In this episode, Dan and Julia talk to Charlotte Denne of Kent Wildflower Seeds about her family business, growing native wildflowers in your garden, and the groundbreaking exhibit she's taking to the Chelsea Flower Show. We learn how wildflower seeds are produced for sale and which are best suited to beds, containers and meadow areas. Julia highlights the many wildflowers you can eat and throws in some cultivated ones for good measure, while Dan suggests two products to help create the perfect seedbed for outdoor sowing. Your hosts conclude with a list of jobs to do in your garden and share what they're getting up to over the next fortnight.

If you notice a little background noise during this podcast, that's Julia's builders working around the clock to complete her new extension! We hope the sound of busy tradesmen won't impact your enjoyment of this uplifting episode.

Jobs to do in the garden this fortnight

1. Regularly water direct-sown seeds, including wildflowers, new plantings and containers.
2. Sow biennials, eg dianthus barbatus, hesperis & digitalis.
3. Chelsea Flower Show week is a good week to cut back herbaceous perennials and herbs. This will extend the flowering season and produce more growth.
4. Feed strawberry plants in flower and make sure they are watered regularly.
5. Throw netting over strawberries and other soft fruit.
6. Divide houseplants that are getting too big.
7. It's a good time to propagate spider plants, monstera, coleus and philodendrons.
8. Sow more salads, beetroot, radish, peas and spring onions for later crops.
9. Earth up potatoes
10. Plant out sweetcorn or sow if you have not started yet.
11. Watch out for pests namely, lily beetle, asparagus beetle and box moth caterpillar, all three can destroy overnight.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's article on sowing a wildflower meadow
• Dan's article on the Chelsea Chop
• Parker's Patch
• Kent Wildflower Seeds Website

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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