Two Good Gardeners

Britain's country estates must honour their history while looking ahead. In this episode, we talk with Jay Goddard and Mark Bobin from Borde Hill in Sussex to learn how their historic garden became home to nearly 100 champion trees and a national collection of rhododendrons. We also hear about their exciting plans for a new 'garden to plate' restaurant, which will use produce from an edimental garden designed by Anne-Marie Powell. Plus, Dan explains why copper keeps slugs and snails away, and Julia gives an update on her efforts to grow a healthier lawn as she waits for a hollow-tine aerator to arrive.

Website links:

Dan Cooper Garden
Copper Slug Rings
Parker's Patch
Borde Hill's website
Restaurant Isca website
More Information about the Plant Fairs Roadshow at Borde Hill

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local.

This episode was sponsored by the Plant Fairs Roadshow, which brings beautiful British-grown plants to stunning venues across the South East of England.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chillies are prized for the heat and flavour they bring to cuisines all over the world. In this episode, your hosts talk to Clare Kennett of Clare's Chillies about what makes them so addictive and how to grow them successfully at home. Clare shares her top tips for success and common pitfalls when growing these fiery fruits. Also in this episode, Dan recommends a wildflower seed mix that can help restore the natural health of your soil, and Julia describes how to grow one of the chilli family's milder members, the Padron. As always, there's a list of jobs to do in your garden over the next fortnight and news of what Dan and Julia will be getting up to over the coming fortnight.

Website links:

Dan Cooper Garden
Wildflower Seeds for Soil Health
Parker's Patch
Clare's Chillies on Facebook
Clare's Chillies on Instagram
Plant Fairs Roadshow at Ramster Hall Gardens

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local.

This episode was sponsored by the Plant Fairs Roadshow, which brings beautiful British-grown plants to stunning venues across the South East of England.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to creating gardens for the greater good, no landscape architect approaches the subject with more knowledge, passion and commitment than Marian Boswall. In this episode of Two Good Gardeners, your hosts catch up with Marian to discuss the philosophy underpinning her latest book, The Kindest Garden, and learn more about Chalk to Coast, a visionary landscape project working to create a nature recovery corridor across Kent. Also in this episode, Dan extols the virtues of bronze tools, and Julia encourages gardeners not to panic if they didn't sow seeds in March. As always, the episode concludes with a list of jobs you can be doing in your garden over the next fortnight.

Website links:

Dan Cooper Garden
PK Bronze Tools
Parker's Patch
Marian Boswall Landscape Architects
Chalk to Coast

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local.

This episode was sponsored by the Plant Fairs Roadshow, which brings beautiful British-grown plants to stunning venues across the South East of England.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, your hosts find out how Steve Edney and Lou Dowle of The No Name Nursery have created a stunning 3-acre garden-nursery that operates off the beaten track and entirely without mains services. The plant-loving partners share insights into how they garden off-grid and cultivate a wide variety of plants for sale as bare-rooted plants. Also in this episode, Julia describes how to grow your own ginger from supermarket-bought rhizomes, and Dan extols the benefits of Traditional Garden Growers, an innovative range of mulches and plant foods made principally from wool and straw. Your hosts round off with a list of jobs you can do in your garden over the next fortnight, and a reminder that the next Plant Fairs Roadshow event takes place at the Horniman Museum on Saturday, 4th April 2026.

Steve's 'must have' aster - "Doellingeria umbellata". Flat-topped aster

Website links:

Dan Cooper Garden
Traditional Garden Growers Range
Parker's Patch
The No Name Nursery

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local.

This episode was sponsored by the Plant Fairs Roadshow, which brings beautiful British-grown plants to stunning venues across the South East of England.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two Good Gardeners is back with a new series, sponsored by Plant Fairs Roadshow. In this season opener, your hosts discuss daffodils with Neil Miller, Head Gardener at Hever Castle in Kent and find out how the Astors' legacy is being continued by planting thousands of new bulbs every autumn. Also in this episode, Dan highlights an innovative frost-protection fabric that's made from plants, and Julia explains how to start onion sets in modules. Your hosts round off with a list of jobs you can do in your garden over the next fortnight, with a reminder that the next Plant Fairs Roadshow event takes place at Hever Castle on Sunday, 22nd March, 2026.

Narcissus 'Hever Castle' will be available from Taylor's Bulbs in autumn 2026

Website links:

Dan Cooper Garden
Biofleece frost protection fabric
Parker's Patch
Hever Castle

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local.
This episode was sponsored by the Plant Fairs Roadshow, which brings beautiful British-grown plants to stunning venues across the South East of England.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.