Talking Heads - a Gardening Podcast
Follow professional gardeners Saul Walker and Lucy Chamberlain as they reveal exactly what it’s like to be horticulturists in the diverse and exciting world of gardening . Lucy and Saul have 40 years of gardening experience between them and it soon became clear to them both that this fulfilling vocation can be incredibly diverse, occasionally challenging and hugely rewarding. On the podcast 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 bottom of this page.
Episodes
307 episodes
Ep. 278 - It's Head Gardener time again! But, what exactly is the job description of a modern Head Gardener, and what kind of tasks should you expect (and not expect) to do? As ever, Saul and Lucy share their thoughts
Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking gre...
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Episode 278
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34:04
Ep. 277 - Time to get out and about as Lucy has been visiting the Fothergills Trials Grounds and Saul is keeping Stonelands ticking over through another pronounced dry spell - more Horticulture waffle at it's finest!
Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking gre...
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Episode 277
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34:59
Ep. 276 - There are jobs to juggle! Lucy and Saul discuss the tasks for summer, and how professional gardeners tread the fine line between tasks that achieve instant aesthetics, and those that give results in the future
Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking gre...
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Episode 276
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35:30
Ep. 275 - It's the start of the Summer holidays, and with Lucy away, Saul takes you on a little Saturday Trip to the Beach, his Garden and The Story of Emily.....
Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking gre...
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Episode 275
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26:11
Ep. 274 - Let's talk about tropicals and edibles! (but not in a way you would expect). The talking heads duo have a surprise for you this week.....
Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking gre...
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Episode 274
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37:30
Ep. 273 - Prepare for abundant weather (and machinery) discussions. Lucy is feeling rattled with the wind, while Saul isn't a fan of humidity. But of course, there are still plenty of gardening tasks for the professional gardening duo
Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking gre...
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Episode 273
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33:20
Ep. 272 - Mid-July is the mid point of the summer season where the garden is in full summer garb, long-hot days and lots of pruning, watering and dead heading occurs, but forget all that and get the BBQ out!
Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking gre...
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Episode 272
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33:08
Ep. 271 - Humidity has been rocketing this week, so the gardening duo have been finding ways to keep cool (handily for Saul, Stonelands has a river). But even in the heat, hedges have been cut and grass - what there is of it - has been mown.
Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking gre...
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Episode 271
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33:53
Ep. 270 - It's hot, hot, HOT! SO, how do two professional gardeners manage when daytime temperatures soar? And what key jobs are there to complete when everything in the garden is at summer's peak? Listen to Saul and Lucy as they explain all
Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking gre...
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Episode 270
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35:27
Ep. 269 - Well haven't the Talking Heads pair been in the health wars recently, it goes to show that not everything goes smoothly - but they are back and have a long chat about BBC Gardeners World Live and some of the garden questions Saul was posed.
Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking gre...
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Episode 269
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34:45
Ep. 268 - Saul takes you along on a 'Weekend in the Life' of a gardener - where it's a double header of Garden Society meet-ups - nattering, drinking tea and buying plants are what it's all about.
Summer in 2025 is here - and after one of the sunniest and driest Springs on record, we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking gre...
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Episode 268
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28:04
Ep. 267 - It's finally here! The latest episode of the Talking Heads podcast is, at last LIVE. We talk about our successes and fails in the garden - and beyond (for Saul, it was leaving his beloved Devon for a few days...)
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening li...
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Episode 267
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36:22
Ep. 266 - It's the time in the middle of May where everyone talks about one thing in horticulture - The RHS Chelsea Flower Show - and so Lucy and Saul give you the highlights of their visit to this gardening extravaganza.
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening li...
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Episode 266
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37:17
Ep. 265 - Whilst Lucy (and the rest of the UK) performs a rain dance, Saul is experiencing his usual Devon weather - blow some our way, Saul! But his mind is rightly so on his 10-year anniversary as Stonelands Head Gardener - congratulations, Mr W!
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening li...
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Episode 265
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36:49
Ep. 264 - Post Gardener's World Spring Fair, the Talking Heads pair are in recovery mode, so gardening-lite is in order - but seed sowing, potting on exotic plants and working on the herbaceous borders are all in a weeks work.
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening li...
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Episode 264
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32:25
Ep. 263 - For the fifth year running Lucy and Saul are at BBC Gardeners World Spring Fair at the beautiful Beulieu in the New Forest - the pair are giving their usual Plant Expert Tours, selling books and catching up with all things Alice in Wonderland!
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening li...
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Episode 263
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32:27
Ep. 262 - Anyone for tennis? Saul has finally resolved his conundrum of how to clean up Stoneland's tennis court, while Lucy has been taking in the sights and sounds of a glorious Essex spring
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening li...
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Episode 262
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37:56
Ep. 261 - Saul is joined on this episode by Head of Horticultural Relations at the RHS, Emma Allen, to talk about her teams role in the horticultural charity, funding through bursaries and the new role of the Expert Groups.
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening li...
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Episode 261
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37:34
Ep. 260 - Magnolias are 'Go' in Essex! Of course, they've been Go in Devon for weeks, but Lucy's East Anglian location isn't as mild as Saul's in the South West. The duo also talk about peat policies, filming highlights and upcoming speaker bookings
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening li...
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Episode 260
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33:29
Ep. 259 - The signs of Spring are everywhere now - so Lucy and Saul indulge in a bit of Phenology - whether plants, insects, birds or piece of machinery appears - what's your herald that Spring has truly arrived?
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening li...
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Episode 259
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35:29
Ep. 258 - Spring is still springing! With yet more signs of this exciting season coming to life, Saul and Lucy explain how this week, they've both been taming flower borders in their respective clients' gardens
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening li...
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Episode 258
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33:53
Ep. 257 - The buoyant feeling of the garden continues on Talking Heads - Lucy and Saul are still drunk on the glory of Spring as this episode features nursery visits, planting new hedges and the debut of 'Horticultural News'!
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening li...
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Episode 257
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36:26
Ep. 256 - Spring is well and truly in the air - and Lucy and Saul are utterly smitten. The horticultural juices are once again in full flow, as the lengthening sunny days brings more time outside and the start to another wonderful garden year!
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening li...
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Episode 256
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34:06
Ep. 255 - It's more hortiwaffle! This week, Saul and Lucy discuss the first signs of spring - are they appearing, or are you a 'fool' to think so? We think a definite YES! With talk of crocus, iris and aconite our spring gardens are (gently) waking up
Well winter is on our doorsteps, and for the general population any thoughts of gardening stops, as the common thought is the 'garden has gone to sleep'...Well nothing could be farther from the truth, as the season of shorter days and chilly we...
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Episode 255
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31:17
Ep. 254 - The Talking Heads Duo are out and about, live at the Garden Press Event in London - to see new garden products, talk about new garden initiatives, but mostly to have a good chin-wag with a plethora of garden friends!
Well winter is on our doorsteps, and for the general population any thoughts of gardening stops, as the common thought is the 'garden has gone to sleep'...Well nothing could be farther from the truth, as the season of shorter days and chilly we...
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Episode 254
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29:50