Season 2 Episode 4: Becca features in a film & Grace recaptures her lost youth

In this episode of the Stuart & Alexander, Grace and Becca go live on Instagram, reflecting on their festive preparations, recent travels, and various holiday plans. You can also watch here. They discuss Grace's trip to London and their creative Christmas decor ideas, including the use of holly trees and paper chains. The conversation also touches on hosting Christmas dinners, the logistics of cooking, and holiday traditions. Grace shares her hectic schedule, including plans for a new kitchen garden vegetable growing calendar. There's holiday drinks, cats, and upcoming New Year resolutions.

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As autumn folds itself around the garden, Grace and Becca settle in for an evening recording filled with comfort, carb-laden dreams, and tales of soil, bulbs, and books. Grace unwraps her most-anticipated arrival of the season — Winter in the Highlands by Flora Shedden — a feast of photography, venison, and Scottish charm. The conversation meanders through bones and broth, squash and stews, and the gentle rituals that mark the transition from abundance to rest. Rebecca reflects on her final wedding of the year, the quiet that follows, and the strange restlessness that comes with slowing down. Grace introduces her new digital gardening calendar — a quietly clever companion that pings timely reminders for every seasonal task, from ordering bulbs to checking compost supplies. They discuss the satisfaction of bulb planting, the mischief of squirrels, and the wisdom of leaving soil undisturbed through winter. There’s talk of weeds (including the dreaded field sorrel), cosmos jungles, and a fruit harvest so abundant it feels almost mythic. Rebecca takes us to Ashburton, that irresistible Devon town of vintage jumpers, ceramic butter knives, and dangerously good shops. Expect mentions of Rafiki Café, Amelia’s, Craftmongers, and Ambrose Vevers’ scorched chopping boards. Grace, meanwhile, lunches at Pythouse Kitchen Garden and The Newt, reflecting on the beauty of limewashed walls, maturing plantings, and restraint in garden design. Next month’s episode will be their Christmas Gift List Special — an In, Out, Out-Out, and Wild Card edition of beautiful things to covet, make, and give. Winter in the Highlands by Flora Shedden — available via Bookshop.org

In this episode of Stuart and Alexander, Rebecca of The Garden Gate Flower Company and I tumble back into conversation. A rambling catch-up of triumphs, muddles, and mud under our nails. We talk about the curse of perfection paralysis (that wretched urge to get everything exactly right before you even begin), and the bone-deep weariness of decision fatigue. There are confessions about compost disasters, autumn sowing schemes, and our endless, glamorous-yet-muddy hunt for gardening clothes that don’t make us look like scarecrows. As ever, the chat wanders, from the dizzy joys and heartbreaks, to the way a garden can both soothe and completely overwhelm. An honest chat over tea about the things we can’t control, in our flowerside or in ourselves, and embracing letting go.

In this episode of Stuart and Alexander, Rebecca and Grace discuss the changing seasons, from an unusually autumnal August to garden management during peak wedding season. Rebecca shares the recent heartbreaking loss of her beloved dog, Mabel, and thanks the community for their support. We exchange tips on organising the garden with flags and labels, and Grace teases a new project involving engraved garden labels. Other topics include Rebecca's trip to the south of France, completing renovations, and upcoming garden events. 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 00:46 Reflecting on Autumn 02:30 Remembering Mabel 09:03 Cottage Renovation Updates 19:23 Garden Challenges and Wedding Season 21:54 Labelling and New Business Ideas 28:39 Bleeping Out for Family-Friendly Content 28:50 Tulip Talk: Ordering and Growing Tips 30:41 Challenges with Tulips in Floral Work 31:46 Favourite Tulip Varieties and Planting Strategies 33:46 The Importance of Seasonal Planning 35:51 Garden Visits and Reflections 40:00 Travel Tales: South of France 49:45 Upcoming Events and Workshops