Plants for Purpose: How Research is Reimagining Our Gardens
This week we’re taking a moment to look ahead. Carol Barrie from the RHS Science and Collections Department joins us to talk about Plants for Purpose, an ambitious new project she’s leading in collaboration with the University of Nottingham. It’s using the power of AI, alongside the RHS’s vast Herbarium, to build a living knowledge bank of plants that benefit the environment. We’ll also turn our gaze to spring, as now’s the perfect time to get tulips in the ground before the ground gets too wet or freezes. We revisit Arundel Castle, where back in 2022, 80,000 tulip bulbs arrived for a spectacular spring display. And finally, we head to RHS Rosemoor to meet Emma McFarline, who’ll be exploring the practical, and sometimes surprising, uses of familiar garden plants, from their roles in history to their value today.
Host: Guy Barter
Contributors: Carol Barrie, Martin Duncan, Emma McFarline
Links:
Plants for Purpose Project
RHS Plants for Pollinators
Planting tulips for seasonal colour
Scientific overview of rosemary
Biomedical research on rosemary as a therapeutic agent
Therapeutic effects of rosemary on nervous system disorders
Calendula in modern medicine
Common mullein, pharmacological and chemical aspects
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Halloween in the Garden: From Bats to Deadly Blooms
As the days grow shorter and Halloween marks the end of harvest and the beginning of winter, we explore the mysterious, the nocturnal, and the beautifully eerie corners of nature. Ecologist and bat expert Greg Slack joins us to uncover the secrets of these misunderstood night flyers — essential to our ecosystems but increasingly under threat. Then, houseplant expert and author Jane Perrone takes us on a chilling journey through the world’s most intoxicating and poisonous plants, revealing the strange allure of nature’s most dangerous creations. And finally, we turn toward the light again. RHS Garden Rosemoor’s Emma McFarline shares how she’s preparing her cottage garden for the seasons ahead, proving that even in the darkest months, there’s always something growing just beneath the surface.
Host: Nick Turrell
Contributors: Greg Slack, Jane Perrone, Emma McFarline
Links:
The Atlas of Deadly Plants
RHS Garden Rosemoor
RHS advice on gardening for bats
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Grow Forward: Designing Resilient Gardens and Stronger Communities
It’s time to look ahead to the future: From the coming season to the years beyond, the way we garden must evolve with a changing world. Award-winning garden designer Tom Massey joins us to share his tips on how to be more water-wise in the garden. We’ll also explore the growing importance of community gardens, as the RHS unveils its landmark Space to Grow report: the first comprehensive mapping of the scale, impact, and needs of community gardening across the UK. Sarah Galvin, Head of National Community Programs at the RHS, will join us to discuss some of the most inspiring findings. And finally, we’ll take a step into the wonderfully eccentric world of competitive fruit and vegetable growing with Pumpkins and Prizes, a new exhibition at RHS Garden Wisley. Curator Fiona Davison will be on hand to share the stories behind this vibrant tradition.
Host: Jenny Laville
Contributors: Sarah Galvin, Tom Massey, Fiona Davison
Links:
RHS Waterwise Garden by Tom Massey
RHS Space to Grow
Pumpkins and Prizes Exhibition
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From Mushrooms to Matrix Planting: Exploring Nature’s Design
This week, Dr Jassy Drakulic returns to guide us through the hidden zones of your garden, uncovering the fascinating world of fungi and the mushroom magic that may be thriving right under your nose. RHS Principal Entomologist Dr Hayley Jones joins us to introduce the charming yet troublesome vine weevil — a notorious menace for potted plants — and reveals how we can give a helping hand to the beneficial insects that prey on them in our gardens as winter approaches. Finally, horticulturist Louisa Neale takes us on a tour of the breathtaking Oudolf Landscape at RHS Garden Wisley, sharing practical tips on how to bring a touch of Piet Oudolf’s iconic matrix-style planting to your own outdoor space.
Host: Guy Barter
Contributors: Dr Jassy Drakulic, Dr Hayley Jones, Louisa Neale
Links:
RHS Fungi for Gardeners book
Science & Collections at the RHS
Info on vine weevils
The Oudolf Landscape
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Hidden Worlds: From Fungal Networks to Literary Landscapes
This week, RHS Senior Plant Pathologist Dr Jassy Drakulic shares her passion for the mysterious world of fungi, revealing the hidden lives of their fruiting bodies and the ingenious ways they spread their spores. At RHS Garden Rosemoor, horticulturist Alex Paines takes us behind the scenes to explore the art of shaping formal hedges and offers expert tips for keeping them looking their best. And finally, Fiona Davison, RHS Head of Libraries and Exhibitions, delves into the gardens and landscapes that inspired the pages of Jane Austen’s beloved novels.
Host: Guy Barter
Contributors: Dr Jassy Drakulic, Alex Paines, Fiona Davison
Links:
RHS Fungi For Gardeners book
RHS Garden Rosemoor
Chawton House
'Gardening with the RHS' offers seasonal advice, inspiration and practical solutions to gardening problems. Trusted gardening professionals give you the latest horticultural advice, scientific research and tried and tested techniques to bring out the best in your garden.
Topics covered include: growing your own vegetables, flowers, garden design, lawn care and gardening with children. Plus expert masterclasses in topics ranging from cottage garden plants, growing orchids, to pest control and eco-friendly gardening.
Plus we’ll have behind the scenes reports from the country’s most prestigious flower shows. There’s something in these podcasts to interest every gardener, whatever your level of expertise.
For more info see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
A Pixiu production.
Australia