Scotland’s only dedicated gardening podcast is celebrating national recognition this year after being Highly Commended at the inaugural Scottish Podcast Awards and shortlisted for the prestigious Publisher Podcast Awards.
The Scotland Grows Show, hosted by Scotland Grows founder and publisher M.T. O’Donnell, was recognised in the Travel & Outdoors category at the Scottish Podcast Awards in June, before being named as a finalist in the Best Hobbies & Special Interests category at the UK-wide Publisher Podcast Awards in July.
Launched to celebrate all that is good in Scottish gardening, the podcast has reached almost 30,000 downloads, sharing the stories, expertise, and passion of gardeners across Scotland with listeners around the world.
The recognition comes during a milestone year for the Scotland Grows brand. Five years after launching as a digital publication, Scotland Grows magazine expanded into print for the first time this year, with its debut print run selling out shortly after release.
Now available both in print and online, the quarterly magazine sits alongside the podcast, creating a growing platform dedicated to Scotland’s gardeners, covering the country’s diverse growing conditions while championing Scottish community gardening projects, horticultural expertise, and events.
Podcast host and Scotland Grows publisher M.T. O’Donnell said, “When I launched Scotland Grows, it was because I felt Scottish gardeners deserved a dedicated gardening voice. We garden in such unique and varied conditions, and there were so many brilliant stories, people, and projects across Scotland waiting to be celebrated.
“The biggest surprise has been the level of interest from people around the world. I feel incredibly proud that Scotland Grows is playing a part in shining a spotlight on Scotland’s thriving gardening scene and celebrating the knowledge, passion, and expertise we have here.
“To see the podcast recognised at a national level, and the magazine embraced by readers in print really shows the appetite there is for gardening content rooted in Scotland.”
M.T., who is also Vice President of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society (The Caley), Scotland’s national horticultural and gardening charity, has welcomed some of Scotland’s best-known gardening names onto the Scotland Grows Show since launching, including Beechgrove presenters, head gardeners, garden designers, plant experts, leading figures from across the horticultural industry, alongside Scotland Grows readers with stories to share.
The achievements for the podcast and magazine follow further recognition for M.T., who was named in HortWeek’s Top 100 Leading Women in UK Horticulture in March 2026.
Through both the magazine and podcast, Scotland Grows continues its mission to celebrate everything that is good about Scottish gardening, sharing the stories, knowledge, and passion of those who garden and grow in Scotland as series 12 of the Scotland Grows Show prepares to air.