Not Just a Garden

Houseplant legend Claire Lowrie was on Gardeners’ World 2024 episode 3 when she showed her magnificent Jungle Haven of stunning indoor plants, so we were thrilled that she could join us for a Good Ol’ Chit-Chat about her magical dream “garden”. We learned a top tip for looking after monstera (given Bear’s propensity for laziness), about using semi-hydroponics to make usually hard-to-grow plants much easier, the art of air-layering, how to manage fungus gnats, and which plant provides so much edible nectar that it drips from the flower. We also find out what was involved in making the first ever gold medal winning RHS-judged Indoor Plant Garden.Some mentions from our guest, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/Video of the making of Claire's RHS Malvern gardenAlan Titchmarsh’s Gardening Club Series 2, episode 15Ladybird Plant CareGrow TropicalsWorcester TerrariumsRare Palm SeedsMore Not Just a GardenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/NotJustaGarden/homeWebsite: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

We were delighted to be joined by plant, garden & social historian, author, and TV & Radio presenter Advolly Richmond OBE, FLS for a Good Ol’ Chit-Chat. We talked all sorts from OBEs and blue plaque high jinks, to making pivotal career changes and writing books. We also learned about Advolly’s dream garden with sentimental Edgeworthia chrysanthas, self-cleaning greenhouses, private pebble beaches, gossip under ancient trees, and ungainly hammock entries, - all of course being powered by prosecco and snacks🥂Some mentions from our guest, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/Village WaterReaseheath CollegePainswick Rococo GardensLong barn GardensSissinghurstKewKelmarshSilent SpaceBenmore Botanic GardensWaterperry GardensLloyd Loom ChairsDavid Austin rosesPeter Beale rosesTrevor White rosesMorlas PlantsThe Accidental Seed Heroes, by Adam AlexanderMore Not Just a GardenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/NotJustaGarden/homeWebsite: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

Not Just a Garden Bonus Episode 5 and we explore the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, octopuses, legless starfish, mushroom bandages, collective nouns for animals, the impact of lightning on shiitakes, and we find out which spring garden shows have early-bird tickets available (if you're quick).On the Quazy Quiz this week we look at a plant Tinder profile and who's their Hate, Date, or Room-mate, and we have another Gardeners' World presenter Who Am I? 🇿🇲🛁📚🧅🥕Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/notjustagardenMore Not Just a Gardenhttps://notjustagarden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

Farida Sober was on our screens for far too short a time back on Gardeners’ World 2024 episode 11, where she showed us her revolutionary and hugely successful seed snails. So we were delighted when she joined us for a Good Ol’ Chit-Chat and we found out all about Vitaly Gennadievich Alifirov tomatoes, the importance of soil health in Farida’s incredibly productive allotment, the great success she’s having with fermented grass for mulching, simplifying gardening when advice can be so over-complicated, and the covert underworld of tomato seed trading🕵🏼‍♂️👀🔎Some mentions from our guest, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/Farida's seed shopFarida's eBooksMore Not Just a GardenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/NotJustaGarden/homeWebsite: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

Bonus episode 4 of Not Just a Garden and we cover a plethora of topics including; Arit Anderson's exciting plans for 2026, more of the down low on mammalian gestation periods, the incredible work of Franziska Trautman in Louisiana, mind-blowing facts about the volume of bacteria and germs on planet earth, Italy's ban on male chick elimination, zombie ants, sloth myths, and some good news for green turtles and pandas.In this week's Quazy Quiz, is it a plant name or Sweetpea being a pain? And which Gardeners' World presenter is on Who Am I?💃🏼🎬🌿📚 We also find out about the next compilation episode of Gardeners' World.Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/notjustagardenMore Not Just a Gardenhttps://notjustagarden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

Helleentje and Peter Walker from Wack’s Wicked Plants showed us their beautiful collection of carnivorous plants on Gardeners’ World 2025 episode 28. They join us for a Good Ol’ Chit-Chat and take us on a stroll down memory lane from the UK, to The Netherlands, to Azerbaijan, before settling in Scampston. We also find out about the science of growing melons and chrysanthemums, Capability Brown’s lime tree that sounds like a plane, their national collection of Mexican butterworts, and Uncle Charlie’s oranges.Some mentions from our guest, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/ScampstonNational Collection of Mexican ButterwortsCites More Not Just a GardenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/NotJustaGarden/homeWebsite: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

The third of our Not Just a Garden Bonus episodes and this week we look at cigarettes with asbestos filters, how London Bridge was once inhabited, which guests were on the latest Gardeners' World compilations episode, drunk Australian bees, how the term "horse power" really came about, the fascinating world of fungi, the efficient mechanics of "Josh" and The Ocean Cleanup, and the varied and unpredictable subject of animal gestation periods.In the Quazy Quiz we find out about another highly skilled but also dangerous career in science, and Who Am I? looks at another of the Gardeners' World presenters. We also hear where Frances Tophill and Joe Swift can be found this late winter/early spring.Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/notjustagardenMore Not Just a Gardenhttps://notjustagarden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden

Dwayne Black was on Gardeners’ World 2025 episode 27 showing us his stunning garden packed with lavender paths, grasses and immaculate dahlias. He joins us for A Good Ol’ Chit-Chat and we talk about how Dwayne prep’d for the big day, how the decision was made to add a fountain to the garden, the experience Dwayne has had with social media when it comes to the gardening community, what impact the seasons have on mental health, and a slightly violent technique for opening peonies!Some mentions from our guest, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/All Sorts Youth CharityFountainsPorter HardyArundel CastleAlitex GreenhousesMore Not Just a GardenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/NotJustaGarden/homeWebsite: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjusta_garden/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notjustagarden/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustaGarden