Magic, Myths, and the Six-Month Herb Rule - Live from Gardeners’ World 🌿🌸

Hello, lovely listeners! Welcome back to Second Nature. Willow the corgi and I are coming to you after an absolute whirlwind couple of weeks. If you’ve been tracking the UK weather lately, you know we've been melting in a serious summer heatwave, but that hasn't slowed things down one bit.

I recently had the absolute joy of being an ambassador for the Great British Farm Fest alongside the Clarkson’s Farm crew- sharing the stage with Charlie Ireland, Harriet Cowen, and Countryfile’s Adam Henson to talk about my own journey from town girl to agriculture advocate. But hot on the heels of that, I packed my bags for BBC Gardeners’ World Live (in collaboration with the BBC Good Food Show).

It is a fantastic event for bridging that beautiful journey from field to fork, and while I was there, I caught up with five incredible minds to talk herbs, magic, kid-friendly gardening, and why nature is the ultimate reset button for our mental health.

• In this episode, we’re diving into four incredible chats:
  • 🌱 The Queen of Herbs, Jekka McVicar: Jekka completely blew my mind with a reality check about our spice racks. Did you know dried herbs only stay good for six months? We also talk about how to start your own herb journey, why you need to feed your potted herbs weekly, and a genius hack using rosemary water to boost your memory.
  • ✨ Folklore and Magic with Frances Tophill: Catching up with Frances is always like talking to a best friend. We dive into the "goth element" of her latest book, exploring the darker history and folklore of poisonous plants. She shares beautiful ways to bring magic into your space (from fairy gardens to miniature trains) and opens up about how nature provides the ultimate perspective shift when life and mental health get overwhelming.
  • 🍉 Small Spaces & Kettle-Boiled Eggheads with De-Graft Mensah & Lucy Chamberlain: I sat down with the BBC Newsround presenter and master horticulturist to tour their brilliant "Make a Metre Matter" border.  Plus, DeGraft shares a hilarious behind-the-scenes story about hard-boiling display eggs in his hotel room kettle! 🥚🧼
  • 🍅 The Big Seed Search with Catrina Fenton: We round out the day with the Heritage Seed Library, chatting about how heirloom vegetables are being preserved and how you can get your hands on rare varieties to grow at home.

Whether you have acres of land, a rental balcony, or just a tiny kitchen windowsill, this episode is a beautiful reminder that every day is a school day in the garden, there is no "wrong" way to grow, and the seasons always keep turning.

Grab a cold drink, find some shade, and let’s get into it.

How to listen:
🎧 Search Second Nature on your favourite podcast platform.

📲 Get in touch: Have you checked your spice cupboard yet? Did you try the rosemary tea? Drop me a message right here in the caption to chat with me directly!

Website: www.second-nature.co.uk

Email us: info@second-nature.co.uk

Social media: @second_natureuk

Host: @lizziemuddyheelsmac