Between starting out at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall, a spot on Alan Titchmarsh’s new TV show, and raising two young daughters, organic grower Anna Greenland is a modern horticultural heroine.

Returning to ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ this month, Anna joins Sarah to share how she inspires her children to grow with her, tips for encouraging younger family members to embrace gardening, and what to sow or harvest now to enjoy the kitchen garden’s greatest gifts.

In this episode, discover:

• How Anna became a passionate vegetable grower and her journey from front of house at Jamie Oliver's restaurant, to growing and supplying produce at the Lost Gardens of Heligan
• A glimpse into the life of gardening with children, and creative ways to engage kids in the garden
• Practical growing tips for July, with Anna’s pick of what to harvest now, and what to sow for autumn and winter crops
• Anna's endeavours as a gardening expert, working on Alan Titchmarsh's gardening show, and her involvement with the garden writing subscription Scribehound

Products mentioned:

Chicory 'Variegato di Castelfranco'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/chicory-variegato-di-castelfranco

Carrot 'Nantes 5'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/carrot-nantes-5

Salad Leaf Autumn & Winter Mix

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/autumn-and-winter-salad-leaf-mix

Winter purslane (Claytonia)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/winter-purslane

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

As May turns to June the weather can often be blustery at Perch Hill, so it’s the perfect moment to get supports and stakes in place to avoid plants being damaged in high winds.

Inspired by the sustainable materials that grow plentifully in this particular part of East Sussex, this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ is a masterclass on sustainable staking as Sarah unpacks the most suitable materials, where to source them, and most importantly, the best methods to ensure they won’t budge in a storm.

In this episode, discover:

• How to embrace sustainable staking materials, from long-lasting chestnut stakes to stately silver birch teepees
• The secret sailor's knot that'll keep your plants secure even in the wildest gales
• Why leaving your dahlias in the ground and creating a cat's cradle support system is the ultimate low-effort trick for stunning, upright plants
• The art of creating natural plant supports that will disappear into your garden, making your borders look effortlessly elegant

Products mentioned:

Cynara cardunculus

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cynara-cardunculus

Delphinium border collection

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/delphinium-border-collection

Willow flower stakes

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/willow-flower-stakes

Heritage chunky twine

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/heritage-chunky-twine

Chestnut hurdles

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/chestnut-hurdles

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show was yet another terrific exhibition of horticultural beauty, to which Arthur Parkinson had a fabulous front-row seat.

Arthur takes the mic on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ this week, once again bringing you the best in show, from the headlines of royal roses to the lesser-known stories from incredible stands and gardens at the show.

In this episode, discover:

• A rose fit for a King, with David Austin’s announcement of a new variety
• The Great Pavillion’s most grand displays, and what made it Arthur’s favourite part of the show
• Some of the incredible stands run by organisations with purpose, such as the Songbird Survival Trust and Women of the Glasshouse

Products mentioned:

Crabapple

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/crabapple

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Rubenza'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-rubenza

Digitalis purpurea 'Sutton's Apricot'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/digitalis-purpurea-suttons-apricot

Papaver somniferum 'Black Beauty'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-somniferum-black-beauty

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

While we all love a trip to the garden centre for short-term inspiration, a more measured approach to buying the right kind of plants for your plot can help you achieve a beautiful and sustainable garden, with year-round interest and resilience.

This week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ Sarah is joined by Gary Newell, Senior Horticultural Buyer, who advises us to ditch the impulse plant purchases and instead, follow his simple rules for matrix planting – a method he’s used to great effect in his own garden at home.

In this episode, discover:

• The art of matrix planting – a nature-led, strategic method used in landscape design
• Which plants are best-suited to create a stunning, low-maintenance garden
• The four essential layers of matrix planting – from the ground-hugging base layer, to show-stopping structural shrubs

Products mentioned:

Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' AGM

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-limelight

Hydrangea arborescens 'Incrediball' (Strong Annabelle)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-incrediball

Hydrangea paniculata 'Wim's Red'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-wims-red

Baptisia australis

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/baptisia-australis

Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-nemarosa-caradonna

Amelanchier lamarckii

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/amelanchier-lamarckii

Cotinus x dummeri 'Grace'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cotinus-grace

Cornus kousa var. chinensis

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cornus-kousa-var-chinensis

Pelargonium 'Attar of Roses' (Scented)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pelargonium-attar-of-roses

Ammi majus

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/ammi-majus

Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Purity’

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-purity

Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helenium-moerheim-beauty

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Biennials – plants which flower in their second year – may often be overlooked by us gardeners, but between their value for money, wonderful scent, and versatility they’re among the best plants to sow and grow in any garden.

Sarah makes the case for brilliant biennials in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, exploring how she came to appreciate their beauty, and which varieties are best for all aspects of your space.

In this episode, discover:

• How the right mix of biennials can fill the awkward May gap with prolific blooms, all for the price of a seed packet
• The best early-flowering biennials, from fragrant wallflowers to the scented sweet rocket, Hesperis matronalis
• Moth-pollinated varieties with rich fragrance and velvety textures to create a pollinator paradise

Products mentioned:

Rosa x odorata 'Mutabilis' (China)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rosa-x-oderata-mutabilis

Rosa × odorata 'Bengal Crimson' (China)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rosa-x-odorata-bengal-crimson

Digitalis purpurea 'Sutton's Apricot'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/digitalis-purpurea-suttons-apricot

Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/digitalis-purpurea-alba

Wild Sweet William (Saponaria officinalis)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/wild-sweet-william

Matthiola incana 'Vintage Antique Mix'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/matthiola-incana-vintage-antique-mix

Malope trifida 'Vulcan'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/malope-trifida-vulcan

Lunaria annua

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lunaria-annua

Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-nudicaule-champagne-bubbles-mix-f1

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Tom Stimpson’s pint-sized garden is an inspiration for anyone with a small urban plot, and it’s packed with showstopping varieties that will flower for months on end providing colour, scent, and food for pollinators in a compact space.

In this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Tom, our Head of Horticulture, tells Sarah how he’s brought his small town garden to life, including the irresistible combinations of dahlias and salvias that he’s planting in his whopper pots for the season to come.

In this episode, discover:

• Tom's ingenious approach to small-space gardening
• New plant varieties to transform pots, with an eye on an upcoming dahlia called 'Tom's Choice'
• The art of colour-layering in garden design, choosing from palettes to co-ordinate your borders

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Gardens are a multisensory experience, and while we primarily think of aesthetics, it’s the scent of spring plants which is absolutely second to none.

Sarah’s flying solo this week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to share her pick of favourite scented spring bulbs and other perfumed plants to envelop your senses and uplift your spirits.

In this episode, discover:

• Spring's most wonderfully scented bulbs, from delicate narcissus to room-filling tulips
• Which bulbs are Sarah’s longest-flowering, most resilient garden heroes
• How to create a sensory sensation with fragrant climbers that transform your outdoor space

Products mentioned:

Hyacinth 'Peter Stuyvesant' for Forcing

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hyacinth-peter-stuyvesant-for-forcing

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Woodstock' (Forcing)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hyacinth-woodstock-for-forcing

Narcissus 'Moonlight Sensation'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-moonlight-sensation

Narcissus 'Starlight Sensation'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-starlight-sensation

Narcissus 'Actaea'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-actaea

Narcissus 'Geranium'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-geranium

Narcissus 'Avalanche'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-avalanche

Narcissus 'Cragford' (Forcing)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-cragford-for-forcing

Narcissus cordubensis

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-cordubensis

Narcissus 'Pipit'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-pipit

Tulip 'Ballerina'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-ballerina

Geum 'Totally Tangerine'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geum-totally-tangerine

Tulip sylvestris

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulipa-sylvestris

Tulip 'Request'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-request

Akebia quinata (Chocolate Vine)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/akebia-quinata

Tulip 'Sarah Raven'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-sarah-raven

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Urban gardeners who rent will be familiar with the need to transport their portable gardens frequently, so which plants are ideal for pots and containers that are often on the move?

Jemima Bowker is our beginner and balcony gardening expert with a relocation on the horizon. This week, she joins Sarah to chat about the ideal varieties for all sizes and types of container, and ways to protect and transport them during her upcoming move.

In this episode, discover:

• The art of creating a portable garden paradise in zinc tubs and windowsill planters
• Perfect plants for smaller spaces, from bush basil to Texas Wild tomatoes
• How to layer compost, feeding your plants and keeping containers looking pristine from May right through to autumn

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest