latest events taking place at our four RHS Gardens.

Droughts and floods cause problems for gardeners - but what if your garden suffers from both? Our expert RHS Advisors offer tips and discuss their latest research in this area. We speak to plantsman Matthew Biggs about his latest book, ‘RHS Lessons from Great Gardeners: Forty Gardening Icons and What They Teach Us’; and as the festive period fast approaches, we have details of events across our four RHS Gardens.

Matt Pottage, Acting Curator at RHS Garden Wisley gives expert advice on seasonal tasks. The RHS Gardening Advice team answer listeners' questions on topics including: • Growing climbers in shade • Suggestions on how to get started in a new garden • Ideas for potted wedding presents Plus we have a comprehensive guide to planting bare-root trees as well as the latest news on events across our four RHS Gardens.

We take you behind the scenes of the world-famous RHS flower shows, with sneak previews of what’s in store at RHS shows for 2016, how to get discounted tickets, plus highlights of an outstanding 2015 season.

Is 'wildness' an inviolable concept, or with 7 billion of us on planet earth, is the whole world in fact a garden? And can we as gardeners make a difference to the fate of the planet and its biodiversity? Hosted by the RHS at the Lindley Hall in London, the John MacLeod Annual Lecture has fast become a prestigious event, highlighting important and inspiring topics on horticultural science. This year, Professor Stephen Blackmore CBE, spoke on 'Gardening Planet Earth - Sustainable Horticulture'. Download this podcast to hear the lecture in full.

Further reporting from the RHS London Harvest Show - we hear a selection of talks from the show on everything from growing and harvesting to storing your crops without refridgeration right through to next spring. Wild food expert Claudio Bincoletto extols the virtues of nettles and other foraged greens. Plus seasonal advice on growing fruit and vegetables and information on events and workshops across the RHS Gardens.

We visit the recent RHS London Harvest Festival Show to hear expert advice from growers on how to get the best performance from your homegrown fruit and vegetables - including apples, garlic and broad beans. We also round up the productive year and hear which crops have performed well. In addition, we visit The Glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley to discover some of its hidden gems; and as always, we have details of events across all four RHS Gardens.

The fruit team at RHS Garden Wisley have expert seasonal tips on growing the tastiest fruit and vegetables, and the advice team are on hand with expert advice to your gardening questions, including.. • How to ensure your pears perform • Caring for courgettes • Choosing the right pea We also continue our series of gardening essentials with a focus on Glasshouses, where we discuss the ‘must-have’ kit for every gardener. Plus we have the latest news on events across our four RHS Gardens.

Hear the pick of the crop of seasonal gardening advice from RHS experts, covering both edible and ornamental gardening. Topics covered include • Dahlias in the autumn garden • Cyclamen for difficult spots • Harvesting apples and pears • Fruit diseases and how to prevent them We also take a look at ponds - which type to choose and how best to populate them; plus, as always, the latest news on events across all four RHS Gardens

Senior RHS Entomologist Andrew Salisbury reveals the result of a four year scientific study into ‘Plants for Bugs’ which examined the effectiveness of different plants into attracting beneficial insects into our gardens. The Science team also discuss a brand new pest they have discovered affecting agapanthus flowers. We also have ideas for gardening jobs you could be doing in over the coming weeks, and the RHS Advisory team answer listeners’ seasonal gardening queries, including detailed advice on strategies to overcome weed problems.

We visit the Pathology team at RHS Garden Wisley to learn about the methods and techniques they use to help inform gardeners about common plant diseases. Deputy Curator at Wisley, Matthew Pottage, gives us his tips on using foliage plants to create borders with year-round interest; and we have another instalment of our ‘Gardening Essentials’ series where we are back in the fruit garden to learn about the tools and tricks that every gardener needs. Also hear ideas on seasonal gardening tasks, as well as the latest news on RHS events.

Hear a series of masterclasses on caring for popular plants including fuschias, hostas and lilies. Also, the RHS Gardening Advice team at Wisley answer listeners’ seasonal questions, including: • Growing strawberries • Watering tomatoes • Creating green driveways And you can find out about the latest events across the four RHS Gardens.

Tune in and plan your visit to the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in Cheshire. Highlights include interviews with the RHS Young Designer of the Year competitors, as well as from a gold medal-winning garden designer. In this edition of Gardening Essentials there’s some really useful advice on pruning tools for the fruit garden, and we also have the latest on summer events for all the family across our four RHS gardens.

On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we visit the 2015 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and hear highlights from the showground as we celebrate Hampton’s 25th Anniversary. We also have news on how you can get involved in a major new RHS campaign ‘Greening Grey Britain’ and our RHS Advisors are on hand to answer your seasonal gardening questions including: • Growing marrows • Advice on trees growing close to buildings • How to propagate clematis We also have the latest news on summer events across our four RHS Gardens.

Our experts focus on watering, and there’s summer advice on hose attachments and how and when to water your lawns. We continue our regular feature on Gardening Essentials as the team discuss the tools and tricks that every gardener needs. We also have suggestions of Award of Garden Merit Plants for June, which include some fabulous roses, and the RHS’ science team tells us about their latest research projects on: • Greening • Climate • Ivy

Our expert teams at Wisley give seasonal advice on jobs to do in your kitchen gardens right now. In our regular guides to Gardening Essentials, we tackle weeding, including tips on selecting the right hoe. Our team of Horticultural Advisors at RHS Wisley answer listeners’ questions on a diverse range of topics including • Creating a blue border • Growing the perfect sunflower • Growing seeds in space! We also have the latest news on summer events across our four RHS Gardens including a focus on the 25th anniversary of the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

It’s all about the plants as we hear from award-winning designers Adam Frost, Matt Wilson and Chris Beardshaw, who discuss their choices of planting combinations for their gardens at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, as well as expert tips on agapanthus, perennials and more, plus: • Our selection of the best-performing plants, includingpoppies and peonies • A special report on a great alternative to the busy lizzie - the New Guinea impatiens • We also have advice on seasonal gardening jobs as well as details of the latest events across the four RHS Gardens.

In this episode, Phil Clayton, Assistant Editor of RHS Members’ magazine The Garden explores all the umbel has to offer, and gives us an insight into his favourites – there’s so much more to them than cow parsley… Plus our expert advisors answer visitors gardening queries at the recent RHS Great London Plant Fair, and the gardening team at RHS Garden Wisley give advice on what you can be doing in your own gardens right now. And, as always, details of wonderful events coming up at our four RHS Gardens.

As the pinnacle of the gardening calendar rapidly approaches, and build-up to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is underway, we take a behind-the-scenes peek and speak to a range of new and award-winning designers about their plans for this year. Show Garden designer Jo Thompson tells all about her sponsor’s garden, The Retreat for M and G Investments, we talk to 2014 BBC and RHS Chelsea People’s Choice winner Matt Keightley, as well as the youngest ever Chelsea design duo, the Rich Brothers. We also have the latest news on other Chelsea highlights, as well as reminders about this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and other gardening events across our four RHS Gardens.

In this edition, we visit the recent European Orchid Show and Conference at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London for a foolproof guide to caring for Phalaenopsis (moth orchids). Plus, in the first instalment of our new garden essentials feature, our experts from RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey discuss the best gloves and pruning tools to have in your shed. There’s also seasonal advice on current jobs you can be doing in your garden, and the latest news on events across our four RHS Gardens.

As we approach National Gardening Week, we have the latest news on special events across our four RHS gardens and a host of seasonal advice. As well as tips on pond maintenance we have a thorough guide to spring lawn care to help you get it in great condition. Also our the RHS advice team answer your gardening questions, including queries on: • helping olive trees to fruit • cutting back hydrangeas • choosing slug-resilient hostas

In this edition, RHS Senior Entomologist Dr Andrew Salisbury counts down the annual top ten garden pests enquired about in the past 12 months. We also focus on RHS Partner Gardens looking good now across the UK and, as always, there’s seasonal advice on gardening jobs you can be doing, including… • Glasshouse maintenance • Pruning of fruit trees • Long term weed prevention Plus, the latest news and events at our 4 RHS Gardens at Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor and Wisley.

We visit RHS Garden Wisley’s fantastic Butterflies in the Glasshouse exhibition and our expert team of horticultural advisors answer listeners’ questions including: • Suggestions for planting in a north-facing garden • How to deal with Japanese knotweed • Selecting trees for planting in containers Plus we have seasonal advice on preparing seeds for propagation, and the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.

We visit the RHS Garden Wisley fruit team for advice on what you should be doing in February with fruit trees such as apples and pears. We have expert advice on growing herbs from seed by bestselling author and RHS Council member, Jekka McVicar. We also talk to Garden Manager Markus Radscheit about his love for snowdrops and his advice to gardeners on creating great winter displays. Plus we have all the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.

We celebrate the 50th episode of the RHS Gardening Podcasts with some of our favourite moments from the archives, including words of horticultural wisdom from the likes of gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh, baking queen and keen RHS Member Mary Berry and Curator of RHS Garden Wisley Colin Crosbie. We also have topical seasonal advice for what you should be doing in your garden right now including: • How to prune wisteria • Tips on dealing with winter winds and snow. • The RHS advice team answer your latest gardening questions PLUS: latest news on Winter events across our four RHS Gardens, and your chance to win a pair of tickets worth £70 to this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

We have expert seasonal advice on what you could be doing in your garden on a bright, crisp winter’s day including: • Caring for blackberries • Choosing the right size pot for re-potting plants We also have handy tips on growing chillies and sweet peppers, as well as tips for selecting plants to grow in problem areas of dry shade. Plus, we have the latest news on RHS events across the four RHS Gardens

On the first 2015 edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast RHS Head of Libraries, Fiona Davison completes her guide to the best-selling gardening books of all time. We ask staff at the RHS what they are looking forward to in the year ahead and we have the latest news on events at RHS Gardens and RHS Shows. Plus, our expert team of advisors are on hand to answer your seasonal gardening queries including: • Caring for camellias • Tips for dealing with bindweed • Getting the best from your coffee plants

In this Christmas edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, Head of Libraries and Exhibitions Fiona Davison talks us through the biggest bestsellers in gardening books. RHS Horticultural Advisor Jenny Bowden asks for your help in important RHS gardening research. Plus we have expert advice on caring for birds in your garden over the Christmas period.

The advisory team at RHS Garden Wisley are on hand to answer your winter gardening questions on subjects including: • Tips for planting allium bulbs • Changing the colour of hydrangeas • First aid for damaged lawns Deputy Curator, Matthew Pottage makes the case for plants with a bad press such as pampas grass and heathers. Plus, we have the latest news on Christmas activities and events across the four RHS Gardens including the highly anticipated ‘Narnia’ trail at RHS Garden Wisley.

We hear seasonal advice from the team at RHS Garden Wisley gardening team including: • Hedge trimming • Tree planting • Dealing with worm casts Geoff Denton from the RHS Plant Pathology team discusses diseases that may prevail this winter and Chief Horticultural Advisor Leigh Hunt selects his range of Christmas gift ideas from the Wisley Plant Centre. We also have all the latest news in up-coming events across the four RHS Gardens.

The team at RHS Garden Wisley have advice on what you should be doing now in your garden as the festive season approaches, including: • Preparing the glasshouse for winter • Caring for climbing roses • Cultivating figs for a good harvest next year Our expert team review this year's crops and give tips for even better fruit and vegetables next year. Plus, we have the latest news on events coming up to Christmas across the four RHS Gardens.

We’re at RHS Garden Wisley with the Advisory Team who are on hand to answer your seasonal gardening queries including: • How to grow a wildflower meadow from seed • How to ‘puppy-proof’ your garden • What type of slug pellets to choose Garden Manager, Matthew Pottage talks us through the jobs his team is doing right now, including lawn maintenance and planting bulbs. We also hear inspiration from expert growers on ideas for growing fruit and vegetables in containers. Plus, we have the latest news on forthcoming events across the four RHS Gardens.

In this edition we suggest some plants for all-year-round interest that encourage beneficial insects into your garden. We have expert seasonal advice on: • Achieving the perfect pumpkin • Growing award-winning apple and pear trees in your garden • Delicious recipe suggestions to try for your autumn vegetables Plus we have a pick of the month’s best RHS Award of Garden Merit plants and, as always, the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.

Get advice on how to tackle climatic conditions within your garden. Also, the RHS Garden Wisley team are on hand with their thoughts on jobs you should be doing in your gardens right now touching on autumn raspberries, caring for houseplants, and dividing herbaceous perennials to increase your stock on garden favourites. Also, the RHS Advice team lend their expert knowledge to your gardening queries including: - Choosing plants for shade - Identifying puzzling apple pests - How to ripen green tomatoes And as always we have the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.

We visit the recent RHS Plant Day at the Cotswold Wildlife Park and hear from members of two RHS plant committees who were on hand to speak to visitors about their gardening successes and problems. We learn how to care for a range of ornamental plants and as always we have expert advice on what you should be doing in your garden now. Plus, we have the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens in the coming weeks.

We’re at RHS Garden Wisley with RHS ambassador and celebrity chef, Mary Berry as she opens this year’s Wisley Flower Show. Mary discusses her love of gardening, being an RHS member and her favourite parts of RHS Garden Wisley. The RHS Gardening Advice team are on hand to answer your questions including: • Suggestions for plants to grow on windy balconies • How to source interesting varieties of fruit trees • How to make a trellis for climbers such as clematis We discuss seasonal tasks and have all the latest news on events in September across our four world-class RHS Gardens, including the spectacular Wisley Flower Show.

We’re joined by botanist and horticulturalist James Wong, who reveals his unique advice on how to achieve maximum flavour for minimum expenditure when growing your own fruit and veg. Nigel Hewitt Cooper discusses the essentials for caring for carnivorous plants, and we have expert seasonal advice for what you should be doing in your garden right now from the gardening team at RHS Wisley, including… • Watering woody perennials • Cutting hedges • Caring for lavender We also have all the latest news on late summer events across our four world-class RHS Gardens, including the spectacular Wisley Flower Show in September.

The RHS Gardening Advice team are on hand to answer your seasonal gardening questions including: • How do I deal with a problem honeysuckle? • Why isn’t my perennial poppy flowering? • How should I care for an apple tree grown from a pip? We also have a special feature on bonsai with expert growing tips from the Mendip Bonsai Studio in Wales and some key advice from Wisley Garden Manager Matthew Pottage on watering throughout the summer months. We have news of forthcoming RHS Garden events including The Great Garden Quest, sponsored by Witan Investment Trust - a summer-long family adventure featuring sword-fighting and dragons across the four RHS Gardens.

Experts at RHS Flower Show Tatton share inspiring ideas and advice for managing and maintaining allotments, and we have expert advice on what you should be doing in your garden right now. Also hear a selection of Award of Garden Merit plants of the month suggested by The Garden magazine’s Phil Clayton. We speak to this year’s finalists in the RHS Young Designer of The Year competition as well as their mentor, designer Paul Hervey Brookes at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2014, on until 27 July, and show manager Kris Hulewicz gives us his guide to the show’s four zones - Escape, Grow, Inspire and Feast. In addition we have the latest events across all four RHS Gardens.

This week we bring you all the highlights from this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 8-13 July, including features on: • Hand-On potting bench demonstrations • Ocean Spray’s eye-catching garden display • John Wheatley’s celebration of 50 years of Britain in Bloom • The RHS Entomology team’s ‘Invisible Garden' • Tony Smith’s imaginative turf competition Plus the RHS Advisory team answer your July gardening queries including solutions for sloping and wet lawns, caring for tomatoes and ideas for July vegetable planting. In addition, we have news on the latest summer events across the four RHS Gardens.

We have expert tips for what you should be doing in your gardens now, plus a special feature on container ponds for gardens of all sizes – all from top experts at the recent RHS Flower Show Birmingham at BBC Gardeners’ World Live. Also at RHS Garden Wisley we learn how to troubleshoot common problems in the kitchen garden including: • Helpful advice on growing sweetcorn • Spotting garlic rust • Harvesting fruit We catch up with RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show manager, Dave Green for a preview of the show and Feature Editor of The Garden magazine, Phil Clayton selects his top-performing plants for June. We have all of this, as well as the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.

We visit the RHS Advisory Team at RHS Garden Wisley for expert answers to your seasonal gardening questions, including: • What plants will thrive on my windy balcony? • How can I grow a lawn without patches? • What can I grow in clay soil? RHS Wisley Garden Manager, Matthew Pottage has great suggestions for theming your borders and Alan Titchmarsh talks about RHS Gardens and picks a favourite. We also have the latest news on events across all four of our RHS Gardens.

Garden Manager of RHS Garden Wisley, Matthew Pottage explains why every garden needs a conifer, plus we have a focus on and appreciation of crown imperial flowers. RHS experts pick top performing seasonal selections to brighten your patch and the RHS Wisley gardening team are on hand to give their advice on what you should be doing in your gardens right now including: • Considering sub-tropical borders • Looking out for pests and diseases • Sowing a range of herbs for the kitchen Plus, we have the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens at Wisley in Surrey, Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire, Hyde Hall in Essex and Rosemoor in Devon.

We take you behind the scenes during the exiting build-up to the world’s most famous flower show. We hear from garden designers including Cleve West, Adam Frost and Matt Keightley about the inspirations behind their RHS Chelsea Flower Show gardens. Alan Titchmarsh celebrates 50 years of the RHS Britain in Bloom campaign and we also hear from the RHS apprentices who have been given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on some of Chelsea's high profile gardens.

On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we make our monthly visit to the RHS Advisory Team at RHS Garden Wisley to hear expert answers to your gardening questions, including: • How can I deal with wild garlic that’s growing in my garden? • How do I keep cats off my beds and borders? • How do I prune a rampant fig tree? Plus, we’ve expert advice on selecting varieties of beautiful beans and perfect peas, and handy tips from the Wisley gardening team on what you should be doing in your garden right now. As always, we have the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.

On this edition of The RHS Gardening Podcast, author of The Wildlife Gardener Kate Bradbury, shares her suggestions on how to make a garden more attractive to wildlife. Features Editor of the RHS members’ magazine The Garden Phil Clayton, selects his RHS Award Of Garden Merit plants of the month. There’s advice on what you should be doing in your own garden now from the RHS Wisley Garden team including: • Mulching flower beds • Sowing and harvesting vegetables • Pruning shrubs such as Forsythia and Camellia Plus, as always, we have the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.

In this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we celebrate spring at RHS Great London Plant Fair 2014 at The Royal Horticultural Halls in Vincent Square, London. Our team of horticultural advisors are live at The Lindley Hall answering your gardening questions such as • How do I protect lilies from slugs? • When is the best time to move a hellebore? • What climbers can I plant on my south-west facing balcony? We’ll also hear tips on what you should be doing in your own gardens now from nurseries exhibiting at the plant fair including taking cuttings from chrysanthemums, caring for Agapanthus and looking out for lily beetles. Plus, we have the latest news on RHS Shows throughout 2014 including RHS Secret Garden Sundays as well as upcoming events at the four RHS Gardens.

In this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we visit the recent RHS Potato Day at the RHS London Plant and Design Show for a guide to cultivating the perfect potato. We’ll hear about • Choosing a variety • Looking out for pests and disease • The results of the RHS Potato trials Plus, RHS Senior Entomologist, Andrew Salisbury reveals the top ten most troublesome pests of 2013. As always, we have the latest news of events across the four RHS Gardens.

In this special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we celebrate the 50th anniversary of RHS Britain in Bloom. We look at how Britain in Bloom helps to create lasting improvements to local environments for people across the UK as we visit Bloom projects in both Bath and Manchester. We hear about what’s in store for our golden anniversary and how you and your community can get involved.

On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, garden designer and writer James Alexander Sinclair returns with his guide to designing for small spaces. We visit the RHS London Plant and Design Show for seasonal tips from some of the UK’s finest nurseries, and the RHS Gardening Advice team are on hand to answer your gardening questions, including: • How to treat a waterlogged lawn • How to make your own compost • How to care for tomato seedlings Plus as always, we have news on the latest events across all four of the RHS Gardens.

On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, sponsored by Visit Wales we visit RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey for seasonal tips on what you should be doing in your garden now, including: • Treating recent tree damage • Looking out for diseases occurring in spring • Preparing your vegetable garden Also, we’re joined by garden designer James Alexander Sinclair for his expert guide to garden design for gardens of every size and we hear about the RHS Seed Scheme which collects and distributes seeds from garden plants to RHS members. Plus, as always we have news on the latest events across all four of the RHS Gardens.

In this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we’re at RHS Garden Wisley where Garden Manager, Matthew Pottage takes us on a guided tour of the new winter walk project. Plus, we visit the advice team where expert RHS advisors answer your gardening questions including how to reinvigorate lavender, how to prune Wisteria and how to prepare potatoes before planting. Also, members of the RHS Garden Wisley team are on hand with advice on what you should be doing in your garden right now, including: • February pond care • Collecting birch and hazel cuttings for staking perennials • Preparing your vegetable garden And, as always we have the latest news on events and offers across all four of the RHS Gardens.

In this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we visit the Lindley Library at the RHS headquarters in Vincent Square, London to hear some fascinating tales from the gardening archives as Head of Libraries and Exhibitions, Fiona Davison picks out her highlights from the collection. Also, Principal Horticultural Advisor, Leigh Hunt is on hand to give his recommendations for shrubs for seasonal scent and the RHS Garden Wisley team outlines jobs you should be doing in your garden right now, including: • Weeding beds • Renovating old fruit trees • Re-potting larger houseplants Plus, as always, we have the latest news on events and offers across our four RHS Gardens.

On the first edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast for 2014, our experts have suggestions for repairing damage caused by the recent wet and windy weather. We have butterflies in the Greenhouse at RHS Garden Wisley, and the RHS Advisory team are on hand to tackle your January questions. Plus expert information on; • Growing on Christmas plants such as hyacinths, poinsettias and Christmas trees • Sourcing and creating compost • The advantages of raised beds And as always there’s news of the latest events across our four RHS Gardens.

On this final edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast for 2013, the Wisley Garden team give suggestions for those final jobs of the year including.. • Plants for free by making root cuttings • Preparing your soil • Searching through seed catalogues Plus, Phil Clayton, features editor on the RHS’ award-winning The Garden magazine, sifts through the best of the seed catalogues and recommends top seeds to try for 2014 and RHS Garden Visits Editor Sian Thomas introduces her guide to RHS partner gardens to visit throughout the winter. All of that, and the latest news on events across our four RHS Gardens.

We visit the gardening team at Wisley for seasonal tips on what you should be doing in your garden right now, including… • Protecting your trees from winter pests • Winter pruning of acers • Preparing your hellebores Also we’re joined by editor Chris Young, from the RHS’ award-winning ‘The Garden’ magazine, for his pick of the best gardening books of 2013. And the RHS Advisory Team are on hand to answer your gardening questions including… • How to deal with frozen ponds in winter • Dealing with slugs and snails, outdoors and in. • How to spot and deal with Japanese Knotweed Plus, we have the latest news on Christmas events across all four RHS Gardens.

On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we get festive as Christmas fast approaches. Our horticultural experts give their suggestions on • Gifts for gardeners • How to choose and care for Christmas plants including Amaryllis, poinsettias. hyacinths and Christmas trees • How to create a stunning wreath from your own garden Plus as always, the Wisley gardening team are on hand to suggest jobs that you can be doing now in your own gardens now including • Bed renovation • Pond maintenance • Pest prevention And we have the latest news on events across our four RHS gardens.

Our team of Horticultural Advisors are on hand to answer your seasonal gardening questions including… • How to recognise and treat honey fungus • How to protect tender plants from frost • Suggestions for colour-themed containers to plant for spring We also speak to forager Yun Hilder at the RHS London Autumn Harvest Show for an introduction to this increasingly popular phenomenon. Yun explains the do’s and don’ts of foraging in the wild and in your own garden. Plus members of the garden team at RHS Wisley give their advice on what you should be doing now in your own gardens including • Planting hedges • Winter rain protection • Preparing your greenhouse for winter And as always we have the latest news on events across all four RHS Gardens at Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor and Wisley.

Join our seasonal celebration as we visit the RHS Shades of Autumn Show at Vincent Square in London where we: • Talk to exhibiting nurseries about suggestions for autumn colour • Join the RHS advisory team as they tackle visitors’ gardening queries And at RHS Wisley we catch up with the team and hear their suggestions for what you should be doing in your own gardens right now, including: • Planting up containers with winter bedding • Taking hardwood cuttings • Collecting material for autumn floral decoration We have all the latest news on events across our four RHS gardens, plus your chance to WIN £50 worth of RHS books by entering our podcast survey.

On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we're at the RHS London Harvest Festival Show with expert advice on: • Giant pumpkins, heritage tomatoes and the secrets to growing the perfect potato • How to choose the perfect apple for every garden, big or small We'll also be hearing winter tips from the team at RHS Garden Wisley including how to prune a climbing rose, how to wrap your bananas, and advice on dry seed heads for winter decoration. As always we'll have the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens. This is also your chance to win £50 of RHS Books by completing our Podcast survey (www.rhs.org.uk/podcastsurvey).

The team at RHS Garden Wisley give their expert advice on protecting your plants from winter weather, including: • A guide to frost protection for dahlias and tree ferns • To dig or not to dig? How to prepare your soil to give next year's vegetables a head start • Autumn house plant care The RHS Advisory Service answers your latest gardening queries and we have the latest news on events in October across all four RHS Gardens at Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor and Wisley

Timely tasks in the garden, focussing on ornamental grasses and lawn care. We have a step-by-step guide to autumn lawn care by RHS Wisley Garden Manager, Matthew Pottage, and we're also joined by Neil Lucas, nurseryman of Knoll Gardens, to hear his expert suggestions for ornamental grasses that you can use in your garden. Plus we have autumnal advice and ideas for what you should be doing in your garden now including: • Spotting red spider mite and harlequin ladybirds • Dividing herbaceous perennials • Planting spring cabbages And as always there's news of the latest events across our four RHS gardens.

On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we explore RHS Wisley in September with Garden Manager Matthew Pottage. Our team of Horticultural Advisors answer your latest gardening questions and the garden teams give their expert seasonal practical advice including tips on harvesting this year's bumper crops of apples and how to deal with vine weevil. Plus as always we have the latest news on events across all four RHS Gardens.

On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we travel to Devon with plantsman Matthew Biggs for a guided tour of RHS Garden Rosemoor. We'll be focussing on Rosemoor through the seasons, featuring a peek behind-the-scenes of the rose garden, cottage garden and Mediterranean garden. Matthew is also joined by members of the Rosemoor team to hear their expert advice on - fruit and veg - lawn care - and hedge maintenance. And we have news on the latest events at all four of our RHS Gardens.

In this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we visit RHS Garden Wisley for advice from Garden Manager Matthew Pottage on selecting and caring for small trees suitable for gardens Members of the glasshouse team select their recommendations for houseplants for every home The RHS Advisory Service answer some of your timely gardening questions Plus, seasonal practical seasonal advice including - deadheading Pelargonium - treating potential flower problems - how to tell when your sweetcorn is ready to pick And as always we have news on the latest events at our four RHS Gardens.

In this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we visit the 2013 RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. - Show manager Kris Hulewicz introduces Tatton's four new distinctive Zones, Grow, Feast, Inspire and Escape - Nurserymen give us their recommendations for plants to achieve late summer colour - Nurseryman Aldo Ciampittiello introduces us to airplants Plus, seasonal practical advice from our Wisley Garden team including - Planting autumn bulbs and summer pruning of wisteria - Combatting scale insects and red spider mite - Pruning bay trees and growing more lilies for free

We're at the 2013 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show with a special focus on the brand new 'Escape' zone where we'll be - Exploring the Butterfly dome - Hearing about the launch of Rose of the Year 2014 in the 1950s-themed Rose Marquee - Discovering delicious Grow Your Own recipes from as far afield as Italy and Thailand in the Growing Tastes Marquee. We also have up-to-the-minute tips from Hampton Court Flower Show's nurserymen and experts on: - Pond maintenance - Sowing climbing beans - Caring for Irises Also, The RHS Advisory Team answer your latest gardening questions and, as always, we have news on all the latest events across our four RHS Gardens.

Gardening for the whole family with activities and inspiration for gardeners of all ages. The Dorchester Hotel's Head florist, Philip Hammond, shares his tips for preserving cut flowers and putting together a winning combination for a mid-summer arrangement, plus: - Wisley Gardeners give expert tips on treating Aphids - Staking tall plants - All you need to know on pinching out side shoots on tomatoes

Our Wisley Gardeners give expert tips on growing corguettes, ensuring the best crop from apple trees and caring for houseplants, plus Garden Manager Matthew Pottage selects his summer highlights at RHS Garden Wisley. Also the RHS Advisory Team answer your gardening questions on: - Controlling bindweed - Growing sweet peas - Potatoes in bags

We have exclusive interviews with a selection of the internationally-renowned designers who have created Chelsea gardens this year, as RHS Director General Sue Biggs introduces a programme that celebrates the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013. Our Centenary special features: • Inspirational insights, tips and techniques, and ideas for your garden at home • Award-medal winning designers Jinny Blom, Christopher Bradley-Hole, Adam Frost, Ulf Nordfjel and Roger Platts • We reveal surprising edible plants, like hostas and ferns! • Plants for night scent Also includes: • Sustainability and wildlife • Family gardens • Growing your own fruit and vegetables • Ideas for small spaces and containers Whether you have a country cottage, a suburban semi-detached or a few containers on a window ledge, there’s something in this Chelsea Flower show special to inspire everyone who loves their garden...

Award-winning writer Nigel Colborn joins RHS experts to discuss how to introduce year round scent in your garden, including unusual plants, trees, foliage and flowers. Also: - As the Centenary of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show fast approaches, Chair of Judges Jekka McVicar explains the secrets to winning a coveted gold medal for a plant display at the prestigious RHS flower shows. - Expert seasonal advice from the team at RHS Wisley, including how to tell when the risk of frost has passed.

This special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast celebrates 100 years of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. RHS Director General Sue Biggs introduces a programme that explores the history of The Chelsea Flower Show, including: - Memorable moments from Alan Titchmarsh, Jekka McVikka and more - Win tickets for Chelsea 2014 - What it takes to put on the greatest flower show in the world - What you can expect from this year's Centenary celebrations - Experts including designer James Alexander-Sinclair, RHS Historian Brent Elliot, and plantsman Matthew Biggs - RHS Council members and Chelsea Gold Medalists tell us why Chelsea is so important Look out for Part 2 of our RHS Chelsea Flower Show Centenary special on Tuesday May 21.

We celebrate Britain in Bloom and the RHS Edible Britain Campaign, which aims to help build more than 2,000 edible gardens in public spaces around the country. How can you get involved? We talk to Edible Britain’s ambassador, chef Raymond Blanc, and get growing advice for beginners. Seasonal advice by RHS experts includes: - garden pests - fighting Lily Beetle - wildflowers for containers - restricting rampaging bamboo - choosing climbers for scent

Plantsman Matthew Biggs takes us on an exclusive tour of RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex with garden curator Ian Le Gros, and garden manager Ian Bull gives an insight into Hyde Hall's famous Dry Garden, plus: - Matthew Biggs' Grow Your Own tips for beginner gardeners - What to do in your garden now - Rose care - Controlling weeds - Latest events at all four RHS Gardens

Plantsman and author Matthew Biggs gives expert tips on Growing Your Own fruit and vegetables including favourite varieties and foolproof techniques for achieving a great first crop. We'll also be hearing how you and your family can get involved in National Gardening Week, and the RHS Advisory Team answer your gardening questions at the recent RHS Great London Plant Fair in Westminster.

In this edition, we visit the London Plant and Design Show at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Vincent Square, Westminster, to discover how to get the best out of shows, and just why people love them so much. We also focus on the UK's most popular houseplant - Orchids - and discuss how to grow them successfully, plus: - advice and inspiration on spring plants from expert growers at the London Plant and Design Show - RHS experts tell you what you should be doing in your garden now, including caring for a spring lawn, what to look out for in your greenhouse, and the importance of keeping your tools sharp.

The scientists and expert gardeners at Wisley discuss how to grow the perfect potatoes, delicious strawberries that will fruit in small gardens all summer long, and how slugs can actually be good for your garden! RHS Wisley’s curator reveals unmissable flowers to see on a visit to the garden this March. Plus, easy wildflowers to encourage more birds, bees and butterflies into your plot. Seasonal gardening questions are answered by RHS garden advisors Tony Dickerson, Leigh Hunt and Rebecca Meally with plant disease expert Geoffrey Denton.

Seasonal gardening questions are answered by RHS garden advisors Tony Dickerson, Leigh Hunt and Rebecca Mealey and plant disease expert Geoffrey Denton from the RHS pathology lab. Topics discussed include: clematis, climbing roses and vertical vegetables, honey fungus, how to stop trees 'bleeding' after pruning, choosing unusual tomato varieties, growing camellias, and solutions to common daffodil problems. Plus, the lead gardeners from RHS Wisley give advice on jobs to do in garden NOW: foolproof wisteria pruning, propagating summer bedding, sweet peas and meconopsis from seed, and choice and care of summer and autumn fruiting raspberries. Plus, offers for 'early bird' RHS show tickets