Spring’s hidden heroes: comfrey, carrots, and hedgehogs

This week, we’re shining a light on some of the plants and creatures that play a vital role at this time of year: the ones that truly make spring what it is… starting with an often overlooked but invaluable contributor to the spring display - comfrey. Olivia Drake will be telling us more about this powerhouse for pollinators that deserves a place in any garden. Next, we turn to the veg patch and one of the most satisfying crops you can start sowing right now. RHS Wisley’s Liz Mooney joins us to share some practical tips on growing carrots successfully. And finally, we’ll be taking a closer look at one of the UK’s most beloved native mammals, now beginning to emerge from winter hibernation: the hedgehog. Hedgehog officer Grace Johnson from the Hedgehog Street campaign talks us through the challenges these charming creatures face, and how our gardens (however big or small) could hold the key to helping reverse their decline. Host: Gareth Richards Contributors: Olivia Drake, Liz Mooney, Grace Johnson Links: Comfrey BIG Hedgehog map

You can listen to Spring’s hidden heroes: comfrey, carrots, and hedgehogs online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Spring’s hidden heroes: comfrey, carrots, and hedgehogs is an episode from Gardening with the RHS by Royal Horticultural Society.

This episode is 31:46 long.

This episode was published on Apr 9, 2026.

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