the happy garden podcast

An episode full of spikes and scandal! Mollie finds out about a new national strategy to save our beautiful hedgehog and the fabulous Andy Lound brings us the history of the hedgehog, did you know they originated from shrews? Darren brings you a guide to taking semi hardwood cutting this time of year and would you believe there has been an enormous scandal that has rocked the world of conkers? One of the winners of the world championships has been accused of harbouring a steel conker in his kegs...we speak to a man who took part to see how he is feeling amid all this scandal... An awful lot of laughter too :-)

Meet 2 amazing giant vegetable growers at the Malvern Autumn Show! Dave had the 2nd biggest cucumber and he was very proud of it. Is there a knack to growing huge veg? Find out. Darren answers a great question on when and how to plant bare root roses and why they might be a better purchase than buying a rose in a pot. He also brings you his October foraging slot. Mollie talks to Buglife to find out which insects you might find in the garden this month. Gather round...

Another bumper episode this week. From making chilli jam to finding out about this year's Malvern Autumn Show, there's lots to discuss! Darren profiles how to make pots and baskets full of Autumn colour and we have our first chat with Dan who has just taken on an allotment for the first time and needs to know where to start. Loads of your questions answered too. Get the kettle on and join us...

Released on the Autumn equinox! We meet Martin Fish, an RHS judge who will be judging at this year's Malvern Autumn show and also hosting the Potting Shed stage too. Darren answers lots of your autumn gardening questions including how to prepare your olive trees for winter and how to stop the squirrel nicking your plums! There's something a little different from Andy Lound this week too. Go on, press play...

Another bumper episode. This week Mollie chats to BHWT. The British hen welfare Trust have just re-homed their one millionth hen! She's gone to live in one of the most famous gardens in the UK. Darren has a regal announcement his teabags, bras and tights talk and he also answers lots of your gardening questions. Horticultural histories focus on the wheelbarrow, courtesy of Andy Lound. We also meet Carolla Puddy-Henry who runs a sunflower farm, a very happy job indeed! So lots of smiles to be had, come and join us...

Mollie here. I was going to put together some bits from our first year of podcasting but I only got as far as Christmas! So many giggles had. Thank you for all of your support over the last year, all of your encouragement and interaction. We do do lots of gardening, but we also have a laugh along the way, which we consider VERY important in life. Let's celebrate some silliness and look forward to another year of horticultural happiness x

Where are the wasps? Mollie asks Seirian Sumner, (AKA The Wasp Woman) a British entomologist and behavioural ecologist. She is a professor at University College London and is an expert in social wasps, she’s also written a book on wasps, so she's quite the expert on the subject! Find out why there are so few to be seen and how that will impact future generations of wasps.As it is our first birthday next week, Andy Lound has the history of paper, a traditional first birthday gift. Darren answers another bumper crop of your gardening questions too. We find out what insects to look out for in September and Darren also has his September foraging slot. It's a busy one!

We're joined in conversation by Professor Rob Mckenzie, director of the Birmingham institute of forest research at Birmingham University. Research has found that mature trees are able to increase their storage of greenhouse gases as levels rise, offering hope to the world. We get a fascinating insight in to the project. Historian Andy Lound also talks us through the history of ancient trees. It's a one week only return for Darren's joke slot, and a huge crop of your gardening questions get answered too.