As the UK experiences some of the hottest May weather on record, we share practical tips for helping your garden cope during heatwaves. And if the soaring temperatures have you seeking shade indoors, we’ll hear from houseplant experts about their favourite indoor plants and their advice for tackling common houseplant problems. We also catch up with Chris Potts from Sienna Hostas to discover a breakthrough in hosta breeding that has produced the first truly red-leaved cultivar Hosta RED NINJA in the genus. And with the warm weather set to continue, why not visit an RHS Garden this weekend? We head to RHS Garden Bridgewater, where curator Tracy Snell tells us more about the transformation of this remarkable historic garden as it celebrates its fifth birthday this month. Plus a tribute to horticultural legend Matt Biggs, who sadly died last week. 

Host: Gareth Richards 

Contributors: Natalia (Conservatory Archives), John (Hugo & Green), Alice (Botanica Studios), Chris Potts (Sienna Hosta), Tracy Snell, Tim Upson

The highlight of the horticultural calendar is back. This week, we’re bringing you the very best of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. 

We speak to designer Darren Hawkes about The Lady Garden Foundation’s 'Silent No More' garden, and how outdoor spaces can be designed to encourage conversation and connection. Growers and exhibitors from the Great Pavilion share their favourite plants, must-see showstoppers, and expert tips on everything from getting the most out of your hostas to creating natural dyes at home.

We also meet Joe and Laura Carey, designers of Addleshaw Goddard: Flourish in the City, to explore London’s rich botanical history and discover how even the smallest urban gardens can become truly striking spaces. Plus, we take a look at the cutting-edge horticultural science showcased at the GreenSTEM exhibit.

Whether you’re heading to Chelsea this year or simply looking for expert growing advice and fresh inspiration from some of the world’s leading designers and growers, there’s something here for everyone.

Hosts: Jenny Laville, Tom Howard, Gareth Richards

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RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Love them or loathe them, garden gnomes are back… and this time, they’ve even got royal approval as they’ll be appearing in the Kings Foundation garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which returns next week. Fiona Davison, head of Libraries and Exhibitions at the RHS talks us through the history of the show’s infamous gnome ban. 

Science and Horticulture Editor Olivia Drake joins us to marvel at the beauty of verbascums, which are this month’s wildlife wonder plant thanks to their multifaceted appeal to all kinds of garden insects, including birds, bees and mullein moth caterpillars. And if you’ve ever been inspired by a TikTok or Instagram video to try growing your own fruit and veg from supermarket leftovers, Dr Helen Latham from the Plant Health team joins us with words of wisdom about how plants for free can sometimes come with hidden dangers.

Host: Nick Turrell

Contributors: Fiona Davison, Olivia Drake, Helen Latham

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May Wildlife Wonder plant - verbascums

Gnome ban lifted

Chelsea Flower Show

Plant Health

We’re diving into the fascinating lives of moths with RHS Principal Entomologist Dr Hayley Jones. She tells us what sets them apart from butterflies, and how to set up nighttime nectar bars to give them a helping hand. 

We’re also turning our attention to a firm favorite in the garden: Hydrangeas. RHS horticulturist Jack Aldridge is a woody plant expert, and he joins us to share some of his favorite cultivars and everything you need to know about caring for your hydrangeas at home - from pruning tips to the secrets behind the brightest blue blooms. 

And finally, with RHS Chelsea Flower Show just around the corner, RHS Head of Libraries and Exhibitions Fiona Davison joins us to reveal more about the unveiling of a striking new botanical painting, known as a ‘Royal Signature’. It marks the occasion of His Majesty King Charles III becoming the charity’s Royal Patron, and celebrates his long-standing commitment to inspiring more people to experience the joy of gardening.

Host: Guy Barter

Contributors: Dr Hayley Jones, Jack Aldridge, Fiona Davison

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Wild about gardens: magical moths

RHS plant guide - hydrangeas

RHS Chelsea flower show

Today we’re getting wild in the garden and taking a look at some of the abundance that's on display as spring hits its peak. The RSPB’s Emma Marsh joins us to unpack the results of this year's Big Garden Birdwatch, offering a revealing snapshot of the health of some of our most cherished garden visitors. Emma also shares how new research is informing New RSPB advice on feeding birds seasonally and safely. One key food source for young chicks at this time of year is juicy caterpillars; RHS Principal Entomologist Dr Hayley Jones shares her advice on how to live with these misunderstood critters, and why moths in general deserve some more credit in the garden. And finally, we turn to a seasonal highlight: crab apples. Nurseryman Nick Dunn of Frank P Matthews nursery joins us to celebrate these remarkable trees as they burst into bloom, offering beauty, abundance and a vital source of food for birds, insects - and even us.

Host: Guy Barter

Contributors: Emma Marsh, Dr Hayley Jones, Nick Dunn

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Wild About Gardens: magical moths

RHS Wildlife gardening advice

Remembering Nigel Dunnett

To celebrate Earth Day, we’re looking at how we as gardeners can make small changes to benefit the world around us. Nick Turrell and Jenny Laville will be digging into the topic of food waste, exploring how composting and changing our habits can make a big difference to our ecological footprints. RHS horticultural advisor Jenny Bowden offers an alternative, biodiversity-friendly approach if you find a traditional wildflower meadow just doesn’t work for you. And RHS Garden Wisley’s Liz Mooney and Pavlina Kapsalis share some inspiration for the veg patch, with some unusual crop suggestions you definitely won’t find on the supermarket shelves.

Host: Gareth Richards

Contributors: Liz Mooney, Pavlina Kapsalis, Jenny Bowden, Jenny Laville, Nick Turrell

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RHS Grow Your Own Veg Through the Year 

RHS advice on fruit and veg growing  

Gardening for the environment 

This week Grace Johnson from the Hedgehog Street Campaign joins us once again to tell us more about what we can all do to support the recovery of hedgehog populations, right where they need it most: in our gardens. RHS horticultural advisor Jenny Bowden joins us with a clever money-saving tip, showing how you can make your own potting mix from scratch at home. And to round things off, Liz Mooney heads down to the veg patch with everything you need to know about growing cabbages.

Host: Guy Barter

Contributors: Jenny Bowden, Grace Johnson, Liz Mooney

Links:

How to make a footprint tunnel

Get involved in some Hedgehog citizen science

This week, we’re shining a light on some of the plants and creatures that play a vital role at this time of year: the ones that truly make spring what it is… starting with an often overlooked but invaluable contributor to the spring display - comfrey. Olivia Drake will be telling us more about this powerhouse for pollinators that deserves a place in any garden. Next, we turn to the veg patch and one of the most satisfying crops you can start sowing right now. RHS Wisley’s Liz Mooney joins us to share some practical tips on growing carrots successfully. And finally, we’ll be taking a closer look at one of the UK’s most beloved native mammals, now beginning to emerge from winter hibernation: the hedgehog. Hedgehog officer Grace Johnson from the Hedgehog Street campaign talks us through the challenges these charming creatures face, and how our gardens (however big or small) could hold the key to helping reverse their decline.

Host: Gareth Richards

Contributors: Olivia Drake, Liz Mooney, Grace Johnson

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Comfrey

BIG Hedgehog map

This week we head to RHS Wisley's Hilltop where the science and advisory teams are working tirelessly to come up with solutions to some of the biggest pressures facing horticulture and gardeners today, and few are bigger or more pressing than climate change. RHS advisor Jenny Bowden talks us through an experiment she's working on to find out which plants are best suited to the extremes in summer drought and winter flooding UK gardens are increasingly experiencing. Horticulturist Liz Mooney runs us through the Lettuce extravaganza she is sowing at Wisley's world food garden. And bulb expert Muhammad Hafiz Ullah, gives us a masterclass in growing gladioli

Host: Nick Turrell 

Contributors: Jenny Bowden, Liz Mooney, Muhammad Hafiz Ullah

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Choosing plants for seasonally wet and dry soils

How to grow lettuces

Gladioli

Gladiolus trial

This week we’re embracing the arrival of spring in the garden. RHS horticultural advisor Jenny Bowden applies a right plant, right place approach in her sandy, drought-prone garden in southeast England. Embracing experimentation, she’s creating a resilient, low-maintenance space that shows even challenging conditions can thrive. We’ll also be celebrating the breathtaking displays of blossom unfolding across the UK right now, as RHS expert Jonathan Newell joins us to explore the rich variety of flowering trees and shrubs in bloom, and what makes this time of year so special for gardeners and nature lovers alike.And to round things off, our resident veg growing affionado Liz Mooney returns with another allotment favourite: this time turning her attention to cucumbers. 

Host: Jenny Laville

Contributors: Jenny Bowden, Jonathan Newell, Liz Mooney

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Drought-resistant plants

Drought-resistant gardening

Guide to growing cucumbers 

Liz Mooney’s top tomato cultivars

Liz Mooney’s guide to aubergines, sweet peppers, and chillis

Liz Mooney’s guide to peas

Liz Mooney’s guide to potatoes

This week, we’re focusing on the edible garden, and the simple yet radical act of growing your own food in an age of convenience. Food writer Nancy Matsumoto explores how our globalised food system is impacting both people and planet, and why women-led initiatives could help shape a more sustainable future. RHS Garden Wisley’s Liz Mooney joins us from the World Food Garden to answer everything you ever wanted to know about growing potatoes. And finally, Nick Turrell and Jenny Laville sit down to look at how you can get started growing your own – without ending up with a mountain of plastic along the way.

Host: Nick Turrell

Contributors: Nancy Matsumoto, Liz Mooney, Jenny Laville

Links:

Reaping What She Sows book

Nancy Matsumoto’s substack ‘Reaping’

Liz Mooney’s top tomato cultivars

Liz Mooney’s guide to aubergines, sweet peppers, and chillis

Liz Mooney’s guide to peas

How to go plastic-free in your garden