Loving Your Garden - Better Gardening Podcast

Gardening is something we hope to enjoy throughout our lives. But what happens when age, illness, or disability makes some of those familiar gardening jobs more challenging?

In this episode of Loving Your Garden, Rod Whiting and resident gardening expert John Stirland are joined by horticulturist Lexi Gee, who shares her personal experience of living with multiple sclerosis and the practical adaptations that help her continue enjoying her garden.

From accessible garden design, raised beds and choosing the right plants to lightweight tools, pacing yourself and knowing when to take a break, there’s plenty of useful advice for gardeners of all ages and abilities.

But it’s not just about making gardening easier. Lexi also talks about the enormous physical and emotional benefits of spending time outdoors, the importance of maintaining independence and why adapting your garden should never feel like admitting defeat.

An uplifting, entertaining, and practical conversation about making your garden work for you, rather than the other way round.

💬 Got a question for us? Or want to send us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

Share your thoughts

Autumn has arrived - and there’s plenty to be getting on with in the garden.

Rod Whiting is joined by Loving Your Garden and Boom Radio’s resident horticulturist John Stirland for a practical guide to making the most of this special time of year.

They look at how to help lawns recover after a long, hot summer, why now is such a good time for sowing grass seed, which spring bulbs should be planted now, and which are better left until later - plus autumn care for roses, climbers and shrubs.

John also shares some of his favourite plants for winter colour, tips for preparing the greenhouse for the colder months, and explains why autumn can be the perfect time to make bigger changes to the garden while the soil is still warm.

And, after creating his own pond last autumn, John reveals just how quickly the wildlife moved in - from newts to dragonflies and damselflies.

A relaxed, practical half-hour packed with timely advice and ideas to help you enjoy your garden through autumn and prepare it for the seasons ahead.

💬 Got a question for us? Or want to send us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

Share your thoughts

How can gardeners make a real difference for wildlife?

Rod Whiting is joined by Boom Radio’s nature expert Mary Porter and resident horticulturist John Stirland to explore simple, practical ways to turn your garden into a haven for birds, bees, butterflies, hedgehogs, and countless other creatures.

Following one of the hottest, driest summers in recent years, they discuss how wildlife is adapting, the plants that provide food when it’s needed most, why ponds are such valuable habitats, and how a few small changes can have a surprisingly big impact.

Along the way you’ll hear about hummingbird hawk moths, kingfishers, dragonflies, grass snakes and the simple joys of watching nature return to your garden.

Whether you have a window box or several acres, this episode is full of ideas to help wildlife thrive through every season.

💬 Got a question for us? Or want to send us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

Share your thoughts

Hotter summers, wetter winters and increasingly unpredictable weather are changing the way we garden. So how should we adapt?

Horticulturist Alison Marsden, who divides her time between Britain and a Mediterranean garden in France, joins Rod Whiting and resident expert John Stirland to explore practical ways of making our gardens more resilient. They discuss healthier soils, smarter planting, water management, Mediterranean-inspired ideas that work in Britain, and how to create gardens that are ready for the climate of the future.

Practical, optimistic and packed with ideas for gardeners across the UK.

💬 Got a question for us? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

Share your thoughts

Food prices may be rising, but growing your own needn’t be difficult.

In this episode of the Loving Your Garden podcast, Rod Whiting and horticulturist John Stirland are joined by kitchen gardener and food writer Stephanie Hafferty, author of The Productive Garden.

Stephanie shares her advice on getting started with growing your own food, the easiest crops for beginners, why mistakes are part of the learning process, and how to make the most of even the smallest growing spaces. The discussion also covers succession sowing, preserving harvests, peat-free compost, natural approaches to pests and disease, and what to sow now for crops later in the year.

Whether you have a large vegetable plot, a few raised beds, or simply some pots on a balcony, this episode is packed with practical ideas to help you grow more food and enjoy greater success in the garden.

Stephanie's website:
https://nodighome.com/

💬 Got a question for us? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

Share your thoughts

Dahlias are bold, flamboyant, sometimes slightly outrageous - and one of the great stars of the late summer garden.

But they can also feel a little intimidating. When do you plant them? Which varieties are easiest to grow? Do you have to lift the tubers every winter? How do you support them, feed them, protect them from pests, and keep them flowering into autumn?

In this episode, Rod Whiting is joined by Dahlia expert Kim O’Brien - Head Gardener at an RHS-funded garden in Cambridgeshire, flower grower, floral designer, BBC local radio gardening expert, regular Gardeners’ World speaker, and columnist for Amateur Gardening magazine.

Her passion for Dahlias really shines through, and the tips keep on coming.

💬 Got a question for us? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

Share your thoughts

Take a walk through the personal garden of multi-award-winning designer David Stevens.

In this episode of Loving Your Garden, I’m joined by Boom Radio’s gardening expert John Stirland as we explore multi-award-winning designer David Stevens' own 100-foot suburban garden — a space full of ideas, inspiration, and practical lessons for gardeners of all levels.

From clever use of space and planting for year-round interest, to working with soil, structure, and light, David shares how he brings together design and plantsmanship to create a garden that feels both natural and constantly evolving.

Along the way, we discuss:

• Designing a garden as a “journey.”
• Making the most of space in a typical suburban plot
• Choosing the right plants for sun, shade, and soil
• Creating structure with trees, shrubs, and borders
• Encouraging wildlife and working with nature
• Practical tips you can use in your own garden

This is a relaxed, insightful walk around a real garden — with plenty of ideas to take home.

You can watch the accompanying film of the garden here: 👇
https://youtu.be/BGWATXrFF84

💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

Share your thoughts

...Be sure to listen to this relaxed conversation with two fabulous gardeners: my co-host, John Stirland — Boom Radio’s gardening expert — and horticulturist, broadcaster and RHS judge, Martin Fish.

It was a real pleasure to reunite this former BBC TV gardening double-act and spend half an hour chatting about Spring gardening in Martin’s Lincolnshire spread, with the birds providing the background soundtrack.

We begin with the problem many gardeners are facing after a wet winter — moss in the lawn — before moving on to dividing herbaceous perennials, pruning, planting, irrigation, and finally pests.

There’s plenty to take in, so if you’d like to jump to specific topics, take a look at the chapter guide.

It's a great way to start Season 6, and our thanks to Martin for his time and use of his splendid young garden.

💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

Check out Martin's FB Site for regular features and videos:👇 https://www.facebook.com/PTrowels/?locale=en_GB

Share your thoughts

In this special seasonal edition of the Loving Your Garden podcast, John Stirland and I sit down to reflect on the gardening year just gone – and look ahead to what comes next.

As is customary at Christmas, we're joined by the renowned garden designer David Stevens (22 Chelsea medals, including 11 Golds) for a relaxed, thoughtful conversation about how gardens evolve over time – through trial and error, changing seasons, and growing confidence.

From drought and erratic weather to winter interest, shrubs as the backbone of a garden, moving plants (yes, even at the “wrong” time), and choosing trees for small spaces, this is a conversation grounded in experience rather than theory. There’s plenty here for newer gardeners, and just as much for those who’ve been digging for decades.

If you’ve ever planted everything you like and only later realised it doesn’t quite work… you’re among friends.

Link to the Video with illustrated plants and garden design here:

https://youtu.be/ru_LEJgaRhY

☘️ Topics include:
– How gardens evolve year by year
– Why shrubs matter more than fashion
– Choosing plants for winter interest
– Moving plants with confidence
– Trees and structure in small gardens
– Planning a garden around how you use it

Whether you’re listening with a cup of tea over Christmas or planning for spring, we hope this episode keeps you inspired.

💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

Share your thoughts

Struggling to get wildflowers growing in your garden? You’re not alone! 🌿
Gardeners are often surprised at how challenging it can be to grow wildflowers successfully, so we've been chatting to Dr Ana Attlee, co-founder of Seedball, to find a simpler solution to creating a haven for wildlife.

In this podcast, horticulturist and broadcaster John Stirland joins Loving Your Garden Founder Rod Whiting, along with Ana, to share a simple, proven method for growing wildflowers - perfect for beginners or anyone looking to attract more bees, butterflies, and birds to their garden.

Ana explains how their innovative approach removes the mystery from wildflower cultivation, helping gardeners of all levels achieve quick, effective results.
We also discuss the best spots and soil conditions for wildflowers, easy tips to encourage wildlife and colour in your garden

✨ And there's a 20% discount on Seedball products for Loving Your Garden subscribers.

💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

Share your thoughts

It's been an interesting Summer! It started with drought, then the rains came, and as the nights begin to draw in, it's turned unseasonably cool. Signs of Autumn are already showing, certainly in my East Midlands garden (UK). After a relatively quiet spell, the transition to Autumn is a busy time for gardeners and our resident horticulturist, John Stirland, suggests some jobs to consider, such as creating a compost pile and scarifying the lawn. Twenty minutes in John's company is always an education and never a minute wasted, so enjoy!

💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

Share your thoughts

As the sun turns up the heat, so do the challenges in our gardens. In this summer edition of the Loving Your Garden podcast, I’m joined by our resident horticulturist John Stirland and award-winning garden designer David Stevens for a lively and practical chat about gardening through the warmer months.

We explore clever ways to keep your plants happy during hot, dry spells, how to water wisely, and what to plant right now for colour and resilience. Whether you’re battling parched borders or planning a summer refresh, this episode is packed with tips to help your garden thrive through the heat, with design tips from an eleven-time RHS Chelsea gold medallist.

Check out the chapters if you’re short of time – but we reckon you’ll want to hear the whole thing.

Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/OyWh8uJ-qn0

💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

📬 Sign up for our free gardening newsletter: LYG Newsletter

Share your thoughts

This might just be our best episode yet from LYG HQ!

Steve Fives is officially Loving Your Garden’s most engaging member – with more views, comments, and conversations than anyone else in the group… including me, and I run the place!

Steve’s garden is something you have to see to believe, so if you’d rather watch this episode, head over to our YouTube channel: Watch on YouTube

But don’t go just yet – Steve’s also a brilliant speaker, and this conversation on creating lawn envy is well worth a listen. He explains how he took over a tired, uninspiring garden and transformed it with lush lawns and a selection of palm trees, more at home in the Caribbean than Cheshire. Alongside our resident horticulturist, John Stirland, Steve shares lots of practical tips for anyone wanting to give their garden that wow factor.

Check out the chapters if you’re short of time – but we reckon you’ll want to hear the whole thing.

💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

📬 Sign up for our free gardening newsletter: LYG Newsletter

Share your thoughts

With UK gardens bursting into colour, this is a beautiful time of year — but it’s also a busy time, preparing the garden for the seasons ahead.

In the second half of our conversation with Gardener and Broadcaster Martin Fish and our own John Stirland, we cover:

• Pest control, notably slugs and snails
• Growing your own food
• Container gardening
• Getting the best from roses
• Effective watering
• Peat-free compost
• Plus, an important Health and safety tip for keen gardeners

Thanks to Martin Fish for his time. Martin has an excellent Facebook site and YouTube Channel called Pots & Trowels - links here:

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=pots%20%26%20trowels

https://www.youtube.com/@PotsTrowels

Now that we have fan mail, please text in some feedback. Also, take advantage of John's fifty-plus years of experience in professional horticulture and send in any gardening questions you may have.

To watch videos of shorter sections of our podcast, visit our LYG YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/P_IbqkOzSSY

If you've not yet visited our LYG Facebook site, here's the link: https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9

And to sign up for our free subscription newsletter - it's here: http://eepurl.com/iP4Wd2

To contact Loving Your Garden, perhaps with questions for John, it's:
rod@lovingyourgarden.org

Share your thoughts

The new gardening year is well underway, and our Loving Your Garden Facebook group is bursting with colourful spring blooms and a real sense of excitement as our gardens awaken from their winter slumber.

So, what better time to get stuck into those all-important early-season jobs? To help us on our way, we’ve called on two seasoned pros — our resident horticulturist John Stirland and his long-time friend, RHS judge and fellow horticulturist Martin Fish, who many will remember as John’s TV co-host.

In this two-part special, John and Martin share expert advice to set you up for a successful season.

Part One dives into:

• Soil preparation
• Spring planting essentials
• Lawncare tips — including scarifying, aerating, top-dressing, overseeding, and feeding

Part Two will follow next week — don’t miss it!

Thanks to Martin Fish for his time. Martin has an excellent Facebook site and YouTube Channel called Pots & Trowels - links here:

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=pots%20%26%20trowels

https://www.youtube.com/@PotsTrowels

Now that we have fan mail, please text in some feedback. Also, take advantage of John's fifty-plus years of experience in professional horticulture and send in any gardening questions you may have.

To watch videos of shorter sections of our podcast, visit our LYG YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/P_IbqkOzSSY

If you've not yet visited our LYG Facebook site, here's the link: https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9

And to sign up for our free subscription newsletter it's here: http://eepurl.com/iP4Wd2

To contact Loving Your Garden, perhaps with questions for John, it's:
rod@lovingyourgarden.org

Share your thoughts

If you've resolved to growing more cut flowers in '25 then you'll find Roz Chandler from Field Gate Flowers an interesting guest. Roz talks about starting her cut flower farm 15 years ago almost by mistake and now runs a successful business growing, displaying and teaching floral horticulture. She has some useful tips for starting a cut flower garden and we also get around to discussing peat-free compost including the two brands Roz swears by and how climate change will have a major impact on how we garden (see Chapters for specifics).

Now that we have fan mail, please text in some feedback. Also, take advantage of John's fifty-plus years of experience in professional horticulture and send in any gardening questions you may have.

To watch the video of our podcast, visit our LYG YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/P_IbqkOzSSY

If you've not yet visited our LYG Facebook site, here's the link: https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9

And to sign up for our free subscription newsletter which this month features more of our Winter Plant suggestions, horticulturist Paul Maxey's demonstration of taking hardwood cuttings and a guide to building a hotbox from fresh manure, it's here: http://eepurl.com/iP4Wd2

To contact Loving Your Garden, perhaps with questions for John, it's:
rod@lovingyourgarden.org

Share your thoughts

It's become a thing for multi-award-winning garden designer David Stevens to drop in over Christmas with our resident horticulturist John Stirland over a glass of sherry for a gardening chinwag. The result is always educational as these two stalwarts trade wisdom and a few laughs. The wisdom includes suggestions for Winter interest in an all-year-round garden, some garden design tips, a discussion about gifts for the gardener who has everything, and the one garden tool that neither of our experts could do without.

To watch the video of our podcast, visit our LYG YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/1oGPrvNO1Kk

Now that we have fan mail, please text in some feedback. Also, take advantage of John's fifty-plus years of experience in professional horticulture and send in any gardening questions you may have.

If you've not yet visited our LYG Facebook site, here's the link: https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9

And to sign up for our free subscription newsletter which this month features more of our Winter Plant suggestions, horticulturist Paul Maxey's demonstration of taking hardwood cuttings and a guide to building a hotbox from fresh manure, it's here: http://eepurl.com/iP4Wd2

To contact Loving Your Garden, perhaps with questions for John, it's:
rod@lovingyourgarden.org

Share your thoughts

11 Times RHS Chelsea Gold Medallist (and LYG member), David Stevens, has designed a few gardens in his long career (understatement). Enough to earn him 26 RHS medals and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Garden Designers. In this short video (link below), David outlines 8 key steps to consider before embarking on a garden makeover that will save you time, effort, and tears. He finishes by outlining a postal design service* that makes his knowledge and expertise surprisingly accessible.
*Promo
David Stevens Website: https://david-stevens.co.uk/
David Stevens Email: gardens@david-stevens.co.uk

You can watch this interview with accompanying images on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE7j8D7HCZXg-V6OyRdZxYg

Now that we have fan mail, please do text in some feedback. Also, take advantage of John's fifty years plus experience in professional horticulture and send in any gardening questions you may have.

If you've not yet visited our LYG Facebook site, here's the link: https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9

And to sign up for our free subscription newsletter which this month features a peat-free fact sheet, advice on growing (and getting rid of Bamboo) and John Stirland's demo of taking softwood cuttings (there's still time) it's here: http://eepurl.com/iP4Wd2

To contact Loving Your Garden, perhaps with questions for John, it's:
rod@lovingyourgarden.org

Share your thoughts

Recent press reports would have you believe Bamboo is the devil incarnate but does it deserve its bad reputation? While it's certainly true some varieties can be highly destructive, are gardeners right to shun it at all costs?
Who better to ask than Tony Churley who's been growing varieties of Bamboo for the best part of forty years? Both John Stirland and I have had bad experiences with Bamboo so we didn't give Tony a free ride. Still, he puts up some strong arguments for the plant, how to buy the right varieties, how to contain it effectively, how to prevent its invasion from a neighbouring garden, and how to get rid of it if you want it gone.

Now that we have fan mail, please do text in some feedback. Also, take advantage of John's fifty years plus experience in professional horticulture and send in any gardening questions you may have.

If you've not yet visited our LYG Facebook site, here's the link: https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9

Our New YouTube Channel link is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE7j8D7HCZXg-V6OyRdZxYg

And to sign up for our free subscription newsletter it's here: http://eepurl.com/iP4Wd2

To contact Loving Your Garden, perhaps with questions for John, it's:
rod@lovingyourgarden.org

Share your thoughts

Firstly, apologies for our silence over the past few weeks, we've been busy creating a brand new YouTube channel and subscription newsletter (links below) as well as overhauling our Facebook group to accommodate the massive new growth of 'Loving Your Garden' - now 378 thousand members.

Now that we're back into the routine we've re-commenced series 4 with a gardening clinic - hosted by myself and our resident horticulturist John Stirland with the added pleasure of the company of Barbara Stalker, Assistant County Organiser for the National Garden Scheme in Cambridgeshire. Barbara makes a strong case for the excellent UK National Garden Scheme which turns an amazing garden near you into a public source of inspiration for just a couple of days over the Summer.

John discusses the importance of knowing your soil by way of explaining why those new plants you bought in Spring may not be thriving as you expected plus our usual discussion about pests and diseases which have been a particular problem after a very wet Spring. As ever, we've added chapters to help you navigate the podcast.

If you've not yet visited our LYG Facebook site, here's the link: https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9

Our New YouTube Channel link is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE7j8D7HCZXg-V6OyRdZxYg

And to sign up for our free subscription newsletter it's here: http://eepurl.com/iP4Wd2

To contact Loving Your Garden, perhaps with questions for John, it's:
rod@lovingyourgarden.org

Share your thoughts