grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & friends

The magic of growing your own food is hard to overstate, and while some lament the labour necessary, it takes far less time and space than many imagine.
This week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ once again features the remarkable Huw Richards, fresh from the release of ‘How to Grow Food’ - his new book which dives into the detail of how anyone can grow a kitchen garden in real spaces, with a planting schedule that fits around busy lives.
In this episode, discover:
How Huw plans and plants to grow enough veg for a family of four on a half allotment in just a few hours a week
Simple permaculture-inspired tricks for better germination
What causes common problems like courgette fruits rotting and dropping off, and how you can fix them
How to choose between longer crops and cut-and-come-again with limited space
Huw’s must-sow crops for April, including squash, runner beans, cucumbers, and courgettes
Episode Cover Photo Credit: Dorling Kindersley: Jason Ingram
Products mentioned:
Runner Bean 'Black Knight'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/runner-bean-black-knight
Runner Bean 'White Lady'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/runner-bean-white-lady
Nasturtium 'Tip Top Mix' (Tropaeolum majus)
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nasturtium-tip-top-mix
Nasturtium 'Ladybird Rose' (Tropaeolum minus)
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nasturtium-ladybird-rose
Borago officinalis (Borage)
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/borago-officinalis
See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

The sunnier months in April present a fresh opportunity for gardeners to sow some of the fastest-germinating seedlings, bringing a productive garden closer than you might think.
We return to Josie Lewis this week for an episode all about what she’s sowing in mid-April, how to prick out and pot on seedlings, and the simple tricks they use to keep plants growing hard and healthy at this most promising time of year.
In this episode, discover:
How to prick out seedlings confidently, and when to do it for promoting strong growth
Practical ways to get more from your dahlias, such as turning pinched tips into new plants with simple cuttings
Why mid‑April is the ideal time to sow cosmos and zinnias, and how to avoid the common mistake of starting them too early
Step‑by‑step tips for taking cuttings of pelargoniums, salvias and other favourites
Two slightly different but complementary approaches to hardening off plants, and how to choose a method that works for your own garden
See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

There’s something uniquely calming about a garden washed in cool pastels – soft tones that feel like frosty mornings and freshly laundered linen. 
Moving us onto the 4th and final palette in Sarah’s colour system, we explore the washed palette in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’. She takes you through the colour combinations, productive plant families, and tips for crafting a soothing, contemplative feeling in your garden.
In this episode, discover:
How to use Sarah’s washed colour palette of cool pastels to create a calm, clean and harmonious garden
Which plant families and specific varieties reliably deliver this palette from late winter to autumn
How to plan colour through the year in two‑month blocks, ensuring there’s always something in flower without breaking the palette
Simple design techniques to avoid jarring colour clashes
Why sticking to a coherent palette can make your garden feel both deeply restful and quietly bold
Products mentioned:
Narcissus ‘Polar Hunter’: 
sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-polar-hunter
Narcissus ‘Avalanche’: 
sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-avalanche
Narcissus ‘Thalia’: 
sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-thalia
Narcissus ‘Actaea’: 
sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-actaea
Tulip ‘White Triumphator’: 
sarahraven.com/products/tulip-white-triumphator
Tulip ‘Purissima’: 
sarahraven.com/products/tulip-purissima
Fritillaria acmopetala (likely "Green Eyes"): 
sarahraven.com/products/fritillaria-acmopetala
Sweet Pea ‘Nimbus’: 
sarahraven.com/products/sweet-pea-nimbus
Nicotiana sylvestris: 
sarahraven.com/products/nicotiana-sylvestris
Nicotiana alata ‘Grandiflora’: 
sarahraven.com/products/nicotiana-alata-grandiflora
See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

A comforting garden can feel as soft and familiar as your favourite cashmere jumper, and in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah shares a palette which achieves exactly this feeling.
In the latest of the Colour Guide Mini Series episodes, Sarah shares how to create a mood using the comforting palette, the key plant families and varieties, plus how to sequence them through the seasons, so your borders feel gentle and soothing from early spring to late autumn.
In this episode, discover:
How to create a warm, comforting colour palette in your garden using soft pastels like café au lait, peach, putty pink and ivory
Specific plant families and varieties that deliver these soothing tones
A clear, season-by-season planting framework so your comforting palette runs from early spring right through to late autumn
Products mentioned:
Narcissus ‘Precocious’: sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-precocious
Antirrhinum ‘Appleblossom’: sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-majus-appleblossom
Cosmos ‘Apricotta’: sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-apricotta
Calendula ‘Sunset Buff’: sarahraven.com/products/calendula-officinalis-sunset-buff
Phlox drummondii ‘Cherry Caramel’: sarahraven.com/products/phlox-drummondii-cherry-caramel
Zinnia ‘Queeny Lime Orange’: sarahraven.com/products/zinnia-elegans-queeny-lime-orange
Dahlia ‘Break Out’: sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-break-out
See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

For many, the garden should be a peaceful place where its colours invite you in and envelop you in their earthy tones, and that’s the role of Sarah Raven’s velvet palette.
In this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series, Sarah moves us to her next, and perhaps favourite palette of the four. She talks through their calming colours, and the flower families that help keep that tranquility in your garden through a reliable planting succession.
In this episode, discover:
How to create a velvet colour palette in your garden using deep crimsons, golds, bronzes and inky purples that feel cosy and enveloping
Which reliable plant families and standout varieties deliver these rich, velvety tones
How to plan succession planting so the velvet palette runs from late winter and early spring right through to autumn
Practical ideas from Sarah’s own garden on combining colour and texture to create a sense of haven, enclosure and warmth outdoors
Products mentioned:
Tulip ‘Palmyra’: 
sarahraven.com/products/tulip-palmyra
Tulip ‘Ridgedale’: 
sarahraven.com/products/tulip-ridgedale
Tulip ‘Hermitage’: 
sarahraven.com/products/tulip-hermitage
Tulip ‘Cairo’ (Copex Cairo): 
sarahraven.com/products/tulip-copex-cairo
Tulip ‘Belleville’ (Bellville): 
sarahraven.com/products/tulip-bellville
Tulip ‘Dom Pedro’: 
sarahraven.com/products/tulip-dom-pedro
Amaranthus ‘Coral Fountain’: sarahraven.com/products/amaranthus-caudatus-coral-fountain
Dahlia ‘Verrone's Obsidian’ (Veronese Obsidian): sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-verrones-obsidian
Dahlia ‘Rip City’: 
sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-rip-city
Dahlia ‘Sarah Raven’: 
sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-sarah-raven
Dahlia ‘Molly Raven’: 
sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-molly-raven
Dahlia ‘Schipper's Bronze’: 
sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-schippers-bronze
Antirrhinum ‘Liberty Classic Crimson’: sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-f1-liberty-classic-crimson
See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest