The Underground

The Underground Pod
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Home & Garden
  • Updated weekly

Exploring the future of garden care. The underground podcast is a place where the disparate worlds of horticulture and marketing collide. Kate Turner, the Gardener Guru and Phil Wright, co-founder of creative agency WrightObara, team up to discover the trailblazers and innovators shaping the future of garden care in the UK. With content that’s as relevant to start-ups as it would be to established players, we look to cover the hottest topics and trends you need to know. From plants to products, environmental concerns to legislation, we’ll dig deep to bring you the inside story.

  1. 1 day ago

    Michael Perry on Gardeners’ World, AI and the Future of Garden Retail

    Whenever Michael Perry joins The Underground, the conversation is unlikely to follow a predictable path.Recorded at Glee 2026, this relaxed and wide-ranging chat sees Michael join Phil Wright and Kate Turner to discuss what could come next for Gardeners’ World, whether gardening television needs to become more commercially aware and why different parts of the sector need to understand the audiences they serve.They also explore what makes a new plant stand out, how good storytelling can help a product succeed, the rise and fall of rare houseplants, selling plants on QVC and the growing importance of authenticity as AI-generated content becomes harder to avoid.Along the way, the conversation takes in garden centres as the department stores of the future, the uneasy relationship between sustainability and artificial products, attractive male gardeners and Michael’s latest business idea: a mobile garden centre in an old library van.It’s a friendly, funny and candid conversation about plants, marketing and where the garden sector could go next.

    Michael Perry on Gardeners’ World, AI and the Future of Garden Retail

  2. 1 Sept

    Houseplants, Chelsea and Knowing Your Worth, with Gemma Haigh

    Gemma Haigh’s route into horticulture hasn’t exactly been conventional. After starting her career in museums and heritage, she turned a lifelong love of plants into The Plant Parlour, working across houseplants, content creation, design and interior landscaping. She also created a Houseplant Studio for the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, inspired, perhaps unexpectedly, by the post-apocalyptic world of The Last of Us. But this conversation goes well beyond houseplants. Gemma joins Phil and Kate to talk about why industries driven by passion can become comfortable with expecting people to work for very little, the difficulty of putting a proper value on horticultural expertise, and whether women face additional barriers when trying to make a career in the sector. They also discuss caring responsibilities, the treatment of women online, why follower numbers and genuine expertise aren’t the same thing, and what brands should be looking for when they work with creators. And, returning to plants, Gemma explains why climate change could start to blur the distinction between what we think of as an indoor plant and an outdoor plant. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about plants, careers, expertise and what it takes to be taken seriously in horticulture. In this episode: How an overflowing garden led Gemma into houseplantsCreating a Houseplant Studio at RHS Chelsea Flower ShowWhy passion shouldn’t be used as an excuse for poor payWhether horticulture properly values professional expertiseWomen, caring responsibilities and career progressionThe difference between influence, entertainment and genuine authorityWhy brands need to think harder about who represents themHow our changing climate could change the way we grow houseplants

    Houseplants, Chelsea and Knowing Your Worth, with Gemma Haigh

  3. 17 Aug

    How to Survive Glee: The Garden Industry’s Best Tips

    Glee is one of the biggest dates in the garden industry calendar. It’s also three very long days of walking, talking, networking, discovering new products and trying to remember who said what by the time you get home.So, ahead of Glee 2026, we’ve delved back into Season 1 of The Underground and brought together some of the best Glee survival advice from our guests. And between them, they’ve clocked up a lot of exhibition miles. We hear tips from garden centre leaders, suppliers, marketers, PR professionals, journalists, growers and industry organisations on how to get more from the show, whether you’re exhibiting or visiting. There’s plenty of practical advice: comfortable shoes, hydration, planning your meetings, taking useful notes, making time to explore every aisle and following up properly afterwards. But there are some bigger lessons too. How do you make the most of chance conversations? What should an exhibitor actually be trying to achieve? Why should your product packaging be able to sell the story without somebody standing beside it? And why might staying until the very last bell lead to a customer relationship that lasts ten years? You’ll also discover the importance of yoga, a good breakfast, emergency plasters, strategic coffee consumption and, apparently, the correct way to end a conversation. Featuring advice from Alan Roper, Boyd Douglas-Davies, Debi Holland, Elaine Gotts, Ellen Mary, Fran Barnes, Guy Jenkins, Jane Hartley, Jane Lawler, Kate Ebbens, Kimberley Hornby-George, Linda Petrons, Matthew Mein, Megan Warren-Davis, Michael Perry, Simon Taylor, Steve Harper, Toby Thomas, Vicky Nuttall and Will Scott. The Underground is the official podcast partner of Glee 2026.

  4. 11 Aug

    The Future of the Garden Industry: One Year On

    With Glee just a month away, we’re heading back to Birmingham, as well as the conversations we recorded there last year.At Glee 2025, we asked every guest who joined us one simple question:What’s one change you’d love to see in the garden sector over the next five years?The answers gave us a fascinating snapshot of where the industry thought change was needed.We heard calls for more young people to discover gardening and horticulture, better training for people entering the industry, greater support for independent garden centres and much more ambitious use of digital technology. Our guests also talked about sustainability, peat-free growing media, water conservation, online retail, AI and how garden centres themselves could evolve.There were plenty of big ideas too, from turning garden centres into evening destinations to rethinking the way plants are merchandised.A year on, and with the industry preparing to come together at Glee again, it feels like the perfect time to revisit those conversations.Which ideas are beginning to happen? Which challenges are still with us? And if we asked the same question at Glee this year, would the answers be any different?Featuring voices from across garden retail, horticulture, suppliers, marketing and the wider garden sector.

    The Future of the Garden Industry: One Year On

  5. 4 Aug

    Plants, People and the Growth of Perrywood Garden Centres

    From a four-acre smallholding growing strawberries and potatoes to three award-winning garden centres, Perrywood’s story is one of family, plants and steady growth.In this episode, Phil and Kate talk to Hannah Powell, HR and Communications Director at Perrywood Garden Centres, about how the business has expanded without losing the values that shaped it. Hannah explains why plants remain at the heart of Perrywood, how industry standards have encouraged continuous improvement, and why knowledgeable, well-supported teams are central to the customer experience.They also discuss attracting younger customers, the power of a successful loyalty programme, making sustainable choices, the pressures facing garden centre businesses and how climate change could affect what customers grow in the future.Along the way, Hannah shares why gardening is her therapy and how a visit to a garden centre can offer people far more than a shopping trip.

    Plants, People and the Growth of Perrywood Garden Centres

  6. 27 Jul

    How People Choose: Emotion, Strategy and Creative Marketing with Phil Wright

    This week, the tables are turned as Kate interviews The Underground co-host Phil Wright, co-founder of creative marketing agency WrightObara.Phil recently wrote an in-depth article exploring how people choose one product over another. In this conversation, he explains why those decisions are rarely driven by facts, features and price alone — and why good creative marketing needs to do more than simply explain what a product does.The discussion begins with Phil’s slightly irrational desire for an iPod Nano and develops into a wider conversation about emotion, gut feeling, brand perception, strategy and creativity. Phil and Kate explore: Why rational versus irrational is often the wrong distinction How brands become a collection of promises and experiences Why research and analysis are not the same as strategy How creativity helps products get noticed, understood and remembered The emotions that can influence even practical garden purchases Why brands need to persuade both the retail buyer and the shopper Whether emotional marketing is persuasive or manipulative Why explaining a product is rarely enough to make people want it It is also a chance to learn a little more about Phil, the thinking behind WrightObara and why understanding how people choose has become central to the agency’s work. Read Phil’s full article, How people choose: emotion, reason and the power of creative marketing: https://wrightobara.com/blog/how-people-choose-emotion-reason-and-the-power-of-creative-marketing/ Find out more about WrightObara: www.wrightobara.com

    How People Choose: Emotion, Strategy and Creative Marketing with Phil Wright

  7. 21 Jul

    From Dig for Victory to AI: How Gardening Is Changing with Ross Pearson

    Garden writer and horticultural lecturer Ross Pearson joins Phil and Kate to talk about his ambitious Dig for Victory allotment project and what wartime growing advice can still teach gardeners today. Ross has set out to grow food using guidance originally produced by the Ministry of Agriculture, exploring what might have been lost as gardening has become more convenient. The conversation covers the importance of healthy soil, compost, manure and crop rotation, alongside the growing expectation that gardens should deliver instant results.They also discuss the role garden centres play in shaping what people buy, whether confidence is sometimes mistaken for expertise on social media, and why follower numbers increasingly influence opportunities for garden writers and horticultural professionals.Ross speaks honestly about the demands of creating gardening content, his concerns about AI-generated advice and articles, and why the enthusiasm he sees among younger people gives him confidence in the future of horticulture.The conversation also reveals where Ross’s love of gardening began, with warm memories of his grandfather Jackie, his allotment and “the Jackie way” of doing things.Follow Ross on Instagram and TikTok: @rosspearsongardening

    From Dig for Victory to AI: How Gardening Is Changing with Ross Pearson

  8. 13 Jul

    Why Print Still Matters in Garden Retail – Nick Trachillis, The Garden Centre Magazine

    At a time when so much marketing is measured in clicks, what can a physical magazine still offer garden centres, suppliers and their customers? In this episode of The Underground, Phil and Kate are joined by Nick Trachillis, director of The Garden Centre Magazine. Nick explains how the business creates bespoke magazines for garden centres across the UK, free to both the centre and its customers and funded by national and local advertisers. They discuss the importance of useful editorial content, how to balance the needs of readers and advertisers, and why a magazine taken home can continue working long after a customer has left the garden centre. The conversation also covers the challenge of measuring print advertising, the value of loyal local audiences, the role of cafés and restaurants in increasing dwell time, and how print and digital can work alongside each other. Nick also shares the family story behind the business, its long-standing support for Greenfingers Charity, and his belief in natural growth, strong relationships and creating a workplace people genuinely enjoy being part of. A warm and practical conversation for garden centre owners, suppliers, marketers and anyone interested in customer communication across the garden retail sector.

    Why Print Still Matters in Garden Retail – Nick Trachillis, The Garden Centre Magazine
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About

Exploring the future of garden care. The underground podcast is a place where the disparate worlds of horticulture and marketing collide. Kate Turner, the Gardener Guru and Phil Wright, co-founder of creative agency WrightObara, team up to discover the trailblazers and innovators shaping the future of garden care in the UK. With content that’s as relevant to start-ups as it would be to established players, we look to cover the hottest topics and trends you need to know. From plants to products, environmental concerns to legislation, we’ll dig deep to bring you the inside story.

Information

  • Creator
    The Underground Pod
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    88
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Underground Pod
  • Show Website
    The Underground

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