The Colour Guide Mini Series #3: Turning a palette into a planting plan - Episode 263

Andy Monaghan is a wonderfully creative soul both in the garden and beyond it, sharing his talents as a professional dancer and spending his “off season” knee‑deep in tulips, zinnias and prairie perennials. In this episode, Sarah is joined by Andy, a florist, flower grower and dancer, to choose the finest tulips for a collection that will come back year after year. They talk perennial tulips, resilient planting for hot dry summers, and the quiet joy of designing gardens that can cope wi...

September is a turning point in the gardening calendar, a month in which we’re preparing our plants - as we are ourselves - for the colder months. Sarah and Josie join forces this week to share the key jobs you should prioritise at this point in the year - from focusing on your edibles to deadheading your dahlias. September is also the time to plant out your biennials before the cold sets in, start forcing bulbs, and take cuttings of your tender perennials. Products mentioned: Mustards (Hardy...

From the first November blooms to the last flowers in May, narcissus can quietly carry your garden through the whole of spring. In this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Tom Stimpson joins Sarah as they unpack what they found on a whirlwind narcissus trip to the Netherlands – from finely bred, climate‑resilient varieties to pots that brim with scent on the coldest days. They share their favourite tried‑and‑tested daffodils for pots, borders and cutting, and the key characteristic...

If grey squirrels have ever stripped your pots overnight or raided a carefully planted bulb lasagne, there are ways to protect your perfectly composed pots. Sarah is joined by Josie Lewis this week to share what’s actually worked at Perch Hill after years of trials – from cleverly laid thorny rose prunings to beautiful pot toppers that protect bulbs and earn their keep. In this episode, discover: How Sarah and Josie protect freshly planted bulbs from grey squirrels and other pests witho...

We’re stepping once more into Tom Stimpson’s tiny town garden to see how he coaxes months of colour from the smallest of spaces. In this episode, Tom shares the mini bulbs that have truly earned their keep in pots and window boxes – from long-flowering iris and species tulips to cheerful muscari and dwarf narcissus. Together we explore simple planting “recipes”, clever table‑top displays, and a low‑maintenance watering approach that lets the weather do most of the work. In t...