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

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, discover:
How to choose a garden colour palette based on the feeling you want to create (washed, velvet, comforting or luminous)
A simple “bride, bridesmaid, gate crasher” recipe for combining plants in harmonious yet lively colour schemes
Practical ways to test and refine palettes using coloured candles, mood boards and real flowers in your hand or in a vase
How to plan colour in succession by breaking the year into seasonal chunks and identifying plants that “carry the baton” across months
Real planting examples and border ideas drawn from Sarah’s own garden, including her vase-to-border comforting palette scheme
Products mentioned:
Nepeta x faassenii 'Kit Kat'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nepeta-x-faassenii-kit-kat
Alchemilla mollis
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/alchemilla-mollis
Clematis viticella 'Etoile Violette'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/clematis-viticella-etoile-violette
Cosmos bipinnatus 'Sonata Carmine'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-sonata-carmine
Salvia viridis 'Blue Monday'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-viridis-blue
Dahlia 'Peaches'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-peaches
Campsis x tagliabuana 'Indian Summer'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/campsis-x-tagliabuana-indian-summer
Phlox drummondii 'Blushing Bride'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-drummondii-blushing-bride
Abelia x grandiflora
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/abelia-x-grandiflora
Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' AGM
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-limelight
Stipa gigantea
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/stipa-gigantea
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

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 each create a distinct mood in the garden
Where each palette works best at Perch Hill, and where they might be most suited in your own space
How to avoid a cluttered, chaotic feeling by thinking of colour palettes in ‘visual fields’
How to use bridge plants and universal colours to link different palettes seamlessly
Ways to work with trickier colours so that they enhance your space, rather than overwhelm it
Products mentioned:
Dahlia 'Molly Raven': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-molly-raven
Tulip 'Slawa': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-slawa
Tulip 'Apricot Foxx': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-apricot-foxx
Phlox paniculata 'David': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-paniculata-david
Erysimum 'Winter Orchid': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/erysimum-winter-orchid
Phlox drummondii grandiflora 'Cherry Caramel': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-drummondii-cherry-caramel
Tulip 'Dom Pedro': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-dom-pedro
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

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-obsessed child shaped her approach to garden colour
How the colour palettes underpin every border at Perch Hill
Why misuse of colour can make some gardens feel chaotic 
The six key colours within each palette, from citrus brights and Venetian velvets to café-au-lait pastels and cool silvers
Why no colour is truly “wrong” in a garden, and how the right combinations and contrasts can make even challenging shades sing
Products mentioned:
Tulip 'Mariette': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-mariette
Tulip 'Sarah Raven': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-sarah-raven
Tulip 'Slawa': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-slawa
Tulip 'Dom Pedro': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-dom-pedro
Tulip 'Copex Cairo': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-copex-cairo
Dahlia 'Waltzing Mathilda': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-waltzing-mathilda
Dahlia 'Schipper’s Bronze’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-schippers-bronze
Dahlia 'Tom's Choice': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-toms-choice
Dahlia 'Molly Raven': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-molly-raven
Dahlia 'Perch Hill': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-perch-hill
Dahlia 'Lou Farman': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-lou-farman
Cosmos bipinnatus 'Rubenza': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-rubenza
Cosmos bipinnatus 'Dazzler': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-dazzler
Cosmos bipinnatus 'Xanthos': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-xanthos
Digitalis purpurea 'Sutton's Apricot': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/digitalis-purpurea-suttons-apricot
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

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 experimental food-growing site
The story behind Huw’s first book, Veg in One Bed, and the sheer potential in a single 10x4ft bed
How Huw blends creativity with just enough science to keep things productive
Exactly what Huw is sowing in late winter, and why timing matters
How Huw’s now using his land to grow for education, biodiversity and food
Episode Cover Photo Credit: Dorling Kindersley: Jason Ingram
Products mentioned:
Pepper 'Padron'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pepper-padron
Courgette 'Black Beauty'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/courgette-black-beauty
Aubergine 'Slim Jim'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/aubergine-slim-jim
Spring Onion 'North Holland Blood Red'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/spring-onion-north-holland-blood-red
Tomato 'Sungold'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-sungold
Tomato 'Tigerella'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-tigarella
Tomato 'Honeycomb' F1
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-honeycomb-f1
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

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 for pots, borders and different garden conditions, from shade to full sun with Corsican types
The best new and classic hellebores for long winter colour, including Maestro, Merlin, Strawberry Moon, Bijou and the Pretty Ellen series
How to cut, condition and arrange hellebores so they stand proud in a vase for two weeks
Practical ways to prevent and deal with pests and diseases like aphids, mice damage, leaf miner and black spot
Tips on soil, compost, potting and feeding so hellebores thrive as long-lived, reliable perennials
Products mentioned:
Helleborus niger
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-niger
Helleborus argutifolius
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-argutifolius
Helleborus x ballardiae 'Merlin'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-x-ballardiae-merlin
Helleborus x 'Bijoux'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-bijoux
Helleborus x 'Guess'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-guess
Helleborus orientalis 'Pretty Ellen Red'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-pretty-ellen-red
Helleborus orientalis 'Pretty Ellen Spotted'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-orientalis-pretty-ellen-spotted
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest