Gardening with Ben - Garden and Allotment Tips and Advice Podcast

🎧 🌱📆 January Review: Wins, Challenges, and Lessons from the Allotment

Gardening with Ben - Garden and Allotment Tips and Advice Podcast

Show Notes

🌱📆 January may be the quietest month on the allotment — but it’s packed with lessons, surprises, and wins worth celebrating. In this episode, we look back at everything the first month of the year had to offer: the successes that set us up for the year, the challenges winter threw our way, and the lessons learned that will shape the growing season ahead. We’ll chat about plot improvements, seeds sorted, structures checked, polytunnel prep, winter weather struggles, and the small but meaningful steps that make January such an underrated month on the allotment. From frosty mornings to early sowing plans, this episode is all about reflection, progress, and getting ready for the year ahead. What were YOUR wins and challenges this January? Let me know — always love hearing how everyone’s plots are doing!

🌱👇 🛍️ Top Recommended Products: • Winter Gardening Essentials – https://amzn.to/47NfDUN • Seed Storage Box – https://amzn.to/4oOgESy • Cold Weather Plant Protection Fleece – https://amzn.to/3LKPDAL

💬 Quote from the Episode: “January teaches us patience — but those quiet steps prepare the biggest successes.”

❄️🌱 🌿 Stay Connected: 📺 YouTube – Gardening with Ben 📸 Instagram – @GardeningwithBen 🎧 Podcast – Gardening with Ben 🌐 https://gardenandallotment.com

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gardening-with-ben-garden-and-allotment-tips-and-advice-podcast--5150692/support.

🌼 🌿 Stay Connected with Gardening with Ben: 🎥 YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@GardeningwithBen 📸 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/gardeningwithben 📘 Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/gardeningwithben 🎧 Podcast – Available on Spreaker, Spotify & Apple Podcasts 🌐 Website – https://gardenandallotment.com

More from Gardening with Ben - Garden and Allotment Tips and Advice Podcast

Oct 23, 2026

Want to grow your own garlic but aren’t sure where to start? Join me, Gardening with Ben, as I talk through growing garlic in the UK, from choosing your planting stock to harvesting and storing your bulbs.In this episode, we cover: • The differences between hardneck, softneck and elephant garlic. • Choosing a growing space and preparing the soil. • Planting individual cloves, including depth and spacing. • Caring for your garlic through winter and spring. • Common mistakes to avoid. • Recognising harvest time and drying garlic for storage.Along the way, I share my own allotment experiences and practical tips to help you get started. Whether you have an allotment, a vegetable bed or space for a container, this episode will help you plan your garlic crop.Have you planted your garlic yet? Which varieties are you growing?Follow Gardening with Ben for daily gardening conversations, seasonal advice and updates from my Sheffield allotment. Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a rating and share it with a gardening friend.Find more gardening tips: https://gardenandallotment.comKeep smiling, keep shining, keep gardening with Ben.

Oct 22, 2026

Join me, Gardening with Ben, for a busy autumn day on the allotment as I plant broad beans, add winter hellebores and start clearing a new growing area.In this episode, I chat about getting broad beans planted for the season ahead, choosing hellebores for winter interest and making progress on another part of the plot. There’s also a behind-the-scenes catch-up as I film gardening content for the next seven days!Whether you’re planting, tidying or planning your next project, come along for a friendly allotment catch-up and some autumn gardening inspiration.What have you been planting this week? Are your broad beans in yet?Follow Gardening with Ben for daily gardening conversations, seasonal tips and updates from my Sheffield allotment. If you enjoy listening, please leave a rating and share the podcast with a gardening friend.Find more gardening tips and inspiration: https://gardenandallotment.comKeep smiling, keep shining, keep gardening with Ben.

Oct 21, 2026

🌱 PLANTING 500 SPRING BULBS AND PREPARING FOR A STORM! Welcome to another episode of the Gardening with Ben Podcast! It's been another busy October day down at the allotment. 🌷 PLANTING 500 SPRING BULBS We've planted approximately 500 spring bulbs in our newly rearranged flower bed, including loads of daffodils, alliums and other spring-flowering bulbs. We're hoping for a fantastic display next spring! 🌸 PLANTING CYCLAMEN We've added beautiful pink, white and red cyclamen to bring some autumn colour into the flower bed. I'll also share some useful tips for looking after them. 🐦 FEEDING THE GARDEN BIRDS We've topped up our bird feeders ready for the colder weather. Thankfully, the squirrels haven't been attacking them! 🌬️ PREPARING THE POLYTUNNEL FOR A STORM With stormy weather forecast for Friday, we've repaired some rips in our polytunnel cover. We'll also discuss protecting your garden and allotment from strong winds. 🏡 OUR NEXT ALLOTMENT PROJECT We're starting to look at our next development area and planning more improvements around the allotment. 🍂 OCTOBER GARDENING TIPS We'll also discuss useful autumn gardening jobs, planting advice and preparing your garden for winter and next spring. 🎙️ NEW EPISODES EVERY MORNING AT 6AM! Join me for daily allotment updates, gardening tips and growing advice. 🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and your favourite podcast apps. 🌐 Website: https://gardenandallotment.com 💚 Please follow, rate, review and share the Gardening with Ben Podcast! 🌻 Keep smiling, keep shining, keep gardening with Ben!

Oct 20, 2026

🎙️ Gardening with Ben is BACK!Where have I been? What have I been up to? And what's been happening on my allotment?After a break from regular podcasting, I'm back behind the microphone for a very special catch-up episode!There's been so much happening here at Gardening with Ben, and I'm excited to bring you along for the next chapter.🌱 In today's episode, we're talking about: Where I've been and what I've been doing. The latest changes and improvements on my allotment. Building new raised beds and preparing for the growing seasons ahead. Our polytunnel transformation and growing plans. Planting spring bulbs ready for a colourful display. Growing vegetables, flowers and fruit throughout the year. Some of my biggest gardening successes, challenges and harvests. What I've been working on behind the scenes at Gardening with Ben. My exciting plans for the future of the podcast. Whether you're an experienced gardener, a new allotment holder or somebody who simply enjoys growing your own vegetables and flowers, I'd love you to join me! Keep smiling, keep shining, keep gardening with Ben! 🌱

Jul 26, 2025

🌿☀️ It’s a busy time of year on the allotment! In this episode of Saturday Spotlight, I’m sharing the essential July to-dos for your allotment and garden — from watering wisely during hot spells to keeping on top of weeding, feeding, and harvesting. 🍅🥔 Discover how to make the most of your mid-summer garden, including which crops to sow now, how to keep plants thriving in the heat, and the maintenance jobs that make all the difference later in the season. 🌾 Whether you’ve got a large allotment or a small garden space, these simple tasks will help you enjoy a productive and beautiful July outdoors. 🌻 Grab your brew, sit on the bench, and let’s talk all things July gardening — because summer waits for no gardener! ☕💚

See all episodes →