Follow head gardeners Saul Walker and Lucy Chamberlain as they reveal exactly what it’s like to be professional horticulturists leading busy teams on large, pri... More
Follow head gardeners Saul Walker and Lucy Chamberlain as they reveal exactly what it’s like to be professional horticulturists leading busy teams on large, pri... More
Available Episodes
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Ep. 180 - RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW SPECIAL - Lucy and Saul head to the capital to experience the pinnacle of Flower shows - expect weeds, burgers, a hobbit hole and lots of gorgeous gardens and plants!
What is that on the horizon - well, it's Spring of course. The klaxon for warmer, longer days is finally sounding and Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy are looking forward to it immensely. Spring is a wonderful time of year but also incredibly busy for all professional gardeners up and down the country as the gardens come alive with colour, texture and the occasional weed! Join them both as they navigate this beautiful time of year, bringing you the sights and sounds of Stonelands and East Donyland, as well as their home gardens and beyond.It's the highlight of the horticultural calendar, as the Talkings Heads pair head to the big smoke of London for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The show is always a talking point for any garden year, sometimes controversial, but always a mecca of what the UK and the world can achieve in the horticultural sphere. Gardens embraced a more naturalistic, sustainable theme with the hot topic of 'weeds' bringing much deliberation. The Great Pavilion felt more alive than ever, with a buzz that has been missing for a couple of years - some of the displays, including the exhibit Lucy was involved in building, were magnificent. We also tucked into some good food, admired a fantastic greenhouse and, as with every year, gossiped and chewed the cud with all our garden friends that we might only see in this hub-bub of the horticultural world.Twitter link:Saul @GardeningSaulInstagram link:Lucy @HeadGardenerLCIntro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the show
27/05/2023
44:55
Ep. 179 - Don't panic!! This time of year can leave gardeners feeling frazzled and torn between jobs, so how do Saul and Lucy survive this "May madness"? Plus, the Chelsea Flower Show is on the horizon - Lucy and Saul both have plans to be there.
What is that on the horizon - well, it's Spring of course. The klaxon for warmer, longer days is finally sounding and Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy are looking forward to it immensely. Spring is a wonderful time of year but also incredibly busy for all professional gardeners up and down the country as the gardens come alive with colour, texture and the occasional weed! Join them both as they navigate this beautiful time of year, bringing you the sights and sounds of Stonelands and East Donyland, as well as their home gardens and beyond.Hold onto those horticultural reins and steer her steady - May madness has hit! Both Saul and Lucy are feeling the pressure of spring, what with shows, seedlings, sunshine, rainfall (and subsequently, LOTS of weeds!). So, how do the Head Gardener duo navigate the bombardment of jobs? By taking a few deep breaths! And also remembering to take time out to enjoy why we are all here in the first place, to garden. We also have exciting Chelsea Flower Show plans, as Lucy helps build a show garden for the first time, and Saul then joins her for the marvel that is Monday Press Day.Twitter link:Saul @GardeningSaulInstagram link:Lucy @HeadGardenerLCIntro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the show
18/05/2023
32:35
Ep. 178 - When things go wrong in your garden, reach for the silver-linings! Lucy and Saul may suffer some set backs in their horti-work but as its May just being in the garden makes it all worth it!
What is that on the horizon - well, it's Spring of course. The klaxon for warmer, longer days is finally sounding and Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy are looking forward to it immensely. Spring is a wonderful time of year but also incredibly busy for all professional gardeners up and down the country as the gardens come alive with colour, texture and the occasional weed! Join them both as they navigate this beautiful time of year, bringing you the sights and sounds of Stonelands and East Donyland, as well as their home gardens and beyond.Lucy and Saul are back to their day-jobs after Beaulieu, Holidays and House sales - which means things are bound to go wrong. This week Saul has had the dreaded curse of 'threes', as three catastrophes have befallen his usual fun at Stonelands, but like water off a ducks back you must reach out for the positives, embrace the setbacks as learning opportunities and enjoy the Garden as May brings one of the most beautiful periods in the growing year!Twitter links:Lucy @HeadGardenerLCSaul @GardeningSaulIntro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the show
13/05/2023
34:20
Ep. 177 - Lucy goes back to her roots. In this episode, Saul takes a break so Lucy chats to her parents - retired smallholders - to explain her chosen career path, and introduce you to a little-known horticultural Government scheme
What is that on the horizon - well, it's Spring of course. The klaxon for warmer, longer days is finally sounding and Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy are looking forward to it immensely. Spring is a wonderful time of year but also incredibly busy for all professional gardeners up and down the country as the gardens come alive with colour, texture and the occasional weed! Join them both as they navigate this beautiful time of year, bringing you the sights and sounds of Stonelands and East Donyland, as well as their home gardens and beyond.With Saul taking a well deserved rest, Lucy delves into her past to explain why she is such a keen horticulturist. Now retired, her smallholder parents had a massive influence on her career choice. Their horticultural heritage also sheds light on a fascinating collective of market gardeners who, between them at their peak, produced 50 per cent of the UK's glasshouse salads. Termed the 'Land Settlement Agency', it brought many happy times for Lucy and her parents, as hopefully the interviews confirm (apologies to those two asparagus customers!!).If you'd like to watch the video I mention in this episode, follow this link, or search for 'Growth with the LSA':https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmvyX3RWv4QTwitter links:Lucy @HeadGardenerLCSaul @GardeningSaulIntro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the showSupport the show
06/05/2023
36:00
Ep. 176 - We've been let out! Saul and Lucy have donned their showtime hats for the BBC Gardeners' World Spring Fair at Beaulieu. Here, they've been helping on stage, and giving tours of the beautiful gardens with Head Gardener Kelvin Yapp and his team
What is that on the horizon - well, it's Spring of course. The klaxon for warmer, longer days is finally sounding and Head Gardeners Saul and Lucy are looking forward to it immensely. Spring is a wonderful time of year but also incredibly busy for all professional gardeners up and down the country as the gardens come alive with colour, texture and the occasional weed! Join them both as they navigate this beautiful time of year, bringing you the sights and sounds of Stonelands and East Donyland, as well as their home gardens and beyond.A favourite annual fixture in their diaries, Lucy and Saul report back from the recent BBC Gardeners' World Spring Fair, held at the beautiful gardens of Beaulieu Motor Museum, in the New Forest. As well as helping out on stage with interviews and talks, the duo have had the pleasure of giving tours with Head Gardener, Kelvin Yapp, and his team. Our reputation must proceed us because the estate gang have kept us incredibly well fed and watered - plus, regular podcast listeners have not let us down via their supplies of biscuits - thank you, one and all! Twitter links:Lucy @HeadGardenerLCSaul @GardeningSaulIntro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Support the showSupport the show
Follow head gardeners Saul Walker and Lucy Chamberlain as they reveal exactly what it’s like to be professional horticulturists leading busy teams on large, private estates. Lucy and Saul have a decade of Head Gardening experience and it soon became clear to them both that life as a Head Gardener can be incredibly diverse, occasionally challenging and hugely rewarding and so they regularly discuss horticultural topics close to their hearts and give you an insight into their lives as gardeners. If you wish to support the podcast you can via our BuyMeACoffee page - just click the link at the end of the podcast description or the donate button found at the top right of this page.