Growing Greener with Arit Anderson - series two

In the second series of Growing Greener, Arit delves deeper into key subjects including rewilding, peat-free gardening, making your own compost, and the rich range of habitats created by poor soils, ex-industrial areas, and derelict buildings.

She also speaks to experts challenging claims that some areas of horticulture (e.g. lawns and cut flowers) can never be environmentally sound. You can have green swards and wedding bouquets, they argue, that do not cost the earth. Full of surprising stories and practical tips, this series will inspire everyone to grow greener.

Host Arit Anderson, garden designer and BBC Gardeners’ World programme presenter, is insatiably curious about exploring ways to garden whilst also protecting and preserving our environment.

Listen to Growing Greener - series one

Listen to the trailer for series two.

More advice for growing sustainably:

• Gardening in a changing climate
• How to save water in the garden
• Gardening with less plastic
• How to reduce your carbon footprint in the garden

Episode eight - Rewilding with Knepp

Rewilding has become one of the hottest topics in the gardening world, with approaches appearing at flower shows, on TV gardening programmes, and in the pages of magazines. But can we use the approaches of large-scale rewilding to make our domestic gardens more sustainable? Can the success that has transformed the wildlife and biodiversity in huge estates, also work in an urban window box? The garden team from Knepp, Charlie Harpur, Moy Fierheller and Suzi Turner, think they can. They join Arit to discuss the inspirational rewilding project at Knepp, and how these techniques can transform a domestic plot.

Episode seven - Why compost? with Ken Thompson

Compost is amazing for your plants, your soil, and the biodiversity in your garden. Pus making your own saves you money. So why do only one third of gardeners make their own? Many think that compost is: “Hard work, prone to failure, smelly and full of rats.”, not so, Ken Thompson, author of ‘Compost’ argues. Ken joins Arit to discuss and dispel the myths and misunderstandings of composting, and to convince listeners that compost is environmental black gold, not a load of old rot.

Ken Thompson's latest book Common or Garden, is out now.

Episode six - Low carbon cut flowers with Celestina Robertson

Flowers play a central part in our gardens, art, books, and many significant ceremonies around the world. Colourful, full of scent and architectural, flowers help us mark the big events in our lives. But the environmental price of our bouquets can be very high. Cel Robertson is a passionate eco-conscious, flower farmer, she shares practical solutions to growing flowers that look fabulous, smell gorgeous but have a small environmental footprint.

Episode five - No waste, no wastelands, with John Little

Garden designer John Little joins Arit to discuss the biodiversity possibilities of often overlooked and undervalued urban spaces. They discuss the vital role that low-quality soil, dead trees and recycled building rubble can play in creating wildlife habitats. Plus, how green roofs can promote biodiversity in small spaces. whilst also helping to save energy by cooling overheating buildings in the hotter months.

Episode four – Greener grass with David Hedges-Gower

Can you have a lawn that doesn’t cost the earth? In years gone by, a flat, moss-free, striped green lawn was considered the hallmark of the ideal garden. Now, lawns can be a contentious subject. Lawn consultant, David Hedges-Gower, shares tips and techniques for creating grass areas that provide habitats for nature, and places for picnics and ballgames. Arit Anderson and David discuss how to reduce water consumption and increase biodiversity, plus, the surprising pros and cons of ‘No mow May.’

Episode three – Peat-free gardening with Alistair Griffiths and Nick Hamilton

The countdown to peat-free has begun, is this the end of gardening as we know it? Professor Alistair Griffiths, Director of Science and Collections at the RHS, and Nick Hamilton, from Barnsdale Gardens, think not. They discuss with Arit why preserving our peat bogs is so vital, sharing their in-depth knowledge of peat, as well as the upcoming changes to UK legislation.

Episode two - Supporting urban birds and wildlife, with Kate Bradbury

Wildlife gardener and writer Kate Bradbury joins Arit to discuss how and why gardeners can play a vital role helping reverse the decline of wildlife. Kate shares some ingenious, innovative, and easy suggestions for how you can use your plot (big or small) to help support our feathered friends.

Episode one - Great Dixter: A Sustainability Success Story, with Fergus Garrett

Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener of Great Dixter, launches the series with a discussion of how you can garden for good, how you can use both environmentally sound gardening techniques and have a stunning garden. You don’t have to choose one or the other.

The Dixter team have created a beautiful oasis of biodiversity with a low carbon footprint. Great Dixter is a garden that not only respects the nature that surrounds it, but, in an unexpected reversal, actually preserves and replenishes plants and insects that have died out in the natural areas of Sussex that surround it.