Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball - 103: Phone Addiction, Chatty Cats, & Shady Gardens

Episode Date: June 17, 2026

David Hockney, GCSE celebrations, football fever and one very dramatic cat haircut.Jo and Zoe chat about teenage freedom, phone addiction, the social media ban for under-16s, and the joy of escaping into the garden. Plus shady planting tips, Harry Styles plans and why Wilbur is currently all head and tail.GET IN TOUCH📧 Email us: [e-mail]📱 Text or Voice Note: 07477 038795💬 Or tap here to send a voice note or message on WhatsApp:⁠ ⁠https://wa.me/447477038795SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORSThis episode is brought to you by Belvoir Farm, QVC and EE.🍓 Belvoir Farm -  Made with real fruit juices, real flowers and natural ingredients, Belvoir Farm drinks contain no artificial sweeteners, flavourings or preservatives. Enjoy them chilled from the fridge for the freshest flavour. Available in major supermarkets nationwide.  https://belvoirfarm.co.uk/ 🛍️QVC — Summer gatherings always seem to end up in the garden, so why not make the space feel extra special? Explore My Garden Escape at www.qvcuk.com and use code QDIGIT for £10 off your first order. Minimum spend applies and full terms are on the QVC website.📱 EE Get the edge with 5G+ on EE, the UK’s best network – search EE Best Network to find out more and check availability in your area.CREDITSExec Producer: Jonathan O’SullivanProducer: Harriet Thurley & Samantha PsykAssistant Producer: Eve JonesTechnical Producer: Oliver GeraghtyVideo Editors: Cameron Laird and Jack Whiteside 

Coming up on Diggett. Today, as we speak, Nellie is doing her final GCSE. What follows, I'm slightly scared of, Joe. Yeah. I've been getting lessons on tracking. Like in my phone, I'm like, right, I will know where she is. Is that Wilbur? He's had quite an extreme haircut where all his long fur on his body is completely gone and he's just a giant head and a big tail. Yeah, it just makes everybody feel inadequate, I think, whether you're 14, whether you're 40, whether you're 70 or whatever. It's just that whole feeling of looking at someone else's life is very, very detrimental to anyone's mental health. Yeah. All of that right after this. This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace.

Last year, I went through many different life changes. I needed to take a pause and examine how I was feeling in the inside to better show up for the ones who need me to be my best version of myself. When you're navigating life's changes, Talkspace can help. Talkspace is the number one rated online therapy. bringing you professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatry providers that you can access anytime, anywhere. Living a busy life, navigating a long-distance relationship, becoming a first stepfather,

Talkspace made all of those journeys possible. I could speak with my therapist in the office. I could speak of my therapist in the comfort of my home. I was never alone. Talkspace works with most major insurers, and most insured members have a $0.00 copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off your first month with promo code,

Space 80 when you go to Talkspace.com. Match with a licensed therapist today at Talkspace.com. Save $80 with code space 80 at Talkspace.com. One instant MVP status? Join the new Dick Scorecard Plus program. For $99, scorecard plus members enjoy one year packed with perks. Like $80 in annual bonus rewards. Free shipping with no minimum purchase, triple points on two purchases, and more.

That's over $160 in benefits. Join Dick's scorecard plus today and score more than ever. Tap the banner to learn more. Exclusions and terms apply. Visit dix.com slash scorecard plus for details. Hello, Joe. You've got the turquoise memo. Yeah, I did.

Look, I think it's the exact same shade. How bizarre. We are in the same shade. This is what happens. You hang out with each other long enough. You know what it's like. You start getting the same periods, but I don't get a period anymore. So we don't have that.

But we do. sink. I've actually come dressed as my inspiration has been David Hockney for today's outfit. I've got this picture that hangs in my, it's a poster. I've got this poster that hangs in my bathroom. It's really grubby, don't judge, I need to polish it. I think this is his place in Los Angeles, one of his homes and I've come dressed as the turquoise and the yellow and I think that was subliminal sort of influence this morning. Having, you know, having lost David Hockney. last week that I've been obsessed reading everything, listening to everything, David

Hopney this weekend and really enjoy it. What an incredible man. But to have reached the age that he did, to have lived the life and the reflections that he said himself was, I've had a great life. And you can't ask for anything more than that. You know, the worst thing is to be grumpy and sad and miserable and not want to be here anymore. But he lived a really great life and enjoyed himself and he was such an important person in the world of art and to all of us, such a huge influence. So yeah, I don't think you can ask for anything more just to bow out happily having a complete life. He's sort of, you know, the greatest philosopher in a right, as well as being the most incredible artist and also such how ahead of his time he was. You know,

he was painting incredible paintings of, you know, queer life before it was even decriminalised, you know, and just so, I mean, how. how important that is in itself. So in all these different ways, Hockney just, there's no one else like him. It's amazing. No, he led the way. One of our crew, one of our head honchos,

Dino sent a thing this morning, and it was about David's mum when she came to visit him in California. And she looked out, and it was obviously clear blue skies, you know, the blue that he's infamous for, clear blue skies, and she just looked out and went, oh, what a shame. It's a perfect day for washing, and no one's got their washing out.

as that kind of grounding. That's where he came from and that, yeah, that never left him, did it? And never, ever left him. He was so cool. You look at all the photographs of him when he was younger. The way he dressed, he was just such an amazing iconic fashionista in the early days and to the very, very end. Yeah, absolutely. And all these wonderful stories about how we would have people over for dinner and then sometimes he'd get a little tired and, you know, say to his assistant, actually, you know, I think I'm just going to chill out tonight.

and his assistant would have to call, you know, Elizabeth Taylor and all these, you know, phenomenal people who were his friends and just say, actually, David's, he's not up for it tonight. And people talking about the art that he would send them, the gifts he would give them. And he talked about himself. You know, so many of his friends will have just incredible works that he's done just for them.

And there's a great picture. I think it's Damien Lewis had visited the villa where David Hockney had stayed, where he did his incredible painting of the swimming pool. And he's recreated it with a friend. So that's Damien Lewis standing by the pool in the red jacket and his friend swimming in the pool. So many people have incredible stories. I listened to his Desert Island Discs last night,

which was with Roy Plomley. So the original host is from 1972. It was very short program. It's only like 20 minutes. and he chooses some incredible classical music each time with a wonderful tale about, it's always with wit and humour, of course, and he chooses Marilyn Monroe's, I'm through with love, which is from some like it hot. I won't spoil it actually, tell you everything he chooses, but the way he speaks about

his life, it just, oh, what a special man, special man. It's funny, my father-in-law, Steve's dad, Keith, is. an artist as well. He's taken it up as he's got older. He's always been into art, but he's taken it up as he's got older. And he's so influenced by David Hockney. So he was very sad about his passing. But also, I could see the influence of David Hockney on Keith. So every time we go over to Thailand, which is where he lives, he's got an artist's studio there. And there is canvas after canvas after canvas of paintings. And they are all vivid, this beautiful, vivid colour, very much in the style of David Hockney, greens and blues. In fact, I can see one just

just in the corner of the room where I am now. We were always bring them back with us. But it's just so wonderful to have that intensity, that vibrancy of the colour and to have seen the legacy of David Hockney on people like Keith. I think Keith is actually older. He's 90. And he's coming over to stay with us in a couple of weeks time. So he's coming from Thailand. As he does every year, and we honestly thought last year, this will be the last time. We won't see him again. He won't be able to make the journey on his own. But he gets so bored out there, he just went, no, I'm coming again because it's the World Cup. And he loves his football and he just wants to be with all of us with the whole family watching the football.

So he arrives in a couple of weeks time for when the football kicks, well, when the football is well underway. But I just thought there's a really lovely tie-in with the passing of David Hockney with Keith coming to stay with us, which might possibly be the last time. But never say never, 91, he might get on a plane and come and join us again. But it's, yeah, there's a really lovely synchronicity, really. I think we're all very much looking forward to him. He'll be celebrating his 90th birthday when he's with us. 90 years young. Yeah, yeah.

Happy birthday, Keith. If you're loving Diggett so far, hit follow or subscribe. That way you'll get brand new episodes as soon as they're out. Is that Wilbur? I'm so sorry, being very rudely interrupted by my Mars attacks, Kat.

I was slightly distracted then. Is it Wilbur? It is Wilbur. Wilbs, come here, mate. He talks so much. He just chats away to me and he's like, you've got to come here, mate. What's happened to him?

So he's got long hair. And in the summer months, months, you know, we can't brush him a lot. He looks off to himself. He keeps himself very clean. But in the summer months, his hair gets quite matted. It's like he can't clean himself enough. And when it gets really hot, he just sits in bushes and he's covered in stuff. So anyway, he's had quite an extreme haircut where all his long fur on his body is completely gone. And he's just a giant head and a big tail. Like a big puffball. And do you remember Mars attacks when they kind of like the aliens kind of take parts of the humans? He looks like that. So he looks like that.

He was just a giant head and a big tail. But whenever he has his hair short like this, he becomes a whole different personality. He really does, but he has not left my side. He's so chatty at the moment. But he hasn't gone out the front. I don't know whether he's embarrassed. He likes to go out the front and sit on the doorstep.

And people walk past and take photographs with him sometimes because he looks so handsome. But he's not been out of the front. I don't know if he's got a bit of a complex at the moment. I'm not sure. but it will grow back. And thanks to his lovely groomer, she's so brilliant. She really looks at him.

But yeah, but he's quite needy at the moment. So he may make an appearance at any point. Sorry about that. How funny that he's, I can understand him feeling liberated and being light on his feet and running around and being just like, yay. I'm not weighed down by all the fluff. But funny that he wants to talk more and be more chatty. Really chatty.

It's funny. I feel bad because he gets fat shamed a lot because he's so huge. There's so much fur. And when he's trimmed, And I sort of say to him, see, I told you, he's skinny underneath. So, yeah, he doesn't go short of a snack or attention. But anyway, there he is, bless him. But he may pop back in.

Have you, I know, I haven't actually watched any of the World Cup yet. Yeah. Obviously, England will be playing tonight against Croatia. And I have been loving some of the fans, like the Dutch fans, when they're all in the orange and there's, you know, thousands of them. And they do that amazing dance where they go to the left and then they go to the right. And also the Norwegian fans, I'm obsessed with all fans, the Norwegian fans doing the Viking row in the stadium. All of them on massive. It's so wonderful. The tribes. And then obviously fantastic for Scotland to win that first match. I mean, all my friends

who are Scottish are literally losing it at the moment. And why wouldn't you? you be? I know they've got another game, I think, against Brazil on Friday. And have you seen the brilliant ad for Scotland? No, no, no, no, I haven't seen it yet. No. Have a little look. You can be born anywhere. That's chance. The rest is choice. Choose the sun in Naples and the rain in Glasgow. Choose heading to a World Cup. Choose Patty Scorns on a Tuesday and pizza. on a Wednesday. Can't be fun? Ignore everyone telling you it's easier the other way.

And embrace being the underdog. And choose a skipper is always on duty. Scotie, you're on the way three or four? I'm going to get up. Choose getting absolutely written off and getting up and showing them anyway. You can't choose where you're born, but you can choose through your stand with. standard. Choose Scotland.

It's so good. Was that Louis Capaldi? Louis Capaldi doing the voiceover instead of Ewan McGregor in Trainspotting and it's that play on the train spotting. You know, it's so good, isn't it? It's joyful. We've been watching quite a lot because Cass is obsessed,

Steve's obsessed. We've all got a sweepstake. I've got Portugal in my sweepstake. Also, yeah, Germany as well. So we watched Germany. We watched the, they played Kurosau. Is that who they played? I think the other day. Are we who had their first ever World Cup thing? Yeah. And their population can fit into three football stadiums, which is quite mind-blowing.

I love all the statistics they keep throwing at us. Was this, they would be 7-1, but in a way, you should, you know, if that's their population, that should be taken into account. There is always someone watching football at some point. So it's kind of building up and building up and it will hit a frenzy when Keith arrives and it will just be non-stop football all the time and it'll be a lot of fun. It's just nice to have something like fun to enjoy, isn't it?

Well, yeah. That is when sport is so brilliant, isn't it? When there is something so huge that means so much to fans who've been patient. Yeah. I love that passion for sport. And it's like community, isn't it? I love for how it brings friends together and families together and communities together and countries together.

And we need that. You know, it's just constant barrage of terrible, terrible news across the world. And to have that sense of community, it's brilliant. Come on, England. I don't even know is on the England squad. I really need to start paying attention. I went to see Father John Misty at all he was playing in London the other day. And, oh my God, it was an amazing show.

He was supposed to be overdoing, I think it was a Lido Festival, which got cancelled. So putting a gig at the Shepers Bush Empire. in London, which is a relatively small venue. But he's an incredible artist with such a huge back catalogue and immense charisma and stage persona. He's got all the moves. He talks to the audience in such a brilliant way and he is worshipped, like the crowd are hanging on his every word. But all the different songs that he does, he's got this, like, you know, really, really old songs and there were so many people there, lots of boys with their arms around each other, like singing every single word, singing to each other, then looking out of

Father John Misty and it was wonderful to see. And it was very much like a sports team. It was like going to watch England play or Scotland play who your team is. And they were there for Father John Misty. And they'd obviously been there since the beginning and they're now there and they were just worshipping at the altar of Father John. It was great. It was an amazing gig. It was so lovely to be there. And there's like Harry's doing his gigs at the moment. You've had Olivia Dean. It's just a real testament to music. And we're going into the festival season as well, of course. So loads of that's going to be going on. We are. I'm at the Isle of White at the weekend. Oh yeah, you are, aren't you? You're playing.

Yeah, be DJing at the Isle of White, so that will be fun. Excellent. I hope you get good weather. I'm going to see, so today, as we speak, Nellie is doing her final GCSE. Physics. Come on, big up physics. Come on, Wilbs. If you're going to chat, come in here. And so she finishes and then the freedom comes. And I'm going with her on Saturday to see Harry Styles. Are you? I'm sort of starting to think about my outfit. Should I just wear, Respect Your Mother? T-shirt. I think I might.

I'm slightly, so congratulations to all the kids who are finishing up with GCSEs. I know they go on for a couple more weeks. And at A levels as well, I know they can go on a little bit longer. What follows, I'm slightly scared off, Joe. Her social plans are insane. I'm struggling to keep up. I'm like, hang on, see what, you're at a party there. Then you're going to a party you might not get into, right, hang on.

And then you're going here, is that even legal? and then you're and then what festival festival festival are like so i'm just is it ringing bells is this why you've got the fear because it's ringing bells you remember being that age and what it was like well no i was really dull at 16 i didn't discover living life until my late 20s to be totally honest with you um i was so boring i think i went on a bike ride and snogged a boy in the woods i mean that's that's all my life was i didn't really i didn't i wasn't massively into anything at that point there's so much more advanced, aren't they? This generation is different to us. Yeah, but I've seen what Woody was like. I mean, Woody was wild and it wasn't really a surprise. I feel like he had a lot. He felt he had to

live up to his parents' reputation. And we were like, you don't, you really don't love, but he was from a really wild year. Nell's lot are really cool. They're a little less wild, but they are, they were. I'm slightly concerned that they are going to, just go for it and I'm never going to know where she is. And I've been getting lessons on tracking. Like in my phone. I'm like, right, I will know where she is. But anyway, I just want to say I'm so proud of her.

She has absolutely bossed it. It's funny, isn't it? Because this time last year, Coco had finished her GCSEs. And I had that real sense of, okay, Anne Breed. So she's done that. And now we're going to have the, what I still think of as lower six. I can't get in my head all the different year groups and what they are. So she's going to the lower six.

And that is a really nice year when you, you can. can just relax. You haven't got any big exams coming up. It's just really lovely. And she's now had that year. And now it's like, okay, right. So it's the next year when she is going to be doing her exams, but she's got to make choices about university, about foundation course, about going on to do an apprenticeship or whatever it is that they do when they get to 18. And it's really daunting. I'm very much, and she has as well, just become very aware of the next stage. And it's quite scary. And I think we've been finding that when you want to do something in the arts, it's quite difficult to find what to do, where to go

when you live out of town. If you're in a kind of a cool area, then there are people who are a bit more art and media and culturally savvy, whereas where we are, it's a lot of business, it's a lot of engineering, it's a lot of kind of going to apprenticeships, and it's hard to get the information and know where to go. So I feel very stressed at the moment, and I know she feels very stressed about the next move. I feel kind of quite clueless about foundation courses because none of my other kids have ever done that and I'm like I just I have no idea what they are and where you go and if they're any good and what they lead to so yeah it's a weird time again it's like oh what does she want to do what she thinking she wants to study she wants

to do something art I mean she wants to do with art so whether it's she's studying art photography and media and she doesn't really know you know whether she wants to be a stylist or she wants to be a makeup artist whether she wants to go and work for the royal college of arts or whatever. And so she needs to have that time. You know what it's like when you go to university? You grow up, don't you? To figure things out. Yeah, you get experienced. But suddenly just the pressure of trying to get in somewhere, trying to get into a university, get into a college, get to the right place. It's a lot as a parent and as a student to know the right decisions and how to get equipped. And she's my fourth child. Do you think I'd know by now? They're so different though, aren't they?

Wilbur's doing this really annoying thing. I'm so sorry. He keeps coming in like, sort of slightly tarting around like, I'm here, I'm here, look at me, but then running away, but also talking the whole time, I might have to shut the door. That's right, listen, I brought goose in last time and that didn't work. Okay, let's take a quick break for some ads. But if you're keen to listen to these episodes early and ad-free, you can subscribe to the potting shed. Yearly subscriptions get a free dig-it toe bag and father gills sew and tell seeds. Just click the link to subscribe in the show notes.

Right. break. This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. Last year, I went through many different life changes. I needed to take a pause and examine how I was feeling in the inside to better show up for the ones who need me to be my best version of myself. When you're navigating life's changes, Talkspace can help. Talkspace is the number one rated online therapy, bringing you professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatry providers that you can access anytime, anywhere. Living a busy life, navigating a long-distance relationship, becoming a first stepfather, Talkspace made all of those journeys possible.

I could speak with my therapist in the office. I could speak of my therapist in the comfort of my home. I was never alone. Talkspace works with most major insurers, and most insured members have a $0.00 copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off your first month with promo code space 80 when you go to Talkspace.com. Match with a licensed therapist today at Talkspace.com.

Save $80 with code space 80 at. Talkspace.com. Digget is brought to you by Beaver Farm. Question for you, Joe. Do you ever wonder how you can keep a bottle of squash in a cupboard for months without it going off? It has crossed my mind. Well, this is the thing. So much squash is packed full of preservatives so that it can last for ages once opened. But Beaver Farm are kind of the opposite to that. Hang on a minute. Beaver Farm. Yeah. I always thought it was pronounced Belvoir, which is like the really posh squash that you see. in supermarkets. So not Bellevue, but Beaver. Beaver Farm. Okay, right, this is news to me. Yeah, Joe, it surprises a lot of people, but at Beaver Farm, they're completely obsessed with

taste. So they make their drinks properly using real fruit juices, real flowers and absolutely no artificial sweetness, flavourings or preservatives. Which does mean that once you open their cordials, they need to live in the fridge so they can be enjoyed fresh. Yes, slightly less convenient. But so much more delicious. That's why you'll recognise all of the ingredients on the label, rather than sounding like something engineered in a lab. Try Beaver Farm drinks for yourself. Enjoy them fresh from the fridge,

perfect for sunny afternoons, and they're available in all major supermarkets. At Beaver Farm, they never use anything artificial because the real thing just tastes better. Also, the news this week, that Skiy Starma, our Prime Minister, is bringing in the social media ban for those under 16. My immediate reaction was, can they bring it in for 55-year-olds as well?

How different my life would be if I didn't spend so much time in my phone. So, I mean, this is a momentous moment. I don't, I mean, I'm looking and I'm thinking, how are they going to do this? How are they going to police this? How is it going to work? It sounds like a mammoth task. But I think it's, I think it's good. I think it's such good news.

I know that for lots of kids, especially teenagers when they're doing a lot of socializing through social media, and I do understand that. I mean, it's not something that's going to affect me because now there's 16 now, obviously, but he's 25. But I think for, you know, just seeing this state, just seeing the effect of social media on me. Yeah. And knowing how that can affect me, you imagine what that is doing to young kids, you know, and keeping them safe for all. from, you know, talking to strangers and grooming and bullying and feeling very much like, you know, this whole life of look, that's what you should look like. That's how you should be living. These are the things you should be doing. These people are all happy and thin and friends and this,

that and the other and achieving. Yeah, it just makes everybody feel inadequate, I think, whether you're 14, whether you're 40, whether you're 70 or whatever. It's just that whole feeling of looking at there's someone else's life or something else that's going on and comparing yourself with them is very, very detrimental to anyone's mental health, let alone when it then goes into the territory of bullying and grooming and all the darker side of social media, of which is out there and affecting so many different people. So this can only be a really, really good thing. Like you say, it's hard for me to get my head around because Coco's 17 now. So it's, and I just cannot imagine what it would have been like if she'd been 15 and it had come in, how she would have dealt with that.

we would have had huge rows, I think. And it's a relief, I think, that it's been taken out of our hands, the decision and the conversations of saying to your young people in your family, no, you can't go on social media. I'm really relieved that for many people, it's just, it's, it's, the government have said, this is what's going to happen, it's the law. So therefore those arguments can't happen. Because if it'd be me trying to tell her not to go on her phone, not to go on social media, all hell would have broken loose.

Yeah, I mean, because also, you know, parents are so pressured, aren't they, into getting phones for kids. And I really salute people who parent and manage to keep their kids off telephones for as long as humanly possible. It's so brilliant, you know, to see people do that. But yeah, it'll be interesting to see how it works out. You know, there's always those jokey things on social media about going analogue again. You know, I've gone back to record, going back to record players and, you know, the typewriter. I mean, where would our lives be without computers and being able to communicate and all these different things. But there is something to be said for, you know,

I guess you take phones through your phone. And I have it when someone tries to take it from me or I've lost it or it's run out of battery or there's no Wi-Fi. And I'm like, I can't breathe. And do you remember when we were talking to Ron Chatterjee? And he was saying, you know, don't have your phone in your bedroom, charge it in another room. Yeah, have a landline.

There are so many ways that. putting it down and going outside. And I have to do it sometimes. I'm like, put it down, play some music, go in the garden, go for a walk. I was at a dinner yesterday. We went for a really lovely birthday dinner and my phone ran out on the way there. And we all sat down and I started feeling anxious and I was like, what's wrong with me? Why have I got butterflies?

And then I was asking everybody if they got a charger and I noticed I've got a plug point to my side. And I was like, okay, that's good. I've got a plug point there. And I felt reassured by that. And then I couldn't find a charger. And then I suddenly just looked up and went, why am I panicking? Because my phones run out. There is nobody who's going to get in touch with me for any reason whatsoever.

I just feel like I need to have my phone on. And I don't know whether it was catastrophizing, whether you're thinking, God, something terrible might happen and I need to be contacted. But the reality is, everything can wait. Everything can wait. It was a real wake-up call. I was like, just calm the fuck down. This is ridiculous.

It's part of us. It's sort of like a magnetic drawer of, I need it. It's such an addiction. It's terrible. Yes. So goodness knows how it will be policed, but I think it will be a good thing. And then perhaps bring it in for adults as well. So talking of a contrast to being on our phones, the one thing and like an amazing solution is our gardens.

And I know loads of our diggers just seek refuge in the garden. And it's where you escape completely from social media. And I managed to get in there for about two hours in between World Cup matches the other day. And the garden had exploded. Look at those flowers. I know. There are so many. I'm so, I'm really happy with my borders this year. They're great. The roses are amazing. The fox gloves. Everything's growing on top of each other. But the collision of color is beautiful. It's glorious. So it's fine. When my garden grows up, I want it to be like your garden. No, so I saw your,

I saw pictures of your garden and it looks really mature now. Compared to this time last year, around about the time when we started doing the pod, it looks, it looks lush. It looks gorgeous. It was quite bonkers to look at it and think just over a year ago, it was AstroTurf. It's quite incredible. I've had a couple of people get in touch saying, how have you done that? And I'd have to say, Henry did such a brilliant plan for it. And then I've put in a lot of stuff. Some stuff works.

I don't know about you, but I've got my dahlias, my nasturtiums, quite a few. My lovely Echinacea, I put a couple more in, and they've been absolutely. scoffed. So thanks to Tess, who has, you know, she's sending me some, is it, are they called nematoids? Nematodes. Nematodes. Yeah. She's sending me some nematoids for the garden to, these are bugs that will eat other bugs. Trying to battle the slugs. In the beautiful circle of life. But you know what? I think sometimes you have to give stuff over, don't you? And that's okay. It's like, there's a lot of stuff doing really well. And sometimes, you know, because these, the creatures are got to the other creatures.

It is all part of the circle. Feed each other, yeah. What are some of your huge successes this year, Joe? Your roses look so gorgeous. Yeah, the roses are amazing this year. They really are. They're absolutely beautiful. And what else?

The sweet peas, I've gone big on sweet peas because they smell so beautiful. There's a picture of tabs that we've just put up. It's my ninja gardener that I talk about quite often. She came in because everything had collapsed. Go on taps. And she just strung everything up. So all the roses are now all hot. hoisted and they're supported, which is so essential at this time of year. And yeah, it's just

made everything look really, really beautiful. I'm trying to think what else is working. The geraniums, pelagoniums, all of those, because we're getting a lot of rain and then the occasional bit of sun, everything seems to be doing fairly well. I'd love to know what people feel about outdoor furniture and cushions and seating and all that kind of stuff. Because this year, I really wanted to get some nice outdoor seating and some big cushions. Because when everyone comes home at the weekend or whenever they do arrive home. Everyone's fighting space to lay on the grass. And so I was like, right, I'm going to buy some massive cushions. I'm going to get a really nice seat of some kind like a lounger. And I start, I mean, I Google endlessly and I just

scroll and I shop for hours and hours and hours and I decide what I'm going to buy. And then I look outside the window and it's pouring with rain. I'm like, what is the point? What is the point of buying anything to sit on outside in this country? So, but yesterday I did go and I bought four really, really big cushions and I might get a lounger. But then where do you store them? What do you do with them? Steve was just going, oh, I'm like, well, you've got to store them properly. He was like, telling me to be a responsible garden. You've got to store them properly. The mice are going to eat them or they're going to rot away. I was like, shut up. What I do is I get, because I've got a couple of different seating areas. And what I do is when the weather, when it gets warmer and it's

not crazy, crazy reading all the time, I get these huge big sort of zip up bags. And then I take the cushions off and then I put them all in these zip-up bags, the smaller cushions, and the umbrella, the lovely parasols, and I put them in the plastic, and then I put them underneath a cover, and then I hold that down. So, organised. While it's not crazy, crazy, but I know, it's a bit anal, and I have them on three different ones. Obviously, when the kids are staying and stuff like that, they don't get put away. Yeah, I'm like, I can't go and put my cushions away.

But I'm quite happy with my new system at the moment. Yeah, it's a good system. What I do is when the weather gets really bad, then everything comes inside and gets stored, you know, somewhere inside because it gets so damp and stuff like that. But I have to say, H&M, amazing cushion covers and cushion inners. Really? I've got a couple of really lovely blankets. I've got a beautiful couple of parasols from Dunelm. I've got some cushion covers from Dunelm.

Some really lovely garden furniture from QVC. They've got an amazing garden section at the moment. So there's a lot about, I know what you mean, though, because I keep wanting to get one of these lovely doubles sort of. of loungers that everyone can pile on because the last one I had so many people piled onto it, that the legs buckled. But I'm just kind of thinking, is it one too many things and should we just like throw blankets on the ground and everyone can bed down? Yeah, I need to buy a hammock, a big fat hammock because the last one collapsed when all the kids jumped on it. So, but I just thought, well, it must be really bad for business. When we do have these rainy summers that like businesses

must be tearing their hair out because they're not going to be selling their parasols and they're not going to be selling their massive cushions, apart from to people like me. But haven't we got, what's it called? El Nino. I don't know. I mean, aren't we going to have some insane hot weather very soon where, you know, London will be as hot as Barcelona normally as at some point. I don't know. I feel people keep threatening that the hot weather is coming. And in the meantime, I'm not complaining because I'm like, please keep raining on the garden because it's so dry out there. I need to get more water butts and store it.

We've got an expert to advise us when it comes to shady spots, because some people I think just think, oh, when I've got a garden that's quite shady, there's nothing I can particularly put in there. It's not going to ever be pretty. But actually, there is so much you can do. So much. And we've got some tips now from Mike the gardener. Hi, Joe and Zoe.

It's lovely to be back with you again. Now, I have quite a sunny garden, but my previous garden was complete shade. And even in this garden, I have areas of shade, which sometimes. Some people get really frightened of, especially dry shade. So I'm here today to convince you all, don't be afraid of shade, there's plenty you can plant. Let me show you. Ferns are a mainstay of the shade garden, with some preferring moist soil, some preferring dry shade. Now if you're looking for dry shade ferns, this one here is a perfect choice.

This is the male buckler fern and it comes out with it. with this beautifully burnished, orange and yellowy coloured foliage, just so eye-catching in a shady position. Then there's the male scale fern. This is Christata and it's beautifully dissected and look at all the details on there. Lovely shade of green and this sits perfectly under my acer tree. For something super textual and super soft, how about this beautiful hackon grass? Its variegated yellow and green stripes are just so enticing and do light up a shady area and they sit perfectly with ferns. And there's geraniums. Then there's ladies mantle,

Alcumilla, with this Chartreuse flowers, hellebores and this lovely brunnera, it's one called Jack Frost with this incredible patterning on the foliage. Another one for a damper's shade, still pinks reds whites again beautiful flowers just beginning to come out now and if like me you have a shady side of the house and this is in shade for most of the day then why not have a hoster alley all of these hostas thrive in shade now i know what you're saying slugs and sails but there's a solution all of my hostas are kept in terracotta pots top dressed with grit and there's lots of other options for keeping the menacing mollusks away, but the best one is a garlic solution which I spray on weekly. I'll send you the recipe. And if you've got no life like me, you come out at night with a torch

to send them packing. I've just scratched the surface. There's plenty of other options. So if you've got a shady garden or a shady border, don't get phased by shade. Joe and Zoe, thank you for inviting me back and I'll see you very soon. Bye-bye for now. Bye-bye. Thank you, Mike, the gardener. God, he's wonderful, isn't he? He just makes me so happy. He could talk about anything and I'd be so happy and he's always got the most beautiful flowers on his hats. Yeah, you see, now that's the top tip there. Because I, immediately, the minute he said, hostas, is like, can't chimney, slugs and snails. See, terracotta pots with the grit on the top. Clever. Yeah. And then you can place them in the garden, but they won't get so munched. We need that garlic recipe, don't we? We do. And Mike's saying there, if we have no life like me, I love having no life, Mike. I'm the happiest I've ever been. No, he's got a great way with words. I love that charters. All our gardeners have a really lovely way with words. They're very descriptive when they're talking about the plants. But ferns, I'm obsessed with ferns now because you get so many different textures when it comes to leaves and then colors as well. And then if you want the pop of color, I think geraniums are fantastic. So you get that if it's a dark area, then go for some pale pinks or just pink just so it kind of shines out or maybe white. There's so much you can do in Shady Borders.

So good. It's really wonderful to see. I was saying to a friend of mine who's single, I was like, after we'd gone to Chelsea and, you know, and we meet lots of fabulous gardening folk all over the place, designers and then all the teams who do landscaping and stuff. I sent to a friend of mine, seriously, get yourself to all the flower shows, go and meet all the amazing landscape gardeners. It's like they are the greatest people. I think it's people who work outdoors who are doing that for a living. You see why so many people

change career and go into that kind of field because, you know, if you've been working in an office, if you've been like crazy, crazy stress, you know, to change career and work in the outdoors, whatever it is that you're doing, just whenever I meet all those folk, they just seem really happy. Yeah, you don't see many grumpy gardeners. You really don't, do you? And they're very resilient and strong and quite happy in the rain or in the cold or whatever. Yeah, all kinds of weather. They just are pretty grounded and pretty happy and very content with what they're achieving. You're absolutely right.

Very much so. There's our future careers at some point. Crate digging. What do you have for crate digging? Let's do some recommendations for our lovely diggers. What have I been listening to? I've actually been listening to loads of America, Crosby Stills and Nash. I've been listening to the Marshall Tucker band.

I don't know. I've just gone all crazy 70s recently. I have a really lovely thing where Bob Harris, our lovely friend, Bob and I send each other music. And he's been sending me some real gems that I've never heard before and I've been sending him some. It's a really lovely way to, you know, stay in touch with the gorgeous friends. So I've kind of gone down that kind of loop at the moment.

Really loving the new Kurt Vile album, which is called Philadelphia's been good to me. I love Kurt Vile. also really been enjoying Mac DeMarco's album but he actually brought out last year at guitar he's just recently been on tour he was over here he played a couple of gigs he was at prima vera

I was listening to Nathan on Six Music interview him and he's such a dude I love him He's funny, he's a really funny guy He's doing end of road as well I think festival and also I was actually going to present the pod today dressed in this He's putting a straight jacket on Is it a straight jacket?

in tribute to Angine de Poitrine who's so funny. Volume two has come out. I freaking love them. There's volume one already out. Volume two is out now and I was going to make myself a papia machet

headpiece. I mean, if anyone is wondering what the dickens I'm doing right now, Angine de Poitrine are a Canadian funky outfit. I mean, I'm such an old lady. I don't know how to describe them. Other than there's two of them, one of them plays drums, one plays guitar and bass. They make a phenomenal sound.

They have papio-mache heads with sort of like toilet roll noses. They are always in polka dots, ones in black and white, ones in white and black, which way around you call it. They played in Brighton recently. They are phenomenal. They don't speak. They only communicate and their voices are, I wanted to find a kazoo because I was going to try and do how they talk to each other because it's sort of like kazoo voices. They don't ever talk.

It's performance art, isn't it? It is performance art. But they are just so excellent. And I mean, if you were to ask me my favourite tracks, well, I kind of love all of them. One of my favour is UTSB, which is UTSP. Anyway,

they are so brilliant. I'm not sure if all diggers will be massively rushing out to get this album. It's quite unique, but they are really wish like Lastermarie was on this year because they are the kind of at that you will stumble across at a big festival and be like, who the dickens are these guys. These guys are amazing. You might know who they really are underneath the outfits. I have no idea. No, I've just,

I've just seen them before. No, I've seen them before me and I think they're really, I'm really happy they exist. They're really funny, very, very entertaining. And you look great in your white polka dot strait jacket. Can I take my straight jacket off? I'm really disappointed that I didn't get time to make my pepi and meschet head because I really wanted to make you laugh. And I'd even saved a toilet roll, a kitchen towel roll to make the nose. But I just didn't get around to it. But anyway, there you go. Angine de Praterina, Volume 1 came out, I think a couple of years ago. Volume 2 is out now. Check them out. Watch them performing. They are quite bonkers and quite phenomenal. There you go. There's some offerings from me this week. I walked into work the other day and

I stepped up the lift and I walked straight into horse girl. I don't know whether you've heard of horse girl. Horse girl is a... Oh, is she the one with the... She's part horse's head. She's part horse part girl and very, very much, very much that is their identity and it was quite quite something to see walking and just coming out of the lift and I was like, oh, you're a horse and you're a girl and you only communicate as a horse girl. So there's no kind of conversation going on apart from neighing and then the occasional conversation, occasional sentence. Hang on a minute. Does she do, does she go? Actually, I don't know. I don't know. She's She nayed at me, but I don't know whether she nays in interviews all the way through.

Because she, she nayed at you. That's amazing. Oh my God. Trevor Nelson was also there. Trevor was like, what the? We just looked to each other and went, I don't think she's there for radio too. I think it's for Jack Saunders. And she was.

She was there for Jack Saunders. And he looked quite bemused afterwards. I guess it's no different to Danger Mouse and, is it Danger Mouse? Dead Mouse. Dead mouse. Dead mouse. Yeah. Danger Mouse.

Yeah. Yeah, Darth Punk and Dead Mouse, yeah. Yeah, Dead Mouse in the helmet. And yeah, I've got some dark punk helmets somewhere around, actually, that, you know, made a trick to Glastonbury one time. My crate digging, I have been mostly listening to Olivia Rodriguez and the new album, which is, you look pretty sad for a girl so in love. And it's amazing.

When it comes to pop, it's a really, really great record. And she's got Robert Smith from The Cure on this one particular song, which is called What's Wrong With Me. I think I mentioned it before. but it's so beautiful and it's so Robert Smith. It's really mournful. And she's a really, really great songwriter and a brilliant pop artist. So the album is good.

Sometimes these albums come out on Coco on our school run. She'll be like, oh, it's not so good. Like these albums that you're anticipating. And then I just got those messages from her going, oh my God, the Olivia Rodriguez album's really, really great. And then I listen to her. Yeah, it is. She's a very, very impressive pop star is Olivia.

It's a good album that everyone will love. And again, gorgeous when you meet her, like so smart and funny and switched on and clued up and so friendly with everybody. Yeah, she is just gorgeous as well, isn't she? If you're listening to lots of Crosby, Stills and Nash and 70s kind of, and I know that we both love yacht rock. Yes. Role model is really great and there's a new record out from Role Model at the moment, which is very retro. So yeah, that's my final word when it comes to create digging, role model and Olivia Rodriguez. Fantastic. Oh, I guess we've got Madonna coming out.

soon haven't we? Madonna's coming out and there's oh there's so many things to look forward to to. House of the Dragon

is back next week. I can't wait. Do you watch House of the Dragon? This is Game of Thrones is it? The follow-up to Game of Thrones. Yeah. No, I don't.

No, because you either go yay or sorry. No, I never had time. And we are going to discuss Alice and Steve, aren't we? Yes, we'll talk about Alice and Steve Monday. All right, okay.

Take care then. I'm off to the Isle of White. I'll report back on Monday. Oh yes, you're going raving. Woo, woo, and I'm going to see Harry Styles. Oh, enjoy. Can't wait. See you, bye.

Lots of love, Joe. Bye, Diggers. Love you. Digit is a Persephonicah production.