Best Kew Gardens Podcasts (2024)

1
Rabbit Proof Plants, June Blake on using red in the garden and National Allotment Week 56:04

3d ago56:04

56:04

This week Gardeners’ Corner is seeing red at June Blake’s garden in County Wicklow. She’s filled a border with Monarda, Crocosmia and Alstroemeria in this most alarming hue. June tells David Maxwell about her preference for planting large numbers of the same varieties and why Verbascum’s are her top choice when it comes to rabbit and slug proof pla…

1
How to have the perfect lawn, using farm troughs in the garden and Jimi Blake’s summer borders 54:14

10d ago54:14

54:14

You don’t have to call yourself a gardener to want to have a perfect lawn and this week, David Maxwell has been finding out how to achieve the perfect sward from the experts at the Greenmount campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise. In county Wicklow, a visit to Jimi Blake at his Hunting Brook Gardens provides inspiration fo…

1
Robin Wall Kimmerer And Alice Vincent, Live at Conway Hall 1:15:02

11d ago1:15:02

1:15:02

Due to phenomenal demand, 5x15 has programmed an additional London event with leading author and ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer. Don't miss the chance to hear this extraordinary writer share her unique perspectives on plants, ecology and the natural world. She will be in conversation with Alice Vincent- author of Rootbound- at Conway Hall on May 30t…

1
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall On How To Eat 30 Plants A Week 59:07

15d ago59:07

59:07

5x15 is delighted to announce a special event in June with beloved chef, writer and broadcaster Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Hugh will be speaking with cross-bench peer and 5x15 co-founder Rosie Boycott about food, health, and his new book How to Eat 30 Plants a Week.Leading nutritionists have confirmed that when it comes to eating plants, diversit…

1
Where are the bees this summer? Must have, no fuss, long flowering performers and making gardening child’s play 56:07

17d ago56:07

56:07

With many people reporting low bee numbers in gardens this summer, presenter David Maxwell chats to wildlife expert Katie Bell about possible reasons. At Kilcoan Gardens in Islandmagee Cherry Townsend reveals her favourite no fuss, long flowering perennials. How a community in Dromore, County Down is determined to change the market town for the bet…

1
George Monbiot On The Invisible Doctrine 1:01:10

18d ago1:01:10

1:01:10

Join 5x15 for an explosive online event with leading writer and thinker George Monbiot on his #1 Sunday Times bestseller The Invisible Doctrine in conversation with Rosie Boycott.How can you fight something if you don’t know it exists?We live under an ideology that preys on every aspect of our lives: our education and our jobs; our healthcare and o…

1
Kylemore Abbey: Connemara’s answer to Kew Gardens and Growing 1000 edible plants 56:06

1M ago56:06

56:06

Kylemore Abbey in County Galway is an iconic image of Ireland. Built originally as a private home in the 19th century, it later became a Benedictine monastery, and today it attracts half a million visitors annually. Alongside the impressive granite castle sits a six acre Victorian walled garden which was once considered the ‘Kew Gardens’ of Connema…

1
20/07/2024 56:03

1M ago56:03

56:03

The weekly gardening programme for keen gardeners with the latest advice, news and visits to gardens large and small around the province. Presented by David Maxwell.By BBC Radio Ulster

1
Creating cover, keeping the courgettes coming, and compost with Charles Dowding 56:42

1M ago56:42

56:42

David Maxwell heads to a cottage garden on the Ards Peninsula created by a couple over the last 10 years. With their dream now a reality, they recently opened the garden for a month under the National Garden Scheme. In County Meath, David returns to Rosie Maye’s garden for the second part of a chat about her diverse collection of roses. Designer Jo…

1
Gardeners’ Corner special: Garden Inspirations 55:55

1M ago55:55

55:55

In this special programme, Gardeners’ Corner celebrates those who have passed on their passion for plants: from the parent with cuttings on the windowsill, to the high profile gardeners who have inspired through writing and broadcasting. David Maxwell hears touching listeners’ stories and heads to two gardens that have inspired millions. Firstly, t…

1
The best roses for June and what to grow with them, 375 gardens to visit, and creating a garden for all life’s seasons 56:20

2M ago56:20

56:20

This week, David Maxwell visits Rosie Maye, also known as the Insomniac Gardener, and discovers her passion for roses. June sees a kaleidoscope of colour in the borders of her rural garden near Slane in County Meath. She explains how plenty of feeding and a seaweed spray keep the roses in tip top condition. A few miles down the road, at the Frances…

1
Gardeners’ Corner ‘Comes to Town’ roadshow from Enniskillen 56:10

2M ago56:10

56:10

Gardeners’ Corner heads to Enniskillen as part of the BBC ‘Comes to Town’ roadshows marking 100 years of broadcasting in Northern Ireland. David Maxwell hosts the programme from the Killyhevlin hotel on the banks of Lough Erne where he is joined by a live audience and garden expert Brendan Little. County Fermanagh gets its fair share of rain with a…

1
How to grow an orchard on your patio, Bog Meadows wildlife garden and the taste of summer 56:36

2M ago56:36

56:36

Despite unseasonably cold weather, David samples the delights of early summer at Ballyrobert Cottage Garden where Maurice Parkinson has a large collection of that reliable perennial Astrantia. In west Belfast, he visits Bog Meadows where Ulster Wildlife have created a new garden. The build has transformed the entrance to the gardens and has proved …

1
5x15 Presents: Robin Wall Kimmerer, Live at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1:03:14

2M ago1:03:14

1:03:14

5x15 is delighted to announce an exclusive event with leading author Robin Wall Kimmerer, in the beautiful setting of Kew Gardens.Robin Wall Kimmerer's internationally bestselling books, Braiding Sweetgrass and Gathering Moss, not only teach us about the biology of different organisms, but show us other ways of living in the world. It is through ce…

1
How to stop the slugs, restricting running raspberries and Women’s TEC 55:59

2M ago55:59

55:59

With the RHS saying it’s been inundated with queries about tackling slugs this year, David Maxwell and his guests discuss the best way to combat the slimy invaders. At Ballyrobert Cottage Garden, Maurice Parkinson is restricting his raspberries from running so they can be put into an ornamental border and he discovers the dreaded sawfly on his redc…

1
Lauren Child On Smile 14:56

2M ago14:56

14:56

Lauren Child is an English children’s author and illustrator best known for her book series the Charlie and Lola picture books, which were adapted into a BAFTA-winning children’s television show, and the Clarice Bean series, which has sold over 7 million copies and won legions of fans over the world who have grown up with Clarice. Child won the ann…

1
Gardeners’ Corner live from Bord Bia Bloom 56:00

3M ago56:00

56:00

A special programme from Ireland’s biggest garden show; Bord Bia Bloom. David Maxwell will be joined by regular contributor Brendan Little for a live programme from Phoenix Park. He’ll meet designers, plant experts and he’ll visit some of the show gardens. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk…

1
Dorian Lynskey On Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About The End Of The World 15:08

2M ago15:08

15:08

Dorian Lynskey writes about music, film, books and politics for publications including The Guardian, The Observer, the New Statesman, GQ, Billboard, Empire, and Mojo. His first book was 33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs. A study of thirty-three pivotal songs with a political message, it was NME's Book of the Year and a 'Music Bo…

1
Clover Stroud On The Giant On The Skyline 14:45

3M ago14:45

14:45

Clover Stroud is a writer and journalist, writing regularly for The Sunday Times, The Guardian and The Saturday and Sunday Telegraph, among others. She also hosts a popular podcast called Tiny Acts of Bravery. Her first book, The Wild Other, was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize. Her critically acclaimed second book, My Wild and Sleepless Nights…

1
Gardeners’ Corner from RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024 56:00

3M ago56:00

56:00

Gardeners’ Corner visits the most talked about gardening event of the year; the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Presenter David Maxwell tours some of the main avenue show gardens including the gold medal winning National Garden Scheme’s garden by Tom Stuart-Smith and the Muscular Dystrophy UK garden by Ula Maria which took best in show. He also meets up w…

1
Johann Hari On Magic Pill 16:45

3M ago16:45

16:45

Johann Hari is the author of three previous internationally bestselling books, translated into 40 languages. His TED talks have been viewed over 80 million times, and his work has been praised by a broad range of people, from Oprah to Noam Chomsky to Joe Rogan, Elton John, Hillary Clinton and Steven Bartlett. He was also the executive producer of a…

1
Plants that take you from spring to summer, Lambeth palace garden and ‘Mervyn’ the robot mower 56:41

3M ago56:41

56:41

As summer weather arrives, David visits Cherry Townsend at Kilcoan Gardens in Islandmagee, where she has a brilliant collection of flowering plants that bridge the gap between spring and summer. Geums, Trollius, Aquilegia and Tellima are among the highlights in the borders. One of the biggest gardens in London is found across the river from Westmin…

1
Suzi Ronson On Me And Mr Jones 16:32

3M ago16:32

16:32

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.Suzi Ronson is an author, songwriter, and former hairdresser and stylist. At fifteen, she left school and enrolled in the Evelyn Paget College of Hair and Beauty, going on to become Davi…

1
Sarah Raven’s passion for pots, Horatio’s Garden Belfast and No Mow May 55:57

3M ago55:57

55:57

This week on Gardeners’ Corner, David Maxwell heads to a garden with purpose at Musgrave Park Hospital in south Belfast. Its spinal centre has been gifted an outdoor space for patients and staff by the charity Horatio’s Garden. David Maxwell meets Matthew Lee who is in charge of the garden designed by Chelsea gold medal winning designer Andy Sturge…

1
Andrew O’Hagan On Caledonian Road 12:39

3M ago12:39

12:39

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.Andrew O’Hagan is one of the most exciting and serious chroniclers of our times. Born in Glasgow, he has been nominated for the Booker Prize three times, was voted one of Granta’s Best o…

1
Dr Agnes Arnold-Forster On Nostalgia: A Biography 12:16

4M ago12:16

12:16

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.Dr Agnes Arnold-Forster has worked at McGill University, at the Centre for the History of Emotions at Queen Mary University of London and as a visiting researcher at the Max Planck Centr…

1
Why cactus are the ultimate house plant, the World Daffodil Convention and blue marigolds? 55:57

4M ago55:57

55:57

It may have been a wet start to the year outside, but inside our homes, it can be a desert for plants – especially if you forget to water! That’s perhaps why Cacti are the ultimate house plants and this week on Gardeners’ Corner with David Maxwell, Brendan Little reveals he’s inherited his dad’s obsession with these prickly plants. Also on the prog…

1
Philip Lymbery On Cultivated Meat: To Secure Our Future 14:00

4M ago14:00

14:00

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.Philip Lymbery is Chief Executive of leading international farm animal welfare organisation Compassion in World Farming, as well as being a Visiting Professor at the University of Winche…

1
Henry Dimbleby On Ravenous 15:00

4M ago15:00

15:00

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.Henry Dimbleby is the co-founder of LEON, and the Director of The Sustainable Restaurant Association, which runs some of London's most successful street food markets. His work with DEFRA…

1
Catherine Coldstream On Cloistered 13:14

4M ago13:14

13:14

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.Catherine Coldstream grew up in London and converted to Catholicism in her early twenties. She was a Carmelite nun for twelve years. Since leaving the monastery, she took an undergraduat…

1
Gardeners’ Corner ‘Comes to Town’ roadshow from Ballymena 55:11

4M ago55:11

55:11

Gardeners’ Corner heads to Ballymena as part of the BBC ‘Comes to Town’ roadshows marking 100 years of broadcasting in Northern Ireland. In front of a live audience at Ballymena Library, David Maxwell and experts Reg Maxwell and Mary Doris take questions from novice and experienced gardeners who live near the County Antrim town. Also on the program…

1
Colum McCann On American Mother 14:09

4M ago14:09

14:09

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.Colum McCann’s seven novels and three collections of short stories have been published in over forty languages and received some of the world’s most prestigious literary awards and honou…

1
Vincent Deary On How We Break- Navigating The Wear And Tear Of Living 13:55

4M ago13:55

13:55

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.Vincent Deary is professor of applied health psychology at Northumbria University, where his research focuses on the development of new psychosocial interventions for people with a varie…

1
Chris Anderson On The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading 13:09

4M ago13:09

13:09

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.After a career in journalism and publishing, Chris Anderson became the curator of the TED Conference in 2001 and has developed it as a global platform for identifying and disseminating i…

1
Easy ways to transform your garden this Easter 56:44

5M ago56:44

56:44

As the Easter break begins, Gardeners’ Corner has some easy ways to transform your garden space. David Maxwell is joined in studio by expert gardener Brendan Little who has suggestions on how an uninspiring front garden can be transformed into a low maintenance garden with interest and colour through the year. Also joining David is city gardener, G…

1
Emma Tarlo On Under The Hornbeams 14:50

5M ago14:50

14:50

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.Emma Tarlo is an anthropologist, writer and curator and an Emeritus Professor at Goldsmiths, University of London. Having authored numerous highly regarded academic titles, she published…

1
John Vaillant On Fire Weather: A True Story From A Hotter World 14:48

5M ago14:48

14:48

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.John Vaillant is the international bestselling author of The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival and The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed. He has written…

1
Why you should pre-sprout your courgettes, what to do if you can’t beat ground elder and the best-looking classroom you can find 56:00

5M ago56:00

56:00

This week Gardeners’ Corner visits what must be one of most beautiful classrooms in the country – the walled garden at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Greenmount Campus in County Antrim. David Maxwell joins CAFRE’s Lori Hartman for a look around, as work begins to renovate some areas including the hot border and a bra…

1
Cathy Newman On The Ladder 15:34

5M ago15:34

15:34

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.Cathy Newman is one of Channel 4 News' main studio presenters. She joined Channel 4 News as political correspondent in January 2006 after seven years writing for the Financial Times. Cat…

1
Jackie Morris On The Book Of Birds 11:21

5M ago11:21

11:21

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.Jackie Morris is an award-winning British writer and illustrator. Morris studied at the Bath Academy of Art and started her career as an illustrator by working for magazines including Ra…

1
Veg to sow now, celebrating Daffodils and Jekka’s 100 herbs 56:04

5M ago56:04

56:04

While damp weather is making it tricky to get in to the garden there is still plenty to keep Dave and Jules Hardy busy at Esker Farm Daffodils. Since David’s last visit the county Tyrone couple have added a large garden area which shows how the daffodils can be grown in mixed borders. Amy Kelly kicks off the Great Gardeners’ Corner Grow Along by so…

1
Paula Byrne On Hardy Women 12:13

5M ago12:13

12:13

5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.Paula Byrne is the author of the bestselling biographies The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym, Perdita, Mad World, The Real Jane Austen, Belle, Kick and The Genius of Jane Austen. She is f…

1
5x15 On Botanic Gardens Past And Future With Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1:00:09

5M ago1:00:09

1:00:09

Building upon Kew's commitment to re-examine the history of its collections, this discussion explores the colonial legacies of botany and botanic gardens, featuring a panel of leading writers and thinkers in this area. All too often history shows us that the origins of botanic gardens are intertwined with the histories of colonialism, imperialism a…

1
How to reduce the mowing and increase spring colour, the wonders of wild garlic and perennial of the month 56:04

5M ago56:04

56:04

This week, David Maxwell visits Brendan Little in his garden on the shores of Mulroy Bay in county Donegal. What was once a formal lawn is now covered in naturalised spring flowering bulbs. Brendan explains how he hopes to extend this riot of colour into late spring and summer – something he hopes will mean he won’t need to get the mower out until …

1
5x15 And The Writers' Prize 1:24:26

5M ago1:24:26

1:24:26

5x15 and The Writers' Prize present a powerhouse line-up of international writing talent to speak with host, literary critic, and journalist Alex Clark about their recent works, all in contention for this year's Prize.Paul Murray, The Bee StingPaul Murray, born in Dublin in 1975, authored An Evening of Long Goodbyes, Skippy Dies, The Mark and the V…

1
Where to start in the garden this spring, Jimi Blake’s new borders and producing trees on an industrial scale 56:07

6M ago56:07

56:07

As Spring officially begins, David Maxwell heads to Jimi Blake’s Hunting Brook Garden in the hills of County Wicklow where he has brand new borders in mind. At the National Trust’s Mount Stewart, work begins on a tree nursery that will produce 600,000 trees a year and gardener Archie Parke retires after five decades of service in Belfast’s Botanic …

1
Gardening in a war zone and the Great Gardeners’ Corner Grow Along 55:42

6M ago55:42

55:42

Two years to the day since the war in Ukraine began, presenter David Maxwell hears the powerful story of how a garden has helped one family close the front line survive. Alla Olkhovska has been harvesting and selling seeds of rare clematis found in her grandmother’s garden in Kharkiv. She also wrote her first book about these beautiful climbers in …

1
Last-minute rose pruning made easy, Lissadell House, and perennial of the month 55:58

6M ago55:58

55:58

In this week’s programme, David heads to the Green Spaces Community Growing Project near Warrenpoint where the volunteers are getting the garden ready for the season ahead. He finds out what attracts people to community gardening. In County Sligo, Lissadell House and gardens occupy a breath taking location. Immortalised in a poem by Yeats, work has…

1
Merlin Sheldrake On Entangled Life 1:02:54

6M ago1:02:54

1:02:54

5x15 is thrilled to announce a special event with multi-award-winning writer and biologist Merlin Sheldrake, author of the smash-hit bestseller Entangled Life, in conversation Gaia Vince.The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them. They can change our minds, heal our bodies and even help us avoid environmental disaster; they ar…

1
Nina Stibbe And Cathy Rentzenbrink On Went to London, Took the Dog 1:04:17

6M ago1:04:17

1:04:17

5x15 is delighted to announce a special event with Nina Stibbe, the 'funniest person who owns a computer' (in the words of Ann Patchett), in conversation with acclaimed memoirist Cathy Rentzenbrink. This is not to be missed!Ten years after her beloved and multi-award winning book Love, Nina, Nina is back with Went to London, Took the Dog, a diary o…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Kew Gardens Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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