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Talking Gardens

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Rating
★★★★★
4.9
from
43 reviews
This podcast has
51 episodes
Language
English
Publisher
Our Media
Explicit
No
Date created
2023/03/02
Latest episode
2025/04/21
Average duration
51 min.
Release period
11 days

Description

If you could create your dream garden from pieces of all of your favourite places, and if you could grow any plants in the world, what would you choose? Who would you have as your imaginary head gardener, or garden designer? In Talking Gardens, the podcast from the team behind Gardens Illustrated, host Stephanie Mahon asks the great and the good of the gardening world to construct their ultimate fantasy growing space. Tune in to hear what Great Dixter’s head gardener Fergus Garrett, gardener and broadcaster Monty Don, and garden writer Alice Vincent choose for their dream gardens. Discover why head gardener Troy Scott-Smith is no longer watering the borders at Sissinghurst; why herb expert Jekka McVicar loves a moon gate; and how gardening saved the life of Charlie Harpur, head gardener at Knepp Castle Walled Garden. We also learn what ethnobotanist James Wong’s imaginary Eden would look like, and what garden designer Sarah Price would never allow in her garden. Follow now so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to Gardens Illustrated magazine and get your first 6 issues for only £12 and unlock member-only benefits including our members-only newsletter, dedicated members website, and much more. Become a member today ➡ ⁠ourmediashop.com/GIPOD525

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Check latest episodes from Talking Gardens podcast


Dan Pearson
2025/04/21
Steph talks to lauded landscape designer Dan Pearson about his dream garden and what he would want to include in his fantasy space, from a temple garden in Kyoto and the landscape of Joshua Tree National Park to the architecture of Mexico and the high glades of the Himalaya. He talks through his design process and the plants he would love to grow, and discusses how to manage client’s expectations and some of his new projects plus why he can’t stand tennis courts. Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com Subscribe to Gardens Illustrated magazine and get your first 6 issues for only £12 and unlock member-only benefits including our members-only newsletter, dedicated members website, and much more. Become a member today ➡ ourmediashop.com/GIPOD525 Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Carol Klein
2025/04/28
Legendary plantswoman and TV presenter Carol Klein talks to Stephanie about her life and career, her hatred of garden makeover shows and miniature plants, her recovery from cancer last year and why Valerie Finnis once gave her a banana as a consolation prize. Find out what and who she would have in her fantasy garden and when she plans on retiring. Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com  Subscribe to Gardens Illustrated magazine and get your first 6 issues for only £12 and unlock member-only benefits including our members-only newsletter, dedicated members website, and much more. Become a member today ➡ ourmediashop.com/GIPOD525 Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Manoj Malde
2025/05/05
Garden designer Manoj Malde speaks with Steph about his dream garden and his inspirations for it, including Jardin Majorelle in Morocco and Lotusland in California, as well as the landscape of Crete and the work of designers Steve Martino and Juan Grimm. Discover what it was like to get married at the Chelsea Flower Show and what he has in store for his show garden there this year. Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com  Subscribe to Gardens Illustrated magazine and get your first 6 issues for only £12 and unlock member-only benefits including our members-only newsletter, dedicated members website, and much more. Become a member today ➡ ourmediashop.com/GIPOD525 Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tom Massey
2025/05/12
Designer Tom Massey joins Steph to talk about his Chelsea Flower Show garden that includes mycelium walls and AI that makes trees talk. He reveals the gardens and landscapes that have influenced him most, from the Cornwall hideaway where he spent his childhood holidays to Richmond Park in London and the special Japanese island he will never forget. Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com Subscribe to Gardens Illustrated magazine and get your first 6 issues for only £12 and unlock member-only benefits including our members-only newsletter, dedicated members website, and much more. Become a member today ➡ ourmediashop.com/GIPOD525 Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jo Thompson
2025/05/19
Jo Thompson, award-winning garden designer, joins Steph to talk about her fantasy garden. From her love of roses to her penchant for romantic gardens and her love of Italy, where she spent a lot of time as a child, in this episode we discover more about how Jo is always juggling so much from her new book to her Substack community and garden designs. Find out what inspired her to come out of Chelsea Flower Show retirement to do one more show garden this year, for The Glasshouse, and what advice she would give to other women designers who are juggling career goals and families. Plus, why she would want to have Vita Sackville-West and Christopher Lloyd on a job-share as her gardeners and why she’d rather grow a carrot than a cactus. Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find more gardening inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com Subscribe to Gardens Illustrated magazine and get your first 6 issues for only £12 and unlock member-only benefits including our members-only newsletter, dedicated members website, and much more. Become a member today ➡ ourmediashop.com/GIPOD525 Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend and make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden. Follow now so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
James Hitchmough
2025/05/26
James Hitchmough, planting maestro and Emeritus Professor of Horticultural Ecology at the University of Sheffield joins Steph to talk about his dream garden, and his own new garden he is creating in Somerset. James discusses all the places he has travelled to to see gardens and plants and the people he has met along the way, plus why he likes growing from seed and what started him on his career path in the first place. Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com Subscribe to Gardens Illustrated magazine and get your first 6 issues for only £12 and unlock member-only benefits including our members-only newsletter, dedicated members website, and much more. Become a member today ➡ ourmediashop.com/GIPOD525 Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Alys Fowler
2025/06/02
Horticulturist, author and garden journalist Alys Fowler joins Steph to discuss her dream garden and her new garden in Wales. She discusses the importance of ‘living with your rubbish’ and gives her perspective on rewilding, as well as revealing why she believes she may come from a long line of bog-dwellers. Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com  Subscribe to Gardens Illustrated magazine and get your first 6 issues for only £12 and unlock member-only benefits including our members-only newsletter, dedicated members website, and much more. Become a member today ➡ ourmediashop.com/GIPOD525 Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tom Coward
2025/06/09
This time, Steph is talking to Tom Coward, head gardener at Gravetye Manor garden in Sussex. Now a luxury hotel, it was once the home of gardener and writer William Robinson, who dominated the Victorian gardening scene with his books The English Flower Garden and The Wild Garden. Tom chooses what he would like in his dream garden, his passion for plants and who he would have at his fantasy dinner party. Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com Subscribe to Gardens Illustrated magazine and get your first 6 issues for only £12 and unlock member-only benefits including our members-only newsletter, dedicated members website, and much more. Become a member today ➡ ourmediashop.com/GIPOD525 Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Talking Gardens Season 5 Trailer
2025/04/14
What would you have in your dream garden? That's what we ask our guests on Talking Gardens, the podcast from Gardens Illustrated. We've got more amazing guests this season with top designers going for gold at the Chelsea Flower Show, as well as much-loved gardeners and expert plants people who will be telling all about their fantasy growing spaces. Discover Dan Pearson's approach to garden design, why Manoj Malde left fashion for horticulture, how Tom Massey is bringing AI into our gardens, and what advice Jo Thompson gives to women who want to do a Chelsea Show Garden. We'll also be talking to national treasure Carol Klein, Head Gardener Tom Coward, planting maestro James Hitchmough and Horticulturist Alys Fowler. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Hit follow now so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Monty Don
2024/10/21
Gardener and broadcaster Monty Don joins us on Talking Gardens to talk about his fantasy growing space. From the design of Wollerton Old Hall in Shropshire to the character of Balmoral Cottage in Kent, and the dramatic views of a Fernando Caruncho design in Greece, Monty shares his favourite spots with us.  Get insights into his never-seen second, secret garden, why he rails against the morality of rewilding and how having an opinion works with presenting the Chelsea Flower Show coverage (spoiler alert - he’s not a fan of beavers). Plus, discover who his gardening hero is and why he likes to know absolutely nothing before visiting a garden.  Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com  Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode. AD // Niwaki are offering Talking Gardens listeners the opportunity to save 10% at niwaki.com, until the 28th February 2025 using the code TALK10. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount codes and excludes delivery costs. Please visit the Niwaki website for any further Terms & Conditions that might apply at https://www.niwaki.com/about/terms/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Rosy Hardy
2024/10/29
Plantswoman Rosy Hardy creates her fantasy garden from all of the landscapes and places that have inspired her. From the sunken garden in Edinburgh owned by her childhood neighbour to Amazon Spheres in Seattle and the Patagonian mountains, we hear about how all of the things would play a role in her dream garden.  Find out how her nursery Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants was started out of a car boot and why she dug up her backyard, and discover what it takes to create an award winning plant exhibit at a big show. Plus, can you really hear rhubarb growing? And why she loves dandelions. Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com  Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode. AD // Niwaki are offering Talking Gardens listeners the opportunity to save 10% at niwaki.com, until the 28th February 2025 using the code TALK10. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount codes and excludes delivery costs. Please visit the Niwaki website for any further Terms & Conditions that might apply at https://www.niwaki.com/about/terms/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Charles Dowding
2024/11/05
No-dig gardening guru Charles Dowding creates his dream garden from all of the places he has been and seen. We find out why he loves the landscapes of the island of Iona in Scotland, his adventures in growing in France and Wales, and how he discovered the no-dig method.  Discover his tips on building your social media and learn about Charles’ tried-and-tested methods of composting - plus, what he would never allow into his dream garden.  Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com  Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode. AD // Niwaki are offering Talking Gardens listeners the opportunity to save 10% at niwaki.com, until the 28th February 2025 using the code TALK10. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount codes and excludes delivery costs. Please visit the Niwaki website for any further Terms & Conditions that might apply at https://www.niwaki.com/about/terms/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Butter Wakefield
2024/11/12
In this episode, award-winning garden designer Butter Wakefield constructs her fantasy garden. From the landscape of Maine to the gardens at Chatsworth, we learn about all of the things she would have to include in her fantasy space.  Find out more about Butter’s career, from starting out at Christie’s to her training in garden design and learn how she acquired her unique name. Butter tells us all about her favourite garden plants and why she’s a maximalist and we find out why she would never allow plastic rattan furniture into her dream garden.  Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com  Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode. AD // Niwaki are offering Talking Gardens listeners the opportunity to save 10% at niwaki.com, until the 28th February 2025 using the code TALK10. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount codes and excludes delivery costs. Please visit the Niwaki website for any further Terms & Conditions that might apply at https://www.niwaki.com/about/terms/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Shane Connolly
2024/11/19
Floral designer Shane Connolly joins Talking Gardens this time to talk about sustainable floristry, his own garden in Worcestershire and the places he would have to include a piece of in his dream garden, from Villa Cimbrone in Italy and The Mezquita of Cordoba in Spain to Glenarm Castle garden in Northern Ireland. The renowned event florist, who holds the Royal Warrant and was famously commissioned for two royal weddings, Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and HM The King’s Coronation, also explains which shrub he can’t stand, who he would have as his dream garden designer and why no garden is complete without scent.  Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find more gardening inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com  Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend and make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden.  Follow now so you never miss an episode. AD // Niwaki are offering Talking Gardens listeners the opportunity to save 10% at niwaki.com, until the 28th February 2025 using the code TALK10. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount codes and excludes delivery costs. Please visit the Niwaki website for any further Terms & Conditions that might apply at https://www.niwaki.com/about/terms/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
John Little
2024/11/26
In this episode Stephanie talks to John Little about his fantasy garden. We learn why community spaces would be a key, even in his dream garden, and hear about the work he’s done to bring greenery to communities in urban settings throughout his career.  Listen to John struggling to choose between a sandpit and an industrial site as a landscape he’d like a piece of for his fantasy space and hear him talk about the places he played in as a child that have influenced him. Hear why he’d have to include a shopping trolley in his dream garden and why he wants his council to leave a fly-tip alone to assess its biodiversity benefits.  Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com  Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode. AD // Niwaki are offering Talking Gardens listeners the opportunity to save 10% at niwaki.com, until the 28th February 2025 using the code TALK10. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount codes and excludes delivery costs. Please visit the Niwaki website for any further Terms & Conditions that might apply at https://www.niwaki.com/about/terms/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Podcast reviews

Read Talking Gardens podcast reviews


4.9 out of 5
43 reviews
★★★★★
blaine1066 2025/06/09
Inspiration!
While recovering from surgery I discovered your pod and fell in love and in inspiration. I could sit in my garden, listen to the possibilities, and re...
★★★★★
malp31987 2025/04/14
Wonderful, informative podcast
I may not be the target audience (as a fairly young American listener), but I adore this podcast. The host asks great questions of guests and facilita...
★★★★★
lls404 2024/05/08
Inspirational, Therapeutic
The ideas and stories are so interesting. They are horticultural therapy to me at the end of the day.
★★★★★
Rabbit Tail and Foot 2024/02/21
Love it!
Finally an inspiring gardening podcast! What a pleasure to hear from so many gardening masters. The host is lovely, and so clearly knowledgeable. She ...
★★★☆☆
red queen on square one 2024/03/31
host talks
someone said this already. i agree.
★★★★★
LPOregon 2023/11/26
Suggestion: the host should speak less
Excellent podcast but host sometimes reacts to everything and speaks too much.
check all reviews on apple podcasts

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