grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & friends

Enjoying the brilliance of alliums all year round - Episode 278 11.06.2026 20min

This Christmas might feel a while away, but if there’s one way to prepare right now for a more stunning and sustainable tree, it’s with alliums. Sarah’s love of alliums is well-documented on the podcast, but this week she’s recalling some of the most show-stopping varieties with which to decorate this Christmas, and the joys that they’ll bring as ‘colour baton-carriers’ in spring. In this episode, discover: Which alliums are perfect for bridging the gap between tulips going over and sweet pea...

The brilliant biennials perfect for scent and versatility - Episode 277 04.06.2026 12min

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 th...

Pollyanna Wilkinson: Simple tips for a spectacularly designed garden - Episode 276 28.05.2026 23min

Every garden space deserves a chance to be transformed into a beautiful space which breathes, rather than constricts, and Pollyanna Wilkinson is a master of such designs. Polly joins Sarah this week to share her no‑nonsense methods for transforming everything from boxy new‑build plots to tired, inherited gardens into layered, soulful spaces. In this episode, discover: How to think like a garden designer, surveying, shaping and structuring spaces before you plantPractical ways to transfo...

Arit Anderson: An RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden for every Parkinson’s journey - Episode 275 21.05.2026 27min

Chelsea is upon us, and among the beauty of all the show gardens lies a very special offering from Arit Anderson and Parkinson’s UK. She’s planting with purpose in a garden which promises to reflect every Parkinson’s journey in a beautifully poignant way, and on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, she walks us through the planting ethos and careful design behind one of Main Avenue’s great sights for 2026. In this episode, discover: How Arit is reflecting her sister Julie’s Parkinson’s journey in a me...

Tom Stuart-Smith: The blueprint of a Chelsea Flower Show garden - Episode 274 14.05.2026 21min

In this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah Raven welcomes renowned garden designer Tom Stuart-Smith to uncover his visionary new garden for Tate Britain and how he’s reimagining it for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. They explore his bold, foliage-rich planting, ingenious water features, and a remarkable new memorial garden at Badminton that promises to be one of the RHS’s most ambitious show gardens yet. In this episode, discover: How Tom Stuart-Smith is transforming a neglected...

Dame Mary Berry: The charm and inspiration behind ‘My Gardening Life’ - Episode 273 07.05.2026 31min

Watch the full video episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/_T97COq6blM Throughout Mary Berry's life, the garden has played a charming role, from her wartime childhood plot to a brand-new garden started in her 80s - it’s an essential ingredient in her life. This week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ Mary kindly joins us to explore a lifetime of gardening, how it’s inspired her new book, and how gardening can bring joy, structure and wellbeing at every stage of life. In this episode, discover: How ...

Adam Nicolson: The secret history of Sissinghurst - Episode 272 30.04.2026 28min

Sissinghurst is one of the country’s crowning gems of National Trust gardens, and a place in which Adam was brought up, around the beauty curated by his grandparents. This week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, we’re delving into the centuries of legacy which led to a spot perfect for Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson to create the poetic space we know and adore today, and how their vision is being revived today for generations to come. In this episode, discover: The remarkable story of ho...

Huw Richards: Smart veg growing tips for busy gardeners - Episode 271 23.04.2026 25min

The magic of growing your own food is hard to overstate, and while some lament the labour necessary, it takes far less time and space than many imagine. This week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ once again features the remarkable Huw Richards, fresh from the release of ‘How to Grow Food’ - his new book which dives into the detail of how anyone can grow a kitchen garden in real spaces, with a planting schedule that fits around busy lives. In this episode, discover: How Huw plans and plants to gro...

Josie Lewis: Planting tips for April seed sowing - Episode 270 16.04.2026 23min

The sunnier months in April present a fresh opportunity for gardeners to sow some of the fastest-germinating seedlings, bringing a productive garden closer than you might think. We return to Josie Lewis this week for an episode all about what she’s sowing in mid-April, how to prick out and pot on seedlings, and the simple tricks they use to keep plants growing hard and healthy at this most promising time of year. In this episode, discover: How to prick out seedlings confidently, and when to d...

The Colour Guide Mini Series #7: The washed palette - Episode 269 09.04.2026 14min

There’s something uniquely calming about a garden washed in cool pastels – soft tones that feel like frosty mornings and freshly laundered linen. Moving us onto the 4th and final palette in Sarah’s colour system, we explore the washed palette in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’. She takes you through the colour combinations, productive plant families, and tips for crafting a soothing, contemplative feeling in your garden. In this episode, discover: How to use Sarah’s washed co...

The Colour Guide Mini Series #6: The comforting palette - Episode 268 02.04.2026 12min

A comforting garden can feel as soft and familiar as your favourite cashmere jumper, and in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah shares a palette which achieves exactly this feeling. In the latest of the Colour Guide Mini Series episodes, Sarah shares how to create a mood using the comforting palette, the key plant families and varieties, plus how to sequence them through the seasons, so your borders feel gentle and soothing from early spring to late autumn. In this episode, disc...

The Colour Guide Mini Series #5: The velvet palette - Episode 267 26.03.2026 15min

For many, the garden should be a peaceful place where its colours invite you in and envelop you in their earthy tones, and that’s the role of Sarah Raven’s velvet palette. In this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series, Sarah moves us to her next, and perhaps favourite palette of the four. She talks through their calming colours, and the flower families that help keep that tranquility in your garden through a reliable planting succession. In this episode, discover: How to create a velvet col...

Josie Lewis: 12 outstanding seeds to sow in March for containers and cutting gardens - Episode 266 19.03.2026 30min

Seeds sown in March are the great givers of colour and fragrance in a cutting garden or container, from spring right through to autumn. This week, Sarah is joined by Josie Lewis to walk through 12 of the most trusted plants to sow now, how to fill your beds, pots and vases, and feed the birds from a single month’s sowing. In this episode, discover: Practical techniques for handling both big and dust-fine seeds, including when to sow in trays and when to direct sowSpecific tips for making the ...

Milli Proust: The family gardening charm that inspired ‘How Does Your Garden Grow’ - Episode 265 12.03.2026 38min

The garden is a welcoming place for all, particularly for newcomers when guided by the gentle eye of Milli Proust, and under the instruction of her calming new book. Milli joins us once again, this time to share the inspiring journey that’s led up to her most approachable book to date, and some of the easy-to-understand frameworks to create an effortlessly beautiful garden. In this episode, discover: How Milli Proust found floristry, and began creating a deeply loved, biodiverse garden in Wes...

The Colour Guide Mini Series #4: The luminous palette - Episode 264 05.03.2026 22min

The luminous palette - a rich, stained glass collection of citrus, scarlet and pinky-purples - is the first of Sarah’s colour combinations that we’ll walk through in depth for this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series. Sarah explains the six key colours, which ones to use together throughout the year, and the flower families which she considers the most prominent and productive as they pass the colour baton through the year. In this episode, discover: How to use Sarah’s luminous palette wi...

The Colour Guide Mini Series #3: Turning a palette into a planting plan - Episode 263 26.02.2026 25min

Colour is best when it’s tangible, and if you’re planning a patch in your garden then this episode of the Mini Series is perfect to help you bring your plans to life. In this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series, Sarah dives into the practical side of using colour as the backbone of your garden design - from using candles to visualise colour combinations, to the ‘bride, bridesmaid, gate crasher’ structure that’ll help guide you towards an ensemble that works in harmony. In this episode, di...

The Colour Guide Mini Series #2: Understanding colour theory - Episode 262 19.02.2026 30min

Each colour palette in the garden creates a unique atmosphere, and you don’t need intricate knowledge of the colour wheel to combine them cohesively in the garden. In this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series, Sarah talks us through why her colour palette system works to create stunning arrangements which work with each other, rather than against each other, and how to transition between palettes within neighbouring spaces. In this episode, discover: How Sarah’s four core colour palettes e...

The Colour Guide Mini Series #1: My life in colour - Episode 261 12.02.2026 31min

Welcome to the first in a brand new miniseries of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, as Sarah delves into the world of colour, and how to use each colour palette to its absolute maximum potential in the garden. In this week’s first episode, Sarah shares how the colour system used at Perch Hill came to be, the theories behind mixing certain palettes, and the difference between calm and chaos when combining colours. In this episode, discover: How Sarah’s experiences as a florist, gardener and colour-o...

Huw Richards: Learn to grow brilliant veg in a single bed - Episode 260 05.02.2026 32min

In this episode, Sarah is joined by YouTube phenomenon Huw Richards to talk about his journey from smallholding childhood to seven-acre experimental plot, and the ideas behind his hit book Veg in One Bed. They’ll also cover exactly what to sow in late winter, and what’ll perform best when sown later – from chillies and aubergines to peas, onions and tomatoes. In this episode, discover: How Huw Richards went from helping on his parents’ Welsh smallholding to building a seven-acre e...

Josie Lewis: Hellebores for reliable winter colour - Episode 259 29.01.2026 26min

From their resistance to deep snow and hard frosts, to long-flowering habits, hellebores are quietly spectacular plants that earn their keep in pots, borders and shady corners. This week we’re diving into one of the true stars of the winter garden, focusing on the new varieties that bring a renewed perspective on one of the winter garden’s most generous providers, and how to keep them looking their best in the garden or in a vase. In this episode, discover: How to choose hellebore varieties f...