Advertise on podcast: grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & friends

The magic of growing your own food is hard to overstate, and while some lament the labour necessary, it takes far less time and space than many imagine. This week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ once again features the remarkable Huw Richards, fresh from the release of ‘How to Grow Food’ - his new book which dives into the detail of how anyone can grow a kitchen garden in real spaces, with a planting schedule that fits around busy lives. In this episode, discover: How Huw plans and plants to grow enough veg for a family of four on a half allotment in just a few hours a weekSimple permaculture-inspired tricks for better germinationWhat causes common problems like courgette fruits rotting and dropping off, and how you can fix themHow to choose between longer crops and cut-and-come-again with limited spaceHuw’s must-sow crops for April, including squash, runner beans, cucumbers, and courgettesEpisode Cover Photo Credit: Dorling Kindersley: Jason Ingram Products mentioned: Runner Bean 'Black Knight' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/runner-bean-black-knight Runner Bean 'White Lady' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/runner-bean-white-lady Nasturtium 'Tip Top Mix' (Tropaeolum majus) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nasturtium-tip-top-mix Nasturtium 'Ladybird Rose' (Tropaeolum minus) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nasturtium-ladybird-rose Borago officinalis (Borage) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/borago-officinalis See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

The sunnier months in April present a fresh opportunity for gardeners to sow some of the fastest-germinating seedlings, bringing a productive garden closer than you might think. We return to Josie Lewis this week for an episode all about what she’s sowing in mid-April, how to prick out and pot on seedlings, and the simple tricks they use to keep plants growing hard and healthy at this most promising time of year. In this episode, discover: How to prick out seedlings confidently, and when to do it for promoting strong growthPractical ways to get more from your dahlias, such as turning pinched tips into new plants with simple cuttingsWhy mid‑April is the ideal time to sow cosmos and zinnias, and how to avoid the common mistake of starting them too earlyStep‑by‑step tips for taking cuttings of pelargoniums, salvias and other favouritesTwo slightly different but complementary approaches to hardening off plants, and how to choose a method that works for your own gardenSee our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

There’s something uniquely calming about a garden washed in cool pastels – soft tones that feel like frosty mornings and freshly laundered linen.  Moving us onto the 4th and final palette in Sarah’s colour system, we explore the washed palette in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’. She takes you through the colour combinations, productive plant families, and tips for crafting a soothing, contemplative feeling in your garden. In this episode, discover: How to use Sarah’s washed colour palette of cool pastels to create a calm, clean and harmonious gardenWhich plant families and specific varieties reliably deliver this palette from late winter to autumnHow to plan colour through the year in two‑month blocks, ensuring there’s always something in flower without breaking the paletteSimple design techniques to avoid jarring colour clashesWhy sticking to a coherent palette can make your garden feel both deeply restful and quietly boldProducts mentioned: Narcissus ‘Polar Hunter’:  sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-polar-hunter Narcissus ‘Avalanche’:  sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-avalanche Narcissus ‘Thalia’:  sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-thalia Narcissus ‘Actaea’:  sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-actaea Tulip ‘White Triumphator’:  sarahraven.com/products/tulip-white-triumphator Tulip ‘Purissima’:  sarahraven.com/products/tulip-purissima Fritillaria acmopetala (likely "Green Eyes"):  sarahraven.com/products/fritillaria-acmopetala Sweet Pea ‘Nimbus’:  sarahraven.com/products/sweet-pea-nimbus Nicotiana sylvestris:  sarahraven.com/products/nicotiana-sylvestris Nicotiana alata ‘Grandiflora’:  sarahraven.com/products/nicotiana-alata-grandiflora See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

A comforting garden can feel as soft and familiar as your favourite cashmere jumper, and in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah shares a palette which achieves exactly this feeling. In the latest of the Colour Guide Mini Series episodes, Sarah shares how to create a mood using the comforting palette, the key plant families and varieties, plus how to sequence them through the seasons, so your borders feel gentle and soothing from early spring to late autumn. In this episode, discover: How to create a warm, comforting colour palette in your garden using soft pastels like café au lait, peach, putty pink and ivorySpecific plant families and varieties that deliver these soothing tonesA clear, season-by-season planting framework so your comforting palette runs from early spring right through to late autumnProducts mentioned: Narcissus ‘Precocious’: sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-precocious Antirrhinum ‘Appleblossom’: sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-majus-appleblossom Cosmos ‘Apricotta’: sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-apricotta Calendula ‘Sunset Buff’: sarahraven.com/products/calendula-officinalis-sunset-buff Phlox drummondii ‘Cherry Caramel’: sarahraven.com/products/phlox-drummondii-cherry-caramel Zinnia ‘Queeny Lime Orange’: sarahraven.com/products/zinnia-elegans-queeny-lime-orange Dahlia ‘Break Out’: sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-break-out See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

For many, the garden should be a peaceful place where its colours invite you in and envelop you in their earthy tones, and that’s the role of Sarah Raven’s velvet palette. In this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series, Sarah moves us to her next, and perhaps favourite palette of the four. She talks through their calming colours, and the flower families that help keep that tranquility in your garden through a reliable planting succession. In this episode, discover: How to create a velvet colour palette in your garden using deep crimsons, golds, bronzes and inky purples that feel cosy and envelopingWhich reliable plant families and standout varieties deliver these rich, velvety tonesHow to plan succession planting so the velvet palette runs from late winter and early spring right through to autumnPractical ideas from Sarah’s own garden on combining colour and texture to create a sense of haven, enclosure and warmth outdoorsProducts mentioned: Tulip ‘Palmyra’:  sarahraven.com/products/tulip-palmyra Tulip ‘Ridgedale’:  sarahraven.com/products/tulip-ridgedale Tulip ‘Hermitage’:  sarahraven.com/products/tulip-hermitage Tulip ‘Cairo’ (Copex Cairo):  sarahraven.com/products/tulip-copex-cairo Tulip ‘Belleville’ (Bellville):  sarahraven.com/products/tulip-bellville Tulip ‘Dom Pedro’:  sarahraven.com/products/tulip-dom-pedro Amaranthus ‘Coral Fountain’: sarahraven.com/products/amaranthus-caudatus-coral-fountain Dahlia ‘Verrone's Obsidian’ (Veronese Obsidian): sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-verrones-obsidian Dahlia ‘Rip City’:  sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-rip-city Dahlia ‘Sarah Raven’:  sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-sarah-raven Dahlia ‘Molly Raven’:  sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-molly-raven Dahlia ‘Schipper's Bronze’:  sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-schippers-bronze Antirrhinum ‘Liberty Classic Crimson’: sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-f1-liberty-classic-crimson See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Seeds sown in March are the great givers of colour and fragrance in a cutting garden or container, from spring right through to autumn. This week, Sarah is joined by Josie Lewis to walk through 12 of the most trusted plants to sow now, how to fill your beds, pots and vases, and feed the birds from a single month’s sowing. In this episode, discover: Practical techniques for handling both big and dust-fine seeds, including when to sow in trays and when to direct sowSpecific tips for making the most of tricky or easily-flopped favourites like cerinthe, amaranth and poppies, so they thrive both in the garden and in the vaseHow to get more from each plant – from cut-and-come-again grasses to edible flowers and home-made calendula remediesHow to plan your March sowing so it supports wildlife, with seed heads that feed birds well into winterProducts mentioned: Cerinthe major 'Kiwi Blue' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cerinthe-major-kiwi-blue Amaranthus ‘Hot Biscuits’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/amaranthus-hot-biscuits Amaranthus ‘Coral Fountain’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/amaranthus-caudatus-coral-fountain Moluccella / Bells of Ireland https://www.sarahraven.com/products/moluccella-laevis Antirrhinum ‘Giant White’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-giant-white Antirrhinum ‘Liberty Crimson’ (Liberty Classic Crimson F1) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-f1-liberty-classic-crimson Antirrhinum ‘Apple Blossom’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-majus-appleblossom Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Burgundy' F1 https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-sonnet-burgundy Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Orange Scarlet' F1 https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-sonnet-orange-scarlet Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Carmine' F1 https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-sonnet-carmine Cobaea (Cup-and-saucer vine) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cobaea-scandens-purple Poppy ‘Amazing Grey’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-rhoeas-amazing-grey Poppy ‘Mother of Pearl’ https:// See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

The garden is a welcoming place for all, particularly for newcomers when guided by the gentle eye of Milli Proust, and under the instruction of her calming new book. Milli joins us once again, this time to share the inspiring journey that’s led up to her most approachable book to date, and some of the easy-to-understand frameworks to create an effortlessly beautiful garden. In this episode, discover: How Milli Proust found floristry, and began creating a deeply loved, biodiverse garden in West SussexA gentle but practical way to think about why we garden focused around connection, memory, and belonging to natureMilli’s “plant pyramid” and other simple frameworks for beginner gardeners planning borders Ideas for low-maintenance but beautiful gardens, including orchards underplanted with bulbs, and using local materialsMilli’s taster course at Perch Hill on Wednesday 6th May 2026: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/milli-proust-taster-course-beginner-gardeners?srsltid=AfmBOopaQgpAKlaAx724RwtbLXGrmm_NkyOCTWu2N42YnAOUzRlu--wl Order Milli’s Book, ‘How Does Your Garden Grow?’: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Does-Your-Garden-Grow/dp/1837832250 Products mentioned: Aquilegia Vulgaris 'Hensol Harebell' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/aquilegia-hensol-harebell Galanthus nivalis (Common Snowdrop) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/galanthus-nivalis Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/wild-marjoram Syringa meyeri 'Flowerfesta Pink' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/syringa-meyeri-flowerfesta-pink Viburnum tinus https://www.sarahraven.com/products/viburnum-tinus Daphne 'Perfume Princess' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/daphne-perfume-princess See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

The luminous palette - a rich, stained glass collection of citrus, scarlet and pinky-purples - is the first of Sarah’s colour combinations that we’ll walk through in depth for this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series. Sarah explains the six key colours, which ones to use together throughout the year, and the flower families which she considers the most prominent and productive as they pass the colour baton through the year. In this episode, discover: How to use Sarah’s luminous palette without overwhelming your gardenThe key plant families and varieties that reliably deliver bold, stained‑glass colourSarah’s favourite colour combinations and how to place ‘shouty’ colours so they look intentionalA simple season‑by‑season planning method using two‑month blocks and the ‘bride, bridesmaid, gatecrasher’ idea to keep colour going from March to OctoberProducts mentioned: Euphorbia ceratocarpa https://www.sarahraven.com/products/euphorbia-ceratocarpa Tulip 'Ballerina' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-ballerina Tulip 'Black Parrot' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-black-parrot Tulip 'Rococo' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-rococo Tulip 'Go Go Red' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-go-go-red Tulip 'Mariette' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-mariette Tulip 'Purple Heart' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-purple-heart Lunaria annua https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lunaria-annua Crocosmia 'Lucifer' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/crocosmia-lucifer Phlox paniculata 'Blue Paradise' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-paniculata-blue-paradise Dahlia 'Thomas A. Edison' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-thomas-a-edison Sweet Pea 'Blue Velvet' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sweet-pea-blue-velvet Sweet Pea 'King Edward VII' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lathyrus-odoratus-king-edward-vii Sweet Pea 'Matucana' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lathyrus-odoratus-matucana Salvia 'Jezebel' See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Colour is best when it’s tangible, and if you’re planning a patch in your garden then this episode of the Mini Series is perfect to help you bring your plans to life. In this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series, Sarah dives into the practical side of using colour as the backbone of your garden design - from using candles to visualise colour combinations, to the ‘bride, bridesmaid, gate crasher’ structure that’ll help guide you towards an ensemble that works in harmony. In this episode, discover: How to choose a garden colour palette based on the feeling you want to create (washed, velvet, comforting or luminous)A simple “bride, bridesmaid, gate crasher” recipe for combining plants in harmonious yet lively colour schemesPractical ways to test and refine palettes using coloured candles, mood boards and real flowers in your hand or in a vaseHow to plan colour in succession by breaking the year into seasonal chunks and identifying plants that “carry the baton” across monthsReal planting examples and border ideas drawn from Sarah’s own garden, including her vase-to-border comforting palette schemeProducts mentioned: Nepeta x faassenii 'Kit Kat' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nepeta-x-faassenii-kit-kat Alchemilla mollis https://www.sarahraven.com/products/alchemilla-mollis Clematis viticella 'Etoile Violette' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/clematis-viticella-etoile-violette Cosmos bipinnatus 'Sonata Carmine' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-sonata-carmine Salvia viridis 'Blue Monday' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-viridis-blue Dahlia 'Peaches' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-peaches Campsis x tagliabuana 'Indian Summer' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/campsis-x-tagliabuana-indian-summer Phlox drummondii 'Blushing Bride' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-drummondii-blushing-bride Abelia x grandiflora https://www.sarahraven.com/products/abelia-x-grandiflora Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' AGM https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-limelight Stipa gigantea https://www.sarahraven.com/products/stipa-gigantea See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Each colour palette in the garden creates a unique atmosphere, and you don’t need intricate knowledge of the colour wheel to combine them cohesively in the garden. In this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series, Sarah talks us through why her colour palette system works to create stunning arrangements which work with each other, rather than against each other, and how to transition between palettes within neighbouring spaces. In this episode, discover: How Sarah’s four core colour palettes each create a distinct mood in the gardenWhere each palette works best at Perch Hill, and where they might be most suited in your own spaceHow to avoid a cluttered, chaotic feeling by thinking of colour palettes in ‘visual fields’How to use bridge plants and universal colours to link different palettes seamlesslyWays to work with trickier colours so that they enhance your space, rather than overwhelm itProducts mentioned: Dahlia 'Molly Raven': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-molly-raven Tulip 'Slawa': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-slawa Tulip 'Apricot Foxx': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-apricot-foxx Phlox paniculata 'David': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-paniculata-david Erysimum 'Winter Orchid': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/erysimum-winter-orchid Phlox drummondii grandiflora 'Cherry Caramel': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-drummondii-cherry-caramel Tulip 'Dom Pedro': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-dom-pedro See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Welcome to the first in a brand new miniseries of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, as Sarah delves into the world of colour, and how to use each colour palette to its absolute maximum potential in the garden. In this week’s first episode, Sarah shares how the colour system used at Perch Hill came to be, the theories behind mixing certain palettes, and the difference between calm and chaos when combining colours. In this episode, discover: How Sarah’s experiences as a florist, gardener and colour-obsessed child shaped her approach to garden colourHow the colour palettes underpin every border at Perch HillWhy misuse of colour can make some gardens feel chaotic The six key colours within each palette, from citrus brights and Venetian velvets to café-au-lait pastels and cool silversWhy no colour is truly “wrong” in a garden, and how the right combinations and contrasts can make even challenging shades singProducts mentioned: Tulip 'Mariette': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-mariette Tulip 'Sarah Raven': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-sarah-raven Tulip 'Slawa': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-slawa Tulip 'Dom Pedro': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-dom-pedro Tulip 'Copex Cairo': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-copex-cairo Dahlia 'Waltzing Mathilda': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-waltzing-mathilda Dahlia 'Schipper’s Bronze’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-schippers-bronze Dahlia 'Tom's Choice': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-toms-choice Dahlia 'Molly Raven': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-molly-raven Dahlia 'Perch Hill': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-perch-hill Dahlia 'Lou Farman': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-lou-farman Cosmos bipinnatus 'Rubenza': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-rubenza Cosmos bipinnatus 'Dazzler': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-dazzler Cosmos bipinnatus 'Xanthos': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-xanthos Digitalis purpurea 'Sutton's Apricot':  See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

In this episode, Sarah is joined by YouTube phenomenon Huw Richards to talk about his journey from smallholding childhood to seven-acre experimental plot, and the ideas behind his hit book Veg in One Bed.  They’ll also cover exactly what to sow in late winter, and what’ll perform best when sown later – from chillies and aubergines to peas, onions and tomatoes.  In this episode, discover: How Huw Richards went from helping on his parents’ Welsh smallholding to building a seven-acre experimental food-growing siteThe story behind Huw’s first book, Veg in One Bed, and the sheer potential in a single 10x4ft bedHow Huw blends creativity with just enough science to keep things productiveExactly what Huw is sowing in late winter, and why timing mattersHow Huw’s now using his land to grow for education, biodiversity and foodEpisode Cover Photo Credit: Dorling Kindersley: Jason Ingram Products mentioned: Pepper 'Padron' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pepper-padron Courgette 'Black Beauty' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/courgette-black-beauty Aubergine 'Slim Jim' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/aubergine-slim-jim Spring Onion 'North Holland Blood Red' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/spring-onion-north-holland-blood-red Tomato 'Sungold' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-sungold Tomato 'Tigerella' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-tigarella Tomato 'Honeycomb' F1 https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-honeycomb-f1 See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

From their resistance to deep snow and hard frosts, to long-flowering habits, hellebores are quietly spectacular plants that earn their keep in pots, borders and shady corners. This week we’re diving into one of the true stars of the winter garden, focusing on the new varieties that bring a renewed perspective on one of the winter garden’s most generous providers, and how to keep them looking their best in the garden or in a vase. In this episode, discover: How to choose hellebore varieties for pots, borders and different garden conditions, from shade to full sun with Corsican typesThe best new and classic hellebores for long winter colour, including Maestro, Merlin, Strawberry Moon, Bijou and the Pretty Ellen seriesHow to cut, condition and arrange hellebores so they stand proud in a vase for two weeksPractical ways to prevent and deal with pests and diseases like aphids, mice damage, leaf miner and black spotTips on soil, compost, potting and feeding so hellebores thrive as long-lived, reliable perennialsProducts mentioned: Helleborus niger https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-niger Helleborus argutifolius https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-argutifolius Helleborus x ballardiae 'Merlin' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-x-ballardiae-merlin Helleborus x 'Bijoux' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-bijoux Helleborus x 'Guess' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-guess Helleborus orientalis 'Pretty Ellen Red' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-pretty-ellen-red Helleborus orientalis 'Pretty Ellen Spotted' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-orientalis-pretty-ellen-spotted See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

March 2026 marks the release of perhaps Sarah’s most personal book to date, drawing from childhood love, family influence, and the evolution of one’s own gardening tastes. In this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ Milli Proust joins us to discuss Sarah's new book, ‘A Year of Cut Flowers’, blending the memoir and the method to trace her family’s historic love of flora, and how it drew Sarah into the world of cut flowers. In this episode, discover: How childhood wildflower hunts with Sarah’s father and her life with Adam shaped her lifetime love of cut flowersHow even a small, carefully planned patch of cut flowers can fill your home with abundant, seasonal bloomsThe surprisingly powerful impact of spacing and pinching on plant health, vase life and stem productionWhy gardening, and especially growing for the vase, can become such a life‑enhancing practice which evolves with youProducts mentioned: Abelia x grandiflora https://www.sarahraven.com/products/abelia-x-grandiflora Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cerinthe-major-purpurascens Euphorbia oblongata https://www.sarahraven.com/products/euphorbia-oblongata Salvia viridis 'Blue Monday' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-viridis-blue Helianthus annuus 'ProCut Plum' (Sunflower) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helianthus-annuus-procut-plum Ammi majus https://www.sarahraven.com/products/ammi-majus Phlox drummondii 'Blushing Bride' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-drummondii-blushing-bride See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

The dream garden of low‑maintenance abundance is all about picking the plants that need hardly any input, just the lightest touch of editing, and they’ll give you months of shifting colour. In the third episode in this theme with Arthur, we dive into the self-seeding annuals and biennials that bring abundant colour to the garden with very little effort.  From forget-me-nots and violas to cerinthe, cosmos and quaking grasses, they share their favourite ‘volunteer’ plants, how to manage them, and simple ways to use them in borders and cut-flower arrangements for a truly low-maintenance, flower-filled garden. In this episode, discover: How to use self-seeding annuals and biennials to create a low‑maintenance, flower‑filled garden that largely looks after itselfInspired plant recommendations, from forget‑me‑nots and violas, to grasses, nasturtiums and Californian poppies Practical tips on managing self‑sowers - when to let them run, and when to thin them outWays to weave self‑seeders into borders, pots and even cracks in paving for long‑season colour, movement and structureProducts mentioned: Cerinthe major 'Kiwi Blue' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cerinthe-major-kiwi-blue Heart's Ease (Viola tricolor) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/viola-heartsease Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/anthriscus-sylvestris-ravenswing Cosmos bipinnatus 'Dazzler' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-dazzler Ammi majus https://www.sarahraven.com/products/ammi-majus Panicum miliaceum 'Violaceum' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/panicum-violaceum Briza maxima (Greater Quaking Grass) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/briza-maxima-greater-quaking-grass Nicandra physalodes https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nicandra-physalodes Persicaria orientalis https://www.sarahraven.com/products/persicaria-orientalis Nasturtium 'Ladybird Rose' (Tropaeolum minus) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nasturtium-ladybird-rose Nasturtium 'Bloody Mary' (Tropaeolum minus) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nasturtium-bloody-mary See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events Get in touch: [email protected] Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/ Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/ Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest