Master My Garden Podcast

What if your garden could slow a storm, clean a river, and lift your mood in one sweep? We dive into the GLDA’s “The Interconnection of All Things,” a bold, practical look at how plants act as living infrastructure—supporting biodiversity, soaking up floodwater, buffering noise, and restoring our connection to place.

We explore how language and myth can sharpen ecological awareness, then shift into concrete strategies designers can use right now. From award‑winning rewilding by Lulu Urquhart and Adam Hunt to Biomatrix Water’s floating gardens that transform hard-edged docks into thriving habitats, the common thread is nature doing the heavy lifting. We unpack urban projects that blend SUDS, habitat corridors, and human access, showing how rain gardens, engineered tree pits, and permeable surfaces turn runoff into a resource. Heritage expert Neil Porteous brings the long view from estates and historic gardens, while the legacy of the late Séamus O’Brien reminds us how deep plant knowledge shapes resilient landscapes. Designer Margie Ruddick connects ecology to culture and community, with case studies from New York to China and Mexico that fuse stormwater design, microclimate, and everyday public life.

Expect clear takeaways for small city plots and large sites alike: mix native and adapted plants for function and beauty, design for water first, collaborate with gardeners for long-term care, and treat every garden as part of a wider network from mountain to sea. If you’ve ever wondered how to move beyond hard landscaping trends toward spaces that actually heal, this conversation delivers inspiration and tools you can apply this season.
You can buy tickets here: 
https://glda.ie/

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If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know.
Email: [email protected]

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Until next week
Happy gardening
John

Blue skies today, sleet tomorrow—February keeps growers guessing. We lean into that reality with a grounded sowing plan for edibles that starts slow, protects seedlings, and builds momentum toward a season of steady harvests. I break down what to sow, when to start, and how to adapt your timing to your garden’s microclimate so you avoid redoing work when the weather snaps back cold.

We begin with reliable early wins: spring onions on a steady rotation, seed-grown onions to reduce bolting, and small batches of hardy salads like spinach, mizuna, and mixed leaves that shrug off a chill under cover. Multi-sowing gets a spotlight too—grouping leeks, beetroot, and spring onions in modules makes transplanting faster and keeps trays tidy. If your household is lukewarm on early brassicas, keep volumes tight and save space for what you’ll actually eat. For a quick flavour lift, start peas for shoots on a windowsill and keep radish on repeat.

Heat lovers demand discipline. Peppers, chilies, aubergines, and tomatoes can start mid‑month if—and only if—you can keep temperatures warm and steady. I share why chilies and aubergines need the longest runway, and when it’s smarter to skip them than fight a cool tunnel. We also tackle early tunnel carrots for sweet, small roots, and we unpack the great potato question: chitting helps, but warm soil helps more. Aim for heated ground and simple frost protection rather than chasing a calendar date.

There’s more you can do before spring surges: plant bare‑root fruit trees and bushes, set rhubarb and asparagus crowns, and build no‑dig beds while growth is slow. Throughout, I focus on practical sequencing—successional sowing for continuous salads, strategic timings for longer‑hold crops like chard, and a simple framework for deciding what to start now versus what to delay. Subscribe for more monthly sowing guides, share this with a friend who’s itching to start seeds, and leave a review to tell me what you’re sowing first this month.
Want to come to my grow your own food workshops book here: 
https://subscribepage.io/growyourownfoodworkshop
Support the show
If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know.
Email: [email protected]

Check out Master My Garden on the following channels
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/
Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/

Until next week
Happy gardening
John

Ready to jumpstart a season of colour without babysitting trays for months? We map out a realistic February plan for ornamental flowers, focusing on what to sow now, when to wait, and how to keep seedlings strong with steady heat, bright light, and measured watering. If you’ve ever lost begonias to cold media or watched cosmos turn leggy on a dim windowsill, this guide shows the simple fixes that change the outcome.

We break down the crucial differences between edibles and flowers after germination, then list reliable annuals to start toward the end of the month: pansies, violas, begonias, busy Lizzies, calendula, cosmos, nigella, and bellflowers. You’ll learn why begonias and impatiens crave about 20°C, how to pinch cosmos to prevent stretch, and the best way to sow sweet peas using deep root trainers to protect their taproots. Watering strategy gets a clear, practical treatment too: keep compost slightly dry, use bottom watering, and avoid cold, wet mixes that invite damping‑off.

Seeds aren’t your only route to blooms. We outline smart alternatives available now, from bare root roses and peonies to agapanthus crowns, plus summer‑flowering bulbs like dahlias, gladioli, lilies, and tuberous begonias. You’ll hear when a potted rose may be worth the extra cost, how long agapanthus can take to flower, and why starting dahlias under cover offers an easy early win. For growers following along since autumn, we also note the timing to pot on perennial seedlings so they hit spring with strong roots.

If your space runs cool, we explain why waiting until March or April can actually simplify care and still deliver abundant blooms. The theme is consistent: heat, patience, and timing beat rushing. Subscribe for more practical, no‑nonsense gardening guidance, share this with a friend who’s sowing too early, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. What are you starting first this month?
Support the show
If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know.
Email: [email protected]

Check out Master My Garden on the following channels
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/
Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/

Until next week
Happy gardening
John

Seed success starts long before the first tray is filled. We’re laying down a practical, no‑nonsense prep plan that saves you time, cuts waste, and sets your early crops up for real momentum once daylight returns in mid‑February. From testing old packets on kitchen paper to choosing the right trays and compost, we go deep on the details that quietly deliver stronger seedlings and bigger harvests.

We talk through the realities of germination rates, why seed vigour matters even when sprouts appear, and when to be ruthless about binning tired stock. You’ll hear a clear comparison between open pollinated and F1 hybrid seed—where resilience, seed saving, and flavour meet reliability, pest tolerance, and uniformity—so you can choose with intent. On kit, we separate “nice to have” from “need”: rigid seed trays and modules earn their place; heated propagators help with tomatoes and peppers; grow lights are optional if you time sowings for rising natural light.

Compost can make or break a sowing day. We weigh up peat’s consistency against peat‑free variability, call out premium peat‑free options that perform, and share a simple DIY seed mix: fine, mature compost or leaf mould for structure, perlite for air, and a light nutrient lift from vermicompost and seaweed. Then it’s technique: dense sowing with gentle pricking out, thinning to the strongest seedling, multi‑sowing spring onions for efficient beds, and watering that keeps media evenly moist without drowning roots. Airflow, patience, and timing bring it all together—wait until mid‑February and you’ll have more light, steadier temperatures, and somewhere sensible to move plants on.

Ready to start strong and skip the leggy mistakes? Listen now, get your seed box, trays, and compost lined up, and join us next week for the full February sowing guide. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a grower friend, and leave a quick review to help more gardeners find us.
Why not come along to my Grow your own workshops where you will learn all about seed sowing and growing your own food. 
https://subscribepage.io/growyourownfoodworkshop
Support the show
If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know.
Email: [email protected]

Check out Master My Garden on the following channels
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/
Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/

Until next week
Happy gardening
John

Forest gardening doesn’t need acres or a cabin dream; it needs a clear purpose, one smartly chosen tree, and a layered understory that works as hard as it looks good. We sit down with permaculture designer and author Pippa Chapman to show how small, everyday gardens can deliver big yields, rich wildlife habitat, and year-round beauty without chemicals or overwhelm.

Pippa traces her move from conventional head gardener to organic, permaculture-led practice, revealing why values shape method: no herbicides, more observation, and design that treats maintenance as development. If you’ve ever felt “forest” means “too many trees,” this conversation flips the script. One canopy can unlock space for the real engine room—shrubs, herbs, perennial vegetables and groundcovers—so your beds offer colour, food and pollinators across the seasons. We dig into practical plant choices: Geranium “Rozanne” for a six-month nectar run, yarrow for first aid and insects, Taunton Deane kale for flavour and structure, Hablitzia as a climbing spinach, and currants, gooseberries and Japanese wineberries for preserves and snacks.

The heart of Pippa’s new book "Permaculture Planting Designs" is purpose-led design. Start with what you want—jams, herbal teas, craft fibres, or a pollinator corridor—then lift a ready-made themed plan or adapt it to your site. You’ll hear candid notes on which perennials taste great and which to skip, how to establish layers without letting bullies take over, and why small spaces benefit from a hands-on, light-touch rhythm: dense planting, timely edits, and simple tools instead of sprays. We also talk about her YouTube teaching and a new podcast for time-poor growers who want results without fuss.

If you’re ready to turn a tiny plot into a resilient, edible, beautiful ecosystem, this episode is your blueprint. Subscribe, share with a gardening friend, and leave a review with the first plant you’d add to your understory.
Support the show
If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know.
Email: [email protected]

Check out Master My Garden on the following channels
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/
Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/

Until next week
Happy gardening
John