No-dig gardening guru Charles Dowding creates his dream garden from all of the places he has been and seen. We find out why he loves the landscapes of the island of Iona in Scotland, his adventures in growing in France and Wales, and how he discovered the no-dig method. 

Discover his tips on building your social media and learn about Charles’ tried-and-tested methods of composting - plus, what he would never allow into his dream garden. 

Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com 

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Plantswoman Rosy Hardy creates her fantasy garden from all of the landscapes and places that have inspired her. From the sunken garden in Edinburgh owned by her childhood neighbour to Amazon Spheres in Seattle and the Patagonian mountains, we hear about how all of the things would play a role in her dream garden. 

Find out how her nursery Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants was started out of a car boot and why she dug up her backyard, and discover what it takes to create an award winning plant exhibit at a big show. Plus, can you really hear rhubarb growing? And why she loves dandelions.

Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com 

Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode.

AD // Niwaki are offering Talking Gardens listeners the opportunity to save 10% at niwaki.com, until the 28th February 2025 using the code TALK10. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount codes and excludes delivery costs. Please visit the Niwaki website for any further Terms & Conditions that might apply at https://www.niwaki.com/about/terms/

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Gardener and broadcaster Monty Don joins us on Talking Gardens to talk about his fantasy growing space. From the design of Wollerton Old Hall in Shropshire to the character of Balmoral Cottage in Kent, and the dramatic views of a Fernando Caruncho design in Greece, Monty shares his favourite spots with us. 

Get insights into his never-seen second, secret garden, why he rails against the morality of rewilding and how having an opinion works with presenting the Chelsea Flower Show coverage (spoiler alert - he’s not a fan of beavers).

Plus, discover who his gardening hero is and why he likes to know absolutely nothing before visiting a garden. 

Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com 

Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review, or a comment to let us know who you would like to hear talking about their dream garden next time. Follow now so you never miss an episode.

AD // Niwaki are offering Talking Gardens listeners the opportunity to save 10% at niwaki.com, until the 28th February 2025 using the code TALK10. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount codes and excludes delivery costs. Please visit the Niwaki website for any further Terms & Conditions that might apply at https://www.niwaki.com/about/terms/

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What does your fantasy garden look like? That’s what we ask our guests on the Talking Gardens podcast. This season we’ve got an amazing new line up of top gardeners, designers, plantspeople and flower fanatics telling us all about their dream growing spaces and the plants, people and tools they couldn’t live without. 

Tune in to hear what national treasure Monty Don really thinks about rewilding, and for no-dig guru Charles Dowding's top composting tips. This season, we'll also be talking to lauded designer Jinny Blom, royal florist Shane Connolly, nurserywoman Rosy Hardy and many more. 

New episodes drop every Tuesday. Hit follow now so you never miss an episode.

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This time, Stephanie visits HuntingBrook Gardens in Co. Wicklow, Ireland, to chat to owner Jimi Blake about his dream garden. Discover why he wants to live in a glass box and the places his fantasy corridors would lead to, from New Zealand to South America, and Chanticleer Garden to the Dixter plant fair.

Find out how Jimi dodges bears while botanising, the ways that HuntingBrook has changed over the years, and how going to train as a gardener was life saving for him. We also hear why his imaginary space would be filled with young, up-and-coming gardeners and why, as an avid plant collector, he finds making ‘nerdy’ plant lists his own personal form of meditation.

Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more great garden inspiration and planting ideas, and become a member, at www.gardensillustrated.com 

Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review or comment, and let us know who you would next like to hear talking about their dream garden. 

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Broadcaster, smallholder and author Kate Humble constructs her fantasy garden in this episode. From an origami version of Yellowstone National Park to Dicken from The Secret Garden and Popham’s Arboretum in Sri Lanka, Kate tells Stephanie all about the landscapes, people and gardens that have influenced her. 

Find out more about how she became a TV presenter, how she knows that Sharon Stone has a big head and the best thing to do when you come across someone wild swimming naked in a river; as well as why Kate loves baobab trees but will never allow a gazebo in her garden.

Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more great garden inspiration and planting ideas, and become a member, at www.gardensillustrated.com 

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In this episode, lauded planting designer Professor Nigel Dunnett describes all the things he would have to include in his dream garden, from wildflowers to birdsong, and where Claude Monet and David Bowie would fit into his garden fantasies. We hear about what it was like to create his famous projects including Superbloom at the Tower of London, the gardens at the Barbican, Sheffield Grey to Green and plantings at the Olympic Park, as well as details about his own garden on a north-facing slope. Find out why shrubs are due a resurgence, what his problem is with cats, and why he’s not really in favour of low-maintenance schemes. 

Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more great garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com 

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In this episode, Katy Merrington, cultural gardener at The Hepworth Wakefield gallery garden in Yorkshire, constructs her dream garden - in fact, her dream world, which is a place where the streets of our towns and cities are green and welcoming. Discover who would be on Katy’s ultimate fantasy gardening team; why she thinks we need to reconsider ivy; and what a napping tree is. Tune in to learn how she manages looking after an urban space that’s open 24/7, 365 days a year; why the north of England is the place to be for gardeners right now; about her magical cup of tea that is always the right temperature; and her wish for a hose that never kinks.

Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more great garden inspiration and planting ideas at www.gardensillustrated.com 

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In this episode, garden designer Andy Sturgeon picks all the things he’d love to have in his fantasy garden - a crazy multiverse of different climate zones and garden styles from a jungle to a desert and a traditional space with topiary and roses… and monkeys. Discover what floral event he’s desperate to see; which international designers he would have help create his dream space; why he wants a fern house; and his thoughts on the sticky subject of sustainability in garden design. Learn about how he is designing his own new garden in the country, and the big question - will he or won’t he do Chelsea Flower Show again? Listen to find out.

Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more great garden inspiration and planting ideas, and subscribe , at www.gardensillustrated.com 

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Garden designer Miria Harris tells us what she would choose for her fantasy garden, from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water in Pennsylvania, to roses and the ocean. Discover how she made the leap to a career in garden design via work experience with Jinny Blom, and why she admires Edwardian garden designer Gertrude Jekyll. Miria recounts her personal story of experience of stroke and explains how it led to her designing a show garden for the Stroke Association at the Chelsea Flower Show. Plus find out why mirrors are her bugbear in the garden and her dream of a never-ending lunch al fresco.

Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more great garden inspiration and planting ideas, and become a member, at www.gardensillustrated.com 

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Designer Ann Marie-Powell is our guest this time, talking to Stephanie about the inspirations for her dream garden, including the wild character of the gardens at Waltham Place in Berkshire and her imaginary party ‘camp’ with hammocks, teepees, a hot water tap and chef. Discover what she would grow in her fantasy greenhouse, who she’s got a girl crush on and the inside scoop on her Chelsea Flower Show garden for the National Trust. Plus, who is the latest object of her Insta stalking?

Talking Gardens is created by the team at Gardens Illustrated magazine. Find lots more great garden inspiration and planting ideas, and become a member, at www.gardensillustrated.com 

Enjoyed this episode? Tell a friend, make sure to leave a review or comment, and let us know who you would next like to hear talking about their dream garden. 

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