Introducing Two Good Gardeners

Reading time 3 minutes

I have been very quiet here lately, for which I apologise. Following a few subtle prompts, I thought I had better explain myself!

Dan Cooper Garden has been taking up more and more of my time as I prepare for a busy spring season selling at specialist plant fairs and garden openings all around the south and east of the UK. I’m popping up at some spectacular venues, including Saltwood Castle, Hatfield House and The American Museum in Bath – you’ll find details for April and May here. I have also been sourcing new products, writing lots of articles for the website and developing unique new services such as garden consultations and garden mentoring. It’s no wonder I’m feeling exhausted, but what a privilege it is to be doing what I love. I try to remind myself of that every day.

Since November, I’ve also been working on an exciting new project, a podcast with my friend and fellow gardener Julia Parker. We made a pilot episode in November (I called it a mock cast!), and finally, we have recorded and released episode 1. It’s available everywhere you’d usually find a podcast; on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Acast, or you can listen to it by tapping the play button below.

We know there are lots of gardening podcasts out there already. We are trying to make programmes that are finely tuned to the season, offering sound, credible, friendly advice at a comfortable pace with a dash of humour and a splash of personality. We are genuine, amateur gardeners who love what we do. We want to share our successes and failures so listeners can take comfort and enjoy their gardens. We take our hats off to everyone who makes a podcast – it’s not as easy as you imagine!

So, without further ado, I invite you to listen. We’re recording the next episode in a little over a week and welcome any feedback and suggestions for improvement. Please be kind. The first time around, we were concentrating so hard that we barely knew what we were saying! Happy listening. TFG.

Early Autumn Colour In Your Garden Two Good Gardeners

As summer eases into autumn, our gardens reach a colourful crescendo. In this episode, Dan & Julia share their favourite flowers and crops for extending the season, taking inspiration from their gardens and visits to Great Dixter, Sussex Prairies, East Ruston Old Vicarage and Doddington Place.Julia offers advice on autumn sowing and shares her top of the crops – delicious, juicy figs. Dan describes his new range of flower bowls and explains how to keep dahlias healthy and blooming for as long as possible.Find Julia's favourite fig recipe here.Explore Dan's collection of flower bowls here.This fortnight's jobs to do in the garden:Order onion sets.Order tulip bulbs.Keep watering and feeding pots and containers.Harvest courgettes regularly.Remove leaves on grape vines and figs, allowing more sunlight to ripen the fruits.Sow salads, fennel and beetroot for late crops in a greenhouse or under cover.Take cuttings – it's an ideal time for figs, hydrangeas, lavender, rosemary, salvias and coleus.Order indoor bulbs for Christmas forcing.Remove shading or netting in greenhouses as the light starts to diminish.Keep looking for box moth caterpillars and spray or pick them off.Dan & Julia's top plants for early autumn colour:Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ Rudbeckia triloba' Prairie Glow'Rudbeckia laciniata 'Herbstsonne' Helianthus' Monarch' Helianthus 'Velvet Queen' Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Bleeding Hearts’ Cosmos bipinnatus 'Double Click Cranberry' Ratibida columnifera ‘Red Midget’Eutrochium maculatum (Atropurpureum Group) 'Riesenschirm'Althaea cannabina Aster x frikartii 'Mönch' Eurybia divaricataVernonia arkansana 'Mammuth' Anemone japonicaHydrangea "Annabelle"Website links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian GreenhousesAlitex Adventures In Flowers Workshop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  1. Early Autumn Colour In Your Garden
  2. Late Summer Colour with Fergus Garrett
  3. All Set for Summer
  4. Friends & Foes
  5. Chelsea Flower Show Special

Categories: Bulbs, Container gardening, Flowers, Fruit and Veg, Podcast, Seeds and Sowing, Urban Gardens, Weather

Posted by The Frustrated Gardener

Greetings Garden Lover! Welcome to my blog. Plants are my passion and this is my way of sharing that joyful emotion with the world. You'll find over 1000 posts here featuring everything from abutilons to zinnias. If you've enjoyed what you've read, please leave a comment and consider subscribing using the yellow 'Follow' button in the bottom, right-hand corner of your screen. You will receive an email every time I post something new.

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7 comments On "Introducing Two Good Gardeners"

  1. Thankyou so much. Really enjoyed listening to you – you’re very engaging Dan. Found the podcast informative, especially the background info on the rubber seed trays. Look forward to listening to the next one! xx

  2. Well done down – Not easy putting together a Podcast. Wishing you both all the best and great success. H

  3. Great podcast Dan and Julia – I really enjoyed it and there were some very useful and inspiring ideas. I’m looking forward to the next one 🙂
    I too need to get out and clean inside my greenhouse – hopefully tomorrow. Only one week to go before the clocks go forward .. Hurrah for lighter evenings!!

    Eve

    1. I finally managed to clear my greenhouse yesterday. It looks so much better and the plants already seem happier. Just the outside to tackle now.

      I can’t wait for the lighter evenings, although they mark the end of idle TV watching for seven months! Dan

  4. Well done Dan and Julia, your podcast was perfect – informative, funny and relatable in every way. I’m already looking forward to the next one… and the next! Thank you to you both x

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