the happy garden podcast

We've reached our 3rd birthday! Lots on the pod this week, we hear from local farmer Richard from Poplars Farm Shop in Nuneaton to find out how his crops have done this year and most importantly how the pumpkins are doing as we go in to Autumn. Having forgotten to include Rupert meeting Princess Anne in the last podcast, we rectify the mistake and include him this week - soz Rupe ;0)

Hear about Pete Waterman's job at the banana factory in Coventry, he used to sell the stowaway monkeys at school! We hear from listener Rupert who had a one to one with Anne, the Princess Royal, at the Norfolk show and Mollie and Darren head down the larder to discuss ways of using flipping courgettes and asking when they cross over to being called a marrow! Usual laughter and singing along the way...

Mollie and Darren are back together after a couple of summer specials. Mollie chats to the fabulous Wendi Peters (AKA Cilla from Corrie) about her love of her garden and the different spaces she's creating in a relatively new home. Darren tells us why our hostas are getting attacked this year and Paul Hetherington from Buglife explains why it might not be unheard of to find a tarantula or snake in your garden in years to come!

Mollie heads down to Suffolk for the annual trip to Mr Fothergill's. The company is having to change and adapt to the new climate conditions that we're experiencing every year. Find out more...

A lovely catch up with a lovely man. We met giant vegetable grower Neil Hands on the podcast last year. Mollie has a chat with Neil to see how the continual heatwaves have been affecting the growing season in the run up to the giant veg championships in September. We also get a rather unusual tip for unbending the end of a bent leek...🤣

Another very jolly episode. Mollie visits farmer Steve at his heritage plum orchard in Pershore to see how the trees and the crop have fared this summer. Darren has lots on polyculture this week too. Learn how to future proof your garden and plot not only to conserve water but how to actually pick the right plants to grow going forward in to a new era of gardening.The Hose Plant Band make a welcome return with a good old sing song too. Warning...Darren provides several manly interjections!