The 4th of May marks a very special day at Perch Hill, particularly this year - it’s 30 years since Sarah and Adam first arrived and started making history here.

Perch Hill looks so vastly different to how it began in 1994, as it’s taken shape over the decades, and in this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ Sarah & Adam share stories from their time here so far, the many phases that Perch Hill has seen, and how the garden in particular has developed.

In this episode, learn:

• How Sarah discovered Perch Hill, and the charming experiences that endeared Adam to it
• The state in which Sarah & Adam found the garden, and first steps towards bringing it to life in the way that we all know and love today
• Balancing abundance with structure, and chaos with tidiness through a lens of biodiversity

Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Veg: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sarah-ravens-a-year-full-of-veg

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

With overnight frosts receding, the opportunities in your garden throughout May are among the most exciting all year.

For May’s ‘Monthly Jobs’ episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, join Sarah and Josie for a run through the month’s most exciting errands, from planting out half-hardy dahlias and tomatoes, to preparing your pots, and how to handle the influx of slugs and snails..

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

With spring racing onwards, the window in which to plant out your half-hardy seeds is upon us, and it’s a time that should spark joy in the imaginations of veg gardeners.

This week on grow, cook, eat, arrange, half-hardy vegetables take centre stage - Sarah takes us through the 6 must-have categories of veg, and shares an array of mouth-watering recipes perfect for the avid kitchen gardener.

In this episode, discover:

• Why this time of year perfectly suits the sowing of your half-hardy seeds
• Three stellar tomatoes, with a surprise favourite emerging from our most recent taste trials
• Recipes for all of Sarah’s top half-hardy veg, from the surprisingly savoury to the deliciously healthy
• Which edible flowers wonderfully complement courgettes in a fritto misto

Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Veg: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sarah-ravens-a-year-full-of-veg

Products mentioned:
Tomato 'Black Russian': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-black-russian
Tomato 'Sungold': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-sungold
Tomato 'Garnet': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-garnet
Cucumber 'La Diva': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cucumber-la-diva
Pea 'Nairobi': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pea-nairobi
Sweet Basil: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/basil-sweet
Courgette 'Romanesco': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/courgette-romanesco
Courgette 'Soleil' F1: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/courgette-soleil-f1
Courgette 'Bianca di Trieste': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/courgette-bianca-di-trieste
Tulip 'White Valley' syn 'Exotic Emperor': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-white-valley
Carrot 'Nantes 5': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/carrot-nantes-5

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Early May is on its way, bringing a fresh bloom of fragrant and fabulous flowers. It’s this abundance of impact and perfume on which Simon Lycett thrives.

His style of floristry is so striking, and one from which we cannot fail but to learn - Simon joins us to share his highlights of the spring season and how you can choose the perfect varieties to create your own stunning arrangements.

In this episode, discover:

• Simon’s recent endeavours with BBC Maestro, creating wonderful guides to decorating with flowers
• Our favourite garden & cut flowers for early May, with special mention for the absolute must-have Lily of the Valley
• A unique irrigation tip if your garden is overly abundant with slugs
• Simon’s top tips for home-grown floristry, and the standout performers he’s been drawn to in recent years

Connect with Simon: https://www.instagram.com/simonlycett

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Welcome back to our monthly Q&A podcast episodes for April, where Sarah and Josie answer questions from you, our lovely listeners.

In this month’s episode, Sarah turns her attention to sweet peas as she shares how deep to sow seeds, and how far apart to sow them based on our trials at Perch Hill. Also this month, we hear which plants are ideal for planting out in April, particularly those that bring instant impact. 

Sarah takes us through what seeds should be sown now, from the ornamental garden featuring erigeron to the kitchen garden with kales and flat leaf parsley.

Josie also shares a wonderful selection of seeds that are ideal for growing cut flowers in containers, with a lovely mention for the likes of the cosmos sonata series.

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

For any organic gardener, companion planting is one of the most essential, rewarding and productive ways to ward off bugs and fungal infections.

As the seasons are beginning to turn, it’s a wonderful time to recap the importance and joy of companion planting - Sarah is joined once again by Arthur Parkinson, where we revisit classic combinations, and share some unconventional pairings that you might not have considered.

In this episode, discover:

• The many reasons that companion planting is a fantastic alternative to chemical treatments in the garden
• Where and how to plant out tagetes for a reliable, much-loved source of protection against green and whitefly
• Which of the salvias are among our favourites to pair with roses, and when to plant them out
• The often-underestimated use of basil as a companion plant, making it a perfect partner to tomatoes in the kitchen and garden alike

Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Veg:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sarah-ravens-a-year-full-of-veg
Products mentioned:
Tagetes tenuifoila 'Red Gem': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tagetes-red-gem
Tagetes tenuifolia 'Tangerine Gem': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tagetes-tenuifolia-tangerine-gem
Tagetes patula 'Linnaeus Burning Embers':
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tagetes-linnaeus
Salvia x jamensis 'Nachtvlinder': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-x-jamensis-nachtvlinder
Sweet Basil: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/basil-sweet
Tagetes minuta: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tagetes-minuta

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

For those with a vegetable garden, The Pig’s offering is a source of inspiration and envy among many, all of which thrives under the watchful eye of Group Head Gardener, Ollie Hutson.

This week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ brings us a fantastic array of tips and recipes to take from Ollie’s expertise and bring into our own growing and cooking, drawing on a love of the natural world that’s spanned his entire life.

In this episode, discover:

• The Pig’s humble beginnings and the exciting expansion of its gorgeous hotels
• How Ollie, as Group Head Gardener, approaches the natural world and focuses on creating a ‘25 mile menu’
• What to sow in March and April to fill the ‘hungry gap’ in the kitchen garden
• Some of Ollie’s favourite recipes, taking inspiration from The Pig’s luxury menu

Ollie Huston: https://twitter.com/olliehutson85
The Pig: https://www.thepighotel.com/
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Veg: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sarah-ravens-a-year-full-of-veg

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Light levels are increasing and life in the garden is well and truly bustling, which makes this time of year such a joyful one for gardeners! 

Returning to our ‘Monthly Jobs’ series, this month’s episode sees Sarah & Josie share which flowers and edibles are perfect for sowing at this stage of the year, as well as how to revitalise your whopper pots once the Tulips go over.

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Knepp plays host to one of the most breathtaking rewilding projects in Britain, and from it we can take such inspiration to channel into our own green spaces.

Sharing the evolution of the project from its initial thousand species and how you can encourage biodiversity in your garden is Charlie Harpur - Knepp’s Head Gardener joins Sarah this week alongside her husband, Adam Nicolson.

In this episode, discover:

• How much or how little control you should impose on a garden that’s being rewilded
• Charlie’s work with Tom Stuart-Smith, Jekka McVicar and James Hitchmough
• Knepp’s work on balancing what each plant provides, not allowing dominant species to run rampant
• Why we at home should focus on succession throughout the year

Follow Charlie: https://www.instagram.com/charlie.harpur/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-harpur/
Knepp Rewilding Project: https://knepp.co.uk/rewilding/
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Veg:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sarah-ravens-a-year-full-of-veg

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Our Events and Horti Marketing Manager, Jemima Bowker has been gardening for a few years now, and her perspective on the floral world is shared by many a beginner gardener.

That’s why this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ is dedicated to the 12 flowers that are absolutely essential for newcomers to gardening. From the fast growers to the fragrant showstoppers, this episode is brimming with simple, easy to grow and wholeheartedly rewarding varieties.

In this episode, discover:

• The beauty of sowing Calendulas in gutters for prolific growth from a charming cut-and-come-again flower
• Linaria Sweeties’ instant impact with their staggering rate of growth and fantastic vase life
• Why Scabiosa Black Cat holds a special place in Jemima’s list, with its long flowering period and appeal for pollinators
• How best to treat Icelandic Poppies for a sprinkling of saturation which will last all summer

Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Veg: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sarah-ravens-a-year-full-of-veg

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Welcome back to the March Q&A podcast episodes, in which Sarah and Josie are once again answering your burning questions.

This time around, we’re looking at pinching out seedlings like cosmos, whether they should be pinched out when they’re tall and leggy, and if there are certain seedlings which shouldn’t be pinched.

Also in this episode, you’ll discover a short, sweet and stunning selection of Sarah & Josie’s favourite varieties for spring, from Sarah’s beloved amelanchiers to Josie’s must-have narcissi.

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/