The Underground

The Underground Pod
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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. Aug 17

    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.

  2. Aug 11

    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

  3. Aug 4

    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

  4. Jul 27

    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

  5. Jul 21

    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

  6. Jul 13

    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

  7. Jul 7

    Dr Ana Attlee on Seedball, Wildflowers and Pollinators

    We're back for a brand new season of The Underground Podcast!In our first episode, Phil and Kate are joined by Dr Ana Attlee, co-founder of Seedball, to talk about wildflowers, pollinators, biodiversity and the role garden centres can play in helping people make more wildlife-friendly choices.Seedball was created to make growing wildflowers from seed as simple as possible. Ana shares how Seedball grew from academic research and a passion for conservation into a mission-led garden product stocked by retailers including garden centres. The conversation explores the loss of wildflower meadows, the importance of bees and other pollinators, why wildlife gardening needs to feel hopeful rather than overwhelming, and how small spaces can still make a real difference.Phil and Kate also talk to Ana about working with organisations such as Kew Gardens, and why garden centres are so important in normalising wildlife-friendly gardening for every generation.A hopeful, practical and inspiring conversation about native wildflowers, biodiversity, sustainable gardening and the power of making environmental action feel achievable.Find out more about Seedball: https://seedball.co.uk/Your hosts:Phil Wright: ⁠http://wrightobara.com⁠Kate Turner: ⁠http://www.gardenerguru.co.uk

    Dr Ana Attlee on Seedball, Wildflowers and Pollinators

  8. 12/10/2025

    The Next Five Years of Garden Retail – Voices from Glee 2025

    What’s the one change you’d most like to see in garden retail over the next five years? At Glee 2025, we put that question to all 20 of our guests who joined us in The Underground podcast booth – from garden centre owners and suppliers to marketeers, educators and innovators. The result is a sharp, hopeful snapshot of where the garden sector wants to head next.  In this compilation episode you’ll hear from voices including:Amy and Libby Stubbs (British Garden Centres), Kate Ebbens (Woodlodge), Michael Perry (Mr Plant Geek), Boyd Douglas-Davies, Peter Burks (GCA), Nigel Thompson (Sipcam Home and Garden), Helen Thomas and Simon Taylor (Empathy), Steve Harper (Grass Gains & Responsible Sourcing Scheme), Vanessa Cranford (Spring Marketing), Aaron Rudman-Hawkins (The Evergreen Agency), Barry Knight (The Full Range), Kaz Edwards (Heart of Eden) Dan Durston and Simon Blackhurst (Durstons), Nat Boynton and Meg Warren-Davis (YPHA), Tony Kersey (GIMA), Paul Oliver (the Urban Nature Store) Rev Dave Walker (Birleymoor Garden Centre), Belle Richardson (Seal Stop) and Paul Pleydell (Pleydell Smithyman).  Themes that keep coming up: Attracting younger and more diverse customers into garden centres and horticulture.  Better education and funded training for new entrants and shop-floor teams.  Peat-free growing media, soil health and biofertilisers becoming the norm.  Smarter use of digital, AI and ecommerce to support modern customer journeys.  Stronger sustainability standards, water-saving innovation and support for independents at the heart of local communities.  If you’re a garden retailer, supplier or brand marketer, this is a 360-degree view of the sector’s hopes, frustrations and priorities as we look towards 2030. ⁠Discover more about our hosts:Kate Turner: ⁠www.gardenerguru.co.uk⁠Phil Wright: ⁠www.wrightobara.com

    The Next Five Years of Garden Retail – Voices from Glee 2025
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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
    86
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Underground Pod
  • Show Website
    The Underground

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