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

We’re stepping once more into Tom Stimpson’s tiny town garden to see how he coaxes months of colour from the smallest of spaces. 
In this episode, Tom shares the mini bulbs that have truly earned their keep in pots and window boxes – from long-flowering iris and species tulips to cheerful muscari and dwarf narcissus. 
Together we explore simple planting “recipes”, clever table‑top displays, and a low‑maintenance watering approach that lets the weather do most of the work. 
In this episode, discover:
How Tom turns a tiny town garden into months of spring colour using mini bulbs in pots, tabletops and window boxes
Which small bulbs really earn their keep in containers – from Ipheion ‘Alberto Castillo’ and ‘Wisley Blue’ to favourite species tulips and dwarf narcissus
Simple ways to plan a small-space bulb display, including easy paper layouts and colour planning
A low-maintenance watering approach for bulbs in pots that relies on deep, occasional soaking rather than constant fussing
Practical tricks for protecting bulbs from squirrels and how to give narcissi, muscari and Iris reticulata a second life in borders.
Products mentioned:
Ipheion ‘Alberto Castillo’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/ipheion-alberto-castillo
Tulipa sylvestris: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulipa-sylvestris
Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shades’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/anemone-blanda-blue-shades
Muscari ‘Blue Magic’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/muscari-blue-magic
Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/muscari-armeniacum-valerie-finnis
Narcissus ‘Minnow’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-minnow
Narcissus ‘Sailboat’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-sailboat
Scilla / Squills (Siberian Squill): https://www.sarahraven.com/products/scilla-siberica
See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

If you love the idea of beautiful pots that don’t need replanting every five minutes, perennials in a container can be the perfect solution, and just as stunning as a bed or a border.
Tom Stimpson returns to discuss trusted “banker” perennials for containers – from long-flowering hellebores and acers underplanted with geraniums, to hydrangeas, heucheras and beloved agapanthus. 
You’ll hear exactly which combinations have stood the test of time in Tom’s garden as well as at Perch Hill, and how to get colour from winter through to late autumn.
In this episode, discover:
How to design perennial pots that give you colour and structure from winter through to late autumn, without constant replanting
Which plants Sarah and Tom rely on most strongly for containers 
Practical planting combinations for small gardens, such as Pittosporum with hellebores and scabious, or an acer underplanted with Geranium ‘Rozanne’
A realistic regime for watering, feeding and deadheading perennial pots so they stay sturdy rather than sappy
Products mentioned:
Helleborus niger: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-niger
Helleborus orientalis: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-orientalis-pretty-ellen-spotted
Helleborus ‘Ice n’ Roses Red’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-x-glandorfensis-ice-n-roses-red
Pittosporum ‘Bannow Bay’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pittosporum-tenuifolium-bannow-bay
Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Black Cat’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/scabiosa-atropurpurea-black-cat
Scabiosa ‘Kudo Pink’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/scabiosa-incisa-kudo-pink
Geranium ‘Rozanne’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geranium-rozanne
Geranium ‘Dreamland’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geranium-dreamland
Hydrangea ‘Madame Emile Mouillère’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-macrophylla-madame-emile-mouillere
Hydrangea ‘Little Lime’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-little-lime
Hydrangea ‘Limelight’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-limelight
Hydrangea ‘Little Fresco’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-little-fresco
Heuchera ‘Black Taffeta’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/heuchera-black-taffeta
Gaura ‘The Bride’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/gaura-lindheimeri-the-bride
Gaura ‘Flamingo’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/gaura-collection-for-pots
Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-nemorosa-caradonna
Salvia ‘Peach Melba’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-peach-melba
Verbena rigida: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/verbena-rigida
Linaria ‘Peachy’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/linaria-x-purpurea-peachy
Agapanthus ‘Midnight Blue’ / ‘Navy Blue’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/agapanthus-navy-blue
See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

We’re approaching the perfect moment for bulb planting, and if you’re looking to force bulbs for a lovely indoor winter, then look no further than the sage advice of Tom Stimpson.
In this episode, Sarah and Tom - our Head of Horticulture - share their favourite bulbs to force indoors, and how to pot and water them, plus a few simple tricks to keep them flowering for weeks on end. 
In this episode, discover:
The best bulbs to force indoors, from dramatic amaryllis and classic paperwhites to scented narcissus, hyacinths and tiny muscari
Simple methods for planting, positioning and watering indoor bulbs so they flower reliably
The importance of “mean” watering to avoid rot and keep flowers lasting longer
Easy ways to move forced bulbs from house to garden so they go on to provide colour and cut stems for seasons to come
Products mentioned:
Amaryllis ‘Papillio’ (Papilio): https://www.sarahraven.com/products/amaryllis-papillio
Amaryllis ‘Green Magic’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/amaryllis-green-magic
Amaryllis ‘Nymph’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/amaryllis-nymph
Paperwhite Narcissus ‘Ziva’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-papyraceus-ziva-for-forcing
Narcissus ‘Polar Hunter’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-polar-hunter
Hyacinth ‘China Pink’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hyacinth-china-pink
Hyacinth ‘Delft Blue’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hyacinthus-orientalis-delft-blue-forcing
Muscari ‘Blue Magic’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/muscari-blue-magic
See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

When cancer enters a life, it carries a profound impact on the places in which you seek comfort, which is why the human-centred gardens at Maggie’s centres are so unbelievably important.
In this powerful episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah talks to Dame Laura Lee from Maggie’s, about how beautifully designed, garden-centred spaces are changing the experience of cancer care for patients and their families. 
In this episode, discover:
How one simple question sparked the creation of Maggie’s Centres and a new idea of cancer support
Why the design of a space can change how it feels to live with cancer
What actually happens when someone walks from the hospital into a Maggie’s Centre
How Maggie’s supports not only patients but their families and friends through the process
The role of gardens and seasons as a gentle way to talk about hope, uncertainty, treatment, and even end of life
See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

If you’ve ever let your vegetable garden wind down after summer, there’s a whole season you’re missing out on. 
This week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah breaks the year into two simple seasons and shows you exactly what to sow now so you can keep picking right through the grey months. 
From hardy salads and herbs to kales and chards, she shares 12 tried-and-tested crops that genuinely thrive in a UK winter. 
In this episode, discover:
How to divide the gardening year into two simple seasons so you can plan for year-round harvests
Which 12 tried-and-tested crops Sarah relies on for winter and early spring eating
The exact sowing window for late-summer and early-autumn sowings, and why timing is crucial if you want strong plants going into winter
Practical ways to cook and enjoy your winter veg, including Sarah’s wilted kale salad, and how to use herbs to brighten cold-season salads
Products mentioned:
Lettuce ‘Merveille de Quatre Saisons’:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lettuce-merveille-de-quatre-saisons
Mustard ‘Red Frills’: 
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/mustard-red-frills
Flat-leaf Parsley ‘Giant of Napoli’: 
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/parsley-gigante-di-napoli
Spinach ‘Medania’: 
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/spinach-medania
Chard: 
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/chard-lucullus
Florence Fennel / Bulb Fennel (‘Romanesco’): 
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/florence-fennel-romanesco
See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest