Gardening with the RHS

With the festive gift giving season just around the corner, this week we’ve turned our attention to the botanical wonders awaiting us on the bookshelf. We’ve invited journalist, author, and gardening enthusiast Ann Treneman and horticultural hero and authority on all things plants, Guy Barter to join our host - head of Libraries and Exhibitions at the RHS, Fiona Davison, to chat about some of their favourite garden reads from the past 12 months. Host: Fiona Davison Contributors: Ann Treneman, Guy Barter Visit the RHS Bookshelf   Books mentioned: Horti Curious: A Gardener's Miscellany of Fascinating Facts & Remarkable Plants by Ann Treneman RHS Garden Almanac 2025 by Guy Barter and Zia Allaway The Accidental Garden: Gardens, Wilderness and the Space In Between by Richard Mabey  Good Nature: The New Science of How Nature Improves Our Health by Kathy Willis Brutalist Plants by Olivia Broome Small Space Revolution by Tayshan Hayden Smith A Year Full of Pots by Sarah Raven A Garden A Day by Ruth Chivers How Plants Can Save Your Life: 50 Inspirational Ideas for Planting and Growing by Ross Cameron  100 Herbs to Grow by Jekka McVicar The Crevice Garden: How to Make the Perfect Home for Plants from Rocky Places by Kenton Seth and Paul Spriggs

This week, we're teaming up with The Plant Review magazine for a houseplant special. Jenny Laville talks to Rebecca Hilgenhof of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to learn about the exciting prospect of growing passionflowers on the windowsill. James Armitage is in conversation with former RHS Director of Horticulture Jim Gardiner to chat all about his favourite houseplant, Begonia masoniana, and the famous plantsman who it is named for. Plus, Kevin Mann shares his love of the miniature Christmas cactus. Passionflowers mentioned: Passiflora citrina, Passiflora murucuja and Passiflora boenderi. Host: Gareth Richards and James Armitage  Contributors: Rebecca Hilgenhof, Jim Gardiner, Kevin Mann, Jenny Laville Other Links: The Plant Review The Orchid Review RHS Plant Finder 2025 Passion Flower Cultivation Become a member of the RHS

We’re marking National Tree Week, an annual celebration at the start of the tree planting season, and an opportunity for us to wax lyrical about the wonderful world of trees. We’ll be hearing some fascinating stories about the art of tree collecting and the human connection to our woodlands from author and artist Amy Stewart. We’ll be catching up on the latest news from RHS Garden Rosemoor as they set out on a conservation project to protect one of our most rare but little known native trees. And if you’re feeling inspired to get outside and start digging, Bob Askew will be bringing us his thoughts on the best trees for small spaces.  Host: Guy Barter  Contributors: Bob Askew, Amy Stewart, Jonathan Webster  Other Links: National Tree Week  How to plant a tree  Trees for small gardens Amy Stewart - The Tree Collectors  Devon Whitebeam RHS Garden Rosemoor

This week we explore the fascinating stories and brilliant work of three exceptional plantswomen. Only recently has pioneering 18th-century herbalist Elizabeth Blackwell received proper recognition for her work A Curious Herbal – a beautifully illustrated botanical text that was, for centuries, mistakenly attributed to her scandal-prone husband! Fiona Davison, Head of RHS Libraries & Exhibitions, shares insights into Blackwell’s life and her groundbreaking work, which was created at a time of rapid botanical discovery in Europe as exotic plants flooded into the Western world. We also hear from passionate plantswoman Jane Steward, a dedicated advocate for the medlar, a rare fruit that was once beloved across the UK – even by King Henry VIII. And finally horticulturist Sarah Wilson-Frost from RHS Garden Hyde Hall will be sharing some excellent advice on growing ornamental grasses to add year-round interest to your garden. Host: Gareth Richards Contributors: Jane Steward, Fiona Davison, Sarah Wilson-Frost, Jenny Laville Other Links: A Curious Herbal RHS Hyde Hall How to grow medlars RHS advice on growing ornamental grasses When is a grass not a grass?