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

The dream garden of low‑maintenance abundance is all about picking the plants that need hardly any input, just the lightest touch of editing, and they’ll give you months of shifting colour.In the third episode in this theme with Arthur, we dive into the self-seeding annuals and biennials that bring abundant colour to the garden with very little effort. From forget-me-nots and violas to cerinthe, cosmos and quaking grasses, they share their favourite ‘volunteer’ plants, how to manage them, and simple ways to use them in borders and cut-flower arrangements for a truly low-maintenance, flower-filled garden.In this episode, discover:How to use self-seeding annuals and biennials to create a low‑maintenance, flower‑filled garden that largely looks after itselfInspired plant recommendations, from forget‑me‑nots and violas, to grasses, nasturtiums and Californian poppies Practical tips on managing self‑sowers - when to let them run, and when to thin them outWays to weave self‑seeders into borders, pots and even cracks in paving for long‑season colour, movement and structureProducts mentioned:Cerinthe major 'Kiwi Blue'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cerinthe-major-kiwi-blueHeart's Ease (Viola tricolor)https://www.sarahraven.com/products/viola-heartseaseAnthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/anthriscus-sylvestris-ravenswingCosmos bipinnatus 'Dazzler'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-dazzlerAmmi majushttps://www.sarahraven.com/products/ammi-majusPanicum miliaceum 'Violaceum'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/panicum-violaceumBriza maxima (Greater Quaking Grass)https://www.sarahraven.com/products/briza-maxima-greater-quaking-grassNicandra physalodeshttps://www.sarahraven.com/products/nicandra-physalodesPersicaria orientalishttps://www.sarahraven.com/products/persicaria-orientalisNasturtium 'Ladybird Rose' (Tropaeolum minus)https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nasturtium-ladybird-roseNasturtium 'Bloody Mary' (Tropaeolum minus)https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nasturtium-bloody-maryFollow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/Get in touch: [email protected] on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeuFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

For months of scent throughout the sunnier months, there are a whole host of nostalgic stalwarts and surprising new picks that are impossible to ignore.Every garden deserves a perfume as captivating as the 12 plants at the top of Josie and Sarah’s list this week, as they laud the dozen best flowers to sow for unbeatable aroma from April through to October.In this episode, discover:How to choose standout scented plants that really earn their place for perfume and looks alikeWhich specific varieties Sarah and Josie regularly rely on, and what makes each one specialPractical when-and-how tips for sowing, planting, and positioning scented plants to get fragrance from spring right through to autumnWays to use these plants as cut flowers, including vase-life tricks and how to make small bunches scent whole roomsHow to layer scent through borders, climbers, containers, and shrubs so that every corner of the garden offers a different perfumed momentProducts mentioned:Trachelospermum jasminoideshttps://www.sarahraven.com/products/trachelospermum-jasminoidesSweet Pea 'Matucana'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lathyrus-odoratus-matucanaNarcissus 'Actaea'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-actaeaMatthiola incana 'Pillow Talk'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/matthiola-incana-pillow-talkLonicera periclymenum 'Graham Thomas'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lonicera-periclymenum-graham-thomasAcidanthera murielae (syn. Gladiolus)https://www.sarahraven.com/products/acidanthera-murielaeFollow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/Get in touch: [email protected] on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeuFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Every year, we venture out to the Netherlands in search of the most captivating dahlias, each worthy of a spot in your garden to liven up the late-summer months.Tom Stimpson joins us again on the podcast to share their current ‘cream of the crop’, from reliable classics like ‘Molly Raven’ and ‘Adam’s Choice’, to gorgeous growers like ‘Strawberry Cream’ and ‘Princess Nadine’. Join us for an episode packed with garden inspiration for any colour palette, and a glimpse into how we choose our standout favourites from a field of hundreds and thousands.In this episode, discover:How Sarah and Tom select stellar dahlias from Dutch trial fields, and the characteristics that make truly exceptional plantsVarieties that are pollinator-friendly to bring a buzz of life into the gardenHow to condition your dahlias for mighty vase lifeProducts mentioned:Dahlia 'Princess Nadine'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-princess-nadineDahlia 'Skyfall'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-skyfallDahlia 'Café au Lait'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-cafe-au-laitDahlia 'Adam's Choice'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-adams-choiceDahlia 'Polka'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-polkaDahlia 'Strawberry Cream'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-strawberry-creamDahlia 'Honka Pink'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-honka-pinkDahlia 'Molly Raven'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-molly-ravenDahlia 'Labyrinth'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-labyrinthDahlia 'Lou Farman'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-lou-farmanDahlia 'Break Out'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-break-outDahlia 'Verrone's Obsidian'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-verrones-obsidianFollow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/Get in touch: [email protected] on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeuFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Shane Connolly is a master of many arts, and one that he exhibits throughout the year is how to use sustainable floristry to create a sense of charm often reserved for the tiniest of tables.That’s why he’s in such high demand - we talk through his exciting, varied year of arranging in this week’s podcast, with a look at the festive season, and a few tips to serve your own arranging in the festive season, taking inspiration from Shane’s wondrous wedding displays.In this episode, discover:How Shane approaches weddings, intimate dinners, grand public events and royal occasionsWhy he favours seasonal, British-grown flowers and how he builds close relationships with growers and suppliersThe behind-the-scenes logistics of big museum dinners and public events, from long tables to thousands of tiny vases and candlesHow Shane creates sustainable, glitter-free Christmas magic, including his Marie Antoinette-inspired V&A tree and reusable decorationsProducts mentioned:Convallaria majalis (Lily of the Valley)https://www.sarahraven.com/products/convallaria-lily-of-the-valleyFollow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/Get in touch: [email protected] on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeuFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Whether you're nurturing a bustling city plot or a country border, there’s a spot in everyone’s gardens, pots and borders for beautiful, productive perennials throughout the year.Following on from last week’s episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Arthur is with us again to focus this time on perennials that are light-touch and bountiful for those of us putting together a low-maintenance garden.In this episode, discover:Perennials, shrubs, and self-seeding annuals that provide long-lasting beauty with minimal carePersonal stories, hands-on tips, and garden-tested wisdom to help you with your plant selection and garden upkeepNew and improved varieties bred for reduced invasiveness, greater disease resistance, and extended flowering seasonsPlants that attract bees and other wildlife, showcasing how low-fuss gardens can support biodiversity tooProducts mentioned:Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’https://www.sarahraven.com/products/aster-x-frikartii-monchSalvia x jamensis 'Nachtvlinder'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-x-jamensis-nachtvlinderPhlox paniculata 'David'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-paniculata-davidGeranium 'Rozanne'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geranium-rozanneGeranium wallichianum 'Bloom Me Away'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geranium-wallichianum-bloom-me-awayPennisetum macrourumhttps://www.sarahraven.com/products/pennisetum-macrourumChasmanthium latifoliumhttps://www.sarahraven.com/products/chasmanthium-latifoliumStipa giganteahttps://www.sarahraven.com/products/stipa-giganteaFollow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/Get in touch: [email protected] on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeuFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest