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

The Colour Guide Mini Series: The comforting palette - Episode 268

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 ivorySpecific plant families and varieties that deliver these soothing tonesA clear, season-by-season planting framework so your comforting palette runs from early spring right through to late autumnProducts mentioned:Narcissus ‘Precocious’: sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-precociousAntirrhinum ‘Appleblossom’: sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-majus-appleblossomCosmos ‘Apricotta’: sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-apricottaCalendula ‘Sunset Buff’: sarahraven.com/products/calendula-officinalis-sunset-buffPhlox drummondii ‘Cherry Caramel’: sarahraven.com/products/phlox-drummondii-cherry-caramelZinnia ‘Queeny Lime Orange’: sarahraven.com/products/zinnia-elegans-queeny-lime-orangeDahlia ‘Break Out’: sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-break-outFollow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/Get in touch: info@sarahraven.comShop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

The Colour Guide Mini Series #5: The velvet palette - Episode 267

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 envelopingWhich reliable plant families and standout varieties deliver these rich, velvety tonesHow to plan succession planting so the velvet palette runs from late winter and early spring right through to autumnPractical ideas from Sarah’s own garden on combining colour and texture to create a sense of haven, enclosure and warmth outdoorsProducts mentioned:Tulip ‘Palmyra’: sarahraven.com/products/tulip-palmyraTulip ‘Ridgedale’: sarahraven.com/products/tulip-ridgedaleTulip ‘Hermitage’: sarahraven.com/products/tulip-hermitageTulip ‘Cairo’ (Copex Cairo): sarahraven.com/products/tulip-copex-cairoTulip ‘Belleville’ (Bellville): sarahraven.com/products/tulip-bellvilleTulip ‘Dom Pedro’: sarahraven.com/products/tulip-dom-pedroAmaranthus ‘Coral Fountain’: sarahraven.com/products/amaranthus-caudatus-coral-fountainDahlia ‘Verrone's Obsidian’ (Veronese Obsidian): sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-verrones-obsidianDahlia ‘Rip City’: sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-rip-cityDahlia ‘Sarah Raven’: sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-sarah-ravenDahlia ‘Molly Raven’: sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-molly-ravenDahlia ‘Schipper's Bronze’: sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-schippers-bronzeAntirrhinum ‘Liberty Classic Crimson’: sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-f1-liberty-classic-crimsonFollow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/Get in touch: info@sarahraven.comShop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Josie Lewis: 12 outstanding seeds to sow in March for containers and cutting gardens - Episode 266

Seeds sown in March are the great givers of colour and fragrance in a cutting garden or container, from spring right through to autumn.This week, Sarah is joined by Josie Lewis to walk through 12 of the most trusted plants to sow now, how to fill your beds, pots and vases, and feed the birds from a single month’s sowing.In this episode, discover:Practical techniques for handling both big and dust-fine seeds, including when to sow in trays and when to direct sowSpecific tips for making the most of tricky or easily-flopped favourites like cerinthe, amaranth and poppies, so they thrive both in the garden and in the vaseHow to get more from each plant – from cut-and-come-again grasses to edible flowers and home-made calendula remediesHow to plan your March sowing so it supports wildlife, with seed heads that feed birds well into winterProducts mentioned:Cerinthe major 'Kiwi Blue' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cerinthe-major-kiwi-blueAmaranthus ‘Hot Biscuits’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/amaranthus-hot-biscuitsAmaranthus ‘Coral Fountain’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/amaranthus-caudatus-coral-fountainMoluccella / Bells of Ireland https://www.sarahraven.com/products/moluccella-laevisAntirrhinum ‘Giant White’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-giant-whiteAntirrhinum ‘Liberty Crimson’ (Liberty Classic Crimson F1) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-f1-liberty-classic-crimsonAntirrhinum ‘Apple Blossom’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-majus-appleblossomAntirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Burgundy' F1https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-sonnet-burgundyAntirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Orange Scarlet' F1https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-sonnet-orange-scarletAntirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Carmine' F1https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-sonnet-carmineCobaea (Cup-and-saucer vine) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cobaea-scandens-purplePoppy ‘Amazing Grey’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-rhoeas-amazing-greyPoppy ‘Mother of Pearl’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-rhoeas-mother-of-pearlBlack Single Papaver somniferum (Opium Poppy) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-somniferum-black-singleGet in touch: info@sarahraven.comShop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Milli Proust: The family gardening charm that inspired ‘How Does Your Garden Grow’ - Episode 265

The garden is a welcoming place for all, particularly for newcomers when guided by the gentle eye of Milli Proust, and under the instruction of her calming new book.Milli joins us once again, this time to share the inspiring journey that’s led up to her most approachable book to date, and some of the easy-to-understand frameworks to create an effortlessly beautiful garden.In this episode, discover:How Milli Proust found floristry, and began creating a deeply loved, biodiverse garden in West SussexA gentle but practical way to think about why we garden focused around connection, memory, and belonging to natureMilli’s “plant pyramid” and other simple frameworks for beginner gardeners planning borders Ideas for low-maintenance but beautiful gardens, including orchards underplanted with bulbs, and using local materialsMilli’s taster course at Perch Hill on Wednesday 6th May 2026:https://www.sarahraven.com/products/milli-proust-taster-course-beginner-gardeners?srsltid=AfmBOopaQgpAKlaAx724RwtbLXGrmm_NkyOCTWu2N42YnAOUzRlu--wlOrder Milli’s Book, ‘How Does Your Garden Grow?’:https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Does-Your-Garden-Grow/dp/1837832250Products mentioned:Aquilegia Vulgaris 'Hensol Harebell'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/aquilegia-hensol-harebellGalanthus nivalis (Common Snowdrop)https://www.sarahraven.com/products/galanthus-nivalisWild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)https://www.sarahraven.com/products/wild-marjoramSyringa meyeri 'Flowerfesta Pink'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/syringa-meyeri-flowerfesta-pinkViburnum tinushttps://www.sarahraven.com/products/viburnum-tinusDaphne 'Perfume Princess'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/daphne-perfume-princessFollow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/Get in touch: info@sarahraven.comShop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

The Colour Guide Mini Series #4: The luminous palette - Episode 264

The luminous palette - a rich, stained glass collection of citrus, scarlet and pinky-purples - is the first of Sarah’s colour combinations that we’ll walk through in depth for this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series.Sarah explains the six key colours, which ones to use together throughout the year, and the flower families which she considers the most prominent and productive as they pass the colour baton through the year.In this episode, discover:How to use Sarah’s luminous palette without overwhelming your gardenThe key plant families and varieties that reliably deliver bold, stained‑glass colourSarah’s favourite colour combinations and how to place ‘shouty’ colours so they look intentionalA simple season‑by‑season planning method using two‑month blocks and the ‘bride, bridesmaid, gatecrasher’ idea to keep colour going from March to OctoberProducts mentioned:Euphorbia ceratocarpahttps://www.sarahraven.com/products/euphorbia-ceratocarpaTulip 'Ballerina'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-ballerinaTulip 'Black Parrot'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-black-parrotTulip 'Rococo'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-rococoTulip 'Go Go Red'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-go-go-redTulip 'Mariette'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-marietteTulip 'Purple Heart'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-purple-heartLunaria annuahttps://www.sarahraven.com/products/lunaria-annuaCrocosmia 'Lucifer'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/crocosmia-luciferPhlox paniculata 'Blue Paradise'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-paniculata-blue-paradiseDahlia 'Thomas A. Edison'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-thomas-a-edisonSweet Pea 'Blue Velvet'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sweet-pea-blue-velvetSweet Pea 'King Edward VII'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lathyrus-odoratus-king-edward-viiSweet Pea 'Matucana'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lathyrus-odoratus-matucanaSalvia 'Jezebel'https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-jezebelFollow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/Get in touch: info@sarahraven.comShop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest