Two Good Gardeners

Occasionally, your hosts like to explore a garden in depth ..... and have a good old natter. In this episode, Dan and Julia revisit Sissinghurst Castle, starting in an area of the garden known as Delos. Recently resurrected after a long spell in the doldrums, they consider the challenges of recreating a slice of ancient Greece in Kent. Back in the studio, they each share five ways that Sissinghurst inspired them. Dan reveals his current 'must have' garden tool and shares exciting news about new product launches. Julia talks about an alternative method of training and pruning her fig tree. As usual, Dan and Julia finish off with a list of essential jobs to do in your garden over the next two weeks and tell you where they'll be popping up next. Jobs for the fortnight Dan's product of the week: Niwaki Japanese Weeding Hoe: https://www.dancoopergarden.com/products/niwaki-weeding-hoe Dan's upcoming events: Sunday, 19th May - Rare Plant Fair at The American Museum in Bath Sunday, 26th May - Rare Plant Fair at Kingston Bagpuize House, Oxfordshire Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's Patch This podcast was produced by the brilliant Scott Kennett of Red Lighthouse Local https://linktr.ee/redlocallighthouse The episode was sponsored by Dan Cooper Garden, where garden lovers go to find outstanding garden products, sage advice, and abundant inspiration. You can shop online at dancoopergarden.com or plant fairs and garden events across the south and east of England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan and Julia discuss whether no-mow May is good for our gardens and discover the many magical properties of copper tools. Julia advises on how to look after tomato plants while waiting for the weather to warm up, and Dan highlights Calycanthus, aka Carolina allspice, an increasingly popular shrub that produces exotic-looking flowers and a culinary spice. The pros and cons of not mowing in May Pros: Cons: Our conclusion - a mix of grass lengths maintained all year round is probably better than not mowing for a month. However, No Mow May is a good reminder to take steps to balance what we need from our gardens against what wildlife needs. Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight Dan's upcoming events: Saturday, 4th May - Plant Fair and Open Garden at Saltwood Castle near Hythe, Kent Sunday, 5th May - Chiswick Flower Market, London Monday, 6th May - Spring Plant Fair at Belmont House, Throwley, near Faversham, Kent Sunday, 12th May - Rare Plant Fair at Salthrop House, near Swindon, Wiltshire Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's Patch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of the new series of Two Good Gardeners, Dan and Julia debate whether it's worth saving your own seeds and throw a spotlight on wool, the secret ingredient our gardens have been crying out for. Julia shares her top tips for growing lemongrass to fill your kitchen with oriental flavours, and Dan waxes lyrical about hostas, the foliage plant we'd all love to love if slugs and snails didn't love them more! As always, your hosts round off with a list of things to do in your garden over the next fortnight and news of where you can find or hear them next. Jobs for your garden this fortnight: Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's Patch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of Series 2, Dan & Julia reflect on the many highlights of a busy and eventful year and share their New Year's resolutions. They'll return with Series 3 in spring 2024. If you've enjoyed Series 2, then click follow on your favourite podcast platform, so you're notified when new episodes are launched. Leaving a rating or writing a review will help us know what you like and how we can do better in future. The book 'The Secret Gardens of Cornwall', which Dan talks about, is available from Waterstones. Sussex gardens are covered in 'Secret Gardens of the South East' by our friend Barbara Segall (which we really should have remembered!), also available from Waterstones. Your hosts wish you a very Happy New Year and look forward to entertaining you again soon. Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of Series 2, Dan & Julia reflect on the many highlights of a busy and eventful year and share their New Year's resolutions. They'll return with Series 3 in spring 2024. If you've enjoyed Series 2, then click follow on your favourite podcast platform, so you're notified when new episodes are launched. Leaving a rating or writing a review will help us know what you like and how we can do better in future. The book 'The Secret Gardens of Cornwall', which Dan talks about, is available from Waterstones. Sussex gardens are covered in 'Secret Gardens of the South East' by our friend Barbara Segall (which we really should have remembered!), also available from Waterstones. Your hosts wish you a very Happy New Year and look forward to entertaining you again soon. Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christmas is a frenetic season when time and budgets are often overstretched. With less time to focus on living sustainably, how can we make the best environmental choices, especially when they're not always obvious? Talking as amateur gardeners, Dan & Julia discuss some of the options and reveal surprising facts - did you know, for example, that burning a real Christmas tree on a bonfire is far more sustainable than putting it out for collection and composting? Julia shares how much of her Christmas lunch she grows herself (prepare to be impressed), while Dan divulges how he keeps his dinner candles upright using a flower frog - watch him do it here. Your hosts wish all their listeners a very happy Christmas and a fruitful New Year 🎄 They'll be returning soon with a review of 2023, when they'll also share their resolutions for 2024. Useful links: Dan's guide to choosing the perfect real Christmas tree (and disposing of it!) Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owning a greenhouse is a luxury and privilege many gardeners dream of. In this special episode, recorded at Torberry Farm in Hampshire, Dan and Julia meet Nelly Hall, Brand Director at Alitex, to discover how to make the most of a greenhouse all year round. As the year draws to a close, Nelly explains how to use a greenhouse to prepare plants for Christmas and get an early start on spring, learning the importance of light and heat. Moving on to summer, we learn about ventilation, maintaining humidity and keeping pests under control before coming full circle to autumn for Nelly's tips on good glasshouse hygiene. Nelly's top greenhouse gardening tips Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the days get shorter and the nights colder, it's time to bite the bullet and protect your tender plants from the cold, wet and wind. Dan explains how to tackle different groups of plants, from annuals to evergreens, and Julia shares advice on keeping herbs, citrus, ginger, chillies and pineapples happy until spring. Your hosts anticipate the outcome of the Garden Media Guild Awards, where Two Good Gardeners has been shortlisted (see below if you want to know the result) and look forward to visiting their sponsor, Alitex, so record a special episode which will air before Christmas. Julia offers advice on growing garlic from shop-bought or own-grown cloves, and Dan reveals a new Christmas trend - including seeds in your Christmas cards. Dan's guide to overwintering tender plants: https://www.dancoopergarden.com/blogs/advice-inspiration/how-to-protect-tender-plants-over Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian GreenhousesAlitex Events *our congratulations to Gardens Illustrated, who won the category for best podcast or radio broadcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 4, Dan and Julia offer advice on filling your home with plants and flowers this Christmas, including how to force bulbs and buy and care for seasonal plants such as poinsettia and cyclamen. Julia explains how to grow a crop of spuds for your Christmas dinner, and Dan shares his favourite garden-inspired Christmas decorations. Julia champions the humble beetroot (pickling recipe below), and Dan is elated that others are finally joining his crusade to revive the much-maligned chrysanthemum. Julia's recipe for pickled beetroot, adapted from a recipe by Clodagh Mckenna Ingredients Method Dan's favourite chrysanthemums: Dan's Christmas decorations - https://www.dancoopergarden.com/collections/christmas Dan & Julia's jobs for the next fortnight Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 3, Dan and Julia mull the merits of putting your garden to bed for winter, sharing tips on preparing for windy weather and making space for tender plants that need protection from the cold. Julia chooses chillies for her 'top of the crops' slot and explains how to take cuttings from herb plants, while Dan offers advice on choosing and planting tulips, throwing the spotlight on three of his favourite bulb-planting tools. Julia's top chillies: 'Cayenne', 'Longhorn', 'Basket of Fire' (bush and yellow-green and red small chillies), 'Sigaretta di Bergamo' (suitable for decoration and it's not too hot), 'Habanero', 'Tokyo Hot'. Dan's most perennial tulips: 'Apeldoorn' (red), 'Golden Apeldoorn' (yellow), 'Apeldoorn's Elite' (yellow and orange), 'Pink Impression', 'Apricot Impression', 'Spring Green' (white and green), 'Flaming Spring Green' (red, white and green), 'Artist' (peach and green), 'Queen of Night' (inky purple) and 'Negrita' (smoky purple pink), Tulipa kaufmanniana, Tulipa greigii, Tulipa tarda, Tulipa turkestanica and Tulipa praestans. Dan's top bulb-planting tools: Dutch trowel, Tulip trowel, Barrel bulb planter Dan & Julia's jobs for the next fortnight Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a break from their standard format, Dan & Julia chat about how they began gardening, reminisce about their first gardens and recall the gardens and gardeners that inspired them. Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchMiddle-Sized Garden You Tube ChannelAlitex Modern Victorian GreenhousesAlitex Adventures In Flowers Workshop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As summer eases into autumn, our gardens reach a colourful crescendo. In this episode, Dan & Julia share their favourite flowers and crops for extending the season, taking inspiration from their gardens and visits to Great Dixter, Sussex Prairies, East Ruston Old Vicarage and Doddington Place. Julia offers advice on autumn sowing and shares her top of the crops - delicious, juicy figs. Dan describes his new range of flower bowls and explains how to keep dahlias healthy and blooming for as long as possible. Find Julia's favourite fig recipe here. Explore Dan's collection of flower bowls here. This fortnight's jobs to do in the garden: Dan & Julia's top plants for early autumn colour: Rudbeckia fulgidaRudbeckia triloba' Rudbeckia laciniataHelianthus' Helianthus 'Heliopsis helianthoidesCosmos bipinnatusRatibida columniferaEutrochium maculatumAlthaea cannabinaAsterfrikartii Eurybia divaricataVernonia arkansanaAnemone japonicaHydrangea Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian GreenhousesAlitex Adventures In Flowers Workshop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The gardens at Great Dixter are famed across the globe for their exuberance, colour and intimacy. Driven by a sense of adventure and a mission to help others get involved in horticulture, Fergus Garrett has built on the legacy of his friend and mentor, Christopher Lloyd, never allowing Dixter to stand still and delighting thousands of visitors every season. In mid-August 2023, Julia and I were lucky enough to grab half an hour with Fergus to get his tips on late summer colour, discover his desert island plants and understand what he looks for in a plant when choosing what to grow. We cover a lot of ground, and Fergus is as generous with his knowledge as his time. Make sure you listen right to the very end, as there are gems throughout! If you enjoy this episode, be sure to follow us on your favourite podcast platform and leave us a rating and review. We'll be back in September with a brand-new series! https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/ https://www.dancoopergarden.com/ https://www.parkers-patch.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of this series, Dan and Julia share tips for adapting your garden to cope with hotter, drier summers. Julia offers advice on getting your plot holiday-ready, and Dan showcases a product that can act as a mulch, fertiliser and slug deterrent. This episode's drought-proof 'top of the crops' is the stately artichoke, and Dan chooses salvias as his sun-loving 'pick of the bunch'. Your hosts return in late summer / early autumn for Series 2 and would love to hear about any topics you'd like to be featured. Want to know more? Here are this episode's show notes: Dan's guide to creating a drought-tolerant gardenDan's guide to preparing your garden for the summer holidaysDan's guide to watering wisely Julia's recommended artichoke varieties: 'Green Globe', 'Purple Globe', 'Romanesco'. Note that cardoons (Cynara cardunculus) are a close relative of the artichoke (Cynara scolymus). Cardoons are grown for their edible stalks rather than their flowers. The cardoon is much more cold-tolerant as well. Dan's recommended salvia varieties: 'Hot Lips' - red and white; 'Nachtvlinder' - inky purple; 'Royal Bumble - bright red; 'Trellisick Creamy Yellow'; 'Jemima's Gem' - cerise; 'Amistad' - purple; 'Blue Suede Shoes' - dusky pale blue; 'Amante' - pink. Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight: Website links: Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian GreenhousesMiddleton NurseriesDyson's Nurseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan and Julia discuss how to spot and deal with common summertime pests, including cabbage white butterflies, red spider mites and asparagus beetles. Julia gets stuck into salads, explaining how to grow a succession of lush leaves throughout the year. Dan recalls happy memories of Dame Edna Everage and her wonderful gladies, sharing tips on how to grow these fabulous flowers without all the stiffness and formality they've become known for. Julia's Favourite Salad Leaves: Dan's Favourite Gladioli: . papilio. communisbyzantinus. murielae Where you'll find us: link Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for our first-ever outside broadcast from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023. We celebrate Alitex's Best Trade Stand award and discover how Julia was involved in making it happen. We share our show highlights and reveal some of the work that goes on behind the scenes to deliver the world's most prestigious flower show. Please note that batteries for charging your phone can be hired for £3 for every 30 minutes, not every hour, as Dan states. Should we do more outside broadcasts? Would you like us to report from other RHS shows and garden events? We'd love to receive your feedback. Finally, leaving us a rating and a review will help us to reach other gardening enthusiasts like you. Happy gardening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 5 has a Chelsea Flower Show flavour. Dan & Julia debate the value of a ticket to the world's most prestigious horticultural event and explain how to administer the Chelsea chop to flowering perennials and herbs. Crisp, crunchy radishes are Julia's pick of the crop, and Dan breaks a self-imposed rule by celebrating deciduous azaleas, a plant that doesn't thrive in his chalky soil. For Dan & Julia's complete guide to surviving Chelsea, click here. For more advice on administering the Chelsea chop, click here, and you'll find the perfect pair of shears to do it with here. Plants that respond well to the Chelsea Chop Anthemis tinctoria Campanula Echinacea EupatoriumGaillardiaHeleniumHelianthusIberisLeucanthemumsuperbumLythrum salicariaMonarda didymaNepetaPhlox paniculataRudbeckiaSedum telephium Hylotelephium telephiumSolidagoVeronicastrumAllium schoenoprasum Dan's favourite deciduous azaleas: Where you'll find us over the next fortnight: Julia will be at Nomad Books in Fulham on Saturday, 13th May, running a workshop and signing copies of her book. You'll also find her on the Alitex stand (MA 336) on the Chelsea Flower Show's Main Avenue on and off between the 23rd and 28th of May. Dan will be at Salthrop House, Wroughton, near Swindon, this Sunday, 14th May, 11 am - 4 pm and at the American Museum & Gardens in Bath on Sunday, 21st May, with Rare Plant Fairs. He takes his tea strong with milk, and no sugar, if you want to treat him to a cuppa! Alitex will be at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival from 11th -14th May, showcasing the Mottisfont greenhouse from the National Trust range. Then, they will be at RHS Chelsea Flower Show with their 'Good Life' inspired exhibit, styled by our very own Julia! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this fortnight's episode, Dan & Julia talk tomatoes, chat about compost and wax lyrical about wallflowers. Dan introduces his new Dutch planting trowel, similar to the traditional tool cherished by Monty Don, and Julia explains how to grow ginger from supermarket-bought roots. Your hosts look forward to an action-packed coronation weekend and the crowning of King Charles III, one of the nation's most celebrated garden makers. Julia's jobs to do in the next two weeks: ForsythiaRibes Plant List Julia's tomatoes: Dan's wallflowers: Useful Links Dan's Signature Dutch trowelSaltwood Castle open garden and plant fair on April 29thHatfield House plant fair on April 30thOne Garden Brighton - Julia's book signing on May 1stBorde Hill plant fair on May 7th Websites https://www.dancoopergarden.com/ https://www.parkers-patch.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 3, Dan and Julia discuss how to grow awesome asparagus, go crazy for Japanese kenzan, celebrate a much-overlooked foliage plant and bemoan the fate of the suburban front garden. Julia explains how to get more bang for your buck when buying pot-grown herbs from the supermarket, and Dan reveals the top jobs to do in your garden over the next fortnight. You'll find these listed below, along with details of the plants, products and events mentioned in the podcast. Dan and Julia's jobs for the next fortnight: Plant List Dichroa' Delphinium' Lathyrus vernus' Baptista australisOcimum basilicum Ocimum basilicumminimumOcimum basilicumthyrsifloraOcimum basilicumpurpurascenskilimandscharicum Useful Links Songbird Survival charityArtisan nestersGreat Comp Spring Fling Plant FairGreen Rooms MarketArundel Castle Plant FairAlitex open morning https://www.dancoopergarden.com/ https://www.parkers-patch.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will it? Won't it? As March draws to a close, spring is teasing us, but Dan and Julia see signs of spring everywhere they look. In episode 2, the Two Good Gardeners get animated about April, celebrating foraged food in the form of wild garlic, sharing the joy of daffodils and warning against planting delicate plants outside too soon. Dan offers advice on growing dahlias from seed, cuttings and tubers, and Julia shares a thrifty Easter project involving egg boxes. Additional resources: guide to growing dahliasadvice on hardening off seedlings and plantsApril garden guideMore about wild garlicMore about daffodils Dan & Julia's jobs for the next fortnight: https://www.dancoopergarden.com/ https://www.parkers-patch.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.