The Ins & Outs - From Chelsea Flower Show

Episode Date: May 27, 2025

Jojo and Polly are coming to you from inside a Plankbridge Shepherds Hut at Chelsea Flower Show!We discus all the fashion, footwear and flowers from Chelsea.Plus we answer your questions on outdoor cushions and indoor pots.This episode is sponsored by Plankbridge Shepherd’s Huts. The huts are handcrafted in Dorset, England, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern comfort. Inspired by Victorian-era shepherds’ huts, each one is custom-built using sustainable materials and designed for luxury living in nature. Go ad check them out https://www.plankbridge.com/InstagramPodcast - @the_insandouts_Jojo - @houseninedesignPolly - @pollyanna_wilkinsonProducer Andy - @andy_rowe_WebsitesJojo - https://www.housenine.co.uk/Polly - https://www.pollyannawilkinson.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Green, the colour of true elation Pond on a summer's day, see I've been waiting for you Hello Innes Militias and welcome to this week's episode of the Inns and Outs with myself Jojo Barr and the gorgeous Pollyanna Wilkinson On this week's episode we're having a massive Chelsea Lollapalooza We're talking outdoor cushions, indoor pots, footwear, fashion, flowers, what's not to love. This week's episode is sponsored by the absolutely stunning Plank Bridge, makers of the finest shepherd's huts

and cabins. I first learned about Plank Bridge, I have to say with you last year, Polly, at Chelsea Flower Show when I saw the Dunny. It's not called the Dunny is it? You fell in love with the Lou didn't you? I fell in love with the little Lou. There's a little shepherd's hut Lou. Yes they do a shepherd's hut Lou. They do pretty much everything and then I really fell further in love with them when I

learned more about them at the pig and I've actually seen inside their shepherd's huts and they are unbelievable. So I mean Polly you can probably harp on more because I think you probably know a lot more about them. Oh my god well I've stayed in one now when I went to stay at the pig I stayed in one of their beautiful stream wagons as they called them there but it was plank bridge wagon they are a TARDIS you you look at from the outside and you're just like I'm not gonna fit in there none of us is gonna fit in there and then actually you go in it's a bedroom it's a full bathroom the bathroom is nicer than mine. Well listen guys this this episode is being sponsored

by these guys and we are currently sitting in a shepherd's hut at Chelsea Flower Show filming this episode so this is super fun because I'm actually getting the full experience of looking at this gorgeous little kitchenette, little toilet, our little dining table. And the bed we'll be getting in later. It's so spacious. We'll be climbing the bed later because it's quite a full-on day for you Polly, isn't it? So we'll be coming back to that in a minute. But honestly, please do go and check out plankbridge.com. You can essentially go and there's a shopping list of everything that you need and want to go in there.

And it is very house nine, I'd say. It's very house nine. Very house nine. And it would really work in a Studio Pollyanna garden as well. And in Jojo Bars home. Right let's crack on with this episode shall we. Well hello and happy hippie happy birthday birthday. Happy birthday sweet girl., but thirsty? It's my birthday! Happy birthday, sweet girl. I'm 30 actually, it's really nice, I'm 30 again. Are you? We're aging backwards, are we?

Well I've been 30 for 13 years now, so it's actually really nice. I love that, you don't look a day over. No thank you, that's exactly the response I'm looking for, so thank you so much. Really good girlfriends of mine actually bought me a facial for my birthday. Actually it wasn't for my birthday, I'm gonna lie. It wasn't for my birthday, it was because they were just the sweetest friends ever and they bought me a voucher for when my dad passed away. So it was really lovely and I had this voucher to go and have a facial and the woman was like, how old are you? And I was like, well I'm nearly 43 and she was

like stunned. She was like, your skin is that of an early 30s. I was like, stop it. Is this how you get people back here? To this place. Skin of a newborn baby. I have to say that was Danesfield. Danesfield House, thank you. I will be coming back because your therapist told me I looked mid 30s, sort of thrilled.

Yeah, that's what you need your therapist to tell you, isn't it? Oh yeah, 100%. You don't want to be like, you're a haggard old crone. But you know, I feel, it's a funny old age, 43. And of course this year is a funny one for me anyway. But it's like, I'm kind it's a funny old age, 43, and of course this year is a funny one for me anyway, but it's like, I'm kind of stunned that I'm 43.

Like I just, I don't. Do you remember being a kid and thinking 40 was positively ancient? Or the Friends episode where they turn 30 and they think that's awful. Yeah. And now we're waving so far away from that episode. What are the things that make you suddenly realise

that you are older? Okay amazing game, when people call me madam. Yeah I mean no one's given up a tube seat for me out there, I'd be furious if that happened. But no madam but also just like sort of young hot guys don't really look at you the same anymore do they? No, are we entering our invisible era? We're the invisible era, I'm definitely the invisible era. I don't think you are, I stand next to you enough. I don't think you are. So do I. I stand next to you enough that I assure you, you are not yet in your invisible era. Maybe the older chaps quite like me but definitely not the young ones. No. Do you want their attention?

No. It's actually, this is an interesting point for you. Today I'm wearing, what are these called Paul? You're wearing ballet shoes. Mary Jane's. I'm wearing a pair of bloody Mary Jane's. What does that mean? I'm not a Mary Jane wearer. Yeah, well you are now. I never put myself down as a Mary Jane wearer. I'm a sort of more of a, you're wearing Mary Jane's too. We're matching.

We're matching. So I'm more of a kind of Jesus Creeper sandal wearer. Gladiator, you know, a bit more chunky, bit less prissy. More masculine, bit more basic, not girly at all. You're girly today, my darling. But I'm wearing this really beautiful dress, and I thought it needed something a little bit,

something extra. And of course, I've got my studios full of young things, unlike me. They keep you fresh. They keep you fresh, but I end up taking, I took the gladiator sandals, these sort of not gladiator sandals, what are they called? Like just chunky, chunky.

Yeah, like a chunky sandal. Chunky sandal, and I took these, and I was like, these sort of, not gladiator sandals, what are they called? Like just chunky, chunky. Yeah, like a chunky sandal. Chunky sandal. And I took these and I was like, guys, what do you think I should wear? Like, what do you think, what is like, what is the thing right now? Because I feel like I have to ask people now because I feel like I would probably just, I wouldn't, and they said these. But I feel very, I feel uncomfortable in them. They don't feel very.

You look banging. We'll put a photo on stories of our matching ballet shoes. But I have to say, they feel very... You look bangin'. We'll put a photo on stories of our matching ballet shoes. But I have to say, they feel very strangely awkward in them. But I think, I was talking to a girlfriend about this very thing that when I was sort of turning 43, and it was like, what do we wear at this sort of age so that we don't look mumsy?

What do you do to not look mumsy? What is mumsy? Do you know what? look mumsy? What is mumsy? Do you know what? The mumsy thing is interesting. Because when I had young kids, I fully leaned into that. So you know the sweatshirts that said mama on them? Oh, yeah. I had them. I had a lot of striped Breton because I think that's quite like mum's vibes. Very mumsy. Very mumsy.

Obviously a stretchy jean. Nautical horizontal stripes are quite mumsy. Yeah. Yeah. But I really, at the time, I loved it because it was, you know, your kids are ruining you. You're not gonna wear anything nice, they ruin it. I mean, arguably you're still in that era a little bit. But then it's amazing, the kids got a little bit older and I have suddenly rejected all of those clothes. I want nothing to do with them.

It's like, no, that is not the era I'm in anymore. I'm not in the puke era. No, I know. But jeans are real. You've got to be a follower of jeans as well. Don't you because jeans One minute they're skinny then they should be cropped then they should be high rise Currently we're barreled aren't we? We're barreled right now. We've got to go barreled though, you've been very uncool. I have got a pair of barrel. I bet you rock a barrel. I actually quite like a barrel

I'm into a barrel, but it's got to be high waisted and it's got to be tight on the bum Otherwise, I look like a massive man giant.'m a bit help. Bless you Polly. Excuse me, that's the Chelsea Hay fever for you. Shall we get back to what we were? Anyway, yes. That was a total digress. So happy birthday. Thank you.

To circle back. There might be a lot of cutting in that edit. Do you know what? I'm 43. I am... Oh! She's off. Oh, it's as bad as the cat. You've got... Oh my gosh. Do we remember this, guys? It's because we're under the lime trees. Do you remember this? Oh, she's off. Oh, it's as bad as the cat. You've got, oh my gosh.

Do we remember this, guys? It's because we're under the lime trees. Do you remember this? Top tip, Chelsea, where? Take hay fever tablets. Oh my god, sweet Jesus. Right, bear with me. Yeah, do you know what?

43, I'm embracing it. I'm not like, oh my god, I'm 43, I don't wanna be 43. I'm actually like, no, I love it. I love being the age I am. I'm very like, you know, everything's just tickety-boo. But it's just an odd one. But for me today, I have to say, I had a massive cry this morning on the way in.

I thought you might have done, yeah. Huge cry. Oh, love. I have to say, it's the first year of my life I haven't had my dad in it. And of course we all know how much I love my dad. But, you know, I just look, I sort of got these, I am having these little weird flashbacks

of like being a child. And I'm also remembering lots of things about dad that I wasn't really thinking about before. I hadn't even, weren't even in my psyche and suddenly they were all coming to the forefront of my mind. Like memories that I didn't, were sort of so buried I guess because when you've got you know parents around you don't necessarily dredge up all the old memories and things but I've got these amazing memories of dad when I was a little one and looking at old photos and he was just such a fucking great dad.

He was such a great dad and I'm so grateful for that. We brought him to Chelsea Flower Show. The first year we did the Project Giving Back Stand, which for everyone knows, the reason I'm here at Project Chelsea Flower Show, being an interior designer, I'm basically not, you know, I'm not with my people. You're not welcome here. I'm not with my people. No, you're not welcome here. I'm not welcome. It's like me at Decorex.

It was exactly at Decorex, yeah. You were exactly, although I think you got a bit more attention. But I, yeah, I have to say, when we first did the Project Giving Back stand, which was 2022, I brought my mum and dad along and it was so special because they got to come and, you know, see my work and see what I did and um sadly got to miss you because dad loved you Paul absolutely loved you. I was livid that we never met. Livid. He'll be watching us now I'm sure I'm absolutely certain he's here now just like listening in just smiling you know. I love that. Yeah so but I I'm doing all right my love um and I I have had a bloody great birthday. Brad surprised me which is very rare with a load of friends who turned up at the pub

yesterday without me knowing which you know you couldn't come to a busy but all sort of my best mates turned up at the pub yesterday which is absolutely brilliant. I had a great weekend of celebrating birthday so it's been fab my love. Now let's turn the attention on you, because really, today is all about you, and you've been up since the cracker farts, sparrows farts. Oh my god, I was up so early. Tell me, tell us.

So, so exciting. Like, life goal accomplished today, because I was, I am on the BBC today. You're on the BBC, I can't believe it. Teaching everyone how to plant pods. But it did mean I had to get up at five to do hair and makeup, to get a cab, to get in for seven, to shiver,

because the outfit is not a jacket outfit. Did someone do your hair and makeup? No, I had to do it myself. Oh, I was gonna say, because I thought you were like, I went into hair and makeup. I wish I went into hair and makeup. As in I walked into my bathroom

and just shoved some on my face. I thought that would happen. I thought you might get some hair and makeup. No, I think that's only if you're like a ceb. Major. You're a sleb. You're not sleb? Not sleb enough.

Are you a sleb? If there's a list, I'm on the Z of it. The sleb, you're the sleb. What's after Z? AA, BB. And then there's JoJo who's, yes. No, no, no, depends where we are. So up super early to do that, that was really fun.

I love TV. Probably you are made for TV. I feel like you love it don't you? I do love it. She's got this guy she's got this smile. Polly loves this thing and I noticed some photos that we're having it I've never told you this before. So we're having a photo taken and I'm like awkwardly like trying to just shave both layers of teeth because my bottom teeth don't show and it's like I don't get enough top teeth And everything's like I don't ever know what to do and then I look up a poly and she's just got this like She's got this like You just look like so profess oh stop

Movements everything you are made I don't like compliments. They make me feel uncomfortable. Come on. You've just got the hand movements, everything. No stop it. I don't like compliments they make me feel uncomfortable. No come on, you're made for it babes. That was fun. And then I've been tarting around with Cal, we're doing some filming of some very cool trees that Majestic, Majestic are like the harids of trees. So to me Majestic is wine. Okay well what Majestic is to wine, they are also a different company to trees like the harrods of trees and So we were doing some purving at trees. Mm-hmm And then I've just been schmoozing schmoozing. You know what it's like. Did you have you found Monte Don yet? I do know what Monte Don walked past me when I was

Spidermonkeyed him. I think I might have just jumped on him. So pinched his bum Yeah, definitely something. I think he turned around and jumped on him. Surely pinched his bum. Yeah, definitely something like that. The thing is I think he'd turn around and he would give me such a sort of, how dare you face. I think he'll know who you are. He'll secretly know who you are. Not a chance. But, look, the one thing we haven't talked about is the fact that you and I have had a stand together. We made a baby. We made a baby.

We made a stand baby. Oh my god, we did make a baby together. It was fun, wasn't it? We were here together on Saturday. My team have basically designed for the fourth year in a row the most amazing trade stand. And I have to, this is all to Rosie. Rosie is my head of design. She is, I actually don't, when you have, you see someone who's much younger than you, which happens a lot with me now, and she's just, she's just inside and out the most beautiful person but she's so talented and she's amazing hold on I want to basically I look at her and I think I

want you to be my child like if my if my girls grow up to be Rosie I will be so proud do you want to clone her like Dolly the Sheep? Yes she needs cloning absolutely. You could just have like eight Rosies. God, imagine how trade stands would do. Oh my god, I thought that was Mary M. What's the Chops. Gosh, sorry. Mary Berry. Did you see her earlier actually? Did you?

Did you? Sorry, I just spotted a grey haired lady out the window and I thought it was Mary Berry. This is what happens when we're at Chelsea. Nearly leapt out the window. So, anyway, so Rosie's fabulous. She is the lead designer on this project. I have been obviously so head elsewhere that she's completely taken control of the stand this year and she's created an absolute master.

It's a banger. It's a beauty and we've done this draped stripe ceiling. That's so fun. I love that, that makes all of it. I think that really softens it. Yeah, we had a lot of fun designing it. But they actually come together, the sort of months of planning of all of these things

and then you literally have three days to build it and it's an absolute chaotic... It's utter chaos. It's utter chaos. I mean, what I didn't show, I didn't show it on socials in case it didn't do it justice, but I planted the entire garden... In your house? In your garden? In my front drive, in drinks trolleys.

In drinks trolleys. In, in drinks trolleys, in plastic black drinks trolleys. So my front drive for a bit, my neighbors were like, oh that's a bit posh. And I was absolutely shitting myself that someone would steal them because we don't have a sort of private drive, you just drive past it, you could see it. And I had these ranks of trolleys planted and I was like, look these look pretty decent. On wheels. On wheels. They literally like take me. So I said to Colin I was like one of us needs to leave our van here at all times or car because they're gonna be stolen. He was like no one's going to steal your plants. They were wrapped in cling film too. I mean they look bizarre. If it were me I'd pinch them. Yeah they look pretty bizarre. I only wrapped them in cling film for the delivery.

Honestly the careful planning and execution of the delivery of these things, like what wasn't it with you back and forth with Rosie of trying to plan how these things are going to fit within this whole situation. Anyway, the planting turned out and of course it was absolutely knockout. Look, that's what happens when you work with Studio Pollyanna. Stunning planting. The team, we all planted it. Your team and who of your girls turned up? Julia and Lois and I, but the whole team planted it. We had a big planting day in my front drive, which was hilarious, I should have filmed it.

And then, yeah, on to a courier and I was terrified. I could barely sleep the night before because we've got so many delicate things. We've got irises, this really cool iris called Benton Susan. Yeah, he's a beauty. It's like a bronze and yellow, which has flowered just in time. Benton's a babe, he was a beauty. It's like a bronze and yellow, which has flowered just in time. Benton's a babe. Thank you very much. And then wild carrot, just this stunning plant,

but all very fragile, very upright, very erect, very easy to snap. And when the boys were lifting it in, the amazing guys from Jungle, who we work with year on year, who do this amazing work, they were the guys that actually build the stand for us. And I saw them lifting these things, and Polly was just standing on the sidelines just with her head in her hands behind her

eye. They were leaning over him, I was like, oh snap! Not a puppy! But it looks beautiful, share some pictures. It does look absolutely stunning. Your brief was tough because the brief was oranges and peaches because that's two of PGV's colours. You kept sending me things, you were like what about this it's purple. I was like no purple! The problem is orange and peaches, because that's two of PGV's colors. And then you kept sending me things, you were like, what about this? It's purple. I was like, no purple. Problem is orange and peach at this time of year is so. I know, but when we want, we want,

and I knew I wanted peach. Well, you got your bloody peach, didn't you? We used this amazing rose called Donahue, or Danahue, it's spelt D-A-N-N-A-H-U-E, but it's Donahue Donahue. Soft, yeah, it's beauty. But it's like a lemony apricot. Put it in my garden, top tip.

Plant that one, David Oster, Danahue. Oh, you did like it? Have you got it out of you? I've got it, I've got it in my garden, I love it. Yeah, there you go. And at one point Polly was like, I just can't get any peach. And I was like, listen here love,

we had it last year, get the bloody peach, find the peach, find the peach, find the peach, do the peach, get the bloody peach. That was florists that went to the flower market. I don't want to hit can't. I just want to. Yeah, so it was like fine, you get your fucking peach. Polly and I have just done this fabulous stand and I really hope everyone got to see it because

by the time this episode comes out, Cheska for that show will be finished. You'll be sick of us. Sick of us talking about it, but Polly will be poncing about in all her new outfits and you know sort of all those jealous Jealousy's not a nice color on you It's a bit peach Peach is not my color it's been out in the winter In the winter much more of an emerald bitch

A hard bitch Amazing but other highlight Tell me The girls have arrived The chickens I'm loving their little story. They're so fucking cute aren't they? They're the most stupid things I've ever come across in my life. Like Colin and I are having... What did you expect? Every night and every morning, so it's got, we've got this brilliant egglue by Omelette, by Egglue, and...

Where they live basically. Where they live, it's like their roost their roost yeah the roost but it's on a ladder they haven't figured out the ladders every night Colin and I are having to go down there and put them in and every morning we have to pull them out the door opens when it's open. When do they figure it out? I don't know maybe never I'm told they're very stupid well they are stupid aren't they they look great I love them so much I know it's such a vanity thing isn't it shows at chickens really a lot of people get chickens because you just like the look of them. My chickens are entirely vanity.

I didn't get like rescue hens. I'm sorry, guys, I know, judge me for it. I'll take it, I deserve the judgment. Yeah, judge you, I'm judging you. I didn't get the ugly ones that lay well. I got really pretty bougie chickens that apparently only lay like every other, every four days. Yeah, you went for bougie. You basically went with like every other, every four days.

You basically went with like a dog. Oh it was a designer chicken. You went with one of those like little tiny um. A dachshund? No, even worse, like those tiny little poodles that's been like trimmed and it's got its little fluffy head. Yeah. Looks like that.

Side note, everyone seems to have sausage dogs now, have you noticed? Oh god our glasses are empty, have you noticed? I know that went down a bit too quick. We basically probably turned off a plank fridge and were like, I need a fucking drink. It's only about one o'clock. Hopefully we can go to the newt afterwards and have a little glass fizzy room.

Let's go to the newt, let's go do some celebrity spotting. Fun. Yeah. So have you had a little look around the show ground, have you had chance? I haven't today, but I did when we were installing on Saturday, I had a little zip around and it's interesting, because the first thing, I don't know if this, I was looking at the charity gardens.

Yes. The PGB gardens. The PGB gardens. And initially I was like, don't really get that, don't understand it. And then as soon as you read what it's about, and the concept behind the design, then I understand it and then I almost like it more.

Oh, 100% yeah. So there was a garden there that was a hospice garden, and it was about basically a life, a sort of life before death garden. And as soon as I read that, first of all, because dad was in hospice, so for me that's extremely poignant, but it suddenly made more sense to me and actually then I totally understood it. And maybe, which is odd for me, being a designer, I should always seek concept before design, but do I'd say to anyone that ever comes to Chelsea, make sure you don't just look at the garden. No, read up about its meaning.

Read about its meaning because there will be an artistic creation and concept behind the thought and I can see a lot of thought goes into them. So that for me was really poignant. But otherwise no and I'm expecting you to dash me around afterwards because I'd like to kind of... Yeah we'll have a little scootle around. One thing I've noticed which I think is really interesting the theme because everyone says what's the theme what's the trend I haven't really noticed a plant trend this year but what I have noticed is a massive yeah there are more aeroflot,'s a lot of aerosol notice. Drought, yeah. Up this year, there's basically no rain. But crazy paving.

But not nasty crazy paving. Not 1970s big chunky grout gaps concrete. Beautiful paving which has been cut in regular form. Would you do it? I'd love to do it. Would you? Yes, but with a beautiful, all of these, all the crazy paving is like stunning yorkstone. Reclaimed york.

I was going to say if it's done in a tumbled limestone way, where it's sort of soft, then I'd like it. It's heavenly. Oh right okay show me that. Nearly every single garden has got that and I think to be fair if I was like pulling back the curtain for you guys which is my job there is there are points for sustainability now so you will lose points yeah of course absolutely but equally using reclay materials is obviously a means to ensuring that you're ticking a box as well. Would I say that it's what every client wants? No a lot of clients don't want the old look. I love the old look but sometimes they want a crisper look so I'm interested to see whether people fall in love

with it. I have certainly. Interesting gosh right that's really good. But then you know for me, Jo Thompson's garden is just so up my street with, you know how I feel about a rose? You love a rose babes. I love a rose, I will die on that hill. She's got some absolute stunts and really like bruised scarlets and pinks. Gorgeous. Heaven, heaven. Heaven, heaven, heaven. Heaven. But we haven't even been in the pavilion and we're gonna get booted out because a royal is going to come. I don't know which royal. Is it the king? Probably. Might, maybe. Might be Kate. Could be Kate. Could be all of them. Could be all of them. Oh my god. They're arriving in minibus. Are they? Right, okay. Gosh, I know what to do. Well, perhaps we could hide in the

loos. We could hide in the loos. Shall we answer some questions for god's sake? Go on let's do a few questions because we've got to make ourselves useful to you guys otherwise you're going to, you know, go and listen to someone else. This one's for you my darling, this is from Mother of Twins. God help you. Hello, question for the pod. I'm developing a planting scheme using Polly's garden Bible of course for my south east facing garden which has caught and still retaining walls. However I'm not that keen on purples, pinks or very bright color schemes So I'm looking to develop something a little bit different. What colors would you suggest will tone well with caution? I'm thinking either blue tones or muted peach with a few dark pops. Thank you so much

Love you both the pod got me through and my son was having a routine operation recently very grateful to you. Thank you Rachel Okay, so we've got no purples no pinks so much like your brief Yeah with core 10 Oh, thank you, Rachel. Okay, so we've got no purples, no pinks, so much like your brief for Chelsea. Yeah. With Corton. Well, if you don't like those colors, I would go with loads of grasses because grasses look incredible with Corton because Corton is actually quite agricultural.

You know, it's quite rusty. For anyone that doesn't know Corton, it's that sort of rusty metal. It's gorgeous. Orange rusty metal. It looks stunning with grasses. You Hacanocloas, your steepers, your calamagrostis. And then if you wanted a bit of colour, I wouldn't go blue. I think blue and corten would look really weird. Yeah, I see that. It's too cool. You've got to cool cool. Agreed. But I know that you said you also don't like hot colours. So let's

keep away from like a bright red, bright orange. But could you go with a peach? Could you go with an apricot? Maybe, yeah. Well, we're on the peach and apricot train. Yeah, so you could go with the Danahue Rose, which is the one that we used at Chelsea. Hop on that, Rachel. You could go all sorts of geraniums, come in different colors.

Oh, no, literally most of them are purple. What about sort of a lovely yellowy? Well, she said no, hot. But yeah, yellow. No, but that soft, you know that pastel yellow. Yeah, pastel yellow. So you could use Coriopsis moonbeam. What's that lovely one you put on the stand? Troilus. Oh. Oh Rachel.

Troilus cheddar. That does like a wetter soil so it depends on what your soil is. Okay. That's a that's a dreamboat one for if you've got a moist soil. But I would, if you're going quartet I'd lean into the grasses and then I would just do pops of plants So things like echinacea's, okay they're pink but there is a yellow one And you could do agastache, there's a white one And you could do roses which would be really cool because I love that sort of rose meadow vibe as well I think roses and grasses look really cool together Love that, thanks Paul

You're welcome I've got a question from Maria So she says, one for Jojo, indoor plant pots, what colour should I go? All standard, all mix and match. I quite like the idea of black plant plots as I feel the green from the plants stand out. Thanks so much. They do. Actually, this is a really good question. I will always go with plant pots that are, if they had nothing in them, they would still be a sculptural object that would work. Like a basket or something.

I wouldn't go basket for a plant pot just because of watering and things inside, it's not that advisable. But I would say anything that if the plant, if you suddenly took the plant out of it, it could just be a really lovely vase. It could sit on its own. So it would be something like a black, a lovely terracotta, a stone. Stone's always really lovely, so always something very natural, very earthy, you know me, love to lean into the sort of natural textural tones. But yeah, black would be lovely. I would say just make sure whatever it is that you're using, because it's not an actual plant pot, it's obviously just got a little hole and a tray on the

bottom. Believe it or not, people still buy indoor plant pots that don't have holes in the bottom and then they start washing them and they can't stand where their plants die because the water's got nowhere to go. So you still got to put it on a little indoor pot, you know. I mean my favourite thing to do is a basket with a plant pot. Like I got this amazing house plant from B&Q actually and it came in just a bang average pot that I wasn't very excited about but put it in a basket. I love that you bought an indoor houseplant from B&Q. It was an offer but it was a superb houseplant. It was a Calathea which I have since murdered. Do you know what Project Giving Back bought me when my pops died? Isabella thank you they bought me a prayer plant. It was beautiful and it

curls up so that's in a black pot. It curls up up at night it essentially goes to sleep and then it opens up again in the morning which is so beautiful it literally looks like two hands in prayer and then it opens up again it's really lovely light and shade, yeah beautiful, really lovely indoor plant pots though, gotta watch out what you plant in those indoor plant pots because I keep seeing people trying to plant olives indoors. Yeah I know and they just wait last. Not a lot lasts actually indoors actually no no. Trees as well people saying can I plant trees inside no you can't. No that's when you need to go and visit our friend Celeste because she does the most amazing indoor faux faux trees. So good. So good they are amazing. I've got her faux rosemary in my shady bathroom. They're incredible. Bang in.

Bang in. Well done Celeste. I've got a question for you. This is actually my question but we have had quite a few questions relating to this. Okay. But I keep thinking of you and we need to deep dive into it. Mmm. Sofas, outdoors, cushions. Oh. I'm having a nightmare. I've got the most beautiful sofa. It's by Edith Degree. I love it. I paid for it. Don't worry, it's by 11th degree I love it I paid for it don't worry it's not mad it's stunner it's sort of in a sort of creamy oatmeal but it looks naked without cushions but it doesn't feel like you can use as many cushions as you have indoors because I think that would look like too much no and also the funny thing is about outdoor sofas they're

never as deep as an indoor sofa it's quite I was thinking that, it's quite shallow, it's quite a sit-out for the day, so to speak. Yeah, it's super shallow. If anything, outdoor sofas can look a bit naked without anything on them. Yes. So you want to dress them up, especially in a garden like yours that has a lot of

character and things going on, it adds a little bit of color and zhuzh. Where it's- But too many and it's annoying. Too many. And you don't want to put them on the floor in your garden. Completely agree. So what's the formula?

Always need to have a two, sort of two together. Well is it an L shape? No it's just a regular sofa. In which case I'll probably do two at one end and one at the other. So keep it as a three because we like our eyes. Three things. Yeah. Like a three. All different patterns? No I'd probably do two the same on the outside and then one simple one on the inside. So you do like a pattern one on one end, a pattern one on the other end and then just like a plain? Or it could be like two green and white stripe on the inside. So you do like a pattern one on one end, a pattern one on the other end and then just like a plain. Or it could be like two green and white stripe on the outside and then one you know pattern on the inside. I find it, it's something when I do photo shoots for gardens and we have to style them I find the cushions so hard. I can imagine.

Well also because they can almost take over the garden if it's the wrong colour it can suddenly be all about the cushion and the curtain, the cushion and your sofa. And also there's a lot on the market now which is stunning but quite twee. So as in they've got the frills, the ruffles, which I love, I love the ruffly cushions but if you've got a contemporary garden that looks wrong. Yeah. And then I think we should bring out a range of outdoor cushions because I don't think there are any that I'm that excited about. Do you know what I think that there aren't and when I found some lately from my local garden center I can't guarantee

the quality of them that's the only thing I'd say and I'm as you know guys I'm not one for just buying cheap shit for the sake of it and they were fairly cheap I'll be honest and so I wouldn't guarantee how long they're gonna last and therefore you could actually just get yourself some made and there's some amazing outdoor fabric companies and actually buy a really beautiful outdoor fabric and then use an outdoor filler. I mean perhaps if anyone knows of any good ones let us know because I've just not landed on the right ones yet and I'm not ready to commit.

Maybe I'll share some of mine, I'll share some of mine on there. But yeah, what armchairs for a cushion? Outdoors, just one on each as well? One definitely on each of those. So you've got three on the sofa, two on the armchairs. Absolutely. What if you've got an L shape for those with L shapes? So you need a bit more. So on the corner is always where you'd have a couple.

Okay. And then sort of one or two on one end and then one at the other. So we'd go five or six cushions? Two, four, five probably. Five or six, five or six, yeah. Five or six. Hardest bit. I tend to go three of the same, two different. Not quite happy with it. Not quite happy with the cushions. Maybe I need to help you.

It's fabrics isn't it? It's getting into fab- anything like fabrics is a trick- it's a really tricky one on outdoor sofas. Well they need to be outdoor as well. They need to be outdoor. You don't want to be thinking too fussy because I don't think it's a time... I think the trick with outdoor furniture is it should be quite simple. Yeah I do I completely agree. You don't want it to clash with your garden. Totally you're not trying to compete with it. No. It's so trying to do classic without it just being here is a big brown cushion, here's a big green cushion. I would do exactly the same as I do on my indoor sofas as I would outside. So the same sort of style as I use inside I would use outside. But then that's what I'm all about though. Like, so take this lovely shepherd's hut that we're sitting in now. Yeah.

Everything in here is, it doesn't jar with the outside. It feels like this is a sort of garden room home extension. So you look outside there's nothing jarring in here. And interestingly they've done mismatching cushions in different tones as well. Yeah, but you could easily take all of those cushions and pop them on the sofa outside. Do you know what I mean? I wonder if that's piglet in bed. Some of that looks like piglet in bed. Oh that duvet's lovely isn't it? Really nice. Really lovely. Okay fine, well I just think that's something that's bothering me

and also I've had so many messages asking about cushion storage and I will die on the hill of cushion covers not cushion storage. You're not going out there every time it rains. You're absolutely not. It's not happening. Can't we just like lob a bit of tarpaulin over the top of it? It's essentially what a cushion cover is. I mean, the sofa cover is.

I've just got, I actually just tuck them under the sofa. Do you? What tarpaulin? No, it's an actual sofa. But you could just use a tarpaulin throw. I mean, I don't think it's quite as chic. I like this thing you're wearing, this chunky necklace situation. Thank you It's very chunky. I know I feel a bit like mr. T, but in a good way. Yeah, it's like a bit of a knuckle dust

But I've wanted this necklace for ages You must check her out it's um this big chunky gold t-bar. Yeah, I'm looking at it It's drawing my eye. I have to tell you. I'm still in the fairly fine. I hope I'm blinding you with my gold jewelry. Gold sh-sh-sh-bling. My autumn color palette and my- Look at you, in your little tailored trouser suit. Brown trouser suit, of course,

because that's all I wear now. Brown is my personality. You're so brown, aren't you? You are just a schmooch of brown, just a big old turd. How dare you? I'll just say I'm sitting here now and looking out this little window of my Plankbridge hut and I feel like I'm sort of weirdly spying on people and all these people walk past and it's so fun to see

what people are wearing because there's some amazing outfits. We just met a really cool listener actually, she came running over to introduce herself and she, her name's Lauren, hey Lauren, and she ran over and she had a handbag that was a watering can, it was a watering can handbag. Oh, Polly's gonna sneeze again. Deeply regret that I didn't ask her where it was from. It was very cool. Because that's what I was to do this evening. Lauren, if you're listening to this can you send us. But look at all the pattern, everyone's wearing so much colour, it's all so vibrant and colouring. Apart from me and my dark brown. You're wearing dark brown, look at all the pattern, everyone's wearing so much colour. It's all so vibrant and colour and... Apart from me and my dark brown suit. You're wearing dark brown! Look at you, Paul.

Look, it's a vibe. Me and Em, check it out. Look at all these little ones. Look, school kids here. What a lucky school trip they're on. They might be doing a little photo shoot. It's press day. Oh, is it? Oh, right. I've got a final question, but it is an outdoor one.

But let's use it as a test to you. OK. You've got tulips in your garden, not in pots, in the border. What do you do with them when they're finished? Well, you're allowed to deadhead them when the time is right. Yeah. Polly always says you've essentially got to pull them up, otherwise you've got to let the leaves just go back into the bulb, don't you? So they look a bit tatty. So you're more of a pull-up and start again next year, or you can just deadhead them.

You get a gold star for that. Oh, Paul do I? Do you know what mate, you do because I actually had to ask, I asked Adam at Taylor's Bulbs about this because the general rule, honestly I'm so proud of you I could weep. Oh my god, maybe let's weep instead. But here's the thing, what I didn't realise, and I was chatting when I was doing the final tulip judging, if they're in pots, obviously pull them up, because your pots you want to change over to something else. But in the border, I've always been of the view, just deadhead them, leave them.

I know it's annoying you have to let them die back, but if you want them to come back. But really they never come back that great anyway. So I was talking to him about it and he said, actually, and I'm really pleased with my bulb skin skin I just want the same one again in the studio garden. He was like pull them up anyway and start again. Oh why? Because the odds of them coming back and looking good is really small because other than species tulips which is a whole different beast, tulips very rarely come back well the

second year. It's okay so yes but I have to say there's this insane tulip I got under my apple tree that was like this white it looked like a swan. Yes. Really tall. Yeah. Third year in a row these girls have come back. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they do but often they don't and then you've got the thing of like digging up and accidentally digging into an old bulb. They were early bloomers as well these girls and they come up and then of course they die at the sort of end of spring and then I do the classic I'll leave them there but it looks horrific. It looks a bit manky doesn't it. It's yellow stringy sort of so I think maybe it's time they came up. But actually this is it but you could but he was saying even if you want the same ones it's almost easier just to pull them out and start again because then you're guaranteed really good show rather than

not and trying to add to it and then you might dig up old ones and it's a whole thing Yeah, so from an admin point of view. Yeah, you're telling wise tell me what nicer one thing I found is really fun And obviously I have a very wild country garden all my alliums are popping up now It's quite cool because it's the alliums actually almost making my weed garden look quite like intentional magical magical So wild weed garden and with some alliums and wild grasses. So it's a bit of a mad show. But one thing I will say that's really cool, that I find really cool, is that

with the wildlife doing its thing in the winter months, it's quite funny when you suddenly get like a bulb that just springs up in a random place. Oh I love that, yeah. When you just think that some little guy planted that there for like you know a rainy day and actually then suddenly a spring comes and it pops up. Squirrels popped that there. I've got this insane allium that just came out of nowhere I've never seen this thing it's just and this thing has popped up and it's this crazy white allium in the most bizarre place. Just one. One of them. Great. Yeah I mean it's super weird but I just think that's quite funny because you never know what you're going to get.

Hi, look at your wonderful dress. That's major. Oh look. You're such a magpie. I love it. I just can't help myself. Well speaking of which, what's in? Oh gosh. What's out? Well I think what's in is dresses and I know you're going to say they probably always have been. What's in for me is dresses. What kind of dress? I've had a real dress shop up recently because I've now decided, do you remember when we spoke about I know you're gonna say they probably always have been. What's in for me is dresses. What kind of dress? I've had a real dress shop up recently because I've now decided,

do you remember when we spoke about our capsule wardrobe recently? Yes. And I still do need to go through my wardrobe and I'm gonna do that after Dad's funeral. That's one thing I'm just gonna have a day and go through Dad's funeral. Might go through my wardrobe.

Do we have a cleanse? Yeah, a real cleanse. But oh, there's that amazing, look what it is. Gabby Roslin. Gabby Roslin. She's wearing a peach me and M three piece suit Which I did eye up for myself we could have twinned she looked beautiful. She's banger. Well done Gabby and Totally digress, but Gabby does actually tee me up to the fact that I'm my in It's waistcoats waistcoats waistcoats are very one today. Yeah waistcoats. Waistcoats. Waistcoats are very... Wearing one today. Yeah, waistcoats. Three piece waistcoats. Chocolate brown, me and them waistcoat.

I think that's another thing, I think, as you get into the age, our age now, I think tailoring is key. So tailoring, or really beautiful, I like, I love dresses like a slightly Reformation style dress, like those sort of long to the knee, but like across the boob, like a bandeau.

Love it. Love simple classic dresses. So you're into your dresses, I'm into Matalia. Yeah. Look at us. We've kind of switched. That's weird. Yeah.

What's out? What's out for me is... What's on your feet, pal? It's heels. Yeah, I mean, what's out is heels. When was the last time you wore a pair of heels? I do like a little block heel. I do. And I was going to wear a pair today and I thought Polly just won't be in heels and

actually I thought these, this is sort of more suitable. This would look nicer. I think, I do think dresses always look nicer. With a heel. I always think they look nicer with a little heel. Yeah, they do look good with a heel. They do because you walk differently. You've pulled your shoulders back more, you're a bit more. Stick your arse out. Yeah, your tits and arse out. You know, you just feel a bit, you feel a bit more like, I don't know, you feel a bit more feminine. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get that. What's in and out for you my darling? So in is your tailoring. In tailoring out heels let's go with that because I just I realized I've got a couple of pairs of heels in my cupboard and I keep going

shall I put them on and I don't. No. And I don't. I definitely I'm into the Mary Jane's and I know I'm really late to the party but I suddenly like god these are really comfortable. Welcome. Welcome to the Mary Jane crew I want a pair of red velvet ones that's my next, I really want some red velvet with denim because it looks banging. Yeah it does look adorable. Dark denim and red is such a combo. Love that. Yeah. And that's quite you for the winter tones as well. You know me and my red, I love a bit of red. Dreamo, wedding dress was weird. Yeah my wedding dress was weird, the Wedding dress was weird. Prosecco's gone to my head. Yeah, let's go and get another one shall we?

Well with that, yes I've had quite enough. Let's go swan around some gardens. Shall we go and just throw ourselves around the place? Yes. Yeah, come on let's. Let's do it. Alright innies and outies, we love you. We love you all so much, thank you so much and Polly's probably got one more thing to ask. Don't forget to like, subscribe and share with everyone. I really think we've run out of the list now Share it with the bumblebees share with bumblebees. Well, that's not gonna help us grow our listenership

Is it no just share it if you're at Chelsea share it there if you're any other RHS gardens this year share it there too. Yeah, okay Oh actually and maybe graffiti it on bog doors when you go to public loo. That's a really good idea, yes, vandalise walls, good idea. Vandalise in the ins and outs. And Plank Bridge, thank you so much for having us in your beautiful shepherd's hut. I'm not leaving, I'm locking myself in there. No, let's get into bed. There needs to be a champagne bell, let's see if anything is missing. Let's go and climb in there, Nishina's little cuddle spoon.

Would I be the big spoon? You would be, you're taller than me. Yeah, I'm bigger than the big spoon. Oh, I'll nestle in. Alright, my darlings. Alright, lots of love. Lots of love. Bye.

Bye. The colour of true elation. A part of a summer's day. See, I've been waiting for you. Bye.