Episodes

  • The Serge Hill Project with Becky Fincham and Millie Souter
    Jun 30 2026

    For their season finale, Dan and Julia talk to Becky Fincham and Millie Souter from The Serge Hill Project for Gardening, Creativity and Health, the non-profit initiative set up by Tom & Sue Stuart-Smith around their family home in Hertfordshire. Inspired by Sue Stuart-Smith's bestselling book, 'The Well Gardened Mind', Becky leads a host of programmes that introduce local schools, community groups, charities and cancer survivors to gardening. Becky is joined by Millie Souter, Head Gardener for the renowned Plant Library at the Tom Stuart-Smith Studio. Millie takes care of 2000 varieties of herbaceous plants and low shrubs, plus 500 different bulbs, set out in a grid system. We find out how plants earn a place in the library and how gardeners and plant enthusiasts can make use of this world-class resource. Also in this episode, Julia explains how to collect and store your own seeds, and Dan discovers a fun way to personalise your gardening gear.


    Website links:


    • More about the Serge Hill Project
    • Book tickets for the Serge Hill Plant Fair
    • More about Sue Stuart Smith's Book, 'The Well Gardened Mind'
    • Dan Cooper Garden
    • Parker's Patch


    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.

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    56 mins
  • A Passion for Perennials with Rosy Hardy
    Jun 12 2026

    Perennials are probably the most popular type of plant in the UK, but that wasn’t always the case. In this episode, we talk with Rosy Hardy, the Chelsea Flower Show’s most decorated female exhibitor. She has won 24 gold medals and helped many garden designers and colleagues win awards with her plants. Rosy explains how she helped make perennials popular over the past forty years and shares advice on choosing varieties that can handle our unpredictable summer weather. Later, Dan introduces an innovative plastic-free insect net made from plant fibres, and Julia recommends an unusual fruit that grows well in hot, dry summers.


    Website links:


    • Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants website offering over 1200 perennials grown peat-free.
    • A selection of Rosy's most resilient perennials
    • Rosy Hardy Gardening on YouTube
    • Dan Cooper Garden
    • Insectonet Plastic-Free Net
    • Parker's Patch


    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.

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • London's Secret Eden With Sean Harkin
    May 22 2026

    Tucked away on the embankment, the Inner Temple Garden has a long and impressive history, including a time when it hosted what is now called the Chelsea Flower Show. In this episode, Dan and Julia chat with Sean Harkin, the Head Gardener, about how he and his team have made the garden a wildlife-friendly, award-winning space while honouring its horticultural roots. In a full-circle moment, we hear that the Inner Temple will host a brand-new plant fair on Sunday, 31st May, 2026. Dan also introduces new plant-based gardening gloves for summer, and Julia shares tips on how to do the Chelsea Chop.


    Website links:


    • The Inner Temple Garden website
    • Advance tickets for the Plant Fairs Roadshow at the Inner Temple on 31st May 2026
    • Dan Cooper Garden
    • Donkey Gloves Bamboo Gardening Gloves
    • Parker's Patch
    • How to do the Chelsea Chop


    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.

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    52 mins
  • Borde Hill Blossoms with Jay Goddard and Mark Bobin
    May 8 2026

    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.

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    44 mins
  • Some Like It Hot With Clare Kennett
    Apr 24 2026

    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.

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    56 mins
  • The Kindest Garden with Marian Boswall
    Apr 10 2026

    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.

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    1 hr
  • Gardening Off-Grid With Steve Edney and Lou Dowle
    Mar 27 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
  • Dazzling Daffodils with Neil Miller
    Mar 13 2026

    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.

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    57 mins