Loving Your Garden - Better Gardening Podcast

Rod Whiting
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Loving Your Garden is a Facebook Group set up by broadcaster Rod Whiting during the first Covid lockdown in April 2020. It has quickly grown to nearly 450  thousand passionate and inspiring gardeners, thanks in no small part to knowledgeable and expert members like John Stirland. John has more than fifty years of experience in horticulture and you can now access his knowledge and that of our members as we link our podcast to LYG’s fortnightly live feed. Each week, we’ll discuss the jobs to be done, plant suggestions and answer your questions. If you love your garden and aspire to be a better gardener,  join our Facebook group (Link here: https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9), and increase your knowledge from the likes of John, our more experienced members and regular expert guests. Feel free to email your questions or suggestions on what you would like us to feature in our podcast to rod@lovingyourgarden.org   Thanks for listening!

  1. What Experienced Gardeners Wish They'd Known Sooner With David Stevens

    12/25/2025

    What Experienced Gardeners Wish They'd Known Sooner With David Stevens

    Send us a text In this special seasonal edition of the Loving Your Garden podcast, John Stirland and I sit down to reflect on the gardening year just gone – and look ahead to what comes next. As is customary at Christmas, we're joined by the renowned garden designer David Stevens (22 Chelsea medals, including 11 Golds) for a relaxed, thoughtful conversation about how gardens evolve over time – through trial and error, changing seasons, and growing confidence. From drought and erratic weather to winter interest, shrubs as the backbone of a garden, moving plants (yes, even at the “wrong” time), and choosing trees for small spaces, this is a conversation grounded in experience rather than theory. There’s plenty here for newer gardeners, and just as much for those who’ve been digging for decades. If you’ve ever planted everything you like and only later realised it doesn’t quite work… you’re among friends. Link to the Video with illustrated plants and garden design here: https://youtu.be/ru_LEJgaRhY ☘️ Topics include: – How gardens evolve year by year – Why shrubs matter more than fashion – Choosing plants for winter interest – Moving plants with confidence – Trees and structure in small gardens – Planning a garden around how you use it Whether you’re listening with a cup of tea over Christmas or planning for spring, we hope this episode keeps you inspired. 💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

    30 min
  2. Growing Wildflowers The Easy Way - With Dr Ana Attlee

    11/09/2025

    Growing Wildflowers The Easy Way - With Dr Ana Attlee

    Send us a text Struggling to get wildflowers growing in your garden? You’re not alone! 🌿 Gardeners are often surprised at how challenging it can be to grow wildflowers successfully, so we've been chatting to Dr Ana Attlee, co-founder of Seedball, to find a simpler solution to creating a haven for wildlife. In this podcast, horticulturist and broadcaster John Stirland joins Loving Your Garden Founder Rod Whiting, along with Ana, to share a simple, proven method for growing wildflowers - perfect for beginners or anyone looking to attract more bees, butterflies, and birds to their garden. Ana explains how their innovative approach removes the mystery from wildflower cultivation, helping gardeners of all levels achieve quick, effective results. We also discuss the best spots and soil conditions for wildflowers, easy tips to encourage wildlife and colour in your garden ✨ And there's a 20% discount on Seedball products for Loving Your Garden subscribers.  💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

    23 min

  3. 08/22/2025

    Summer's Done - Autumn's Here Early!

    Send us a text It's been an interesting Summer! It started with drought, then the rains came, and as the nights begin to draw in, it's turned unseasonably cool. Signs of Autumn are already showing, certainly in my East Midlands garden (UK). After a relatively quiet spell, the transition to Autumn is a busy time for gardeners and our resident horticulturist, John Stirland, suggests some jobs to consider, such as creating a compost pile and scarifying the lawn. Twenty minutes in John's company is always an education and never a minute wasted, so enjoy! 💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook

    23 min

  4. 06/22/2025

    Hot Tips for Cool Gardens - With Multi-Award Winning Designer David Stevens

    Send us a text As the sun turns up the heat, so do the challenges in our gardens. In this summer edition of the Loving Your Garden podcast, I’m joined by our resident horticulturist John Stirland and award-winning garden designer David Stevens for a lively and practical chat about gardening through the warmer months. We explore clever ways to keep your plants happy during hot, dry spells, how to water wisely, and what to plant right now for colour and resilience. Whether you’re battling parched borders or planning a summer refresh, this episode is packed with tips to help your garden thrive through the heat, with design tips from an eleven-time RHS Chelsea gold medallist. Check out the chapters if you’re short of time – but we reckon you’ll want to hear the whole thing. Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/OyWh8uJ-qn0 💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook 📬 Sign up for our free gardening newsletter: LYG Newsletter

    33 min
  5. Lush Lawns & Palm Trees - In Cheshire! With Steve Fives

    05/18/2025

    Lush Lawns & Palm Trees - In Cheshire! With Steve Fives

    Send us a text This might just be our best episode yet from LYG HQ! Steve Fives is officially Loving Your Garden’s most engaging member – with more views, comments, and conversations than anyone else in the group… including me, and I run the place! Steve’s garden is something you have to see to believe, so if you’d rather watch this episode, head over to our YouTube channel: Watch on YouTube But don’t go just yet – Steve’s also a brilliant speaker, and this conversation on creating lawn envy is well worth a listen. He explains how he took over a tired, uninspiring garden and transformed it with lush lawns and a selection of palm trees, more at home in the Caribbean than Cheshire. Alongside our resident horticulturist, John Stirland, Steve shares lots of practical tips for anyone wanting to give their garden that wow factor. Check out the chapters if you’re short of time – but we reckon you’ll want to hear the whole thing. 💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook 📬 Sign up for our free gardening newsletter: LYG Newsletter

    31 min

  6. 04/20/2025

    Spring Into Action: Gardening Tips with John Stirland & Martin Fish (Pt 2)

    Send us a text With UK gardens bursting into colour, this is a beautiful time of year — but it’s also a busy time, preparing the garden for the seasons ahead. In the second half of our conversation with Gardener and Broadcaster Martin Fish and our own John Stirland, we cover: Pest control, notably slugs and snailsGrowing your own foodContainer gardeningGetting the best from rosesEffective wateringPeat-free compostPlus, an important Health and safety tip for keen gardenersThanks to Martin Fish for his time. Martin has an excellent Facebook site and YouTube Channel called Pots & Trowels - links here:  https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=pots%20%26%20trowels https://www.youtube.com/@PotsTrowels Now that we have fan mail, please text in some feedback. Also, take advantage of John's fifty-plus years of experience in professional horticulture and send in any gardening questions you may have. To watch videos of shorter sections of our podcast, visit our LYG YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/P_IbqkOzSSY If you've not yet visited our LYG Facebook site, here's the link: https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9 And to sign up for our free subscription newsletter - it's here: http://eepurl.com/iP4Wd2 To contact Loving Your Garden, perhaps with questions for John, it's: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

    32 min

  7. 04/09/2025

    Spring Into Action: Gardening Tips with John Stirland & Martin Fish (Pt 1)

    Send us a text The new gardening year is well underway, and our Loving Your Garden Facebook group is bursting with colourful spring blooms and a real sense of excitement as our gardens awaken from their winter slumber. So, what better time to get stuck into those all-important early-season jobs? To help us on our way, we’ve called on two seasoned pros — our resident horticulturist John Stirland and his long-time friend, RHS judge and fellow horticulturist Martin Fish, who many will remember as John’s TV co-host. In this two-part special, John and Martin share expert advice to set you up for a successful season. Part One dives into: Soil preparationSpring planting essentialsLawncare tips — including scarifying, aerating, top-dressing, overseeding, and feedingPart Two will follow next week — don’t miss it! Thanks to Martin Fish for his time. Martin has an excellent Facebook site and YouTube Channel called Pots & Trowels - links here:  https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=pots%20%26%20trowels https://www.youtube.com/@PotsTrowels Now that we have fan mail, please text in some feedback. Also, take advantage of John's fifty-plus years of experience in professional horticulture and send in any gardening questions you may have. To watch videos of shorter sections of our podcast, visit our LYG YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/P_IbqkOzSSY If you've not yet visited our LYG Facebook site, here's the link: https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9 And to sign up for our free subscription newsletter  it's here: http://eepurl.com/iP4Wd2 To contact Loving Your Garden, perhaps with questions for John, it's: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

    26 min
  8. Growing Cut Flowers With Roz Chandler

    01/18/2025

    Growing Cut Flowers With Roz Chandler

    Send us a text If you've resolved to growing more cut flowers in '25 then you'll find Roz Chandler from Field Gate Flowers an interesting guest. Roz talks about starting her cut flower farm 15 years ago almost by mistake and now runs a successful business growing, displaying and teaching floral horticulture. She has some useful tips for starting a cut flower garden and we also get around to discussing peat-free compost including the two brands Roz swears by and how climate change will have a major impact on how we garden (see Chapters for specifics). Now that we have fan mail, please text in some feedback. Also, take advantage of John's fifty-plus years of experience in professional horticulture and send in any gardening questions you may have. To watch the video of our podcast, visit our LYG YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/P_IbqkOzSSY If you've not yet visited our LYG Facebook site, here's the link: https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9 And to sign up for our free subscription newsletter which this month features more of our Winter Plant suggestions, horticulturist Paul Maxey's demonstration of taking hardwood cuttings and a guide to building a hotbox from fresh manure, it's here: http://eepurl.com/iP4Wd2 To contact Loving Your Garden, perhaps with questions for John, it's: rod@lovingyourgarden.org

    26 min
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About

Loving Your Garden is a Facebook Group set up by broadcaster Rod Whiting during the first Covid lockdown in April 2020. It has quickly grown to nearly 450  thousand passionate and inspiring gardeners, thanks in no small part to knowledgeable and expert members like John Stirland. John has more than fifty years of experience in horticulture and you can now access his knowledge and that of our members as we link our podcast to LYG’s fortnightly live feed. Each week, we’ll discuss the jobs to be done, plant suggestions and answer your questions. If you love your garden and aspire to be a better gardener,  join our Facebook group (Link here: https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9), and increase your knowledge from the likes of John, our more experienced members and regular expert guests. Feel free to email your questions or suggestions on what you would like us to feature in our podcast to rod@lovingyourgarden.org   Thanks for listening!

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