Talking Heads - a Gardening Podcast

357 - Ep. 327 - In this week's episode, Lucy pays tribute to garden writer Ruth Hayes, who sadly passed away in September. She also talks about storm Austen and what gardening tasks this is prompting her to complete

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.

More episodes

357 - Ep. 327 - In this week's episode, Lucy pays tribute to garden writer Ruth Hayes, who sadly passed away in September. She also talks about storm Austen and what gardening tasks this is prompting her to complete

Sat, 24 Oct 2026
356 - Ep. 326 - Rain, rain, come to Essex - where squirrels, walnuts and peaches are in abundance. Whilst Saul's beloved Devon has had some welcome autumn rain, Lucy is still much in need of it in North Essex

Sat, 17 Oct 2026
355 - Ep. 325 - The #TalkingHeads podcast is a bit at 6s and 7s at the moment, so bear with us, and in the meantime a little catch-up with Saul and some Apple(y) action!

Mon, 12 Oct 2026
354 - Ep. 324 - Finally two #TalkingHeads in the same room - as September brings a little (if not busy) normality back to Saul and Lucy's gardening lives...

Sat, 26 Sep 2026
353 - Ep. 323 - What exactly has Saul been up to while away from Talking Heads land - well dashing across most of the Southern Counties of Britain enjoying his gardening life it seems.

Sun, 20 Sep 2026
352 - Ep. 322 - It's the BBC Gardeners' World Fair at Audley End! Lucy has been busy putting a border together with De-Graft Mensah for the Make a Metre Matter campaign - so listen in to get a behind the scenes talk about its concept

Tue, 15 Sep 2026
351 - Ep. 321 - Last week we talked about the issues in the present, well this episode is about the solutions for the future in gardening - Lucy 'Nostradamus' Chamberlain looks into her crystal ball....

Sat, 29 Aug 2026
350 - Ep. 320 - This episode is thoughtfully entitled 'The acceptance of late summer garden glumness' - but, Saul and Lucy promise it will lift your spirits and get your grey matter whirring...

Sat, 22 Aug 2026
349 - Ep. 319 - Saul is solo this week, as again he is on his travels this time to Norfolk with the RHS Tender Ornamental Expert Group visiting Felbrigg Hall (NT) and East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens - where there maybe a Hedychium Trial going on :)

Sun, 16 Aug 2026
348 - Ep. 318 - In this episode, we give an almighty shoutout to our loyal listeners, by discussing their gardening conundrums. Stand by your beds for tree selection, mite obliteration and a twisted rotator cuff!

Sat, 08 Aug 2026
347 - Ep. 317 - Well one thing dominates horticulture in most of the UK at the moment - drought - officially half the country has reached that status and we are seeing winners and losers, but also many silver-linings and little joys in our gardens!

Sun, 02 Aug 2026
346 - Ep. 316 - With the summer holidays starting, Lucy pushes her brain into action for another 30-minute episode of horticultural highlights. Butterflies, box moths, hosepipes and orchids are just some of the noticeable events she and Saul have seen this week

Sat, 25 Jul 2026
345 - Ep. 315 - Hot, Dry and Perspiring! That's the TalkingHead Podcast duo at the moment, but gardening continues whether at Lucy's clients or at RHS Badminton, tune to to hear how Lucy and Saul are coping!

Sun, 19 Jul 2026
344 - Ep. 314 - It's a grow your own special! Lucy takes us on a tour of her home plot to explain how she cooks her edibles. Strap yourself in for a menu featuring kohl rabi and carrot remoulade, broad bean salad and poached pears with raspberry ice cream

Sat, 11 Jul 2026
343 - Ep. 313 - With a week of very hot weather behind them, the professional gardening duo ponder what we need to do to adjust our gardening hours - be that working for customers or planning garden day visits.

Sat, 04 Jul 2026
342 - Ep. 312 - BBC Gardeners World Live (for its last year at the NEC) returns, with Plant Experts, Make a Metre Matters and plenty of other gardening related fun to keep Lucy and Saul very very busy!

Mon, 29 Jun 2026
341 - Ep. 311 - Saul and Lucy are reunited! After many weeks apart, the gardening duo finally catch up on each other's horti-lives. It's post-Chelsea, pre-NEC banter at its best

Sat, 13 Jun 2026
340 - Ep. 310 - Saul takes a look back at this years RHS Chelsea Flower Show - a differing experience to usual with all the work Plant Heritage got up too!

Mon, 08 Jun 2026
339 - Special Tribute Episode: Very sadly we learnt that one of the most popular horticultural voices Matt Biggs has passed away, who both Lucy and Saul count as a good Gardening Friend. Here we replay his interview with us from November 2020

Sun, 31 May 2026
338 - Ep. 309 - It's the hortiwaffle episode! With Saul still embracing Chelsea, Lucy takes you on a stroll through her home garden, where she tells tales of perfect peonies, rambunctious rocket and gruesome goings on in the foxglove bed...

Sat, 23 May 2026
337 - Ep. 308 - It's the Gardeners' World Spring Fair at Beaulieu! With Saul on holiday, Lucy gives you her first-hand experience of beautiful borders, stages, tours and more - it's been a busy few days...

Tue, 05 May 2026
336 - Ep. 307 - It's not all gardening in our world - but still plenty of horticulture - including Gardeners World Spring Fair, Chelsea Physic garden, White House Farm and Garden and The Plant Heritage BigGive Campaign

Sat, 25 Apr 2026
335 - Ep. 306 - This week, Saul and Lucy wander (verbally) through Chelsea Physic Garden and Chelsea Press Day, discussing bird feeding, houseplant repotting, mulching and spring temperatures. All in all, it's a busy episode!

Sat, 18 Apr 2026
334 - Ep. 305 - Easter has come and gone - and both of the #TalkingHeads had wonderful times visiting gardens in the sunshine, as well as Lucy revelling in her and her clients gardens and Saul seeing signs of his exotic garden beginning to stir...

Sat, 11 Apr 2026
333 - EP. 304 - It's the symposium episode! Lucy & Saul visited London to attend the inaugural RHS symposium, where expert group members discussed gardening challenges - and opportunities - in a changing climate. It certainly got the podcast duo thinking...

Sat, 04 Apr 2026
332 - Ep. 303 - Hear that! Well its the gentle hum of the garden world waking up to Spring! Pressure Washers and Seed Trays at the ready, the countdown to full gardening mode is on.....

Sat, 28 Mar 2026
331 - Ep. 302 - Spring is springing, and Lucy is one tired gardener - so in this solo episode, hear her flop into a chair as she reaches the end(s) of her working day

Sat, 21 Mar 2026
330 - Ep. 301 - Back to the Garden - Lucy returns and is all about the practical, as our gardens really start to shift with the transformation into Spring - also are the #TalkingHeads pair getting 'old'!

Sat, 14 Mar 2026
329 - Ep. 300 - A Milestone Episode! So how to celebrate, well replacing Lucy with a brand new presenter of course....and so we went with gardening super-sub Frances Tophill.....

Sat, 07 Mar 2026
328 - Ep. 299 - The Talking Heads duo have been out, out - to the Garden Press Event in London where they get a sneak peek at what's in store for the gardening public in 2026. Water conservation, peat-free composts and biofumigants are just a few initiatives...

Sat, 28 Feb 2026
327 - Ep. 298 - Jobs indoors are still the mood of the Gardening Nation as the rain is stubbornly locked in on the British Isles, but as its Valentines day its time to make someone's love of plants even greater with the Plant Heritage Wishlist!

Sat, 14 Feb 2026
326 - Ep. 297 - Make compost whist the sun shines (not) - Lucy waxes lyrical about this key cool-season task, and a listener causes the duo to ponder winter bird care

Sat, 07 Feb 2026
325 - Ep. 296 - January = rain, rain = January - its been wet there is no denying it, but that doesn't stop the #TalkingHeads pair, as Lucy has been playing with her sieving machine and 'Dr Orchid' has been talking houseplants.

Sat, 31 Jan 2026
324 - Ep. 295 - It's time to sow! Or, is it? The gardening duo discuss the pressures of the modern-day propagation season. Plus, a notebook, Instagram? Saul slowly morphs into Lucy as he realises her way was a winner all along...

Sat, 24 Jan 2026
323 - Ep. 294 - It's back to business as usual, as the TalkingHeads duo reunite for 2026...Saul's new job is both exciting but a lot to process, and Lucy is in her garden with her new topiary tools!

Sat, 17 Jan 2026
322 - Ep. 293 - We hope you've enjoyed the first 10 days of January - Lucy, frustratingly, has had a false start. Her gardening has been sandwiched between snow and storms, so what do gardeners do when the winter weather plays havoc with their plans?

Sat, 10 Jan 2026
321 - Ep. 292 - It's the final episode! (of 2025, that is :-) This week, Saul prepares himself for life after Stonelands whilst Lucy performs some serious surgery on a mower. And what do the professional duo make of the RHS predictions for 2026? Tune in...

Sat, 20 Dec 2025
320 - Ep. 291 - This week we're joined by northern gardener and star of the Pots and Trowels podcast - Martin Fish - as we talk about the gardening year gone by, the one coming up and his garden at home.

Sat, 13 Dec 2025
319 - Ep. 290 - It's the custard cream episode! Lucy sandwiches some genuinely exciting gardening conversation in between two beautifully decorated vanilla biscuits this week - while Saul does his best to clear Stonelands of the Walker legacy...

Sat, 06 Dec 2025
318 - Ep. 289 - Not much gardening going on - but that doesn't mean the #TalkingHeads pair don't have some big news about their lives in Horticulture...has Lucy finally tracked down those custard creams....

Sat, 29 Nov 2025
317 - Ep. 288 - The teabreak episode! What does the working week of a modern professional gardener involve? As we delve inside Lucy's schedule, we discover what forms the backbone upon which winter physical work rests - a lot of tea and biscuits...

Sat, 22 Nov 2025
316 - Ep. 287 - Half a million downloads!!!! Thank you to all who listen to the professional horticultural duo that make up the Talking Heads podcast. Lucy and Saul celebrate this milestone with - you've guessed it - some top-quality hortiwaffle!

Sat, 08 Nov 2025
315 - Ep. 286 - While the wind whistles outside Saul and Lucy take a look at the RHS State of Gardening Report, an eye-opening look at the Horticultural world including the new RHS Hort Hub on their website

Sat, 01 Nov 2025
314 - Ep. 285 - Storm Benjamin has brought wind and rain this week, so how do Lucy and Saul deal with the natural deluge of leaves? Apples are also bountiful, and Saul explains how his orchard harvest goes to a very good cause

Sat, 25 Oct 2025
313 - Ep. 284 - Is Autumn colour starting in your garden - the Talking Heads pair are revelling in the buttery yellows and fiery reds as the transition from Summer really starts to kick in....

Sat, 11 Oct 2025
312 - Ep. 283 - This week, Lucy and Saul turn their attention towards key autumn tasks, like lawn care and hedge pruning. Plus, both gardeners have had machinery break down on them, which is a good excuse for a tinker - or a flex of the staff credit card!

Sat, 04 Oct 2025
311 - Ep. 282 - A listener's question special - Pelargoniums need overwintering, but how and where - and when overwintering in a greenhouse what's best for frost protection - the #TalkingHeads Pair discuss.

Sat, 27 Sep 2025
310 - Ep. 281 - It's the management episode! A Head Gardener's role involves many tasks, and managing staff, time, budgets, client expectations and other responsibilities within this job can be a juggle. Listen as Saul and Lucy discuss their experiences

Sat, 20 Sep 2025
309 - Ep. 280 - The #Horti-waffle pair reunite after Saul has enjoyed some well deserved holiday, and Lucy, being a dutiful child, has some father-daughter time rigging up a brassica cage.

Sat, 13 Sep 2025
308 - Ep. 279 - It's the tropicals episode! But, what's this? The podcasting duo have swapped brains, it appears, as Lucy talks you through her newly developed 'tropical' border

Sat, 06 Sep 2025

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