The Nature Garden podcast, which celebrates Northumberland's wildlife, dialect and gardening, has been shortlisted for a national award. The independently produced Morpeth-based programme is in the running for Best Regional Podcast at the Independent Podcast Awards 2026.
If successful, the programme will be placed among the UK and Ireland's leading grassroots podcasts. The recognition celebrates an audio series with a distinctly regional voice and an international reach.
Podcast's Global Reach and Creation
Created, hosted and edited by Carl Stiansen with volunteer contributors, The Nature Garden focuses on Northumbrian wildlife, gardening, dialect, landscapes and heritage. It connects listeners across more than 3,800 cities in 127 countries.
The shortlist was drawn from a record field of nearly 550 entries. Winners will be announced at the Independent Podcast Awards ceremony at Kings Place, London, on Wednesday November 4 2026.
Creator's Reaction and Programme Content
Host and producer Carl Stiansen, who lives on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Northumberland, said: "We're thrilled that The Nature Garden has been shortlisted for Best Regional Podcast."
"The programme is proudly rooted in Northumberland — our people, wildlife, gardens, dialect and heritage — so this recognition means a great deal to our small team of volunteer contributors. Since beginning during lockdown, we've grown into a global community while staying true to our unmistakably local voice."
Through relaxed conversations that feel like chats between friends over the garden fence, the podcast explores gardening across the seasons, birds, wildlife, conservation and local history.
Contributors and Podcast Statistics
Regular contributors bring specialist knowledge and enthusiasm: Tom Pattinson on gardening, Tom Cadwallender on ornithology, and Steve Lowe on wildlife and conservation. The podcast also gives regional and national wildlife charities a platform to share their work.
With more than 36,000 downloads across 80 episodes, The Nature Garden reaches listeners all over the world. It has regularly appeared in the UK Top 20 and US Top 100 gardening and leisure podcast charts. It has also charted in Japan, New Zealand, Canada and Australia and reached number 1 in the Seychelles. The podcast has a 4.8/5 rating on Apple Podcasts.
Gardening contributor Tom Pattinson, from Lesbury, Northumberland, added: "When Covid restrictions kept us out of the Lionheart Radio studio in Alnwick, we could no longer present our programme, The Weekending Show. We began the podcast as a passionate offshoot, and it remains a homespun production rooted in Northumberland while reaching listeners around the world."
