Home Grown with Martha and Jamie

This episode sees Martha Swales and Jamie Walton joined by botanist, author and broadcaster James Wong for a wide-ranging conversation about plants, curiosity, and seeing the natural world a little differently.

From growing up in Singapore to training at Kew, James shares how early experiences shaped his fascination with plants and why experimentation has always been at the heart of his work. The chat explores ethnobotany and why culture matters just as much as science when it comes to understanding how we grow, eat, and use plants.

They talk TV, from memorable moments...

To kickstart Homegrown in 2026, Martha and Jamie discuss the best tips and tricks to starting your garden this January. From choosing the best compost and seeds, to adapting your garden through the changing of the seasons, they'll be sure to set you up with the know-how to help your plots thrive this year. 🪴

They'll be chatting about their personal favourite fruit and veg to grow at home, the cycle of life in a garden, plus sharing anecdotes from their own gardening experiences and folklore traditions such as Wassailing!

This is an episode about new...

It's the Christmas countdown on Home Grown, and Martha and Jamie are here to bring Christmas cheer in the form of practical ways to bring the season into your home... from your garden! Whether it's making holly and ivy wreaths, drying orange slices or creating natural homemade gifts.

Also Jamie explains his new Boxing Day seed sowing tradition and the benefits of starting early, while Martha talks through creating decorations using what you already have outdoors.

Plus we have an incredible Christmas Hamper ready for one lucky listener to win. With over £300 worth o...

Martha Swales and Jamie Walton settle in for a cosy winter edition of Home Grown, bringing together gardening know-how, seasonal science and the small wonders happening just outside your window at this surprisingly busy time of year.

They chat about the creatures riding out the cold months, to when the Winter Solstice takes centre stage and the mood shift it brings, plus how to stay connected to the outdoors even when it’s cold and gloomy.

There’s plenty of seasonal growing chat, including vegetables that actually improve after a frost, the deepening reds...

This week on Home Grown, Martha Swales and Jamie Walton explore the art of preserving and what it really means to keep the harvest. From ancient bog butter to shipwrecked pickles and honey that has lasted for thousands of years, they look at why some foods stand the test of time.

Back in their own kitchens, they talk through the essentials of fermenting, pickling, chutneys and jams, drawing on global traditions and the quiet satisfaction of bottling the season. They share simple ways to start, how to keep ferments safe, ideas for unripe tomatoes and the...

This week on Home Grown, Martha Swales (@marfskitchengarden) and Jamie Walton (@nettlesandpetals) dive into the wonderful world of fruit trees. From why winter is the perfect time to plant one, to quirky apple history and some truly wild varieties, they explore everything you need to know before adding a tree to your garden, balcony or allotment.

Martha and Jamie taste unusual apples, unpack the magic of grafting, and share incredible stories like that of Johnny Appleseed the American Pioneer. They break down pollination groups, self-fertile varieties, pruning styles and the top mistakes people make when planting...

It's an exciting week on Home Grown, Jamie Walton (@nettlesandpetals) and Martha Swales (@marfskitchengarden) are joined by their very first guest. Gardener, author and TV presenter Frances Tophill.

Frances has inspired a new generation to see gardening as a way to live more gently with the world. From her work on Gardeners’ World and Love Your Garden to her own wildlife-filled home life, she shares her thoughtful take on growing for joy, biodiversity and balance.

She reveals her brave fashion choices at her first TV audition, her passion for pottery, and how her fa...

It’s a cosy November catch-up with Home Grown hosts Martha Swales (@marfskitchengarden) and Jamie Walton (@nettlesandpetals). This month, the nights are long, the frosts are biting, and the garden is quietly slipping into its winter state.

Martha and Jamie chat seed tins, your reviews, the good the bad and the ugly, plus why leaving your leaves might be the best gift you can give your garden. They dive into the science and folklore of November’s Beaver Moon, the biggest supermoon in years, and share their favourite late-season harvests, from saffron to borlotti beans.

Home Grown is getting ghoulish. Martha Swales and Jamie Walton are rolling up their sleeves for a Halloween special packed with creepy curiosities, squash shaped secrets and plenty of pumpkin mischief. Jamie reveals why the scariest thing about Halloween pumpkins is the mountain of them wasted every year, and why spooky squash deserve the spotlight instead. They share the need-to-know differences between pumpkins and squash, when to grow them, top varieties that taste incredible and clever ways to save space while still growing a monster harvest.

Martha digs into the eerie origins of Halloween, from ancient...

It’s Q&A time on Home Grown! 🌿 Jamie Walton (@nettlesandpetals) and Martha Swales (@marfskitchengarden) dig into your burning gardening questions – from how to revive an unruly allotment plot to keeping mischievous cats out of the veg beds.

Along the way, they reveal a bit of friendly book rivalry, share their grand plans for the Home Grown gardening podcast’s future, and offer plenty of grow-your-own advice, honest chat, and down-to-earth laughter.

We love hearing your questions - do get in touch:

homegrown@joypeddlers.com

Presented by: Martha Sw...

The No Dig Revolution with Martha Swales (@marfskitchengarden) and Jamie Walton (@nettlesandpetals)

In this episode of Home Grown, hosts Martha Swales and Jamie Walton explore the magic of the No Dig gardening method, proving that sometimes the best gardening happens when you simply let nature lead the way.

They discuss how leaving the soil undisturbed helps create thriving ecosystems, healthier plants, and fewer weeds. Expect earthy chat, an infamous Soil Your Undies experiment, where you can discover just how alive your soil really is, and the fascinating science showing that soil can boost...

It’s tomato time! Martha Swales (Marf's Kitchen Garden) and Jamie Walton (Nettles and Petals) dive into the wonderful, rosy, glorious world of everyone’s favourite gateway veg. They share harvesting highs, planting tips, and taste their way through the mind-boggling range of tomato varieties bursting out of their beds. Martha makes her case for the unbeatable Sun Gold, while Jamie shows off some seriously impressive beefsteaks.

There’s also a potted history of Britain’s uneasy relationship with the so-called “devil’s fruit,” and a trip (in spirit, at least) to Spain’s legendary La Tomatina festiva...

This is it! Episode one of Home Grown, our brand-new podcast all about growing, gardening, and everything in between

And in today's episode, October is here, bringing crisp mornings, fiery leaves, and plenty to keep gardeners busy. In this episode of Home Grown, hosts Jamie Walton (Nettles & Petals) and Martha Swales (Marf’s Kitchen Garden) share what’s happening on their plots this month — from planting garlic and spring bulbs to cabbage to help the caterpillars and protecting tender plants before the first frosts.

There’s a cheeky haiku celebrating the spirit of autumn...

Something exciting is sprouting! Home Grown is a brand-new gardening podcast hosted by two of the UK’s brightest horticultural voices: Jamie Walton, better known as Nettles & Petals, and Martha Swales of Marf’s Kitchen Garden. Together they share their knowledge, enthusiasm, and love of growing your own veg.

The full launch is coming soon, but for now enjoy this pilot episode. Martha and Jamie dig into September, the month of the autumn equinox, with tips on seed saving, harvesting the last of the summer vegetables, and sowing crops for the cooler months ahead. It’s a cele...