episode 199 | show notes & advice
episode description
Gardening is a diverse pursuit, and there’s no shortage of tools and kit that can help transform horticultural chores into an easier, more pleasurable experience.
In this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Perch Hill’s Josie Lewis joins Sarah to look back over the gardening year and nominate the top 10 desert island tools that no gardener should live without.
In this episode, discover
- Tools and containers perfect for making light work of planting and sowing
- Sarah and Josie’s favourites vases to make floral arrangements easier to put together and more visually appealing
- Sarah’s all-time favourite pots and trugs, with designs that have inspired products in our range
links and references
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Pots
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Veg
Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook | Sarah Raven
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Episode 199 advice sheet
The iconic zinc harvesting trug, and versatile ‘Hori Hori’ (2:00)
First on Sarah’s list of must-haves for the garden is a harvesting trug with a charming history - the design of this versatile trug originates from the lovely Shirley Punnett, with whom Adam Nicolson spent many of his formative years.
Josie’s first tool is the hori hori knife, a Japanese trowel perfect for so many jobs due to its strong carbon steel blade. It’s an all-round weeder, bulb-planter and essential tool for any type of digging.
The Hungarian goulash pot that inspired our green tub planter (5:20)
Once again drawing inspiration from a past favourite of Sarah’s, the green metal tub planter is based on a traditional Hungarian goulash pot, and has the ideal dimensions for creating a stunning bulb display.
Among the other tools and equipment that Josie and Sarah wouldn’t live without are Hortiwool, a versatile natural material for lining pots and deterring slugs, and a decent pair of snips - more robust than kitchen scissors, but less cumbersome than secateurs.
Sarah & Josie’s favourite vases and pots (14:15)
No two pots or vases are made equal - the design of the Nero vase that Sarah nominates makes it one of the most useful vases to own, combining a flared neck and wide belly, both perfect features for creating naturalistic showstopping arrangements.
Terracotta pots in the garden make a statement too, and among Josie’s favourites are those with a scalloped edge. They’re hand-thrown, 100% natural non-treated terracotta and bound to become a standout pot among any collection.
