The James & Joe Garden Show

Scribehound
  • 4.9 (15)
  • HOME & GARDEN

Welcome to The James & Joe Garden Show - the podcast that rips up the horticultural rulebook and plants something far more entertaining. Join James Alexander-Sinclair and Joe Swift every week where they tackle a garden topic, from the sensible to the completely ridiculous, armed with sharp opinions, 40 years’ worth of stories and a habit of wandering wildly off-topic. Listeners can also send in their weird and wonderful garden questions for the chance to win our treasured mascot - the Scribehound gnome, Jekyll. Our only two rules? No dead plants and no dull questions. As part of The Garden Collective - a place where leading experts share unfiltered gardening wisdom every single day - you can subscribe to get ad-free listening, bonus episodes, special access to live events, written articles from garden experts and so much more. Got a burning garden question, or a bizarre problem you just need to share? Email us at gardening@scribehound.com and we’ll get stuck in. Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠Instagram.⁠⁠

  1. 2D AGO

    Question Time: Is Gardening by the Moon Total Lunacy or the Future of Garden Trends?

    This episode is sponsored by Kress, leaders in robotic lawnmowing and battery landscaping tools. Learn more here: https://www.kress.com/en-gb/ About our hosts James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular. Support James and Joe by becoming a member of The Garden Collective - a community for anyone who loves plants, gardens and sharing what they love - a place where experts and fellow gardeners all come together to inspire, entertain and keep us company whilst we’re weeding (or staring out of the window at the rain). You'll get access to articles written by some great gardeners, live Q&A sessions, livestreams, podcasts and loads more.It’s more than a platform - it’s a place where we can answer questions, offer biscuits and share our triumphs and disasters.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe now⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://join.scribehound.com/gardening?ref=share&sharer=uu4ouXbbErgc54CBD&shareType=SbzpSgeEBK&channel=gardening%E2%81%A0 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow James & Joe on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jamesandjoegarden/⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/garden_collective_/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Contact us: ⁠gardening@scribehound.com⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    37 min

  2. MAR 31

    The Rise & Power of Healing Gardens

    This week, James and Joe park the "least sensible" chat for a moment (mostly) to dig into something weightier: the profound, life-altering power of Healing Gardens. Fresh from a judging stint in Japan—where the judges are strict and the cherry blossoms are fashionably late—James joins Joe to discuss why gardens are becoming the frontline of 2026 healthcare. From the monastic medicinal plots of the Middle Ages to the cutting-edge spinal injury centers of today, the boys explore why nature is the ultimate bridge to recovery. Follow, rate and subscribe on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode is sponsored by Kress, leaders in robotic lawnmowing and battery landscaping tools. Learn more here: https://www.kress.com/en-gb/ About our hosts James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular. Support James and Joe by becoming a member of The Garden Collective - a community for anyone who loves plants, gardens and sharing what they love - a place where experts and fellow gardeners all come together to inspire, entertain and keep us company whilst we’re weeding (or staring out of the window at the rain). You'll get access to articles written by some great gardeners, live Q&A sessions, livestreams, podcasts and loads more.It’s more than a platform - it’s a place where we can answer questions, offer biscuits and share our triumphs and disasters.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe now⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://join.scribehound.com/gardening?ref=share&sharer=uu4ouXbbErgc54CBD&shareType=SbzpSgeEBK&channel=gardening%E2%81%A0 ⁠⁠⁠ Follow James & Joe on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jamesandjoegarden/⁠ ⁠⁠ Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/garden_collective_/⁠⁠⁠ Contact us: ⁠gardening@scribehound.com⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    37 min

  3. MAR 24

    Question Time: Killing Expensive Plants, Black Fences & Garden Guilt

    Question Time returns! This week James and Joe open the mailbag and tackle your gardening dilemmas — from expensive plant regrets to sisterly garden turf wars. Along the way they debate whether the price of a plant predicts its survival (spoiler: apparently it does… but not in the way you’d hope), discuss the curious rise of charred timber in garden design, and confess to killing some truly eye-wateringly expensive specimens. There’s also talk of gardening journals, YouTube garden diaries, and the eternal question: is it okay to completely ignore your garden in winter? Follow, rate and subscribe on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode is sponsored by Kress, the global leaders in robotic lawn mowing. Learn more here: ⁠https://www.kress.com/en-gb/ ⁠ About our hosts James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular. Support James and Joe by becoming a member of The Garden Collective - a community for anyone who loves plants, gardens and sharing what they love - a place where experts and fellow gardeners all come together to inspire, entertain and keep us company whilst we’re weeding (or staring out of the window at the rain). You'll get access to articles written by some great gardeners, live Q&A sessions, livestreams, podcasts and loads more.It’s more than a platform - it’s a place where we can answer questions, offer biscuits and share our triumphs and disasters.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe now⁠: ⁠⁠https://join.scribehound.com/gardening?ref=share&sharer=uu4ouXbbErgc54CBD&shareType=SbzpSgeEBK&channel=gardening%E2%81%A0 ⁠⁠ Follow James & Joe on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jamesandjoegarden/⁠ ⁠ Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/garden_collective_/⁠⁠ Contact us: ⁠gardening@scribehound.com⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    38 min

  4. MAR 17

    Do Garden Trends Make Sense Anymore?

    Are garden trends actually useful… or are they just nonsense invented to fill magazine pages? This week, James Alexander-Sinclair and Joe Swift take a rebellious look at the whole idea of “trends” in gardening — from the ridiculous to the genuinely transformative. Because every year, somewhere in a slightly dreadful publication, a journalist phones a garden designer and asks the same question: “What are the garden trends for 2026?” Cue a deep sigh. In this episode the pair explore whether trends even make sense anymore — and if they ever did in the first place. Follow, rate and subscribe on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode is sponsored by Kress, the global leaders in robotic lawn mowing. Learn more here: https://www.kress.com/en-gb/ About our hosts James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular. Support James and Joe by becoming a member of The Garden Collective - a community for anyone who loves plants, gardens and sharing what they love - a place where experts and fellow gardeners all come together to inspire, entertain and keep us company whilst we’re weeding (or staring out of the window at the rain). You'll get access to articles written by some great gardeners, live Q&A sessions, livestreams, podcasts and loads more.It’s more than a platform - it’s a place where we can answer questions, offer biscuits and share our triumphs and disasters.⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe now⁠: ⁠https://join.scribehound.com/gardening?ref=share&sharer=uu4ouXbbErgc54CBD&shareType=SbzpSgeEBK&channel=gardening%E2%81%A0 ⁠ Follow James & Joe on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jamesandjoegarden/⁠ Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/garden_collective_/⁠ Contact us: ⁠gardening@scribehound.com⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    40 min

  5. MAR 10

    Question Time: Slugs, Gobstoppers & Illegal Knives

    This week, it’s your turn. James Alexander-Sinclair and Joe Swift open the floor to your weird, wonderful and occasionally completely unhinged gardening questions — all in the noble pursuit of winning the most coveted prize in horticulture. No, not a gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. We’re talking about Jekyll, the Garden Collective gnome. As ever, there are just two rules: – No dead plants – No dull questions Follow, rate and subscribe on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode is sponsored by Kress, the global leaders in robotic lawn mowing. Learn more here: https://www.kress.com/en-gb/ About our hosts James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular. Support James and Joe by becoming a member of The Garden Collective - a community for anyone who loves plants, gardens and sharing what they love - a place where experts and fellow gardeners all come together to inspire, entertain and keep us company whilst we’re weeding (or staring out of the window at the rain). You'll get access to articles written by some great gardeners, live Q&A sessions, livestreams, podcasts and loads more.It’s more than a platform - it’s a place where we can answer questions, offer biscuits and share our triumphs and disasters.⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe now⁠: https://join.scribehound.com/gardening?ref=share&sharer=uu4ouXbbErgc54CBD&shareType=SbzpSgeEBK&channel=gardening%E2%81%A0 Follow James & Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesandjoegarden/ Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garden_collective_/ Contact us: ⁠gardening@scribehound.com⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min

  6. MAR 3

    Are You Even a Gardener If You Don’t Hoard Tools?

    This week, James Alexander-Sinclair and Joe Swift open the shed doors and ask the big question: do gardeners really need this many tools… or are we all just emotionally attached to rusty metal? What follows is a gloriously unhinged inventory of spades, shovels, mattocks, mysterious iron bars, and at least five different types of string (James has a system, apparently). We cover: – The difference between a spade and a shovel (and why getting it wrong should get you gently escorted off a landscaping course) – Golden spades, vintage forks, and the tool that’s been lost and rediscovered five times in a compost heap – The great hoe crisis – why none of us really knows how to use one properly – Edward Shovelhands (yes, really) – The rogue thistle-beheading device inherited from James’s grandfather– Why Japanese toolmakers don’t believe in long-handled edging shears – The romance of linseed oil and cricket bats (unexpected crossover episode) – Multi-tools, fruit pickers, ditch-rakes and the mythical lost mattock of 1994 – And the real answer to the question: should you declutter your shed? No lectures. No rulebooks. Just two gardeners defending their tool addictions with confidence. YOU too can put your questions to James and Joe in real time by subscribing to the Garden Collective for just £1. The next live episode is will be in January 2026 – don’t miss it! Follow, rate and subscribe on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode is sponsored by Kress, the global leaders in robotic lawn mowing. Learn more here: https://www.kress.com/en-gb/ About our hosts James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular. Support James and Joe by becoming a member of The Garden Collective - a community for anyone who loves plants, gardens and sharing what they love - a place where experts and fellow gardeners all come together to inspire, entertain and keep us company whilst we’re weeding (or staring out of the window at the rain). You'll get access to articles written by some great gardeners, live Q&A sessions, livestreams, podcasts and loads more.It’s more than a platform - it’s a place where we can answer questions, offer biscuits and share our triumphs and disasters.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe now⁠: https://join.scribehound.com/gardening?ref=share&sharer=uu4ouXbbErgc54CBD&shareType=SbzpSgeEBK&channel=gardening%E2%81%A0 Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garden_collective_/ Contact us: ⁠gardening@scribehound.com⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    41 min

  7. FEB 24

    The Big Tree Chat

    With James & Joe away, we are diving into a topic AND questions episode, prepared in advance by your delightful hosts so you NEVER miss out on your weekly content... What starts with school detentions and gardening-as-punishment quickly escalates into chainsaws, harnesses, cowboy tree surgery, Viking arborists, and the strange satisfaction of watching branches fall into a chipper. James confesses to some deeply questionable early career decisions. Joe admits a lifelong obsession with people who climb trees for a living. Along the way they explore: – Why gardening should never be a punishment – The difference between tree surgeons and arboriculturalists – Why good tree surgeons are artists, athletes, and engineers – Tree Preservation Orders and why you can’t just “have a go” – Planting trees you later have to manage – the long game of gardening – Why trees matter more than ever as the climate heats up There’s storms outside the window, Olympic-level tree surgery fantasies, and a surprising amount of respect for people who willingly climb oaks in high winds. YOU too can put your questions to James and Joe in real time by subscribing to the Garden Collective for just £1. Follow, rate and subscribe on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.  This episode is sponsored by Kress, leaders in robotic lawnmowing and battery landscaping tools. Learn more here: https://www.kress.com/en-gb/  About our hosts James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular. Support James and Joe by becoming a member of The Garden Collective - a community for anyone who loves plants, gardens and sharing what they love - a place where experts and fellow gardeners all come together to inspire, entertain and keep us company whilst we’re weeding (or staring out of the window at the rain). You'll get access to articles written by some great gardeners, live Q&A sessions, livestreams, podcasts and loads more.It’s more than a platform - it’s a place where we can answer questions, offer biscuits and share our triumphs and disasters.⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe now⁠.⁠⁠⁠ Follow James & Joe on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠. Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠Contact us⁠.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    43 min

  8. FEB 17

    Ask James & Joe: Younger Gardeners, Missing Hori Hori & Gardening Gospel

    It’s Ask James & Joe time – the episode where your gardening questions get answered with maximum charm, minimum restraint, and a suspiciously high chance of gnome-related bribery. James Alexander-Sinclair and Joe Swift lay down the only two rules: no dead plants and no dull questions. In return, you get: – A surprisingly deep dive into how to design an Arsenal-inspired garden without turning it into “blood and bandages” – Botanical tattoos, family poppies, pirate-era decisions, and whether young people are about to go off tattoos entirely – A full-on debate about how to pronounce Latin plant names without sounding like a posh idiot (or doing accidental Italian cosplay) – The real talk on getting younger people into gardening – and why gardeners should be paid properly – Tool bags vs buckets vs belts, the tragedy of the missing hori hori, and the underrated genius of painting your tools bright yellow Plus: a reminder we’re going LIVE – 10 March, 7pm, - Nicholson’s Nurseries (West Oxfordshire). Follow, rate and subscribe on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode is sponsored by Kress, leaders in robotic lawnmowing and battery landscaping tools. Learn more here: https://www.kress.com/en-gb/ About our hosts James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular. Support James and Joe by becoming a member of The Garden Collective - a community for anyone who loves plants, gardens and sharing what they love - a place where experts and fellow gardeners all come together to inspire, entertain and keep us company whilst we’re weeding (or staring out of the window at the rain). You'll get access to articles written by some great gardeners, live Q&A sessions, livestreams, podcasts and loads more.It’s more than a platform - it’s a place where we can answer questions, offer biscuits and share our triumphs and disasters.⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Subscribe now⁠.⁠ Follow James & Joe on ⁠Instagram⁠. Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠. ⁠Contact us⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    36 min
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Trailer

4.9
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Welcome to The James & Joe Garden Show - the podcast that rips up the horticultural rulebook and plants something far more entertaining. Join James Alexander-Sinclair and Joe Swift every week where they tackle a garden topic, from the sensible to the completely ridiculous, armed with sharp opinions, 40 years’ worth of stories and a habit of wandering wildly off-topic. Listeners can also send in their weird and wonderful garden questions for the chance to win our treasured mascot - the Scribehound gnome, Jekyll. Our only two rules? No dead plants and no dull questions. As part of The Garden Collective - a place where leading experts share unfiltered gardening wisdom every single day - you can subscribe to get ad-free listening, bonus episodes, special access to live events, written articles from garden experts and so much more. Got a burning garden question, or a bizarre problem you just need to share? Email us at gardening@scribehound.com and we’ll get stuck in. Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠Instagram.⁠⁠

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