Ep. 165 - Do trends in gardening help or hinder our enjoyment of the huge world that is plants and their cultivation, Lucy and Saul take a look at those plants and sections of the hobby that are booming.

We are in the depths of winter, and whatever the weather may - or may not - have in store for us in this traditionally chilly month, Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy turn their thoughts to the year ahead. Often mistaken for a quieter season, there are plenty of winter tasks to complete and projects to initiate. Winter pruning, leaf clearing, renovations and new plantings will all be discussed (we can't promise that conversations about biscuits and lists won't also appear...). Whatever the topic, the duo hope to prime us all for the unfolding gardening seasons.Gardening, like all hobbies and professions, are not immune to the fashions of the moment - whether you're a Galanthophile, Daffodilaholic or need to be the biggest pumpkin on social media. But are these trends the horticultural world's friend or foe, the answer is complicated, whereas trends help highlight the garden to newcomers they can also form a barrier of gardening perfection and cost for some. Lucy and Saul take a look at what trends they follow and those that are maybe a little bemusing.(Apologies for Saul's sound quality - his microphone decided to die, but the sledgehammer has been dutifully applied and it should be working again for next week!)Twitter links:Lucy @HeadGardenerLCSaul @GardeningSaulIntro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the show