A name that came about after we laboriously tackled a weed-infested, overgrown, black-run-steep patch of field into something vaguely resembling a garden. Literal blood, sweat and tears were spent in the process but once the beds were built, the plants began to grow and the wildlife took over, we agreed it was not just a garden, but something so much more; a shared achievement, a bonding experience, an escape from screens, a hideaway for tranquil moments, a safe space to sit and put the mad and confusing world to rights.
Our continued shared love of gardening has had us avidly watching Gardeners’ World each week, taking notes here, animatedly discussing there, which has in turn lead us to giving a Sweetpea & Bear style recap on our podcast! Just a mother and daughter chewing the fat over Nick, Frances and Adam’s big garden moves, enjoying Monty and Toby’s poetic presenting, learning intriguing garden history from Advolly and hanging off Carol’s every propagating word.
The programme has also brought into our living rooms each week a novice, professional, serious, hilarious, quirky, eccentric, inspiring world of guests, all of whom we want to know so much more about. So our Good Ol' Chit-Chats series was born; each episode we chat with a previous guest on Gardeners’ World and find out more about what would make their dream garden.
So grab a cup of tea and flask of coffee, a glass of wine, a whisky, a Pimms, an Apple and Pear juice or anything in between, and join us for a Good Ol’ Chit-Chat about Not Just a Garden!
Sweetpea & Bear
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A name that came about after we laboriously tackled a weed-infested, overgrown, black-run-steep patch of field into something vaguely resembling a garden. Literal blood, sweat and tears were spent in the process but once the beds were built, the plants began to grow and the wildlife took over, we agreed it was not just a garden, but something so much more; a shared achievement, a bonding experience, an escape from screens, a hideaway for tranquil moments, a safe space to sit and put the mad and confusing world to rights.
Our continued shared love of gardening has had us avidly watching Gardeners’ World each week, taking notes here, animatedly discussing there, which has in turn lead us to giving a Sweetpea & Bear style recap on our podcast! Just a mother and daughter chewing the fat over Nick, Frances and Adam’s big garden moves, enjoying Monty and Toby’s poetic presenting, learning intriguing garden history from Advolly and hanging off Carol’s every propagating word.
The programme has also brought into our living rooms each week a novice, professional, serious, hilarious, quirky, eccentric, inspiring world of guests, all of whom we want to know so much more about. So our Good Ol' Chit-Chats series was born; each episode we chat with a previous guest on Gardeners’ World and find out more about what would make their dream garden.
So grab a cup of tea and flask of coffee, a glass of wine, a whisky, a Pimms, an Apple and Pear juice or anything in between, and join us for a Good Ol’ Chit-Chat about Not Just a Garden!
Sweetpea & Bear
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Tanya Anderson from Lovely Greens was on Gardeners' World in 2019 and joins us for A Good Ol' Chit-Chat. We learn about the benefits of Polycrubs, the issues the Isle of Man has with New Zealand flatworms, using your garden to make skincare products, managing a successful website and YouTube channel, and could Tanya's imminent house move see her dream garden becoming a reality?
Some mentions from Tanya, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/
More Not Just a Garden
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The penultimate episode of Gardeners' World 2025 and we talk identifying AI videos, the return of Vine, radiation eating fungi, lichen and blue-green algae surviving Mars, wool pots, and potty-mouthed parrots. We also have an update on Alla Olkhovska and her family in Kharkiv and how we can help.
On Gardeners' World this week we join Ashley Edwards and Ian Ball at Hyde Hall, and Jānis Raubiška shows us around his colourful garden in Woking. Adam Frost shares his love for grasses at Judy and Malcolm Pearce’s Lady Farm Gardens in Chelwood, and Jo Naiman shows us her magnificent acers at Acer Corner in Wendover.
Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/
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More Not Just a Garden
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Chris D'Agorne was on Gardeners' World 2025, episode 24 where he showed us his bog garden in his pocket wilderness. On this Chit-Chat, Chris tells us about planting over 600 trees, his 7 ponds, mapping hedgerow from RAF aerial survey images, growing sphagnum moss, childhood memories of Skomer Island, his dream garden full of native plants, surprising and shocking facts about teasel, and how he was able to buy his very own nature reserve.
Some mentions from Chris, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/
More Not Just a Garden
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This week we graduate from Riverdance to Death Valley as we enter phase 2 of Operation Ratatouille. In the meantime, we hear about another troublesome African Grey parrot, the UK honey fungus pandemic, plastic eating mushrooms, another planet-saving use for bamboo, what's special about Scotland's national flower, the cunning of lotus flowers, and the hero homing pigeon.
On Gardeners' World we're with Frances & Rua Tophill, and Alison & Twiggy Jenkins at Damson Farm again, whilst Arit Anderson shows us around the Oxfordshire garden of Ken and Jan. Tim Foster shows us his apples in Bristol, we see the light with Nick Bailey, Professor Heather Whitney and Professor Keara/Kerry Franklin at The University of Bristol Botanic Gardens, and we visit Sue Kent's garden in Wales.
Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/
To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon
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More Not Just a Garden
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It's our half century episode and to celebrate we have our very first Gardeners' World presenter!🎉🕺 Nick Macer from Pan Global Plants presented a series of episodes in 2016 and he joins us as we travel back in time to a little schoolboy Nick still finding his feet, through to a big adult Nick owning one of the most celebrated specialist plant nurseries in the UK. We also hear about plant hunting, why Mexico and south west China have such rich flora, poison dart frogs, forest bathing, Nick's until now unrealised love of fairy-lights, and some very good news for bamboo.
Some mentions from Nick, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/
George’s Jungle Garden Video with Dr Simon Olpin, Sheffield
Kells Bay
Alan Mitchell Trees of Britain and Northern Europe
Westonbirt Arboretum
Hillier Arboretum
The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs
Cowley Manor
Painswick Rococo Gardens
Edulis Nursery Paul Barney
Slimbridge Wildlife and Wetland Centre
More Not Just a Garden
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In this podcast episode we find out who's been stealing all the walnuts. We also learn about the use of dandelion root extract in medicine, plastic stuffed birds, bluebell glue, cheeky parrots, Advolly's yellow dress, and butt-breathing.
And on Gardeners' World, we see a very speedy Monty Don, Carol Klein shows us around RHS Rosemoor in Devon and we meet Andy Farrington and Liz Dalby-Webb at The Plant Co-operative in Manchester. Advolly Richmond tells us all about Gertrude Jekyll at Hartland Abbey in North Devon before John Grimshaw shows us around his autumn garden in North Yorkshire.
Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/
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Liz Zorab was on Gardeners' World last year and joins us for a Chit-Chat about her autumn inspired dream garden. We find out how Liz's dad instilled her initial happy curiosity in nature from a young age, which has taken her from reading books on gardening before she even had a garden, to her incredibly beautiful and productive space at Byther Farm. We also find out about "Horsefly Alley", how to install hedgehog friendly fencing, the importance of perennial vegetables, the virtues of seed and plant swaps, and her packed deep-freezer full of fruit and veg from the garden, which she probably needs to bolt to the floor before we visit.
Some mentions from Liz, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/
RHS The Vegetable Garden Displayed
Doctor Hessayon Books
Liz's before and after video
Aberglasney Gardens
The Copper dragon
Llysdinam Gardens
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This week we find out some good news about Martin Dohrn and some potentially even better news about the availability of his film, My Garden of a Thousand Bees. We also hear about what exists under the Antarctic, cancer-curing honeybees, fig trees turning carbon dioxide into stone, the lesser known yet intrepid plant hunter and botanist Dora B Stafford, and how seagulls are even more evil that we first thought.
On Gardeners' World, Frances Tophill gives an update on her pretty garden in Devon, Peter & Helleentje Walker show us some stunning carnivorous plants from their nursery in Scampston, Nick Bailey meets with Professor Craig Sturrock and Professor Malcolm Bennett to talk plant roots at the University of Nottingham, and Eleanor Cochrane shows us her beautiful modern garden in Cranbrook.
Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/
To help make this podcast happen, please visit our Patreon
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More Not Just a Garden
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Gokul Asokan was on Gardeners' World 2025 episode 21 - a landscape architect without his own garden but that hasn't stopped him gardening! He joins us for A Good Ol' Chit-Chat where we hear how a classmate first inspired him to venture into the world of plants, battling home sickness, the power of perseverance, how helpful pet bunnies are (on many levels), Gokul's VERY sociable dream greenhouse, and the magic of manifesting.
Some mentions from Gokul, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/
More Not Just a Garden
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This week on our recap we hear how as a result of her appearance on Gardeners' World, Violet Croll is now involved in an exhibition in Paris! We talk about Dan from Dan's Plants' online shop, trees growing gold, the deadly chemical found in our water pipes, what it means if you have an impressive rosemary bush, and the empathy of humpbacks. We also ponder, if we could put all the angry world leaders on a plug-plant growing trainee course in Bristol, would the world be a happier place.
On Gardeners' World this week, Carol Klein is in her stunning garden at Glebe Cottage, Sally Morgan shows us her resilient garden in Somerset, Dwayne Black gives us a tour of his gorgeous garden in Isfield, East Sussex, and Joe Swift takes us to St Werburgh's allotments in Bristol.
Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/
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Clematis Queen Alla Olkhovska was on Gardeners' World 2025 episode 20 showing us her stunning collection of 140 different clematis which she grows in her garden, despite being at the centre of a war zone in Kharkiv, Ukraine. During this Chit-Chat we hear how Alla is handling relentless drone strikes and blackouts, her incredible family history through world wars, the October Revolution, exile to Siberia, the important role Linden Grove Gardens has played in their lives, especially when it comes to apples, and Alla's secret ingredient for successfully growing garden orchids.
Some mentions from Alla, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/
More Not Just a Garden
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Rajat Jindal was on Gardeners' World 2025, episode 22 showing us his magnificent Great Dixter inspired garden in Suffolk. On this episode of Chit-Chats we find out about hornbeam topiary, accidental Claire Voies, death row meals, Oxbridge potato wars, and how you can have a greenhouse that authorities may deem "too polite".
Some mentions from Rajat, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/
More Not Just a Garden
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We risk being cancelled this week by giving the BBC a piece of our minds, but we also talk about micro-hydro units, the ecosystems of belly buttons, edible six-pack rings, the perils of planting parsley if you're a woman, and the huge part snails play in the beauty industry.
This week on Gardeners' World, Frances hosts from Damson Farm with Rua Tophill and Alison and Twiggy Jenkins. We meet Ashleigh Whiffin, Curator of Entomology at the National Museums Scotland, and Nick Bailey takes us to Cambridge University Botanic Garden to hear from Professor Beverley Glover about the science of how plants make colour. Edmund, Alice, Arlen and Rufus show us around their pretty garden in Kent and Rekha talks all things veg from her beautiful hillside plot in the Peak District.
Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/
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Greg Anderton was on Gardeners' World 2025 episode 17 during which he gave a behind-the-scenes look at his preparations for the first RHS Wentworth Woodhouse show - where he won a gold! In this episode of Chit-Chats we find out about the judging of such shows, how he starts preparing for them, and the accommodation challenges involved - especially if you suffer with ovinaphobia! We also hear about running a business since primary school, swimming with frogs, and Greg and Sweetpea's shared love of gardens with cake.
Some mentions from Greg, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/
More Not Just a Garden
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Two weeks since the last episode of Gardeners' World and we've have been experiencing withdrawal symptoms. We have a good ol' chit-chat about the awesome courses at The Sustainability Centre, South Downs National Park, including clay oven building for Sweetpea, building compost toilets for Bear and, previous Chit-Chats guest, Tom Nielsen's Creating Wilder Gardens. We also talk sleep hygiene, the women's rugby world cup, paddy fields in the UK, the positive impact of living amongst greenery on children's IQ, snail water🤢, frog stomachs, and how does Monty express anger?
Rachel de Thame meets Rachel Seigfried at her beautiful flower farm in Oxfordshire, and Andrea Benson and Jenny Mercer show us their dye garden at Glyndebourne Opera House in East Sussex. Kerry and Neil Littleales give us a tour of their pretty garden in Okehampton and Adam Frost show us the spectacular Mount St John in Thirsk where we meet Head Gardener Tim Marshall, and Jake Clarke shows us the stunning stock ponds.
Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/
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Is the lack of Gardeners' World causing Sweetpea to spiral into the depths of despair? This week we talk separation anxiety, love stories, imposter syndrome, the bleak reality of all those pandemic masks, how awesome Morgan Freeman is, Layla Robinson's incredible Bird Of Peace flower sculpture, and Ann Makosinksi's revolutionary body-heat powered torch.
This week Toby Buckland takes us to the stunning Corsley House gardens in Warminster, Wiltshire where we meet one of the owners Keith Johnson and head gardener Jo Downes, before Sophia Gray shows us her beautiful allotment in Swindon brimming with cutflowers. Frances Tophill visits Cornwall to meet with Artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsburg and ecologist Dr Christopher Kaiser-Bunbury to understand more about Pollinator Pathmaker where we see it being implemented in the gardens of Phil & Becky and Elphie & Bobbie. Finally Chris D’Agorne shows us around his inspiring Pocket Wilderness Garden in Weston-Super-Mare.
Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/
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A little more emotionally stable this week, we learn a bit about Jamie Butterworth's wedding, Adam Frost's tour, Sweden's exemplary recycling, one of Time Magazine’s 10 Girls of the Year and her fantastic invention, and (definitely not more importantly) her Lego figure, record-breaking sunflowers, the risk-taking Scottish botanist David Douglas, and 192 year old Jonathan.
This week Monty Don's at Longmeadow before Adam visits Rye to meet Emma Burrill in her beautiful prairie garden transformed from a horse-paddock. Steve Buckley & Liz Roberts show us around their wonderful tropical garden in Crouch End, and Joe Swift takes us to Bristol to the most spectacular community garden - Heart of BS13 - where we meet Sol Harmsworth, Gill Carpenter, Vicky, Jamie, Jenny Liggitt, and Clem Richards. Finally we get to wander around Flo's fantastic Het Ruige Riet inspired garden in Deal in Kent.
Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/
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An emotional week as empty-nest syndrome sets in but we still have time to chit-chat about the benefits of pineapple leather, the lung capacity of the ancient Romans and Asian sea nomads, electric blue pigs in California, honeybee superfoods, and rock swallowing crocs.
This week on Gardeners' World, Adam Frost is looking 21 again as he shows us his garden with his co-presenters Buster, Ash and Isla, and Frances Tophill is in Mirfield visiting Dr Stephen Medley's Piet Oudelf inspired prairie garden. Rajat Jindal shows us his absolutely stunning garden in Suffolk, and Advolly Richmond gives us some history on Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson's garden at Long Barn Garden in Sevenoaks. Finally, Darryl Taylor shows us around his office in the beautiful kitchen gardens of Thyme Estate in the Cotswolds.
Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/
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Dean Charlton was on Gardeners' World Episode 17 when he was preparing for his exhibit at the first ever RHS Wentworth Woodhouse. In this final episode of series 3 of Chit-Chats, we find out about the history of Hooton's Walled Nursery, Dean's as yet unpatented drystone skip walls, his very happy memories of 6 years at Great Dixter and some of the skills he learned there, power scything, wassails, Morris Dancing, and his Bavarian friend's Guess the Organ Soup.
Some mentions from Dean, links can be found here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/gardens/
More Not Just a Garden
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This week we have a bit of a chit-chat about Germany's salt-and-air batteries, the mysterious return of the large copper butterfly to the British countryside, the importance of keystone species such as cassowaries and their E number fluorescent eggs, the bizarre history of when Australia went to war with the local emu population, the world's northern most botanic garden in Tromsø, Norway, and plans to air-lift Carol Klein's trough.
Joe Swift takes a trip to Nottingham to chat with Paul Saxton, as well as Ann, Roger and Val at the magnificent Bagthorpe Gardens, and we meet the inspiring Gokul Asokan in Sheffield. Carol Klein plants up a stunning late flowering trough, and Pippa Chapman in Keighley, Bradford (2025 UK City of Culture) talks to us about permaculture, food forests and forest gardening.
Relevant links can be found on our website here: https://notjustagarden.co.uk/recaps/
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