PODCAST · leisure
Talking Gardens
by Our Media
If you could create your dream garden from pieces of all of your favourite places, and if you could grow any plants in the world, what would you choose? Who would you have as your imaginary head gardener, or garden designer? In Talking Gardens, the podcast from the team behind Gardens Illustrated, host Stephanie Mahon asks the great and the good of the gardening world to construct their ultimate fantasy growing space.
Episodes
-
The future of Chelsea, alternative formats and relocating show gardens
In our final episode from the show, we ask what is going to happen to RHS Chelsea now Project Giving Back funding is ending, Jack Wallington puts forward ideas for an alternative sort of garden show, Tom Massey tells is what it's like to relocate a show garden, we discover who won People's Choice...
-
How to build a Chelsea garden (and get into the show for free)
Come behind the scenes with us on today's episode of Talking Chelsea to find out what industry types made of the show this year, what's involved in preparing and building show gardens with multi-Gold winning contractor Crocus, how to get into the show for free - ie volunteer - and the personal...
-
Planting, the Pavilion… and more plants
Today’s episode of Talking Chelsea is dedicated to plants and planting at the show. Discover which style of planting is dominating the gardens and standout plants across the showground, as well as Rosy Hardy’s top tips for creating a gold winning plant exhibit, Nigel Slater on naming a new sweet...
-
Medals, magic and take home ideas
Join us at the Chelsea Flower Show today to get the lowdown on all the medals and best in show winners with Lucy Hall, Sarah Eberle on being the most decorated Chelsea designer in history, and Rhoda Parry on what a ‘naturescape’ is. Plus a day in the life of the Chelsea show manager, how Frances...
-
Gardens, gnomes and Gold medals
In the first episode of our Chelsea Flower Show miniseries we are coming to you direct from the 2026 show with all the behind the scenes insights, including a hard first look at the show gardens with Chris Young, some AI design controversy with Matt Keightley, the reason why gnomes are (usually)...
-
Midori Shintani
Stephanie talks to Midori Shintani about her time as head gardener for one of the world’s most influential modern gardens, the Tokachi Millennium Forest, and her next move working with Dan Pearson on the Play Earth Naturing Park in Japan, and launching her own plant nursery. Discover what it was...
-
Matthew Wilson
Garden designer, horticulturist and GQT panellist Matthew Wilson is our guest on this episode, and he’s discussing his favourite gardens, from Kent to California. He reveals the things his clients say they don’t want in their gardens, what on earth hydroseeding is and the one temperamental plant…
more -
Cath Kidston
Our guest this week is the British designer and businesswoman Cath Kidston, whose body care brand C. Atherley celebrates her love of scented pelargoniums. Cath describes the gardens she has created, from a beautiful riverside plot in Chiswick to her current Cotswold garden with a view. She...
-
Jamie Butterworth
Plantsman, author and TV presenter Jamie Butterworth joins Stephanie this week, tracing his horticultural beginnings from Young Gardener of the Year on TV to working with Monty Don. Jamie talks candidly about the highs and lows of setting up his own nursery during the pandemic, and his plans for...
-
Matthew Pottage
Our guest this week is Matthew Pottage, who became RHS Wisley’s youngest-ever curator aged 29 and is now head of horticulture and landscape strategy at London’s Royal Parks. He reveals his love for Chilean plants and why monkey puzzle trees often struggle in the UK, as well as the controversial...
-
Luciano Giubbilei
Landscape designer Luciano Giubbilei joins host Steph to reveal all about his dream garden. He describes growing up in Italy, his own landscape inspirations, including Villa Gamberaia in Florence and Rousham in Oxfordshire, and his own new landscape project at The Field in Mallorca. Learn more...
-
Pollyanna Wilkinson
This week’s guest is the award-winning garden designer Pollyanna Wilkinson. She reveals her ‘uncool’ love of romantic planting and the literary gardens she’s always admired, and discusses finding space for veg beds, chickens and a football pitch in her small suburban plot. Plus, Polly tells us…
more -
Adam Frost
Gardener, designer and TV presenter Adam Frost talks to host Stephanie about growing up with two very different gardening grandmothers, the advice Terence Conran once gave him at Chelsea and how his world fell apart during Covid. Find out about his new dog-friendly garden he is creating with his...
-
Talking Gardens is back for Season 6!
Talking Gardens is back this spring with Stephanie Mahon, and all-new brilliant guests from the world of gardening. We’ve got TV presenter Adam Frost singing Steph happy birthday; and Insta star Pollyanna Wilkinson on loving deeply uncool cottage gardens. Matthew Wilson will be telling us what on...
-
Tom Coward
This time, Steph is talking to Tom Coward, head gardener at Gravetye Manor garden in Sussex. Now a luxury hotel, it was once the home of gardener and writer William Robinson, who dominated the Victorian gardening scene with his books The English Flower Garden and The Wild Garden. Tom chooses what...
-
Alys Fowler
Horticulturist, author and garden journalist Alys Fowler joins Steph to discuss her dream garden and her new garden in Wales. She discusses the importance of ‘living with your rubbish’ and gives her perspective on rewilding, as well as revealing why she believes she may come from a long line of...
-
James Hitchmough
James Hitchmough, planting maestro and Emeritus Professor of Horticultural Ecology at the University of Sheffield joins Steph to talk about his dream garden, and his own new garden he is creating in Somerset. James discusses all the places he has travelled to to see gardens and plants and the...
-
Jo Thompson
Jo Thompson, award-winning garden designer, joins Steph to talk about her fantasy garden. From her love of roses to her penchant for romantic gardens and her love of Italy, where she spent a lot of time as a child, in this episode we discover more about how Jo is always juggling so much from her...
-
Tom Massey
Designer Tom Massey joins Steph to talk about his Chelsea Flower Show garden that includes mycelium walls and AI that makes trees talk. He reveals the gardens and landscapes that have influenced him most, from the Cornwall hideaway where he spent his childhood holidays to Richmond Park in London...
-
Manoj Malde
Garden designer Manoj Malde speaks with Steph about his dream garden and his inspirations for it, including Jardin Majorelle in Morocco and Lotusland in California, as well as the landscape of Crete and the work of designers Steve Martino and Juan Grimm. Discover what it was like to get married…
more -
Carol Klein
Legendary plantswoman and TV presenter Carol Klein talks to Stephanie about her life and career, her hatred of garden makeover shows and miniature plants, her recovery from cancer last year and why Valerie Finnis once gave her a banana as a consolation prize. Find out what and who she would have…
more -
Dan Pearson
Steph talks to lauded landscape designer Dan Pearson about his dream garden and what he would want to include in his fantasy space, from a temple garden in Kyoto and the landscape of Joshua Tree National Park to the architecture of Mexico and the high glades of the Himalaya. He talks through his...
-
Talking Gardens Season 5 Trailer
What would you have in your dream garden? That's what we ask our guests on Talking Gardens, the podcast from Gardens Illustrated. We've got more amazing guests this season with top designers going for gold at the Chelsea Flower Show, as well as much-loved gardeners and expert plants people who…
more -
Sarah Raven and Nigel Slater (Live)
This special bonus episode was recorded with a live audience at the Garden Museum in London. Stephanie talks to new guest Sarah Raven and returning listener favourite Nigel Slater about their fantasy gardens. Nigel has the chance to add all the small things he forgot when he first constructed his...
-
Ulf Nordfjell
In this episode of Talking Gardens, Stephanie talks to Swedish garden designer Ulf Nordfjell about his fantasy space. From the Villa Gamberaia in Tuscany and the enduring influence of the Renaissance on his work, to his love of the flora local to his home in northern Sweden, we hear about all of...
-
Jinny Blom
In this episode Stephanie talks to award-winning garden designer Jinny Blom about her fantasy garden. Jinny chooses the plants, places and people that would make up her dream garden, from her experiences exploring Hidcote in the 1960s to why she’d have to include a piece of the Atacama Desert. We...
-
John Little
In this episode Stephanie talks to John Little about his fantasy garden. We learn why community spaces would be a key, even in his dream garden, and hear about the work he’s done to bring greenery to communities in urban settings throughout his career. Listen to John struggling to choose between…
more -
Shane Connolly
Floral designer Shane Connolly joins Talking Gardens this time to talk about sustainable floristry, his own garden in Worcestershire and the places he would have to include a piece of in his dream garden, from Villa Cimbrone in Italy and The Mezquita of Cordoba in Spain to Glenarm Castle garden…
more -
Butter Wakefield
In this episode, award-winning garden designer Butter Wakefield constructs her fantasy garden. From the landscape of Maine to the gardens at Chatsworth, we learn about all of the things she would have to include in her fantasy space. Find out more about Butter’s career, from starting out at...
-
Charles Dowding
No-dig gardening guru Charles Dowding creates his dream garden from all of the places he has been and seen. We find out why he loves the landscapes of the island of Iona in Scotland, his adventures in growing in France and Wales, and how he discovered the no-dig method. Discover his tips on...
-
Rosy Hardy
Plantswoman Rosy Hardy creates her fantasy garden from all of the landscapes and places that have inspired her. From the sunken garden in Edinburgh owned by her childhood neighbour to Amazon Spheres in Seattle and the Patagonian mountains, we hear about how all of the things would play a role in...
-
Monty Don
Gardener and broadcaster Monty Don joins us on Talking Gardens to talk about his fantasy growing space. From the design of Wollerton Old Hall in Shropshire to the character of Balmoral Cottage in Kent, and the dramatic views of a Fernando Caruncho design in Greece, Monty shares his favourite…
more -
Talking Gardens Season 4 Trailer
What does your fantasy garden look like? That’s what we ask our guests on the Talking Gardens podcast. This season we’ve got an amazing new line up of top gardeners, designers, plantspeople and flower fanatics telling us all about their dream growing spaces and the plants, people and tools they...
-
Jimi Blake
This time, Stephanie visits HuntingBrook Gardens in Co. Wicklow, Ireland, to chat to owner Jimi Blake about his dream garden. Discover why he wants to live in a glass box and the places his fantasy corridors would lead to, from New Zealand to South America, and Chanticleer Garden to the Dixter...
-
Kate Humble
Broadcaster, smallholder and author Kate Humble constructs her fantasy garden in this episode. From an origami version of Yellowstone National Park to Dicken from The Secret Garden and Popham’s Arboretum in Sri Lanka, Kate tells Stephanie all about the landscapes, people and gardens that have...
-
Nigel Dunnett
In this episode, lauded planting designer Professor Nigel Dunnett describes all the things he would have to include in his dream garden, from wildflowers to birdsong, and where Claude Monet and David Bowie would fit into his garden fantasies. We hear about what it was like to create his famous...
-
Katy Merrington
In this episode, Katy Merrington, cultural gardener at The Hepworth Wakefield gallery garden in Yorkshire, constructs her dream garden - in fact, her dream world, which is a place where the streets of our towns and cities are green and welcoming. Discover who would be on Katy’s ultimate fantasy...
-
Andy Sturgeon
In this episode, garden designer Andy Sturgeon picks all the things he’d love to have in his fantasy garden - a crazy multiverse of different climate zones and garden styles from a jungle to a desert and a traditional space with topiary and roses… and monkeys. Discover what floral event he’s...
-
Miria Harris (Chelsea Special)
Garden designer Miria Harris tells us what she would choose for her fantasy garden, from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water in Pennsylvania, to roses and the ocean. Discover how she made the leap to a career in garden design via work experience with Jinny Blom, and why she admires Edwardian…
more -
Ann-Marie Powell
Designer Ann Marie-Powell is our guest this time, talking to Stephanie about the inspirations for her dream garden, including the wild character of the gardens at Waltham Place in Berkshire and her imaginary party ‘camp’ with hammocks, teepees, a hot water tap and chef. Discover what she would…
more -
Tayshan Hayden-Smith
In this episode we hear from Tayshan Hayden-Smith, the footballer turned community gardener and activist, who tells Stephanie about the landscapes and people that have inspired him, including Meanwhile Gardens and his mum. Discover why he loves the buzz and energy of urban environments, with...
-
Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh MBE - gardener, broadcaster, author and national treasure - talks to Stephanie about the gardens, places, people and plants that he would like to include in his dream garden, from a tiny cottage garden on the coast of Cornwall to York Gate garden near Leeds and the ultimate...
-
Talking Gardens Season 3 Trailer
What would you include in your dream garden? On this season of Talking Gardens, that’s what we asked all new gardening guests, from Alan Titchmarsh to Kate Humble, and Tayshan Hayden-Smith to Nigel Dunnett. Discover who would want a napping tree and a cup of tea that never goes cold; who…
more -
Arit Anderson
In this episode, garden designer and TV presenter Arit Anderson creates her dream garden, choosing the wow factor of Dan Hinkley’s Wyndcliffe garden on the sea and a West Country sunset. Discover what she thinks about in-between planting, her cold and soggy childhood holidays in the Lake…
more -
Tamsin Westhorpe
In this episode, gardener and garden writer Tamsin Westhorpe talks about her dream garden, from the lived-in atmosphere of an old Arts and Crafts garden to the coastal landscape of The Durrells in Corfu. Find out about the horrible old jumper she keeps pristine in a plastic cover in her wardrobe...
-
Isabel Bannerman
In this episode, designer and gardener Isabel Bannerman - whose projects include the private garden of King Charles at Highgrove, and Arundel Castle - describes what she would have to include in her dream garden, from a woodland stream setting and scented shrubs such as mock orange, to elm trees...
-
Arthur Parkinson
In this episode, gardener and writer Arthur Parkinson describes his dream of a walled garden with orangery, and all manner of plants and birds. Hear about his fantasy lagoon filled with flamingos, his orchard meadow and why even in his dream space he would have to have practical elements such as…
more -
Piet Oudolf
In this episode, world-renowned planting designer Piet Oudolf talks to Stephanie about the projects that have shaped his career and why he has never had time to dream . Discover why he enjoys creating gardens in the public realm more than private spaces, why he closed his nursery and garden and...
-
Errol Reuben Fernandes
In this episode, Errol Reuben Fernandes, head of horticulture at the Horniman Museum & Gardens, chooses all the elements he would like in his fantasy garden, from the wonder of Trebah Garden in Cornwall and the sense of discovery exploring a wonderful wasteland near his childhood home, to a...
-
Marian Boswall
Landscape designer Marian Boswall constructs her fantasy garden, the first important ingredient of which would be love. Find out why Marian wants to experience the garden from the perspective of a bug and a bird, as well as in slo-mo and fast-mo, and how being ‘invisible’ is helpful when out…
more
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
If you could create your dream garden from pieces of all of your favourite places, and if you could grow any plants in the world, what would you choose? Who would you have as your imaginary head gardener, or garden designer?
In Talking Gardens, the podcast from the team behind Gardens Illustrated, host Stephanie Mahon asks the great and the good of the gardening world to construct their ultimate fantasy growing space.
HOSTED BY
Our Media
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Talking Gardens have?
Talking Gardens currently has 65 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Talking Gardens about?
If you could create your dream garden from pieces of all of your favourite places, and if you could grow any plants in the world, what would you choose? Who would you have as your imaginary head gardener, or garden designer? In Talking Gardens, the podcast from the team behind Gardens Illustrated,...
How often does Talking Gardens release new episodes?
Talking Gardens has 65 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Talking Gardens?
You can listen to Talking Gardens on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Talking Gardens?
Talking Gardens is created and hosted by Our Media.
URL copied to clipboard!