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The James & Joe Garden Show

The James & Joe Garden Show

By: Scribehound
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Welcome to The James & Joe Garden Show - the podcast that rips up the horticultural rulebook and plants something far more entertaining. Join James Alexander-Sinclair and Joe Swift every week where they tackle a garden topic, from the sensible to the completely ridiculous, armed with sharp opinions, 40 years’ worth of stories and a habit of wandering wildly off-topic. Listeners can also send in their weird and wonderful garden questions for the chance to win our treasured mascot - the Scribehound gnome, Jekyll. Our only two rules? No dead plants and no dull questions. As part of The Garden Collective - a place where leading experts share unfiltered gardening wisdom every single day - you can subscribe to get ad-free listening, bonus episodes, special access to live events, written articles from garden experts and so much more. Got a burning garden question, or a bizarre problem you just need to share? Email us at gardening@scribehound.com and we’ll get stuck in. Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠Instagram.⁠⁠ Biological Sciences Science
Episodes
  • Chelsea Flower Show POST MORTEM - with extra ducks

    Chelsea Flower Show POST MORTEM - with extra ducks
    May 26 2026
    Fresh from the world's most prestigious showground, James and Joe are back to completely deconstruct the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026. After a week where national tabloids picked up their last episode and accused Joe of launching a "scathing, fiery rant" against David Beckham and the BBC, Joe uses his right to reply to set the record straight on why he actually stepped down from the TV coverage after 24 years. Meanwhile, James - reigning supreme as this year's Co-Chair of Assessors - takes us inside the hyper-exclusive, highly secretive world of Main Avenue judging. This episode is sponsored by Kress, leaders in robotic lawnmowing and battery landscaping tools. Learn more here: https://www.kress.com/en-gb/ About our hosts James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular. Support James and Joe by becoming a member of The Garden Collective - a community for anyone who loves plants, gardens and sharing what they love - a place where experts and fellow gardeners all come together to inspire, entertain and keep us company whilst we’re weeding (or staring out of the window at the rain). You'll get access to articles written by some great gardeners, live Q&A sessions, livestreams, podcasts and loads more. It’s more than a platform - it’s a place where we can answer questions, offer biscuits and share our triumphs and disasters.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe now⁠: https://join.scribehound.com/gardening?ref=share&sharer=uu4ouXbbErgc54CBD&shareType=SbzpSgeEBK&channel=gardening%E2%81%A0 Follow James & Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesandjoegarden/ Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garden_collective_/ Contact us: ⁠gardening@scribehound.com⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    38 mins
  • Question Time: At What Age Do You Officially Become a Horticultural Bore?

    Question Time: At What Age Do You Officially Become a Horticultural Bore?
    May 19 2026
    James and Joe are back for another "unhinged" Q&A. With Joe calling in from a hotel room (and struggling with a single device for both recording and reading), James takes the lead on the accents, the questions, and the "perfectly unreasonable" answers. In this episode: The "Horticultural Bore" Threshold: Scarlett from Northampton asks when the transition from "contemporary" to "old bore" is complete. James reveals the true litmus test: Do you like Alpines yet? The Mystery of the Ghostly Trowels: A listener from Edinburgh finds random tools buried in their beds. Joe reflects on the "Brookside" husband-under-the-patio trope and the actual treasure they've found, from Victorian oyster shells to poison bottles. Scent & Memory: Sarah from Manchester (via Australia) asks about the power of smell. Joe talks about cut grass and football pitches, while James recalls the "musty humidity" of greenhouses and his grandmother's waxy Hoya plant. The Rhubarb Ribbon Revolution: An amazing tip from a listener in Hawaii/Oregon—making "cordage" (that’s string for the unpretentious) out of dried daylilies and crimson rhubarb ribbons. Front Garden Veggie Wars: Nigel from Derby wants a front-yard veg patch, but his wife thinks it’s "not the done thing." Joe gives a masterclass in how to sell it as a "Potager" to avoid the "keeping up appearances" drama. Royal Near-Misses: James recounts the time he nearly took out the Queen with an extravagant elbow gesture at Chelsea and the terrifying physics of a vibrating glass garden floor. Follow, rate and subscribe on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode is sponsored by Kress, leaders in robotic lawnmowing and battery landscaping tools. Learn more here: https://www.kress.com/en-gb/ About our hosts James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular. Support James and Joe by becoming a member of The Garden Collective - a community for anyone who loves plants, gardens and sharing what they love - a place where experts and fellow gardeners all come together to inspire, entertain and keep us company whilst we’re weeding (or staring out of the window at the rain). You'll get access to articles written by some great gardeners, live Q&A sessions, livestreams, podcasts and loads more. It’s more than a platform - it’s a place where we can answer questions, offer biscuits and share our triumphs and disasters.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe now⁠: https://join.scribehound.com/gardening?ref=share&sharer=uu4ouXbbErgc54CBD&shareType=SbzpSgeEBK&channel=gardening%E2%81%A0 Follow James & Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesandjoegarden/ Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garden_collective_/ Contact us: ⁠gardening@scribehound.com⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • Chelsea Flower Show 2026: The Secrets the BBC WON'T Tell You!

    Chelsea Flower Show 2026: The Secrets the BBC WON'T Tell You!
    May 12 2026
    James and Joe are in high spirits as the "Flower Show Season" officially kicks off. With Joe calling in from a BBC-funded hotel in Tewkesbury and James gearing up for his 20th year of judging, this episode dives into the chaotic, glamorous, and occasionally freezing world of the Chelsea Flower Show. In this episode: The Malvern Warm-up: Joe shares his "smart day" filming schedule at Malvern and why James is relieved to be skipping the stage after 20 years of "three grannies" in the audience. Thirty Years of Chelsea: Joe reflects on 24 years of filming and James on two decades of judging. James reveals how a rude complaint to the RHS head of shows accidentally landed him a judging gig. The Front-Right Tree Rule: The boys share a legendary show-garden secret: why a tree in the front-right corner is the ultimate "tantalizing" design move. Logistics & "Ronald McDonald": Meet Steve, the traffic legend who keeps 15-ton trees moving on an 11-acre site, and why the embankment turns into an articulated lorry graveyard. The Gala & The Stars: James’ "indiscreet" wedding at the Royal Hospital, Joe’s invite from The Times, and a look at David Beckham’s upcoming appearance on a garden designed by the brilliant (and potentially exhausted) Frances Tophill. Canteen Secrets: Why the "Exhibitors Restaurant" has gone from "rough" to "delicious," and James’ tradition of throwing Haribo (and nuts for the vegans) at landscaping teams to keep them moving. Follow, rate and subscribe on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode is sponsored by Kress, leaders in robotic lawnmowing and battery landscaping tools. Learn more here: https://www.kress.com/en-gb/ About our hosts James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular. Support James and Joe by becoming a member of The Garden Collective - a community for anyone who loves plants, gardens and sharing what they love - a place where experts and fellow gardeners all come together to inspire, entertain and keep us company whilst we’re weeding (or staring out of the window at the rain). You'll get access to articles written by some great gardeners, live Q&A sessions, livestreams, podcasts and loads more. It’s more than a platform - it’s a place where we can answer questions, offer biscuits and share our triumphs and disasters.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe now⁠: https://join.scribehound.com/gardening?ref=share&sharer=uu4ouXbbErgc54CBD&shareType=SbzpSgeEBK&channel=gardening%E2%81%A0 Follow James & Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesandjoegarden/ Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garden_collective_/ Contact us: ⁠gardening@scribehound.com⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
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