1 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:06,719 Hello, and welcome to Gardening with Ben. You'll go to a podcast for 2 00:00:06,839 --> 00:00:12,039 all things green and growing. I'm Ben, your allotment guide and here to 3 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:17,079 help you cultivate your garden and your passion for plants. Whether you're a seasoned 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:22,359 gardener or just starting out, this podcast is for you. Each episode will 5 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:26,960 dig into tips, tricks, and techniques to make your garden and allotment thrive 6 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,679 from planting, sewing, and growing. We will share all the tips and 7 00:00:31,719 --> 00:00:37,399 add advice. We will also have regular episodes talking about what we have been 8 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,640 up to on the Allotment. So sit back, grab a brew, and 9 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:50,320 enjoy today's episode. Hello everyone, and welcome back to Gardening with Ben for 10 00:00:50,359 --> 00:00:54,399 a brand new episode this week. It's been a few days since our last 11 00:00:54,399 --> 00:00:59,119 episode as we have been extremely busy. And when I say extremely busy, 12 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:03,359 we have got plans happening. And yeah, I am sort of in the 13 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:10,799 middle of sorting everything out regarding Gardening with Ben, and that means sorting out 14 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,400 all my website. I've got a brand new website coming, I'm sorting out 15 00:01:14,439 --> 00:01:18,920 all my YouTube channel, and I'm sorting out all my podcast channel. So 16 00:01:19,239 --> 00:01:23,400 I'm really busy at the moment. With getting everything sorted and back in order, 17 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:30,680 starting with getting everything looking good and hopefully fetching out more and more content 18 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,599 for you. And if you're not subscribed to my YouTube channel, please do 19 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,959 subscribe to it Gardening with Ben. I've put on a load of new videos 20 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,560 on there, and there's going to be so much content coming on a regular 21 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,439 basis for you to watch as well. So if you enjoy listening to these 22 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,560 podcasts, why not check my YouTube channel out and you can check out all 23 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:55,400 my videos as well. You can see me face, but yeah, I 24 00:01:55,439 --> 00:01:59,359 hope that you can have a look and see all my videos on there. 25 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,799 And yeah, I'm trying to get monetized, so obviously the more views the 26 00:02:02,879 --> 00:02:07,719 better, really in that sense. And I just want to say hello to 27 00:02:07,919 --> 00:02:12,800 India. And the reason why I want to say hello to India is because 28 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:17,840 I get stats on my podcast and it's number one in the home and Garden 29 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:23,520 channel in India. Gardening with Ben is getting out there. So yeah, 30 00:02:23,719 --> 00:02:27,879 thank you for everybody that listens in India and the rest of the world. 31 00:02:28,319 --> 00:02:31,120 It's amazing. I do love seeing the stats and seeing where everybody listens to 32 00:02:31,199 --> 00:02:37,520 these podcasts, so thank you for that. So what else have we been 33 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,639 up too recently, But like I said, I've been recording lots and lots 34 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,879 of videos at the moment. We're going to be getting so many videos out 35 00:02:44,879 --> 00:02:47,680 there at the moment for you all to watch. And I'm going to start 36 00:02:47,719 --> 00:02:53,120 doing a little series on tips and advice on starting up in allotment, starting 37 00:02:53,159 --> 00:02:58,719 it up from scratch, and the best tips and advice for doing an allotment. 38 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,080 Obviously, I do make mistakes myself. I get told about mistakes what 39 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:07,560 I'm doing, but it's all part of the learning process and I love sharing 40 00:03:07,719 --> 00:03:12,759 everything that I'm doing with you all in whether it be in the podcast or 41 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:17,080 whether it be on my YouTube channel, So stay tuned for all that. 42 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:23,280 So this week, we have been down at my allotment. Today. It's 43 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:28,719 been threatening with rain, but we managed to get some stuff done down there. 44 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,719 We've been doing some weeding. We've been sorting out all of my pumpkins, 45 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:37,560 which I'm going to talk about in another episode on how to look after 46 00:03:37,599 --> 00:03:40,960 your pumpkins and how to get big pumpkins, so stay tuned for that episode 47 00:03:42,039 --> 00:03:47,719 coming up. We've been sorting out the heading as roses because obviously as they're 48 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:53,199 diet. You need to keep them beheaded. And yeah, we've been checking 49 00:03:53,199 --> 00:03:55,000 on as seeds because we've got a lot of seeds growing at the moment. 50 00:03:55,919 --> 00:04:01,080 You'll have seen in my previous videos that we I've started some late June seeds 51 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,960 off, which started some peas off. We started some dwarf beans off. 52 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:10,319 We started some beetroot off, some lettuce off, some sweet corn off, 53 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:15,839 some turnips off, and some radish off. So yeah, we've got lots 54 00:04:15,959 --> 00:04:20,319 of seeds growing. And the reason why I've done so many seeds is because 55 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:26,920 some of it has failed. My cucumbers. I've only got five plants growing, 56 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,519 so I want some more cucumbers growing. And now I've got fifty plants 57 00:04:30,519 --> 00:04:35,560 growing, So yeah, we may be inundated with cucumbers, but stay tuned 58 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,879 for that. That will be epic. If we have fifty plants growing, 59 00:04:40,879 --> 00:04:44,360 my polytonol won't know what to do with how many plants we've got growing off 60 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:51,240 cucumbers. I hope everybody likes cucumber and onion vinear and I do. But 61 00:04:51,319 --> 00:04:56,560 we'll be having them honors eyes for making us healthy. We'll be having them 62 00:04:56,639 --> 00:05:01,120 in water to drink. We'll be having cucumbers for everything, but yeah, 63 00:05:01,639 --> 00:05:06,199 stay tuned for that. So we've got all them growing. Also, my 64 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:11,519 sweet corn plants, we have got some healthy sweet complants outside which are growing 65 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,120 quite tall. They're doing really well, really well, but I've not got 66 00:05:15,199 --> 00:05:19,279 enough of them, so I planted a load more sweet corn plants to hopefully 67 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:25,720 get some good plants growing. And also sweet corn. You can't be having 68 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:30,360 delicious sweet corn down on the allotment. That is one of the most favorite 69 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,360 things that I'm growing at the moment. But I'm having a few issues down 70 00:05:33,399 --> 00:05:38,040 there at the plot at the moment. Obviously, I have trouble with the 71 00:05:38,079 --> 00:05:41,800 bind weed down there. The bind we just grows everywhere. That keeps me 72 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:46,000 so busy all the time, just clearing it back, cutting it down, 73 00:05:46,319 --> 00:05:49,439 getting the roots out, keeping on top of it, and trying to get 74 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:56,160 it all cleared. And we've also got an issue with my plum tree. 75 00:05:56,399 --> 00:05:59,959 My plum tree looks like it's dying off at the moment, which is not 76 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,319 a good sign. I really don't know what's up with it. I hope 77 00:06:03,519 --> 00:06:08,319 that it's just a blip and hopefully it comes back to life. Whether it's 78 00:06:08,319 --> 00:06:12,879 not getting enough water, I don't know, but I imagine it is getting 79 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,160 enough water because it's been so wet here in the UK at the moment. 80 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,360 But we'll see, we'll see how we get on and see if if we 81 00:06:20,399 --> 00:06:27,160 can get the tree back to life again. But everything else is coming along 82 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,319 good. We've got a lettuce nearly ready for picking. We've got blueberries that 83 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,680 are starting to turn blue. We're starting to pick as strawberries off. I 84 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:38,480 shared a picture of that of my first strawberry that I picked off. And 85 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:44,120 also I've got some more stuff coming from my allotment. We've just put two 86 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:46,319 new bird baths on my allotment as well. I'm going to be sharing a 87 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,920 video on them as well. So I've bought two bird baths for my allotment 88 00:06:50,319 --> 00:06:56,600 to encourage the birds to have a swim, have a drink and just come 89 00:06:56,639 --> 00:07:00,040 and chill out on my allotment. And if it gets too hot, I 90 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,879 might want to have a little dip. But yeah, I bought two bird 91 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:08,600 baths. And like I always said, everything from my podcast goes back to 92 00:07:08,639 --> 00:07:11,879 my allotment and stuff like that. I invest it all back so that you 93 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:15,839 can all see where it's all going. So yes, I know there's a 94 00:07:15,879 --> 00:07:18,839 few little adverts here and there, but it all goes towards paying for my 95 00:07:18,879 --> 00:07:25,040 allotment and pays for this podcast, So I hope that you carry on listening 96 00:07:25,079 --> 00:07:29,759 to these podcasts. Hopefully we're going to be getting quite a few episodes out 97 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:33,360 over the next few days. But yeah, I've got an exciting time coming 98 00:07:33,439 --> 00:07:40,560 up on Friday and I'm off to BBC Gardener's World Live. If you remember 99 00:07:40,639 --> 00:07:44,279 last year, I went for the first time last year at Birmingham Indoor Arena 100 00:07:44,839 --> 00:07:48,480 and it was absolutely huge. I did not realize it was going to be 101 00:07:48,519 --> 00:07:54,519 that big. It's more than a day's visit there. You could go there 102 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:58,560 for a couple of days. It's absolutely massive. And as well as the 103 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:03,720 BBC garden as well, there's BBC Good Food as well, so there's all 104 00:08:03,879 --> 00:08:09,879 food stalls as well, which is absolutely fantastic and I just love tasting everything 105 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:16,079 as you're going around and just trying all the different foods there, and obviously 106 00:08:16,199 --> 00:08:24,199 also meeting all the gardening influencers the gardening businesses down there at BBC Gardeners World 107 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:26,240 and if I can get some free samples off people, I will do. 108 00:08:28,319 --> 00:08:31,519 I'll give them a little plug here and there on my videos and on here. 109 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:37,480 But yeah, it is good to see and it's absolutely phenomenal and some 110 00:08:37,639 --> 00:08:41,039 of the times I probably wouldn't even recognize if there was a famous person there. 111 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:46,159 Half of the time it's hard to recognize people in the face. Sometimes 112 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:50,679 I did get a few people coming up to me saying, oh yeah, 113 00:08:50,759 --> 00:08:54,919 goardening with Ben last year. So if you are there on Friday, if 114 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:58,240 you're in the UK at BBC Gardeners World Live, come and say hello to 115 00:08:58,279 --> 00:09:03,480 me. I'm six foot five, so stand out from the crowd and you'll 116 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:07,639 be able to see me and it will be good to meet you and hopefully 117 00:09:07,799 --> 00:09:11,679 have a look at some of the fantastic gardens around there and get some ideas 118 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:15,759 for my own plot as well as maybe purchasing some plants for down at the 119 00:09:15,799 --> 00:09:20,600 allotment. And hopefully it's sharing some advice with other people as well there. 120 00:09:20,159 --> 00:09:24,320 So, like I said, we had been busy over these last few days 121 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:28,000 with everything that's going off. I am going to be doing a few podcast 122 00:09:28,039 --> 00:09:31,759 episodes. I'm going to record a few advance, so hopefully you'll have a 123 00:09:31,759 --> 00:09:35,000 few for the next few days to listen to, and I hope that you 124 00:09:35,159 --> 00:09:39,840 enjoy them. If this is the first time of your listening to the podcast, 125 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:43,279 please do give it a like, give it a follow, and click 126 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,360 the subscribe button And if there's a belt, click a bell and you'll get 127 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:50,440 a notification when new podcasts come up. And if you can share it to 128 00:09:50,519 --> 00:09:56,159 a friend or two or enjoys gardening themselves or if they're out there learning new 129 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:01,360 gardening skills, feel free to share it to them because the more people that 130 00:10:01,519 --> 00:10:05,960 listen, the more podcasts we will keep doing. So until next time, 131 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:09,679 everyone, remember keep smiling, keep shining, and keep gardening with Bet. 132 00:10:09,759 --> 00:10:18,080 Everyone. Thank you for joining me on this episode of Gardening with Ben. 133 00:10:18,399 --> 00:10:24,240 I hope you have found some useful tips and inspiration for your own gardening and 134 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:28,960 a lotment journey. If you have enjoyed today's episode, please make sure to 135 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:33,039 follow and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a new episode. And 136 00:10:33,159 --> 00:10:37,039 if you have a moment, I'd love for you to leave a review and 137 00:10:37,159 --> 00:10:43,240 share the podcast with fellow gardening enthusiasts. Your support helps us grow this community 138 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:48,000 and continue bringing you great content. You can also follow us on social media 139 00:10:48,639 --> 00:10:54,080 on every platform for all Gardening with Ben for daily gardening tips and with days, 140 00:10:54,639 --> 00:11:00,720 happy gardening, and until next time remember keep smiling, keep shining, 141 00:11:01,039 --> 00:11:03,600 and keep gardening with them.