Talking Heads - a Gardening Podcast

Lucy Chamberlain and Saul Walker
  • 4.5 (26)
  • HOME & GARDEN
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Follow professional gardeners Saul Walker and Lucy Chamberlain as they reveal exactly what it’s like to be horticulturists in the diverse and exciting world of gardening . Lucy and Saul have 40 years of gardening experience between them and it soon became clear to them both that this fulfilling vocation can be incredibly diverse, occasionally challenging and hugely rewarding. On the podcast they regularly discuss horticultural topics close to their hearts and give you an insight into their lives as gardeners. If you wish to support the podcast you can via our BuyMeACoffee page - just click the link at the end of the podcast description or the donate button found at the bottom of this page. 

  1. 3D AGO

    Ep. 298 - Jobs indoors are still the mood of the Gardening Nation as the rain is stubbornly locked in on the British Isles, but as its Valentines day its time to make someone's love of plants even greater with the Plant Heritage Wishlist!

    Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Well well well - the weather has...…not improved! On what feels like one of the wettest years in recent memory Gardening (and all outdoor pursuits) has been a bit of a long slog. But the Talking Heads pair try to console each other with those gardening tasks they can get on with (or at least Saul is feeling smug about being in an office - little does he know Spring is on the horizon). So Wineberries, Pruning, Houseplants and jobs out of the rain are the order of the moment. Also as this comes out on Valentines Day, love is in the air for our rarer plants as Plant Heritage Launch the Wishlist, a matchmaking service for those who are looking for the lost and unloved.  Instagram link: Lucy lucychamberlaingardens Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io "Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the show

    34 min

  2. FEB 7

    Ep. 297 - Make compost whist the sun shines (not) - Lucy waxes lyrical about this key cool-season task, and a listener causes the duo to ponder winter bird care

    Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Well - it's still raining! So while Saul feels sure that he's made the right decision and re-located to an office, Lucy throws herself into wet wintry showers by choosing jobs to keep her warm. This week, a day full of composting is on her list, as she discovers the joy of the full composting cycle. A listener also asks the podcasting team for their views on encouraging birds into the garden during winter. Ponds, berries, diverse plantings - and compost heaps - all feature in the reply. Instagram link: Lucy lucychamberlaingardens Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io "Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the show

    34 min

  3. JAN 31

    Ep. 296 - January = rain, rain = January - its been wet there is no denying it, but that doesn't stop the #TalkingHeads pair, as Lucy has been playing with her sieving machine and 'Dr Orchid' has been talking houseplants.

    Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Rain, rain go away.....it's been a thoroughly wet time to be in the UK, especially in the Westcountry where Saul has been tying down his Bananas to stop them floating away. So Gardening has been a consistent duck under cover ever half hour, or fetching the rods from the cobwebs at the back of the garage to unblock some culvert or twenty! That hasn't stopped Lucy though who has been decorating her dog, Lily, with saw dust and Saul who finally emerged from the Office, ate a Banana and transformed into 'Dr Orchid' for the RHS Rosemoor Houseplant Weekend. Instagram link: Saul plantsmansaul Lucy lucychamberlaingardens Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io "Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the show

    34 min

  4. JAN 24

    Ep. 295 - It's time to sow! Or, is it? The gardening duo discuss the pressures of the modern-day propagation season. Plus, a notebook, Instagram? Saul slowly morphs into Lucy as he realises her way was a winner all along...

    Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! With Saul having indoor mouse problems (three of them!) and Lucy admitting her addiction to homogenous gravel, the duo reveal what really presses a professional gardener's buttons during winter. Thankfully, rose pruning season is also in earnest so Lucy is getting her horticultural fix. Saul has been pressing new buttons, too (see his instagram link, below) and discovering that in social media world, January is the new February for seed sowing. Is this wise, or should seed packets remain closed a little longer? Listen in to find out their thoughts... Instagram link: Saul plantsmansaul Lucy lucychamberlaingardens LinkedIn link: Saul Walker Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io "Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the show

    35 min

  5. JAN 17

    Ep. 294 - It's back to business as usual, as the TalkingHeads duo reunite for 2026...Saul's new job is both exciting but a lot to process, and Lucy is in her garden with her new topiary tools!

    Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Finally the #hortiwaffle returns, as Saul has managed to break the surface of his new job and the information overload that is coming his way, and spend some time digesting his first few exciting weeks with Plant Heritage. Lucy, fresh of a false start week, is back into compost turning and topiary pruning. But the pair are really enjoying the winter structure the garden provides at this time of year, the promise of new growth to come and most of all enjoying another year in the wonderful world of horticulture! Instagram link: Lucy lucychamberlaingardens Saul plantsmansaul LinkedIn link: Saul Walker Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io "Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the show

    36 min

  6. JAN 10

    Ep. 293 - We hope you've enjoyed the first 10 days of January - Lucy, frustratingly, has had a false start. Her gardening has been sandwiched between snow and storms, so what do gardeners do when the winter weather plays havoc with their plans?

    Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! And they're off! While Saul enjoys his new life in a warm, dry office, Lucy is dodging the weather whilst still attempting to earn a crust (thank goodness for gardening radio and magazines :-). Snowfall and storm Goretti force her to dance the merry winter waltz, as she sidesteps sleet and soggy spells. Her body also reminds her that two weeks of doing very little physically, followed by intense compost hurling then a rapid cooldown, spells a date with Mr Nurophen and Master Wheatbag. Onwards and upwards then, for next week! LinkedIn link: Saul Walker Instagram link: Lucy lucychamberlaingardens Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io "Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the show

    39 min

  7. 12/20/2025

    Ep. 292 - It's the final episode! (of 2025, that is :-) This week, Saul prepares himself for life after Stonelands whilst Lucy performs some serious surgery on a mower. And what do the professional duo make of the RHS predictions for 2026? Tune in...

    Winter is arriving in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Will it snow this Christmas? Will Saul ever manage to finally retrieve all his plants from Stonelands? Will Lucy push the John Deere to breaking point this time? Only listening to this final episode of 2025 will answer these burning questions, as we get the ever truly authentic recollections of the professional gardening life. More importantly, though - what do Lucy and Saul think of the predictions for 2026, set by the RHS (luckily, the year of the tomato and the year of the tropicals are both in there). It's unlikely that either podcaster will be piercing their water butt anytime soon, though... Instagram link: Lucy lucychamberlaingardens LinkedIn link: Saul Walker Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io "Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the show

    41 min

  8. 12/13/2025

    Ep. 291 - This week we're joined by northern gardener and star of the Pots and Trowels podcast - Martin Fish - as we talk about the gardening year gone by, the one coming up and his garden at home.

    Winter is arriving in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Many of our listeners will know Martin Fish from his wonderful podcast Pots and Trowels - a gardener very much anchored in the Northern climes of the UK but also a Senior Show judge, Gardens advisor for the RHS and former nursery man. Martin (along with his wide Gill) has been an ever present fixture at many Flower Shows and always has his finger on the pulse of gardening in this country. So we have a good chat about the state of horticulture especially at the Flower Shows and also a little insight into his new garden too. LinkedIn link: Saul Walker Instagram link: Lucy lucychamberlaingardens Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io "Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the show

    42 min
See All (327)

4.5
out of 5
26 Ratings

About

Follow professional gardeners Saul Walker and Lucy Chamberlain as they reveal exactly what it’s like to be horticulturists in the diverse and exciting world of gardening . Lucy and Saul have 40 years of gardening experience between them and it soon became clear to them both that this fulfilling vocation can be incredibly diverse, occasionally challenging and hugely rewarding. On the podcast they regularly discuss horticultural topics close to their hearts and give you an insight into their lives as gardeners. If you wish to support the podcast you can via our BuyMeACoffee page - just click the link at the end of the podcast description or the donate button found at the bottom of this page. 

Information

  • Creator
    Lucy Chamberlain and Saul Walker
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    327
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Talking Heads - a Gardening Podcast
  • Show Website
    Talking Heads - a Gardening Podcast

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