Talking Dirty Get Gardening

He's back! The last time we caught up with Ben Preston he was departing York Gate Garden (where he was Head Gardener) and heading for his own nursery. Now Cliff Bank is up and running and selling a crop of exquisite plants! This week we take a look at the Anemones he's been building a collection of. Next week more planty treats in part two!
PLANT LIST
Agrostemma githago
Anemone ranunculoides 'Kai'
Anemone ranuculoides 'Prinz Eugen'  
Anemone flaccida
Anemone ranuculoides 'Golden Dream'
Anemone nemorosa 'Explosion'
Anemone ranunculoides ‘Sirje’
Anemone ranuculoides 'Kreet'
Anemone ranuculoides 'Dagerōt'
Anemone ranuculoides 'Leida’
Anemone nemorosa 'Salt and Pepper'
Anemone nemorosa 'Thekla'
Anemone nemorosa 'Vestal'
Anemone nemorosa 'Flore Pleno'
Anemone nemorosa 'Jummer's Fienrood'
Anemone nemorosa 'Denmark'
Anemone nemorosa 'Virescens'
Anemone nemorosa 'Viridescens'
Iris 'Russian Kavelguard'

This week one of the nicest men in horticulture is back on The Talking Dirty Podcast. Joe Whitehead is Head Gardener at Burghley House on the Cambridgeshire/Lincolnshire border. He talks Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis through some of the changes which have been going on in the garden, and shares his favourite shade plants of the moment.
PLANT LIST
Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea'
Paulownia tomentosa
Cornus kousa 'Milky Way'
Betula utilis subsp. jacquemontii
Dodecatheon meadia syn Primula meadia
Lonicera involucrata
Tulip bakerii 'Lilac Wonder'
Tulipa sylvestris
Lunaria annua 'Chedglow'
Lunaria annua 'Somerset Marble'
Smilacina racemosa syn Maianthemum racemosum
Arum italicum subsp. neglectum 'Monksilver'
Lamium orvala
Epimedium 'Amber Queen'
Epimedium 'Sphinx Twinkler'
Epimedium pubigerum
Omphalodes cappadocica 'Cherry Ingram'
Lamium orvala 'John Foster'
Lunaria annua 'Corfu Blue'
Digitalis purpurea 'Pam's Choice' 
Taraxacum pseudoroseum
Crepis rubra
Toona sinensis 'Flamingo'
Acer pseudoplatanus 'Brilliantissimum' 
Ficaria verna 'Brazen Hussy'
Ficaria verna 'Double Mud'
Helianthus annuus 'Teddy Bear'
Erysimum 'Parish's'
Erysimum 'Ruston Copper Knob'
Campanula medium

Time to return to one of our happy places. The garden at East Ruston Old Vicarage on the Norfolk coast is bursting with plants at every time of year, but in April seed-sowing is underway in earnest and there are treasures to behold everywhere you look! In this week's episode the garden's owner Alan Gray shares just some of what's going on with Thordis.
PLANT LIST
Tulipa 'Yellow Crown'
Tulipa sprengeri
Amaranthus cruentus 'Hot Biscuits'
Amaranthus cruentus 'Velvet Curtains'
Anemone coronaria 'Bordeaux'
Smyrnium perfoliatum
Tropaeolum tricolor
Tropaeolum pentaphyllum
Tropaeolum hookerianum
Plumbago auriculata
Rosa 'Iceberg'
Rosa 'The Generous Gardener'
Abutilon vitifolium
Abutilon vitifolium 'Album'
Drimys winteri
Hyacinthoides non-scripta ‘Silver Cobalt’
Agapanthus 'Queen Mum'

Our gardens are full of them at this time of year, but the Tulip actually originates in Central Asia. These species Tulips are varied in height, colour, foliage and the ease with which we can grow them at home and so this week on Talking Dirty, Cambridge University Botanic Garden - who hold the National Collection of Species Tulips - are along to share some of their favourites and recommendations for which to grow, and how. Plus stories of their latest adventures in Kyrgyzstan where they've been finding and protecting new varieties.
So join Alan Gray, Thordis and Simon Wallis and Kathryn Bray of the Botanics for a tantalising tour of their collection!
PLANT LIST
Tulipa sprengeri
Tulipa tschimghanica
Tulipa toktogulica
Tulipa greigii
Tulipa cretica
Tulipa 'Negrita'
Tulip bakerii 'Lilac Wonder'
Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii
Tulipa acuminata syn. Tulipa cornuta
Tulipa montana
Tulipa heweri
Tulipa biflora
Tulipa turkestanica
Tulipa regelii
Tulipa tarda
Tulipa saxatilis
Tulipa linifolia
Tulipa undulatifolia syn Tulipa eichleri
Tulipa clusiana
Tulipa clusiana 'Peppermint Stick'
Tulip clusiana var. chrysantha
Tulipa aucheriana
Tulipa sylvestris
Tulipa orphanidea
Tulipa kaufmanniana
Tulipa fosteriana
Tulipa praestans 'Shogun'
Tulipa 'Apeldoorn'
Tulipa 'Ballerina'
Tulipa 'Heart's Delight'
Trollius lilacinus
Iris acutiloba
Tulipa clusiana 'Lady Jane'

With a spring in our step we bring you the March Special of our Talking Dirty series on the garden at East Ruston Old Vicarage. From the Magnolias Alan Gray wakes to see out of his bedroom window, to the Tulips he's been spending a pretty penny on, here are some of the highlights from the garden this month.
PLANT LIST
Magnolia 'Caerhays Belle'
Magnolia 'Genie'
Magnolia × soulangeana
Rosa 'Rambling Rector'
Rosa filipes 'Kiftsgate' 
Rosa 'Mme. Alfred Carrière' 
Rosa 'A Shropshire Lad'
Dahlia 'Hollyhill Serenity'
Narcissus 'Jetfire'
Narcissus 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation'
Tulipa sprengeri
Tulipa orphanidea 'Flava'
Narcissus 'Turncoat'
Narcissus 'First Born'
Narcissus 'Actaea'
Hedychium 'Tara'
Narcissus 'Articol'
Narcissus 'Rataplan'
Narcissus 'Mrs Langtry'
Tropaeolum majus 'Gleam Salmon'
Tropaeolum tuberosum var. lineomaculatum 'Ken Aslet'
Syringa vulgaris 'Princess Sturdza'

Time for Part Two of our latest episode with Talking Dirty favourite Val Bourne. The award-winning garden writer has alredy shared some of her favourite Prunus varieties. This week it's all about spring plants like Pulmonarias and Violets, plus a bit of rose inspiration...and Trillium chat to boot!
PLANT LIST
Pulmonaria 'Shrimps on the Barbie'
Pulmonaria saccharata 'Leopard'
Pulmonaria rubra
Pulmonaria 'Diana Clare'
Viola odorata 'Christie's Wedding'
Viola odorata 'Baroness Alice de Rothschild'
Viola odorata 'Sulphurea'
Helleborus argutifolius
Narcissus 'St Patricks Day'
Narcissus 'Golden Echo'
Narcissus 'Winter Waltz'
Narcissus 'Beryl'
Narcissus 'Beryl's Little Sister'
Tropaeolum hookerianum
Tropaeolum ciliatum
Trillium grandiflorum f. roseum
Trillium kurabayashii
Rosa 'The Generous Gardener'
Rosa 'Mrs. Honey Dyson'
Rosa 'Rosy Cushion'
Rosa x odorata 'Crimson Bengal'
Rosa 'Pompon de Paris'
Rosa 'You're Beautiful'