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

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 sow
Specific 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 vase
How to get more from each plant – from cut-and-come-again grasses to edible flowers and home-made calendula remedies
How to plan your March sowing so it supports wildlife, with seed heads that feed birds well into winter
Products mentioned:
Cerinthe major 'Kiwi Blue' https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cerinthe-major-kiwi-blue
Amaranthus ‘Hot Biscuits’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/amaranthus-hot-biscuits
Amaranthus ‘Coral Fountain’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/amaranthus-caudatus-coral-fountain
Moluccella / Bells of Ireland https://www.sarahraven.com/products/moluccella-laevis
Antirrhinum ‘Giant White’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-giant-white
Antirrhinum ‘Liberty Crimson’ (Liberty Classic Crimson F1) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-f1-liberty-classic-crimson
Antirrhinum ‘Apple Blossom’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-majus-appleblossom
Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Burgundy' F1
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-sonnet-burgundy
Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Orange Scarlet' F1
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-sonnet-orange-scarlet
Antirrhinum majus 'Sonnet Carmine' F1
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/antirrhinum-sonnet-carmine
Cobaea (Cup-and-saucer vine) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cobaea-scandens-purple
Poppy ‘Amazing Grey’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-rhoeas-amazing-grey
Poppy ‘Mother of Pearl’ https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-rhoeas-mother-of-pearl
Black Single Papaver somniferum (Opium Poppy) https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-somniferum-black-single
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop 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 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 Sussex
A gentle but practical way to think about why we garden focused around connection, memory, and belonging to nature
Milli’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 materials
Milli’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--wl
Order Milli’s Book, ‘How Does Your Garden Grow?’:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Does-Your-Garden-Grow/dp/1837832250
Products mentioned:
Aquilegia Vulgaris 'Hensol Harebell'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/aquilegia-hensol-harebell
Galanthus nivalis (Common Snowdrop)
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/galanthus-nivalis
Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/wild-marjoram
Syringa meyeri 'Flowerfesta Pink'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/syringa-meyeri-flowerfesta-pink
Viburnum tinus
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/viburnum-tinus
Daphne 'Perfume Princess'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/daphne-perfume-princess
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop 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 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 garden
The key plant families and varieties that reliably deliver bold, stained‑glass colour
Sarah’s favourite colour combinations and how to place ‘shouty’ colours so they look intentional
A simple season‑by‑season planning method using two‑month blocks and the ‘bride, bridesmaid, gatecrasher’ idea to keep colour going from March to October
Products mentioned:
Euphorbia ceratocarpa
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/euphorbia-ceratocarpa
Tulip 'Ballerina'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-ballerina
Tulip 'Black Parrot'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-black-parrot
Tulip 'Rococo'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-rococo
Tulip 'Go Go Red'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-go-go-red
Tulip 'Mariette'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-mariette
Tulip 'Purple Heart'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-purple-heart
Lunaria annua
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lunaria-annua
Crocosmia 'Lucifer'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/crocosmia-lucifer
Phlox paniculata 'Blue Paradise'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-paniculata-blue-paradise
Dahlia 'Thomas A. Edison'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-thomas-a-edison
Sweet Pea 'Blue Velvet'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sweet-pea-blue-velvet
Sweet Pea 'King Edward VII'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lathyrus-odoratus-king-edward-vii
Sweet Pea 'Matucana'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lathyrus-odoratus-matucana
Salvia 'Jezebel'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-jezebel
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop 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

Colour is best when it’s tangible, and if you’re planning a patch in your garden then this episode of the Mini Series is perfect to help you bring your plans to life.
In this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series, Sarah dives into the practical side of using colour as the backbone of your garden design - from using candles to visualise colour combinations, to the ‘bride, bridesmaid, gate crasher’ structure that’ll help guide you towards an ensemble that works in harmony.
In this episode, discover:
How to choose a garden colour palette based on the feeling you want to create (washed, velvet, comforting or luminous)
A simple “bride, bridesmaid, gate crasher” recipe for combining plants in harmonious yet lively colour schemes
Practical ways to test and refine palettes using coloured candles, mood boards and real flowers in your hand or in a vase
How to plan colour in succession by breaking the year into seasonal chunks and identifying plants that “carry the baton” across months
Real planting examples and border ideas drawn from Sarah’s own garden, including her vase-to-border comforting palette scheme
Products mentioned:
Nepeta x faassenii 'Kit Kat'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nepeta-x-faassenii-kit-kat
Alchemilla mollis
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/alchemilla-mollis
Clematis viticella 'Etoile Violette'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/clematis-viticella-etoile-violette
Cosmos bipinnatus 'Sonata Carmine'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-sonata-carmine
Salvia viridis 'Blue Monday'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-viridis-blue
Dahlia 'Peaches'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-peaches
Campsis x tagliabuana 'Indian Summer'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/campsis-x-tagliabuana-indian-summer
Phlox drummondii 'Blushing Bride'
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-drummondii-blushing-bride
Abelia x grandiflora
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/abelia-x-grandiflora
Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' AGM
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-limelight
Stipa gigantea
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/stipa-gigantea
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop 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

Each colour palette in the garden creates a unique atmosphere, and you don’t need intricate knowledge of the colour wheel to combine them cohesively in the garden.
In this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series, Sarah talks us through why her colour palette system works to create stunning arrangements which work with each other, rather than against each other, and how to transition between palettes within neighbouring spaces.
In this episode, discover:
How Sarah’s four core colour palettes each create a distinct mood in the garden
Where each palette works best at Perch Hill, and where they might be most suited in your own space
How to avoid a cluttered, chaotic feeling by thinking of colour palettes in ‘visual fields’
How to use bridge plants and universal colours to link different palettes seamlessly
Ways to work with trickier colours so that they enhance your space, rather than overwhelm it
Products mentioned:
Dahlia 'Molly Raven': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-molly-raven
Tulip 'Slawa': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-slawa
Tulip 'Apricot Foxx': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-apricot-foxx
Phlox paniculata 'David': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-paniculata-david
Erysimum 'Winter Orchid': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/erysimum-winter-orchid
Phlox drummondii grandiflora 'Cherry Caramel': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/phlox-drummondii-cherry-caramel
Tulip 'Dom Pedro': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-dom-pedro
Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop 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