248 episodes
Talking Heads - a Gardening Podcast Lucy Chamberlain and Saul Walker
-
- Leisure
-
-
4.5 • 22 Ratings
-
Follow head gardeners Saul Walker and Lucy Chamberlain as they reveal exactly what it’s like to be professional horticulturists leading busy teams on large, private estates. Lucy and Saul have a decade of Head Gardening experience and it soon became clear to them both that life as a Head Gardener can be incredibly diverse, occasionally challenging and hugely rewarding and so they regularly discuss horticultural topics close to their hearts and give you an insight into their lives as gardeners. If you wish to support the podcast you can via our BuyMeACoffee page - just click the link at the end of the podcast description or the donate button found at the top right of this page.
-
Ep. 220 - It's the greenhouse special! Lucy gives you a guided tour of her beloved greenhouse, explaining how she manages light, temperature, location, space and cropping cycles to gain optimum performance from this precious under cover area
Spring is the time of the gardening year where all gardeners sigh with relief, it's really time to get out and about and enjoy the wonderful world of horticulture. A garden waking up and showing its early colour and form is a wonderful space to live and work in, an it's no exception that Lucy and Saul revel in this time of year, as their gardening lives start to get busier with sowing, planting, propagation, mowing, mulching and all other gardening tasks. Sprinkle in some early flower shows and the odd plant fair and our gardening life is complete, so thank god for Spring!
Owning a greenhouse is an utter treat, and Lucy certainly adores hers (HUGE thanks, Aunty Gwen). Getting the most out of this precious under cover space is her goal, so this week, while Saul takes a well earned rest, she explains how she looks after her building to best effect. Expect discussions on essentials such as temperature and light management, and also listen out for her tips for installing services and juggling space when seedlings and maturing plants compete on the staging. Oh, and installing a light so that you can garden at night is a win, win!
Instagram Links:
Lucy headgardenerlc
Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Support the show -
Ep 219 - This week, we discuss the 3 Ps: Precipitation, Propagation and Pests - all three of them are in full swing in Devon and Essex! Pls accept our apologies for expletives...
Spring is the time of the gardening year where all gardeners sigh with relief, it's really time to get out and about and enjoy the wonderful world of horticulture. A garden waking up and showing its early colour and form is a wonderful space to live and work in, an it's no exception that Lucy and Saul revel in this time of year, as their gardening lives start to get busier with sowing, planting, propagation, mowing, mulching and all other gardening tasks. Sprinkle in some early flower shows and the odd plant fair and our gardening life is complete, so thank god for Spring!
With rain falling relentlessly from the skies, snails invading within the greenhouse, and seedlings bursting forth on our propagation benches, the gardening duo are made fully aware that spring is definitely here! Devon is being characteristically wet, with a month's rainfall in just over one week. Will it ever stop? (Hopefully by the time you read this Stonelands will be bathed in blue skies). Seed sowing is in full swing for both Lucy and Saul, and Lucy gives a few tips on how to bulk up plants quickly. And finally, the pair chew over the word 'pests' - how can we apply it in the garden these days, or should we at all?
Instagram Links:
Lucy headgardenerlc
Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Support the show -
Ep. 218 - With more rain scheduled in Devon, most of Saul's gardening at the moment is under cover, and that's when his Houseplant collection keeps his plant addiction thriving, so join him for some Houseplant chat.
Spring is the time of the gardening year where all gardeners sigh with relief, it's really time to get out and about and enjoy the wonderful world of horticulture. A garden waking up and showing its early colour and form is a wonderful space to live and work in, an it's no exception that Lucy and Saul revel in this time of year, as their gardening lives start to get busier with sowing, planting, propagation, mowing, mulching and all other gardening tasks. Sprinkle in some early flower shows and the odd plant fair and our gardening life is complete, so thank god for Spring!
Rain strikes again! So far 80% of the days in the Westcountry this year have been washouts, and when drier, sunny days arrive the ground is so boggy gardening outside is proving tricky! But never fear because gardening indoors is still an option, whether in the greenhouse sowing seeds, potting plants on and gearing up for drier days ahead (hopefully) or in the house with your burgeoning houseplant collection. Houseplants are probably the biggest growth section of horticulture at the moment, with the fashion for a small (or large) collection fuelled by social media, new greenfingered gardeners and a lack of gardening space. Saul is no different having grown and collected many indoor plants since his youth - so join him as he talks everything houseplant from the comfort and 'dry' of his living room!
Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Instagram Links:
Lucy headgardenerlc
Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Support the show -
Ep. 217 - When will the rain stop? Who knows, but until then the Talking Heads pair bring you more Horticultural waffle looking at grow lights, where to get a good Garden job and Alpine plants.
Spring is the time of the gardening year where all gardeners sigh with relief, it's really time to get out and about and enjoy the wonderful world of horticulture. A garden waking up and showing its early colour and form is a wonderful space to live and work in, an it's no exception that Lucy and Saul revel in this time of year, as their gardening lives start to get busier with sowing, planting, propagation, mowing, mulching and all other gardening tasks. Sprinkle in some early flower shows and the odd plant fair and our gardening life is complete, so thank god for Spring!
Most outdoor gardening is on hold until we finally dry out - especially in Devon where Saul has received roughly two and a half times the average rainfall over March! But that doesn't mean Lucy and him have to put the horticultural waffle on hold, as we answer listeners questions on Grow Lights and where the professional gardener can go to find advertised jobs. We also talk about Alpine plants with Saul's first flower show of the year - though the weather may not be playing ball, there's still plenty of gardening going on!
Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Instagram Links:
Lucy headgardenerlc
Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Support the show -
Ep. 216 - Join Lucy and Saul in their Essex and Devon gardens as Spring unfolds, the gardening pair bring you along as they bask in the glory of the season's blossom and check their precious vegetable seedlings.
Spring is the time of the gardening year where all gardeners sigh with relief, it's really time to get out and about and enjoy the wonderful world of horticulture. A garden waking up and showing its early colour and form is a wonderful space to live and work in, an it's no exception that Lucy and Saul revel in this time of year, as their gardening lives start to get busier with sowing, planting, propagation, mowing, mulching and all other gardening tasks. Sprinkle in some early flower shows and the odd plant fair and our gardening life is complete, so thank god for Spring!
As the Talking Heads pair beaver away in their garden, meeting up to have a good waffle has been delayed - but never fear both have taken sometime out of their busy horticultural schedules to take you along into their personal slice of garden heaven and give a spring report on the blossom in Devon and the vigorous, vegetable seedlings of Essex. It truly is a wonderful time of year to be outside and the garden is living up to the hype, so wherever you are in the world, get out and enjoy your garden!
Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
Instagram Links:
Lucy headgardenerlc
Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Support the show -
Ep. 215 - Is it Spring, is it not spring - that's the question as Lucy and Saul continue to wrestle their wet gardens into fit shape, and one of the projects you can do is creating Raised Beds, the subject of this weeks guest David Hurrion's new book.
Spring is the time of the gardening year where all gardeners sigh with relief, it's really time to get out and about and enjoy the wonderful world of horticulture. A garden waking up and showing its early colour and form is a wonderful space to live and work in, an it's no exception that Lucy and Saul revel in this time of year, as their gardening lives start to get busier with sowing, planting, propagation, mowing, mulching and all other gardening tasks. Sprinkle in some early flower shows and the odd plant fair and our gardening life is complete, so thank god for Spring!
Saul and Lucy are wrestling their gardens into some kind of shape, as the Spring weather stops and starts. Blossom is beginning to show and many task seem to be building up, so the gardening pair are feeling the pressure. But maybe the answer comes in the form of Raised Beds - the subject of our guest on this episode, David Hurrion, who's new book is the comprehensive guide on a facet of our garden both practically and design-wise that we maybe overlooking a little too much!
David's Book:
The Raised Bed book
Twitter links:
Saul @GardeningSaul
David @DavidHurrion
Instagram Links:
Lucy headgardenerlc
David davidhurrion
Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io
"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Support the show
Customer Reviews
One of the Best Gardening Podcasts!
Lucy and Saul feel like a pair of gardening friends who I haven’t met yet. They discuss the fascinating jobs and projects going on in the estate gardens they head. We also get a peek into Saul’s increasing mastery of exotic gardening at home and Lucy’s irrepressible zeal for home-grown vegetables and tomatoes! I love to listen to the podcast while I’m out in my own garden. (In Connecticut!) It keeps me company and reminds me that my hobby would make one heck of a hard job! It all makes me love gardening more. Thank you both for sharing a little piece of your gardening lives and a lot of useful wisdom.
Well Done!
I’m a Colorado gardener and love your show. Just found this and was led to Talking Dirty and Martin Fish (Pots and Trowles). Thank you for great information and a fun show!
Travel to another place with knowledgeable, enthusiastic guides
I live in Minnesota US, where the famous native son Prince warned gardeners, “sometimes it snows in April.” We snowshoe in February instead of seeing snowdrops. Hearing about professional estate gardens helps me travel to another place and imagine other lives and human tended landscapes. I listen to visit with my ears and soothe my nerves. A friend in lonely times.