Not Just a Garden

Steve & John were on Gardeners' World 2026 episode 12 when they welcomed the viewers into their beautiful garden at 1 Belton Close.In this episode of Chit-Chats, Steve & John tell us how they transformed the garden after the build of their bold extension, as well as how they keep the rill and ponds so clean! We also find out about their involvement with The National Garden Scheme, the incredible offerings at The Hardy Plant Society, Nerd Nights, concealed pumps, garden-based catering kitchens, Brighton Pier souvenirs, and more cake than Sweetpea could ever imagine, even in her wildest dreams🍰Some mentions from our guest, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/1 Belton CloseKeukenhofFairlights EndFurnace BrookGreat DixterMore Not Just a GardenWebsite: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

On Gardeners' World 2026 Episode 19 Recap we ponder interveinal chlorosis and get dates in the diary for some Geoff Hamilton content.On Gardeners' World, we speed 'round RHS Sandringham Flower Show, checking out some of the Show Gardens, Feature Gardens, Grow Forward Gardens, and Long Borders. Tony Kirkham gives us some insight into the future of trees, before ZCSucculents' Chen from Beijing and her husband David from Tunbridge Wells talk chubby and cute succulents. John Cullen gives us a masterclass on his National Collection of Achillea in Boston, and we meet Matt from Gransfield Nursery in Hampshire as he prepares for the show. Finally Ian Limmer from Peter Beale's Roses gives us some tips and tricks for looking after their plants.In our CCCUP, we find out that Peter and Helleentje Walker from Wacks Wicked Plants, Greg Anderton from Leafy Lytham, and Dan Stearne from Dan's Plants all won golds - again!🥇🥇🥇We also remind our listeners of @dansplantsuk (from ep35 of Chit-Chats) kind offer of 10% discount on all his award-winning plants with our exclusive code NJAG10🥇🥇🌿Farida Sober (from ep61 of Chit-Chats) is generously offering our listeners 20% discount on her newly released eBook: THE FERMENTED GRASS METHOD – Bring Your Soil Back to Life with Nature’s Own Fertility Cycle. Use the code SWEETPEA at checkout🌿Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/More Not Just a Gardenhttps://notjustagarden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

https://notjustagarden.co.uk/joshua-sparkes/Joshua was on Gardeners' World 2024 episode 23 when Frances Tophill visited him at Birch Farm in North Devon and described him as "a horticultural maverick"!Joshua joins us for a Chit-Chat and shares his remarkable transformation of Birch Farm as well as what would make it into his beautifully biodiverse dream garden.We also learn about the importance of polycultures, some major slug management lessons, tree leaf salads from lime trees, to bladder nuts, to Sichuan pepper trees, growing vegetables in rubble and sand, big boy plants, and Joshua's important work trialling perennial vegetables for viable crops for the future of agriculture.Some mentions from our guest, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/Peter Korns TrädgårdKeith Wiley at WildsideGrass Roof CoMt Cuba CenterChicago Botanical GardensHoward NurseriesThe Field NurseryDe Hessenhof NurseryMount StewartPrickly Nut WoodMore Not Just a GardenWebsite: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

Gardeners' World 2026 Episode 18 recap and we hear a bit about Tom Nielsen's work with The Sustainability Centre and we consider the highs and lows of teenage first dates.On Gardeners' World this week, we share a cuddle with Adam Frost at Loseley Park in Guildford as Head Gardener Richard Burnip gives him a tour of the magnificent walled garden, and Amanda Whittaker in Hook shows us her beautiful national collection of crassulas whilst casually batting away some cheek from the producers. Sue Kent gives an update from her garden in Wales and Professor Ben Raymond in Falmouth takes us through some of the pests and diseases we can expect when growing our fruit and veg.Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/More Not Just a Gardenhttps://notjustagarden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

https://notjustagarden.co.uk/diarmuid-gavin/You may know him from Home Front, Top of The Pops, Come Dine with Me, Only Fools on Horses, Strictly Come Dancing, Gardening Together, Greatest Gardens... the list is endless, but you may also know him from his incredible and elaborate and fantastical show gardens at Chelsea. So it was an absolute pleasure that Diarmuid could find time to join us for a Chit-Chat.On this episode we take a trip down memory lane to the heady days of working with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, sipping champagne at Number 10, redesigning the Blue Peter garden with Primal Scream and living the rock n roll life alongside Brian Eno and Zandra Rhodes. We also learn about the highs and lows of showing at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the very real future of AI in garden design, and Diarmuid's surprisingly traditional dream garden, with one or two twists thrown in for good measure!Some mentions from our guest, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/Portmeirion VillageBotanic Gardens IrelandDerreen GardenArchitectural PlantsMount Usher GardensEwhurst Park More Not Just a GardenWebsite: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

Strap in for this recap as we follow Gardeners' World 2026 episode 17's flying visit of the first ever RHS Badminton Flower Show. We check out the movers & shakers, the growers & showers, and marvel at cuttings in glass bottles, despite the hot-flushes.And in our CCCUP we hear that Greg Anderton from Leafy Lytham won Best Plant Village Exhibit, and Dan Stearne from Dan's Plants won yet ANOTHER gold for his display. As if that's not enough for one week, Dan's also made it onto the front cover of The Sunday Times Home - with an article telling the story of his journey, from growing sweet peas with Grandma for teachers at the end of school term, to winning multiple RHS Gold Medals. Big congrats to both Greg and Dan!🥂🌿Farida Sober (from ep61 of Chit-Chats) is generously offering our listeners 20% discount on her newly released eBook: THE FERMENTED GRASS METHOD – Bring Your Soil Back to Life with Nature’s Own Fertility Cycle. Use the code SWEETPEA at checkout🌿🥇🥇We also remind our listeners that Dan’s still the man! With another Gold at RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Dan’s Plants is THE plant nursery to buy your plants from this season! Dan’s kindly giving a 10% discount on all his award-winning plants with our exclusive code NJAG10🥇🥇Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/More Not Just a Gardenhttps://notjustagarden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

https://notjustagarden.co.uk/marylyn-abbott/Renowned Australian garden designer Marylyn Abbott was on Gardeners' World 2025 Winter Special episode 1 when she and Head Gardener Dominic Rendell showed us her spectacular gardens at West Green House. We were thrilled that Marylyn could join us for a Chit-Chat and on this episode we hear about the incredible history of the house and gardens and the hidden obelisks, nymphaeums, bridges, birdcages, follies and more discovered around the grounds.We also find out about how Marylyn became Marketing Manager of The Sydney Opera House, having Nelson Rockefeller and his wife to dinner, the challenges of waterproofing a lake, operas in the green theatre, floods in outback Australia, and the beauty of the original and magnificent bush-houses.  Some mentions from our guest, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/West Green House GardensDangar IslandKennerton GreenHighgrove GardensMore Not Just a GardenWebsite: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

Disclaimer: Adam was NOT digging out 200mThis week on our recap of Gardeners' World 2026 episode 16 we finally discover the truth behind Sweetpea and the missing Hidcote White. We also have a healthy debate about what a "more perennial" plant is, relearn the health benefits of mullein, establish the difference between tulip fire and fire blight, and ask why oh why oh why are our courgettes only producing male flowers a second year in a row.On Gardeners' World this week, Adam Frost's on his knees again, before Jamie Butterworth meets with Chantal Sparrow at West Dean Gardens to talk Delphinium elatums. Rajul Shah shows us around her contemporary cottage garden at Le Strange Close in Norwich and Carol Klein gives us a catch up on progress in her place in Devon. Finally Tracey West in Birmingham shows us her garden full of roses with some tips on keeping them so beautiful.🌿Farida Sober (from ep61 of Chit-Chats) is generously offering our listeners 20% discount on her newly released eBook: THE FERMENTED GRASS METHOD – Bring Your Soil Back to Life with Nature’s Own Fertility Cycle. Use the code SWEETPEA at checkout🌿🥇🥇We also remind our listeners that Dan’s still the man! With another Gold at RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Dan’s Plants is THE plant nursery to buy your plants from this season! Dan’s kindly giving a 10% discount on all his award-winning plants with our exclusive code NJAG10🥇🥇Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/More Not Just a Gardenhttps://notjustagarden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

https://notjustagarden.co.uk/nic-howard/Award winning garden designer Nic was on Gardeners' World 2023 episode 3 when he was visited by Joe Swift at his beautiful 1/4 acre plot in Surrey - the one with the very pink wall! In this episode we learn more about Nic's garden, some of his favourite gardens that he's designed, and also his truly spectacular garden created for The Chelsea Flower Show.We also find out about pruning tips - from Chelsea Chops to Hampton Hacks, a greenhouse the colour of a "brown shiny car", the occupational hazard of spiders, plant finding in Tenerife and Cape Town, the English gardener's suntan, and a tree that's the bee disco of the plant world.Some mentions from our guest, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/Little OrchardMore Not Just a GardenWebsite: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden