The Garden Editor

27/10/2026

DEAD STUFF FOR HALLOWEEN

So, latest podcast from Basingstoke Community Radio now up on the website - happy listening! We cover all the good things to do with dead plant material in the garden. There's plenty of things to do which benefit your garden, your wildlife, and your asthetics.

And if you appreciate the track of the week, shout out below. It's one for a certain age, I think!

Links in all the usual places.

25/10/2026

23/10/2026

Delighted to see the growing! It's a really great way to think sustainably about Christmas, while supporting amazing local producers, suppliers and retailers. You might be surprised about what's literally on your doorstep.

Do tag me in any plans you have. I'd love to hear them! Every little counts to reduce carbon emissions, keep money in the local economy and support local businesses.

We are really excited to be launching our 10-mile Christmas campaign.

This is the brain child of The Garden Editor, Claire Mitchell, who tries to purchase everything she needs for Christmas, including gifts, wrapping, cards, food and decorations locally (ideally from small local businesses).

It's not always 100% possible ...but every small effort makes a big difference to fellow small, independent and local businesses.

Would you like to be involved?

Our request is very simple...

If you are a small business with items, products or services suitable for Christmas, then send us an A5 landscape or portrait advert, either via email [email protected] or post through the door of the office (25 High Street)).

We will start to display these ads in our window from 2nd November onwards (as well as promoting as much as we can on Facebook), for fellow locals to see and be inspired to do their own 10-mile Christmas.

TOP TIPS

🎁 Make your ad Christmas themed
🎁 Don't crowd the ad with too much info
🎁 Include a QR code for people to scan for your website or online shop
🎁 Be within 10 miles of The Village Office (we will check!)

Any other questions, just comment below!

14/10/2026

Gravel and sand planting

Planting into different substrates is something we are learning by doing and experimenting for our changing climate. Here with we've designed and planted some new sand/gravel borders to create a grassy, wafty area to walk through.

Plants supplied by and

08/10/2026

Bulbs bulbs bulbs

Have a burning question about how to buy, plant, or care for these batteries of spring beauty? Pop them below or in a message and we'll cover them on next week's show.

05/10/2026

Please meet Persephone, or Percy for short, the newest member of the Garden Editing team.

Persephone was the greek goddess of vegetation, and as our second hand EV, she is already out and about transporting us, plants and all sorts of biomass around north Hampshire.

The beautiful artwork is by , from an original drawing for my business cards, and we pulled the design together with the excellent folks at . Featuring in the boot already!

Give us a wave if you see us out and about.

01/10/2026

BULBS BULBS BULBS

Would you believe it, it's bulb time already?

Listen to this week's episode on Basingstoke Community Radio where I go through how to buy the very best bulbs to avoid Spring regret. Hint - it involves reading the small print (dull, but necessary), exercising a degree of restraint, and how having a buying buddy means you can get a more edited, curated look in your spring garden.

Next time, it's over to you! Let us konw what questions or problems you have with bulbs, and I'll answer them on air. Just drop a line below or to the studio.

Link to catchup is below.

28/09/2026

Tonight's talk is on "Wildlife Friendly Gardening (without being too messy)." The art of horticulture inevitably involves homo sapiens as part of the biodiverse community that inhabits a garden. And wildlife friendliness does not preclude having an Edited space that gives joy to the human species, too.

There's a list of talks for 2026/2027 on the website, to which we are adding all the time. It's always lovely to meet folks in person and you would be so welcome!

28/09/2026

Tonight's choice tights for delivering a talk on "Wildlife friendly gardening (without being too messy)"

25/09/2026

Are you enjoying the Indian Summer we are having?

Here's a link to my recent contributions in Amateur Gardening magazine on the essential tasks to make your garden sing this September. It's forecast to be a lovely weekend for gardening, whatever you have planned. I'll be lifting and dividing perennials as well as digging out a new flower bed. One can never have too many!