Rich Pickings

Jo and Nina are back with a vengeance as they take stock of this year's RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival. A pottering through gardens swerves into a conversation about manservants, the gowns of academics and the sleep-inducing qualities of The Lord of the Rings.

At the time of the Summer Solstice, Nina and Jo chat with an actual Druid and discuss why, actually, it’s all logical. Celebrating trees, plants, stones and skies, Dan Lobb takes us along on a journey of reconnecting with the wisdom of our ancestors. Get full access to The Gardening Mind at jothompson.substack.com/subscribe

Jo and Nina are back from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Listen in to hear their thoughts and reflections on one of the biggest weeks of the horticultural year. Get full access to The Gardening Mind at jothompson.substack.com/subscribe

Jo is back and gives Nina a whistlestop tour through San Francisco, New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Connecticut. Motorcades and Gwyneth Paltrow, expensive dressing Succession-style, best bookshops and booknooks, and is there any point at all to a eucalyptus, which Nina feels fairly strongly about.There’s a visit to a super-whizz tech headquarters in Silicon Valley, an homage to the Tales of the City novels and a scoot around gardens both botanical and communal. Groundhogs make yet another appearance, and Jo reveals why you don’t want to be standing behind her on an escalator on the Tube. Get full access to The Gardening Mind at jothompson.substack.com/subscribe

This week, the sap is rising in a pre-festive special. The Easter bunny and Gwyneth Paltrow, a new idea for a wellness book, and are Creme Eggs smaller than they used to be. Please do rate this podcast on Apple or Spotify. And…. follow now so that you never miss another episode!!! Next episode out at Easter. Get full access to The Gardening Mind at jothompson.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Nina takes us to Alexandra Palace and live music, whilst Jo unpicks the rules of ice hockey and shares a secret never told before. The debate continues as to whether Alan Titchmarsh is a dog or cat person, and whether or not darts is a sport, while Nina indulges in a bit of Tom Cruise-manifesting and has a very peculiar feeling about her teeth. In the garden, beans in all their glory are the topic of the day, as Jo reveals her exciting new theory on the fountain of youth and the elixir of life. Get full access to The Gardening Mind at jothompson.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Jo and Nina are joined by all-round good egg James Alexander-Sinclair. Big hugs and juggling, party tricks, taxidermy and truckloads of Jaffa cakes are just the tip of the iceberg. Is he a Renaissance man? Is it ok to make a garden out of rubber and chains? And why you should probably keep your dog on a lead in the middle of town. Listen to find out how James, the original biscuit blogger, went from being Father Christmas in Harrods to RHS Ambassador for garden design. There’s plenty of life-skill training, including how to eat a selection box, judging clients on the quality of their biscuits, and Monty Don’s hands. Get full access to The Gardening Mind at jothompson.substack.com/subscribe

There’s excitement in the air as Nina is followed by a band of Morris dancers, whilst Jo is finally allowed to muse upon the Romans’ fondness for topiary. They have a look at the plans for the garden at Sandringham, going up a very royal garden path. Poetry plays a part again as they investigate whether ChatGPT can write a poem about Jo’s garden in the style of Pam Ayres. Why? Listen to find out, alongside the revelation of both the biscuit and role model of the week. Get full access to The Gardening Mind at jothompson.substack.com/subscribe