Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
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415 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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Episode 159: Cosmos & Hollyhocks with Jonathan Sheppard
4 oktober 2021 · 40 min
My guest this week is Jonathan Sheppard, a political lobbyist who somehow fell into becoming the holder of 2 national plant collections; hollyhocks and cosmos. Jonathan talks about how to grow hollyhocks and cosmos, what you can, or can't do about rust, good varieties to try and what to look out for in the coming year in terms of new varieties and colours. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Dragonflies
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What we cover
Hollyhocks and rust
When to sow hollyhocks
Are they biennial or perennial?
The best places to grow hollyhocks
Some of the best varieties
New colours
The cultivation of Cosmos
Links
British Hollyhocks
Jonathan Sheppard on Twitter
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Episode 158: Growing Big Veg with Social Media Star Gerald Stratford
27 september 2021 · 33 min
This week I'm speaking to social media sensation and veg grower Gerald Stratford about growing big veg - do they taste better, how do you avoid pests and diseases, what growing media is best and what you can do with your big veg once you've grown it? Gerald's new book Big Veg has recently been published and his star continues to ascend. Gerald spoke to me from his shed, with his wonderful wife Liz and cat Jet in attendance. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Woodlice
This episode is brought to you by Horti:couture, a conference exploring the influence of plants and gardens on the fashion world and featuring some of the industry's leading academics and influencers. For more information visit the LCGD website LCGD.org.uk or their Eventbrite page. The conference will take place on the 9th October and tickets start at just £59 and the day will be streamed online as well as in person at Kew Gardens.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast!
What we cover
How Gerald got started on social media
Why would you want to grow big veg and is big always best for taste?
What type of soil you need to grow big veg
Avoiding blight on tomatoes and potatoes
And rust on onions
Using the trench system for runner beans
What Gerald is doing on his plot right now
About Gerald Stratford
Gerald's book of tips and tricks, 'BIG VEG', is accessible for beginners and those interested in grow-your-own veg. This gentle guide distils years of knowledge, including the top 10 vegetables to begin with, how to 'supersize' them and a month-by-month breakdown to sowing, planting and harvesting.
Aged 72, Gerald rose to fame later in life, gaining over 308k followers after sharing pictures of his potatoes at the height of lockdown in May 2020. He has been hailed the 'Veg King' by the press and is passionate about sharing the benefits of mindful gardening at any age and cultivating your own food. After becoming a social media sensation, he continues to go viral with his wholeso…
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Episode 157: So you want to write a gardening book?
20 september 2021 · 31 min
In this episode, I'm speaking to award-winning writer Catherine Mack about getting a gardening book published. Catherine talks about why you might want to write a book, the process of getting your ideas onto paper and how to get published. Plus, she addresses the most important issue of whether or not you'll make your fortune! If you've ever harboured dreams of writing a book, listen on and be inspired by Catherine's advice and encouragement. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Red Admirals
This episode is brought to you by Horti:couture, a conference exploring the influence of plants and gardens on the fashion world and featuring some of the industry's leading academics and influencers. For more information visit the LCGD website LCGD.org.uk or their Eventbrite page. The conference will take place on the 9th October and tickets start at just £59 and the day will be streamed online as well as in person at Kew Gardens.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast!
What we cover
Good reasons for writing a book
How do you know if it will be of interest to readers?
How to check someone hasn't already written something similar and does it matter if they have?
Your options if you're looking to get published
Getting published in a magazine
What you need in order to approach potential publishers or crowdfunders
Traditional publisher vs. alternatives
Are you likely to make any money?!
About Catherine Mack
Catherine is an award-winning travel writer specialising in sustainable and ethical tourism. Storytelling and sustainability go hand in hand for Catherine, who engages with people just as much as place on her travels. As Covid clipped her wings she started to focus on journeys that people took closer to home. In other words, to their allotments. She is delighted that The Allotmenteers, Profiles of a Growing Community - has now been commissioned by Unbound, an award-winning crowdfunding publisher.
Catherine has always sought to understand why peopl…
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Episode 156: John Brookes and Denmans
19 september 2021 · 27 min
This week, I'm speaking to Gwendolyn van Paaschen about the legendary garden designer John Brookes. Gwendolyn is the owner of Denmans Garden and chairman of the John Brookes-Denmans Foundation. Gwendolyn's new book 'How to Design a Garden' brings together a collection of John's works from across his lengthy career, disseminating the fundamental principles which underpinned his design work, in a way that is useful to both professionals and home gardeners. Gwendolyn is carrying on John's work at Denmans by opening the garden to the public and as she puts in at the end of the interview, keeping his conversation going. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: House Spiders
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast!
What we cover
Who was John Brookes and what are some of the highlights he accomplished during his long career?
The importance of designing in the vernacular and John expressed this through his designs
How John's design style and interests evolved during his career
Garden designers today who particularly embody the work of John Brookes
His influence on garden design over the past 50 years
The long term effect of John's design in the realms of amateur gardening
About Gwendolyn van Paasschen
Gwendolyn van Paasschen, a garden designer and writer, worked with landscape designer John Brookes MBE and helped write his memoir, A Landscape Legacy (Pimpernel Press, 2018). Chairman of the John Brookes-Denmans Foundation, she owns Denmans Garden. Currently writing a book about Denmans, she also writes about garden design.
Links
How to Design a Garden By John Brookes MBE. Edited and introduction by Gwendolyn van Paasschen. Preface by Andrew Duff Released 7th October
www.denmans.org
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Episode 155: Wild Food with Marlow Renton
6 september 2021 · 33 min
This week's guest, Marlow Renton, is the co-founder of Wild Food UK. Marlow talks about why we should all go out foraging, especially children, about how we can overcome our fear of wild food (particularly mushrooms!), what to look out for, when to do it and where to do it responsibly and how to get help if, like me, you're a bit of a wild food wuss. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Cabbage Root Flies
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast!
What we cover
How Marlow learnt to forage
How easy is it to forage?
Why it's important to take children foraging
What to be careful of when foraging
Foraging responsibly
How scared should we be of mushrooms?
Helpful resources if you're unsure where to start
About Wild Food UK
"Wild Food UK was formed a few years ago by Marlow and Eric driven by a desire to expand peoples experience of nature into a practical source of enjoyment. Since then the company has grown in course leaders and course locations, covering most of the UK. Our aim is to educate people about tasty edible wild plants, mushrooms, fruits, roots and flowers that we think everyone should be able to identify, pick and eat with confidence.
We're extremely lucky in Britain to have a climate that provides us plenty of food all year round, all you need to know is how to find it. We teach these "skills for life"; and we believe that with the skills we teach, every life will be enhanced. Not only is foraging fun and interesting; you never know when being able to pick your own food might come in genuinely useful or even life saving!" https://www.wildfooduk.com/about-us/
Links
www.wildfooduk.com
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Episode 154: Modern Plant Hunters with Dr Sandy Primrose
30 augustus 2021 · 38 min
This week, I'm speaking with Dr Sandy Primrose about his brilliant book Modern Plant Hunters, which tells the stories of plant hunting in more recent times; who's doing it, why and what are they looking for. Find out about the challenges plant hunters past and present have faced, whether you can do it in somewhere like the UK and the kind of qualities and personal traits you might need if you want to start - spoiler, it's not for the faint-hearted! Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Mosquitoes
Thanks to Betakut for sponsoring this episode - visit https://www.betakut.co.uk/shop to find out more - enter the code ROOTS20 to get 20% off until the end of August.
What we cover
Why do people go on plant hunting expeditions in this day and age?
Some of the difficulties they face
The prominent plant hunters today
The CITES treaty and the Nagoya protocol
The extent to which politics, funding issues, international relations etc have interfered with the work of plant hunters
Plant hunting in the UK
Advice for anyone interested in plant hunting
About Dr Sandy Primrose
Dr Sandy Primrose MBE PhD has spent his professional life as a biologist in academia and industry, as well as working with various government agencies on food fraud and related topics. He is a keen gardener and passionate teacher and lectures extensively on plant-related topics. - https://olympiapublishers.com/authors/sandy-primrose/
Links
Modern Plant Hunters by Dr Sandy Primrose - Pimpernel Press Ltd.
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Episode 153: Hydrangeas
23 augustus 2021 · 24 min
This week, I visited Golden Hill Nurseries to interview Roger Butler, Find out about the different species in cultivation, the best way to prune hydrangeas, what and when to feed them and of course, the all important information about whether your flowers will be pink or blue and what, if anything, you can do about it! Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Horse Chestnut moth
Thanks to Betakut for sponsoring this episode - visit https://www.betakut.co.uk/shop to find out more - enter the code ROOTS20 to get 20% off until the end of August.
What we cover
Where hydrangeas originate from
Their preferred growing conditions
The main species in cultivation
Why are some hydrangeas blue and some pink? Can blue hydrangeas turn pink and what can we do if we want blue hydrangeas but can only seem to grow pink ones?
The colour range of hydrangea flowers
How and when should to prune hydrangeas
How many months off the year can we expect hydrangeas to bloom?
Particularly good species
Pests and diseases, or lack thereof!
About Roger Butler
Roger is the owner of Golden Hill Nurseries, a plant centre based in Kent, specialising in hydrangeas, hedging plants, Japanese maples and larger shrubs. Roger has made many appearances in the media sharing his expertise about hydrangeas and regularly gives talks on the subject. The nursery has won multiple medals at RHS shows for their plant displays and you can catch up with them at one of the RHS shows this year, or order from them online.
Links
www.goldenhillplants.com
Signature Hydrangeas
Signature Plants
Signature Shrubs
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Episode 152: New Nordic Gardens with Annika Zetterman
16 augustus 2021 · 32 min
This week's guest is Annika Zetterman, a Swedish garden designer teacher and author of New Nordic Gardens. Annika works internationally designing visually beautiful gardens which encompass sustainability, respect for the local environment and aesthetic and which exemplify all the best aspects of Scandinavian design. In this episode, Annika talks about the ethos behind Scandinavian design as it's expressed in a landscape setting and decodes why the gardens featured in her book are so downright stunning. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Grasshoppers
Thanks to Betakut for sponsoring this episode - visit https://www.betakut.co.uk/shop to find out more.
What we cover
When talking about Nordic gardens, which countries Annika includes in her book
The importance of light in Nordic gardens and what effect this has on the colours and materials designers choose
Nordic design can be thought of as pared back, uncluttered, clean - where does this aesthetic come from?
Sustainability and how it underlies outdoor design in Nordic countries
Attention to detail and the meticulous selection of hard landscaping materials
The weather and how this is coped with in gardens
Trends emerging in contemporary Nordic gardens
About Annika Zetterman
"Annika Zetterman is the founder and designer at Zetterman Garden Design, creating gardens with Scandinavian ethos throughout the Nordics and beyond, with projects in Sweden, Spain, France, Switzerland and in the UK. She arrived back to her homeland, Stockholm, Sweden 2010, after living abroad, in Hawaii, USA and 10 years in London, UK.
Annika is the author of the book 'New Nordic Garden, Scandinavian Landscape Design' published in 2017 and in 2021 (Thames & Hudson), with a Danish translation 2018. Her projects have been featured in books and publications, nationally as well as internationally. Annika was teaching garden design in Stockholm for seven years and lectures on the subject both in Sweden and abroad.
Annika is driven by creati…
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Episode 151: The Forager's Garden with Anna Locke
9 augustus 2021 · 33 min
This episode I'm speaking to permaculture designer, teacher, author Anna Locke. Anna is my favourite type of gardener, in that she walks the walk and has a wealth of experience in growing edible plants. Anna has recently published a book called The Forager's Garden, and in the interview, we talk about how to create an easy to look after yet productive space. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Crab spiders
Thanks to Betakut for sponsoring this episode - visit https://www.betakut.co.uk/shop to find out more.
What we cover
A forest garden is "a project to dip into and out of as time, money and opportunity comes along" (The Forager's Garden). Can a garden really be that little work?
Guild planting
Grafting fruit trees onto wild hawthorns and blackthorn
The theory behind Anna's 'keep it for now' policy
Hugelkultur beds
Ollas
Advice for anyone starting a forager's garden from scratch
How to ID the plants you have
About Anna Locke
Anna is a permaculture designer and teacher based in Hastings. She is also a community development project manger. With a solid background as a gardener, specialising in forager's gardens, she offers a bespoke design service or consultancy. She has planted over 50 forager's gardens of varying sizes, including a large ongoing project in Hornshurt Wood and in her own small-scale permaculture farm, both in East Sussex. She regularly holds workshops to empower people to plant their own, look out for- 'How to Plant a Forager's Garden' on her instant courses website.
Links
www.annalockepermaculture.co.uk
The Forager's Garden by Anna Locke
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Episode 150: Head Gardeners
2 augustus 2021 · 35 min
This week, I'm talking Head Gardeners with Ambra Edwards; why she chose the ones she did to feature in her book of that name, the diverse range of tasks they undertake and what makes a good one. I ask Ambra what prompted her to write a book about some of the legendary and some of the unsung heroes of the horticultural world and if she could swap places with one, whose boots would she choose to fill. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Gooseberry sawfly
This episode is sponsored by gardencourses.com. gardencourses.com offers online horticultural training for those looking to develop their own, home gardens. The lasted course to be added is Create Your Garden Sanctuary - you can go to gardencourses.com to find out more.
What we cover
How Ambra chose the head gardeners included in the book
Is there any such thing as a typical head gardener?
Some of the unexpected roles the gardeners in the book have to perform
How much gardens are expressions of the personality of the head gardener
Is it stifling for a head gardener to stick to historical plans/designs and not inject their own creativity into a space?
What makes a great head gardener?
Gardening as a profession
About Ambra Edwards
Ambra Edwards is a journalist with a special interest in garden history, and the people, passions and often surprising stories that lie behind our gardens. Three times voted the Garden Media Guild's Garden Journalist of the Year (2006, 2009 and 2015), she is a regular contributor to the Guardian, the Telegraph, Gardens Illustrated, Hortus and Country Living. Her most recent book is The Story of the English Garden (Pavilion, 2018). She lives in Dorset. https://www.pimpernelpress.com/ambra-edwards
Links
www.ambra-edwards.com
https://www.pimpernelpress.com/head-gardeners-2
www.gardencourses.com
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Episode 149: Growing Real Food for Nutrition
26 juli 2021 · 35 min
In this episode, I'm talking to Dr Elizabeth Westaway and Matthew Adams, founders of Growing Real Food for Nutrition, or Grffn for short. Grffn's vision is for a world where all food is grown for its nutritional qualities using regenerative practices, and made accessible to all. We talk about how the way food is grown can affect its nutritional value and how this can support environmentally sound growing practices. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Conopid flies
This episode is sponsored by gardencourses.com. gardencourses.com offers online horticultural training for those looking to develop their own, home gardens. The lasted course to be added is Create Your Garden Sanctuary - you can go to gardencourses.com to find out more.
What we cover
How Elizabeth and Matthew came to start Growing Real Food for Nutrition
Why not all carrots are made equal
How you measure the nutrient content of food
Why it can vary
How we can make sure we're growing nutrient dense food
How citizen science helps
Brix testing
Is organically grown food generally higher in nutrients than non-organically grown?
About Growing Real Food for Nutrition
Grffn's vision is for a world where all food is grown for its nutritional qualities using regenerative practices, and made accessible to all, creating an abundance of health and harmony, reconnecting humans with Mother Earth.
Grffn's mission is to deepen citizens' understanding of how we derive nutrition from natural processes and to realise its impact on human development.
Links
www.grffn.org
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Episode 148: Botanical Styling
19 juli 2021 · 31 min
This week I'm speaking to Michelle Mason, stylist, designer, author and co-founder of Mason & Painter a shop located next to Columbia Road which specialises in furniture, homewares and plants. Michelle's latest book Flower Market: Botanical Style at Home, is a mouth-wateringly beautiful and inspirational guide to styling your home using plants and cut flowers. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Noctuid moths
This episode is sponsored by gardencourses.com. gardencourses.com offers online horticultural training for those looking to develop their own, home gardens. The lasted course to be added is Create Your Garden Sanctuary - you can go to gardencourses.com to find out more.
What we cover
Can you learn an eye for design?
The importance of taking the time to arrange a small corner or table top with a collection of beautiful things
The creative process and the end result
Starting the habit of creating botanical displays
How a theme or narrative can underpin a creation
The accessories Michelle wouldn't be without when styling
The importance of sourcing sustainably grown and seasonal plants and flowers
Arranging plants and flowers on a budget?
About Michelle Mason
Michelle Mason is a designer, shopkeeper and stylist and has worked for a number of clients including Sir John Soane's Museum shop, the British Library, the National Gallery and the Southbank Centre. She is also co-founder of east London vintage shop Mason & Painter in Columbia Road, home to the weekly Sunday Flower Market. Her first book was Flower Market (Pimpernel, 2019). https://www.pimpernelpress.com/michelle-mason
Links
Mason & Painter
Flower Market: Botanical Style at Home by Michelle Mason
Vintage Shops London by Michelle Mason
www.gardencourses.com
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Episode 147: Coastal Gardens
12 juli 2021 · 32 min
This week I'm speaking to Mark Laurence. For decades, Mark has been at the vanguard of sustainable and ecologically sensitive landscape and garden design. He currently specialises in coastal plants and gardens and in this interview we cover what makes a coastal garden, which types of plants fare well on the coast and whether these gardens can be havens for wildlife. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Flatworms
This episode is sponsored by gardencourses.com. gardencourses.com offers online horticultural training for those looking to develop their own, home gardens. The lasted course to be added is Create Your Garden Sanctuary - you can go to gardencourses.com to find out more.
What we cover
Mark's background and work
What is a coastal garden? How far can a garden be from the sea and still be classified as coastal?
Some of the challenges facing plants in a coastal garden
Plants that do well by the coast and plants don't fare well
Coastal gardens and wildlife
Trees for coastal gardens
Further resources (or not!)
About Mark Laurence
Since 1987 Mark has worked as a designer, specialising in sustainable and adaptive landscapes, natural "drift" planting, coastal, water & rain gardens, living walls and vertical green infrastructure for urban environments. He is a current committee member (Technical & Sustainability) and has been a keynote speaker at SDG and other conferences. He works locally and internationally, creating water gardens in USA, living walls in London, Trondheim, Chicago and Dubai.
Mark is a chartered horticulturalist and consults on horticulture and arboriculture in the Middle East.
He has a passion for creating nurturing and relaxed gardens and landscapes which connect people to nature and place.
https://www.sgd.org.uk/find_a_designer/search_for_a_designer/designers/f4775253-4f5d-4eaf-8fc1-cdb3b3755524/
Links
www.marklaurence.com
Mark Laurence on Facebook
www.gardencourses.com
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Episode 146: The Rose in Perfume with Mairi MacKenzie
5 juli 2021 · 26 min
Today's guest is Mairi MacKenzie, fashion historian, writer and curator, whose research looks at the relationship between the clothes that we wear and our culture. Her latest research is into the world of scent and what flower could be more intrinsically linked with perfume than the rose? In the interview, we discuss famous rose-based perfumes, the symbolism behind its use, whether its historically been perceived as a feminine scent, the mysterious workings of the Osmotheque and why that rose perfume you made as a child never worked! Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Hummingbird Hawk Moths
This episode is brought to you by the team at LECHUZA, suppliers of self-watering pots and planters. www.lechuza.co.uk
What we cover
Mairi's career and her interest in the role of the rose in perfume
When roses were first used in fragrance
The Osmotheque
Roses for symbolism as well as scent
Has rose always been perceived as a feminine scent?
What does rose scent connote?
Scents that are heavily rose based
The role of the rose as an ingredient in contemporary perfumes
About Mairi MacKenzie
Mairi MacKenzie is Research Fellow in Fashion and Textiles at Glasgow School of Art. She is a fashion historian, writer and curator, and her research seeks to understand not just what was worn and by whom, but why it was worn and what the relationship is between the clothes that we wear and our culture. - https://www.gsa.ac.uk/research/design-profiles/m/mackenzie,-mairi/
The London College of Garden Design's Horti-couture conference takes place in October. The Conference will explore the influence of plants and gardens on the fashion world and features some of the industry's leading academics and influencers. For more information visit the LCGD website LCGD.org.uk or their Eventbrite page. Tickets start at just £59 and the day will be streamed online as well as in person at Kew Gardens.
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Episode 145: Therapy Gardening
28 juni 2021 · 32 min
In this episode I'm speaking to horticultural therapist Carol Sales. Carol headed up a therapy garden in a prison, before moving over to lead the Therapy Garden at Headley Court, a rehabilitation centre for injured military veterans. Carol was a pioneer in the use of horticultural therapy and is one of the most well-respected professionals in the field. Lees meer
Carol is featured in many books and media articles, including Head Gardeners by Ambra Edwards and Sue Stuart-Smith's The Well Gardened Mind and she was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2019.
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Vapourer Moths
This episode is brought to you by the team at LECHUZA, suppliers of self-watering pots and planters. LECHUZA brings decades of experience in state-of-the-art, precision manufacturing to bear on its stylish high-functionality range of planters. All LECHUZA products are designed in-house and manufactured in the same factory as the iconic Playmobil toys. The complete collection comes in a wide variety of traditional and trend-led colours and shapes and are highly reliable for use both indoors and outdoors. The integrated soil irrigation system ensures that the plant receives the perfect amount of water for optimal growth. Thanks to a reservoir that always holds enough water and is controlled by a water level indicator, dried out or overwatered root bales are a thing of the past. Find out more by visiting www.lechuza.co.uk
About Carol Sales
Carol is a gardener and designer who started working in horticultural therapy for the prison service. She was recruited by High Ground who worked out of Headley Court, a military hospital providing horticultural therapy to military veterans. Carol ran the therapy garden there for almost a decade, during which time she pioneered treatment methods and set the gold standard for therapeutic horticulture as it pertains to those with both physical and mental health issues.
Links
www.veteransgrowth.org
www.highground-uk.org
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Episode 144: The State of Horticulture
21 juni 2021 · 29 min
This week I thought it would be good to get an overview of the horticultural industry - so I'm speaking to the person with their finger on the pulse, Matthew Appleby, Editor of Horticulture Week and host of the Horticulture Week podcast. We cover the effect of Brexit, plant passports and the pandemic on plant supplies and how this has affected consumers. Find out how the industry is faring given supply issues and the uptick in interest in gardening. Matthew talks about whether consumers need to adjust their expectations and their way of gardening and we end on how has the push to go peat-free is affecting gardeners and the trade too. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Aphids and Ecosystems
This episode is brought to you by the team at LECHUZA, suppliers of self-watering pots and planters. LECHUZA brings decades of experience in state-of-the-art, precision manufacturing to bear on its stylish high-functionality range of planters. All LECHUZA products are designed in-house and manufactured in the same factory as the iconic Playmobil toys. The complete collection comes in a wide variety of traditional and trend-led colours and shapes and are highly reliable for use both indoors and outdoors. The integrated soil irrigation system ensures that the plant receives the perfect amount of water for optimal growth. Thanks to a reservoir that always holds enough water and is controlled by a water level indicator, dried out or overwatered root bales are a thing of the past. Find out more by visiting www.lechuza.co.uk
Whether a gardener or working in the horticultural trade, this episode is relevant, covering Brexit, the pandemic, plant supplies, the popularity of gardening and how the push to go peat-free is affecting gardeners and the trade too. Matthew, Editor of Horticulture Week & host of the Horticulture Week podcast, gives an overview.
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Aphids and Ecosystems
This episode is brought to you by the team at LECHUZA, suppliers of self-water…
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Episode 143: Grounded: A Gardener's Journey to Abundance and Self-Sufficiency with Liz Zorab
14 juni 2021 · 32 min
This week I'm speaking to smallholder and YouTuber Liz Zorab. Liz has been documenting her growing efforts, firstly via a blog and then via her hugely popular YouTube channel. She's recently written Grounded: A Gardener's Journey to Abundance and Self-Sufficiency in which she talks about setting up at a new site in Wales and how her gardening journey went hand in hand with her journey from ill-health to relative wellness. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Black Garden Ants
This episode is brought to you by the team at LECHUZA, suppliers of self-watering pots and planters. LECHUZA brings decades of experience in state-of-the-art, precision manufacturing to bear on its stylish high-functionality range of planters. All LECHUZA products are designed in-house and manufactured in the same factory as the iconic Playmobil toys. The complete collection comes in a wide variety of traditional and trend-led colours and shapes and are highly reliable for use both indoors and outdoors. The integrated soil irrigation system ensures that the plant receives the perfect amount of water for optimal growth. Thanks to a reservoir that always holds enough water and is controlled by a water level indicator, dried out or overwatered root bales are a thing of the past. Find out more by visiting www.lechuza.co.uk
About Liz Zorab
"Liz works full time on the homestead and as a content creator in various media. Her love of gardening started as a small child, but blossomed when she left home. In her own garden, she found joy in propagating plants and growing food for her family.
At her happiest when pottering in the garden, Liz now manages the half acre fruit and vegetable gardens and food forest at Byther Farm. Liz is available for talks and presentations about gardening, growing for food security and self-sufficiency." http://bytherfarm.com/about/
Links
Byther Farm YouTube channel
www.bytherfarm.com
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Episode 142: Growing Under Cover
7 juni 2021 · 33 min
This episode, I'm speaking to Canadian gardening superstar Niki Jabbour. Niki is a gardener and author of 3 books, including 'Growing Under Cover', which is the most comprehensive guide to using crop covers in your vegetable garden. It's based on Niki's first-hand, decades long research into successfully growing food 365 days a year in the challenging climate of Nova Scotia and what she doesn't know about using covers to protect crops, prolong the season and cheat the weather, you could write on the back of a stamp and still have room to lick it. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Doodlebugs and Billy Witches
This episode is brought to you by new green-tech company Harvst. The company's recently launched smart web-connected 'mini greenhouses' are designed to help people grow more at home, with less effort and minimal space. Choose between The Yard and The Terrace; both are simply popped directly on the ground or patio, they're self-watering, climate controlled, space efficient and enable you to grow your own produce without the need to tend every day. So whether you're a budding beginner or a seasoned pro, visit www.harvst.co.uk and take advantage of a 5% discount on all 4 seasons and eco Mini Greenhouse orders from now until the end of July. Simply enter the code mentioned in the episode at the checkout.
About Nikki Jabbour
Niki Jabbour is the award-winning author of four books – The Year Round Vegetable Gardener (2012 American Horticultural Society Book Award), Groundbreaking Food Gardens: 73 Plans That Will Change the Way You Grow Your Garden, Veggie Garden Remix: 224 New Plants to Shake Up Your Garden and Add Variety, Flavor, and Fun (Winner of the 2019 American Horticultural Society Book Award, Winner of the Gold Book Award from GardenComm, and winner of the 2019 Silver Award from Taste Canada), and Growing Under Cover: Techniques for a More Productive, Weather-Resistant, Pest-Free Vegetable Garden. She also writes for magazines like Fine Gardening, Horticu…
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Episode 141: Swapcast: Plants Grow Here Podcast
31 mei 2021 · 46 min
This week's episode is a little bit different as it's a recording of me chatting to Daniel Fuller on the brilliant Plants Grow Here podcast. Although we may be geographically antipodean, there are a lot of similarities between Roots and All and Plants Grow Here, as Daniel and I both cover a wide range of horticultural topics, including those on the fringe and we both love a bit of geeking out! Join us as we dive into the world of podcasting and gardening. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Garden snails
This episode is brought to you by new green-tech company Harvst. The company's recently launched smart web-connected 'mini greenhouses' are designed to help people grow more at home, with less effort and minimal space. Choose between The Yard and The Terrace; both are simply popped directly on the ground or patio, they're self-watering, climate controlled, space efficient and enable you to grow your own produce without the need to tend every day. So whether you're a budding beginner or a seasoned pro, visit www.harvst.co.uk and take advantage of a 5% discount on all 4 seasons and eco Mini Greenhouse orders from now until the end of July. Simply use the code mentioned in the episode.
About Daniel Fuller
Daniel is the primary host on the Plants Grow Here Podcast and content writer. Currently based in St. Kilda, Melbourne, he has been working in the horticultural maintenance field for 8 years, leading crews for most of this time.
The idea of Plants Grow Here was born from his desire to learn more from people who have specialised knowledge and a passion for what they do.
Links
www.plantsgrowhere.com
Plants Grow Here Podcast
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Episode 140: Companion Planting
24 mei 2021 · 31 min
Today's intro comes to you from by back garden, courtesy of the local birds! Lees meer
This week I'm speaking to Jessica Walliser, author of 'Plant Partners: Science-Based Companion Planting Strategies for the Vegetable Garden' which as it says, is a scientific look at companion plant to find out if it works, and if it does, in what way and why. Jessica's unique book is essential reading if you like to uncover some of the secrets behind the received horticultural wisdom that's passed down from one gardener to the next.
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Red lily beetle
This episode is brought to you by So & Mo. Launched this year, So & Mo is a new lawn care brand bringing the right products and expertise to give everyone the confidence to be a lawn expert. They have developed the perfect 12 month plan, through 6 liquid feeds to give your lawn all the nutrients needed for complete plant health and professional results. Packaged into a one size fits all box lasting 6, 12 or 24 months based on the lawn size, ensures the ability to cater for all lawns with no waste.
As a special offer for listeners, So & Mo is offering 15% off your first box. Simply visit soandmo.com and enter the code mentioned in the episode at checkout.
What we talk about:
What we know now about companion planting that wasn't known previously
Why companion planting works
Why we should be interested in nitrogen fixing plants
Cover crops
How companion plants help with weed control
Busting the myth that it's the scent of the companion plants that deters pests
Beetle bumps
Companion planting and plant diseases
About Jessica Walliser
Jessica is the co-founder of SavvyGardening.com and was co-host of the award winning radio show 'The Organic Gardeners' for 15 years. Jessica is a journalist, editor and Acquisitions Editor for Cool Springs Press. Jessica takes an organic and wildlife-friendly approach to gardening and is the former owner of a 25 acre market farm. She also teaches horticulture and has a …
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Episode 139: The Urban Farm
17 mei 2021 · 34 min
Today's intro comes to you from by back garden, courtesy of the local birds! Lees meer
In this episode I'm joined by Greg Peterson, who started The Urban Farm nearly 30 years ago. His third of an acre site is covered in edible crops which feed his family and other families too. Gardening as he does in Phoenix, Arizona he has to make full use of rainwater harvesting systems, soil improvement techniques, plus he's heavy into recycling and reuse. We talk about how he's created a fully functioning and successful farm in an urban neighbourhood.
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Leaf rollers
This episode is brought to you by So & Mo. Launched this year, So & Mo is a new lawn care brand bringing the right products and expertise to give everyone the confidence to be a lawn expert. They have developed the perfect 12 month plan, through 6 liquid feeds to give your lawn all the nutrients needed for complete plant health and professional results. Packaged into a one size fits all box lasting 6, 12 or 24 months based on the lawn size, ensures the ability to cater for all lawns with no waste.
As a special offer for listeners, So & Mo is offering 15% off your first box. Simply visit soandmo.com and enter the code ROOTS15 at checkout.
What we talk about:
Why Greg began The Urban Farm
Gardening in a desert and managing water
Greg's natural soil and how he fertilises it
The importance of growing local
Seed saving
Neighbourhood rules and regulations
One easy win that people could achieve if they're thinking of establishing their own urban farm
About Greg Peterson
Greg has lived at the Urban Farm for almost 30 years. His 1/3-acre yard features an entirely edible landscape, including over 70 fruit trees, rainwater and grey-water harvesting, solar applications, and extensive use of reclaimed and recycled building materials.
Greg is a longtime permaculture advocate, flunked out of university in 1981 because he was bored, then went back twenty years later to get a bachelor's degree a…
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Episode 138: The Botanical Mind with Gina Buenfeld
10 mei 2021 · 39 min
In this episode, I'm interviewing Gina Buenfeld-Murley, exhibitons curator of the Camden Art Centre and co-curator of the online exhibition The Botanical Mind. In this episode, we go deep into the relation between art and the natural world and talk about sacred geometry, indigenous art, symbolism, Jung, the mysterious Voynich manuscript and why this exhibition is so pertinent given the current relationship humans have to the rest of nature. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Pollen beetles
This episode is brought to you by the team at The Real Soil Company. Launched to the market in 2020 The Real Soil Company proudly offers new organic, peat-free SuperSoil. Packed full of organic nutrients for optimal plant health, SuperSoil's natural 'boosters' will stimulate quicker plant establishment and better resilience against pests and disease, whilst also enabling edible crops to benefit from nutritional enhancement and a higher crop yield. The enhanced soil also offers better water retention and release for optimum plant growth, whilst providing a more balanced and workable material for gardeners.
What we talk about:
Sacred geometry and that patterns that are found in nature and in entheogenic experiences and which occur at the micro and macro level
Georgio Griffa's writing, which forms part of the exhibition, talks of art and science two being in extricably linked. How do seemingly pre-determined and logical patterns such as fractals influence art? Do the patterns stop being science when they are recreated by a human hand?
How can we be inspired by indigenous art and nature appreciation, both past and present, whilst avoiding cultural appropriation or slipping into romanticism?
The Voynich Manuscript
The significance of Jung's archetypes in relation to botany
About The Botanical Mind and Gina Buenfeld-Murley
Humanity's place in the natural order is under scrutiny as never before, held in a precarious balance between visible and invisible forces: from the microsc…
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Episode 137: Dr Glynn Percival of Bartlett Tree Experts
3 mei 2021 · 32 min
This week, I'm speaking to Senior Arboricultural Research Manager Dr Glynn Percival, who works for Bartlett Tree Experts. I first heard Glynn speak about 7 years ago and I was blown away by his straight talking and the research he presented that day, which exploded many myths about tree planting. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that his eye-opening lecture was a pivotal moment in my understanding that I didn't have to swallow all the received wisdom surrounding horticulture. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Orange tip butterflies
This episode is brought to you by the team at The Real Soil Company. Launched to the market in 2020 The Real Soil Company proudly offers new organic, peat-free SuperSoil. Packed full of organic nutrients for optimal plant health, SuperSoil's natural 'boosters' will stimulate quicker plant establishment and better resilience against pests and disease, whilst also enabling edible crops to benefit from nutritional enhancement and a higher crop yield. The enhanced soil also offers better water retention and release for optimum plant growth, whilst providing a more balanced and workable material for gardeners.
What we talk about:
Why tree pests and diseases are on the increase
The benefits of feeding trees with sugar
Chemicals and how they can switch on tree defences
Mulching trees - why it matters
Biochar applications
Chitin and phosphites
Issues affecting trees in the UK
Scented plants and their effect on tree health
About the Bartlett Tree Experts
"Bartlett Tree Experts was founded by Francis A. Bartlett in 1907 and is the world's leading scientific tree and shrub care company.
From its over 100 offices worldwide, Bartlett helps both residential and commercial customers maintain beautiful, healthy trees. Bartlett is dedicated to developing environmentally sound products and promoting their use on our clients' properties. With the Bartlett Legacy Tree Programme, Bartlett provides tree seedlings to help with reforestation effor…
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Episode 136: RAA Takeover: Young Propagators Society
26 april 2021 · 53 min
Today's episode is the first in another new series called the Roots and All Takeover, where I hand the microphone over to an individual or group of people and they produce the content for the episode. There are no rules, they have complete free rein, the idea being to give an audio platform to people that don't already have one. So this first takeover is by The Young Propagators Society and features a chat between Ellie and Sophie, the founding members of the society, Michal who's a dendrologist at Westonbirt Arboretum and Natasha, a builder and gardener and they talk about the challenges, successes and techniques they've discovered when propagating a very diverse range of plants. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Broad bean pests
This episode is brought to you by the team at The Real Soil Company. Launched to the market in 2020 The Real Soil Company proudly offers new organic, peat-free SuperSoil. Packed full of organic nutrients for optimal plant health, SuperSoil's natural 'boosters' will stimulate quicker plant establishment and better resilience against pests and disease, whilst also enabling edible crops to benefit from nutritional enhancement and a higher crop yield. The enhanced soil also offers better water retention and release for optimum plant growth, whilst providing a more balanced and workable material for gardeners.
About the Young Propagators Society
The Young Propagators Society was founded to create a network of people interested in propagation to share their knowledge with one another. They produce a quarterly zine that members contribute to, which you can find on their website www.youngpropsoc.com and you can get involved by contributing written pieces or artwork to hello@youngpropsoc.com
Ellie and Sophie are co-creators of The Young Propagators Society, they met at Great Dixter when they were both students. They, at the same time, got their positions in their jobs as; propagator at Crug Farm and assistant nursery manager at Great Dixter. …
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Episode 135: In Search of Mycotopia with Doug Bierend
19 april 2021 · 32 min
This week I'm speaking to Doug Bierend, journalist and author of In Search of Mycoptopia, a book which documents Doug's journey of discovery as it pertains to the world of mushrooms. We talk about what sparked this journey, about what, as he puts it in the interview, was his Come to Mushroom moment and how his interest in fungi continues to develop with each new step he takes along the way. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Hoverflies
This episode is brought to you by the team at The Real Soil Company. Launched to the market in 2020 The Real Soil Company proudly offers new organic, peat-free SuperSoil. Packed full of organic nutrients for optimal plant health, SuperSoil's natural 'boosters' will stimulate quicker plant establishment and better resilience against pests and disease, whilst also enabling edible crops to benefit from nutritional enhancement and a higher crop yield. The enhanced soil also offers better water retention and release for optimum plant growth, whilst providing a more balanced and workable material for gardeners. Order HERE.
What we talk about:
How Doug's relationship with mushrooms began and what led to the birth of the book
The future of mycology in terms of research and education
Citizen science and its relevance to the progression of mycology
Mushroom farming as an industry
Why Doug thinks those in the mycological community are so non-competitive and community-minded
How mycelial networks can be used as potential blueprints for societal organisation
How mushrooms help improve soil
About Doug Bierend
"Hi, my name is Doug. I'm a freelance writer and recent first-time author based in the Hudson Valley. Over the last decade or so, I've written with a special interest in science, technology, visual and interactive media, food, sustainability and general subversiveness. My first book, In Search of Mycotopia, is due out in March of 2021 with Chelsea Green Books."
https://dougbierend.com/About-Me
Links
In Search of Mycotopia by Dou…
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Dig In: So & Mo
15 april 2021 · 28 min
This episode features Luke Taylor, co-founder of So and Mo, talking about a new type of liquid lawn feed that's formulated to work in different ways at different times of the year, depending on the growing needs of your lawn. Lees meer
When you buy the box, you receive 6 formulas that you apply to your lawn between February and December. They've been developed using the decades of experience and knowledge Luke and his business partner have gleaned working with lawns on a commercial scale - basically, it's a professional standard of lawn care simplified and delivered so you can get professional results in a really easy way. Luke talks about the product, about lawn care, what you should be doing with your lawn right now and how to get the best out of those pesky sprayers - plus if you listen to the end there's a discount code just for you.
So and Mo Performance Liquid Lawn Feed
Background on So and Mo
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Episode 134: The Love Lives of Birds with Laura Erickson
12 april 2021 · 37 min
This week's guest is Laura Erickson, talking about her brilliant book the Love Lives of Birds. Find out why some birds mate for life whilst others play the field, why some value age and experience, which birds lay their eggs in other bird's nests and which stash their young in riverbanks and why there's so much dancing involved! Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Bee Flies
This episode is brought to you The Seed Sistas, who have been community herbalists for over 20 years. Their work took a turn last March and they converted their passion for plants, people and the planet into an online course called the Pathway to Peace. It is an engaging Seven-day immersive journey with lots of wonderful content. If you suffer from stress or anxiety this course may well be able to offer you connection to herbs and tools for stress management, better sleep and nourishment for your nervous system. The next course starts again on April 28th.
What we talk about:
Why bird courtships so varied and whether there's any correlation between courtship patterns and life span/size/habitat
Why there's so much dancing involved
The issue of age and its relevance when finding a partner
Nest parasites and why they steal other birds' nests
Kingfishers and where they nest
The need for privacy when mating
Why some birds mate for life whilst others can have multiple mates in a breeding season
About Laura Erickson
"Laura Erickson, 2014 recipient of the American Birding Association's prestigious Roger Tory Peterson Award and the 2020 Minnesota Ornithologists' Union's Thomas Sadler Roberts Memorial Award, has been a scientist, teacher, writer, wildlife rehabilitator, professional blogger, public speaker, photographer, American Robin and Whooping Crane Expert for the popular Journey North educational website, and Science Editor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. She's written twelve books about birds including, in 2020, The Love Lives of Birds. (also the ABA Field Guide to the Birds of Minnesot…
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Episode 133: Horatio's Gardens
5 april 2021 · 30 min
This week's guest is Stephen Hackett, head gardener at Horatio's Garden South West. We talk about this amazing garden which was designed by Cleve West and is managed by Stephen, with the help of and for the benefit of the staff and patients at the adjacent spinal injuries unit. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Brimstone Butterflies
This episode is brought to you The Seed Sistas, who have been community herbalists for over 20 years. Their work took a turn last March and they converted their passion for plants, people and the planet into an online course called the Pathway to Peace. It is an engaging Seven-day immersive journey with lots of wonderful content. If you suffer from stress or anxiety this course may well be able to offer you connection to herbs and tools for stress management, better sleep and nourishment for your nervous system. The next course starts again on April 28th.
What we talk about:
About the charity Horatio's Garden and the South West
How the gardens help people with spinal injuries
Managing a garden from a therapy as well as a horticultural perspective
The features of the garden which make it useful to patients and staff
The most rewarding part of the job
Visiting the Horatio's Garden sites
About Stephen Hackett
Stephen Hackett grew up in Lancashire, before studying at Oxford and Nottingham.
He spent several years teaching Cultural Studies in Southampton before joining the Arts Council in 2000.
Subsequently he worked in in adult education, and was Principal of a residential adult college in Oxfordshire.
Always a keen gardener, Stephen trained in Horticulture at Sparsholt College in 2010 and established a gardening business in the Salisbury area.
Stephen joined Horatio's Garden South West in 2016 as Head Gardener. He lives in Salisbury with his family, and has written gardening columns for magazines including Wiltshire Life and The English Garden.
Links
horatiosgarden.org.uk
Online Spring Raffle running from 29th March - 3rd …
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Episode 132: Adventures in Eden
29 maart 2021 · 34 min
This week's guest is Carolyn Mullet. Carolyn is an author and garden tour organiser. She recently released a book about some of the most beautiful gardens she's visited in Europe, called Adventures in Eden. In the interview, I speak to Carolyn about the book and (with barely concealed envy) I ask her about the trips she undertakes and the gardens she sees with her company Carex Tours. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Bay Sucker Psyllid
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Natural Grower. Launched in 2019, their award winning liquid fertiliser and plant feed and soil conditioner is made entirely from maize. Naturally rich in nitrogen, potash, phosphate and other trace elements that plants and vegetables love, it is approved by the Soil Association, Vegan Society and Organic Farmers and Growers. Their concentrated natural fertiliser can be poured around the base of plants, whilst the plant feed and soil conditioner can be mixed into the soil or compost and used as a mulch on the surface as a long-term slow-release fertiliser. The fertiliser can be used for all outdoor and indoor plants. As a special offer for listeners, Natural Grower are offering 15% off all of their range. Simply go to naturalgrower.co.uk and enter ROOTS15 on checkout.
What we talk about:
How Carolyn chooses gardens to visit
How does a garden make the grade for the book or to be included in a tour?
Whether there is any correlation between an owner's personalities and the type of garden they have
The ways Carolyn has noticed private gardens changing over the past decade or so
The recipe for a successful garden
The most exciting place for garden design and innovation right now
About Carolyn Mullet
Carolyn Mullet is a retired award-winning garden designer who practiced in the Washington, DC metro area for over 30 years. She received her formal training in residential landscape design from George Washington University. She is also the owner and creative director of CarexTours of…
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Dig In: Harvst
25 maart 2021 · 29 min
This is the first episode in the series and it features Rik Sellwood who along with his business partner Chris Tanner, has launched a company called Harvst. They build greenhouses for home gardeners, which can be controlled via an app. During the episode we talk about Harvst's products of course, but we also talk about managing crops in greenhouses and how technology can be applied in a garden setting to make our lives easier. Lees meer
Listen to the end for the 15% discount code!
Shop Harvst
Information on the technology
App information and to register for the app go to app.harvest.co.uk
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Introducing Dig In
23 maart 2021 · 2 min
Hello. This is a short introduction to a new episode that's being released on Thursday called Roots and All: Dig In. Lees meer
Dig In is a new series which came about because I've been contacted by various companies who would like to come on the podcast and talk about the wonderful products they have to sell.
So do drop by on Thursday when I'll be speaking to Rik Sellwood of Harvst about, that amongst other things, a greenhouse you can water and ventilate via an app. Clever stuff!
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Episode 131: The Garden of Equal Delights with Anni Kelsey
22 maart 2021 · 36 min
This week's guest is forest gardener Anni Kelsey. Anni is an experienced grower of edibles and she follows the principles of forest gardening - if you're not sure what that means, all will be revealed. Her latest book The Garden of Equal Delights sets out principles for managing a garden in order to maximise its productive yield but it's much more than that, it's about gardening sustainably and using techniques that many conventional gardeners might find unusual but which work. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Signalling
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Natural Grower. Launched in 2019, their award winning liquid fertiliser and plant feed and soil conditioner is made entirely from maize. Naturally rich in nitrogen, potash, phosphate and other trace elements that plants and vegetables love, it is approved by the Soil Association, Vegan Society and Organic Farmers and Growers. Their concentrated natural fertiliser can be poured around the base of plants, whilst the plant feed and soil conditioner can be mixed into the soil or compost and used as a mulch on the surface as a long-term slow-release fertiliser. The fertiliser can be used for all outdoor and indoor plants. As a special offer for listeners, Natural Grower are offering 15% off all of their range. Listen now for details.
What we talk about:
What is a forest garden?
Anni writes in her book "how would I describe or explain what I do in the garden to someone else?". Given her gardening style is very intuitive and site specific, find out how she manages to communicate her principles to others
The practice of bringing nothing in and taking nothing out of the garden
How Anni brings uncultivated areas into production
Dealing with weeds
Why she doesn't compost
Why all plants are special
About Anni Kelsey
"Anni Kelsey has been passionate about gardening and the natural world for as long as she can remember. As her concerns about the unsustainability of our present food system grew she beg…
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Episode 130: GrowVeg with Benedict Vanheems
15 maart 2021 · 32 min
Podcast 101 - GrowVeg with Benedict Vanheems Lees meer
This week I'm talking to Benedict Vanheems, gardener, author, editor and face of the popular GrowVeg.com YouTube channel. If you're thinking about growing veg this year, whether you're an old hand or new to it, you're bound to hear something of value from Benedict, who's innovative approach to growing food takes the hard work out of things.
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Black Garden Ants
This episode is brought to you by Natural Grower.
Launched in 2019, their award winning liquid fertiliser and plant feed and soil conditioner is made entirely from maize. Naturally rich in nitrogen, potash, phosphate and other trace elements that plants and vegetables love, it is approved by the Soil Association, Vegan Society and Organic Farmers and Growers. Their concentrated natural fertiliser can be poured around the base of plants, whilst the plant feed and soil conditioner can be mixed into the soil or compost and used as a mulch on the surface as a long-term slow-release fertiliser. The fertiliser can be used for all outdoor and indoor plants. As a special offer for listeners, Natural Grower are offering 15% off all of their range. Listen to the episode now to access the discount code.
What we talk about:
Is growing edibles right for everyone? And is it worth it?
Tips for getting seeds started in open ground
Moving seeds from indoors to outdoors
What should we be doing in our veg gardens right now?
Upcycling and repurposing household items as containers for growing in
Labour intensive jobs in the veg garden and ways to make them easier/quicker
Keep things low maintenance
Growing mushrooms
Sprouting seeds
About Benedict Vanheems
Benedict Vanheems is a passionate home gardener specialising in delicious, organically grown fruit, vegetables and herbs. No stranger to dirt under his nails, Benedict's fascination with plants started at an early age. As a young boy he could often be found digging holes, experimenting w…
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Episode 129: The Regenerative Grower's Guide to Garden Amendments
8 maart 2021 · 42 min
This week's guest is Nigel Palmer, an experimental gardener who brings to bear his experience as an aerospace engineer to analyse, identify and organise the various components that make plants grow well. From his research, he's compiled a recipe book of garden amendments, some easy to make and some involving more complex methods, but all of which you can recreate at home and use on your garden for better plant health and resilience. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Darwin's Worms
This episode is sponsored by gardencourses.com
What we talk about:
The book 'Natural Farming Agriculture Materials' by Cho Ju-Young and how it influenced Nigel's work
When making soil amendments and fertilisers and having them analysed in a laboratory, how does Nigel know the results will be consistent for future batches?
Why is local biological material important for a garden?
The theory behind feeding a plant with its own 'ancestors'
The ability of a plant to change the soil pH in the immediate vicinity of its roots
How plants need different nutrients and minerals at different stages of their development
Using a refractometer
Fermented plant juice and its uses
What difference can these amendments make to a garden?
About Nigel Palmer
"Nigel Palmer has been a lifelong gardener in New England relying on the amazing complexity of nature to inspire his gardening philosophy, as well as working as an aerospace engineer sorting, organizing, and resolving complex technical issues. He is the instructor and curriculum developer of the Sustainable, Regenerative Gardening program at The Institute Of Sustainable Nutrition (TIOSN). " - https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/the-regenerative-growers-guide-to-garden-amendments/
Links
The Regenerative Grower's Guide to Garden Amendments: Using Locally Sourced Materials to Make Mineral and Biological Extracts and Ferments by Nigel Palmer - Chelsea Green Publishing, 2020
www.tiosn.com
Dr James Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databas…
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Episode 128: Pollinators & Pollination with Professor Jeff Ollerton
1 maart 2021 · 47 min
This episode I'm speaking to Professor Jeff Ollerton, author of the brilliant new book 'Pollinators and Pollination', another must-have to add to your ever burgeoning reading pile I'm afraid! I loved the book and as you'll hear during the interview, it threw up all sorts of interesting questions about pollinators, their role in our lives and gardens and how much we need them. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Queen Bumblebees
This episode is sponsored by gardencourses.com
What we talk about:
What is a pollinator?
Apart from being nice to look at, why should gardeners want pollinators to visit?
How pollinators navigate via linear features in a landscape and what this means for plants situated near these features
Would it be fair to say the increase in pollinators since older times has gone hand in hand with that of humans? Did our populations increase in tandem?
Now we seem to have the upper hand and are disregarding the pollinators, will we ultimately be damaging ourselves, at least from a food growing point of view?
How useful is it to measure the number of species of pollinators that visit a garden? Are species over-represented in gardens due to the garden's value as a food source?
Top tips for inviting pollinators into the garden
About Jeff Ollerton
"During a career spanning more than 30 years, Professor Jeff Ollerton has established himself as one of the world's leading experts on pollinators and pollination. The author of more than 120 articles and book chapters, his highly-cited, ground-breaking research has been used by national and international agencies to support efforts to conserve pollinators and their pollination services. Jeff is also in demand as an advisor and consultant to governments, local authorities, printed and broadcast media, and funding organisations.
Although he is based in the UK, Jeff's field work in support of his research and advisory activities has been conducted across Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and Australia. H…
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Episode 127: Cats and Gardens
22 februari 2021 · 34 min
This week, I'm speaking to Danielle Draper, Manager of the Cats Protection National Cat Adoption Centre in Surrey and we're talking about that sometimes contentious issue of cats and gardens. Cats are part of gardeners' lives, particularly if you live in an urban area. Love them or hate them, you can't get away from them and Danielle's here to talk about learning to live harmoniously alongside the neighbourhood felines… Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Narcissus Bulb Fly
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Natural Grower. Launched in 2019, their award winning liquid fertiliser and plant feed and soil conditioner is made entirely from maize. Naturally rich in nitrogen, potash, phosphate and other trace elements that plants and vegetables love, it is approved by the Soil Association, Vegan Society and Organic Farmers and Growers. Their concentrated natural fertiliser can be poured around the base of plants, whilst the plant feed and soil conditioner can be mixed into the soil or compost and used as a mulch on the surface as a long-term slow-release fertiliser. The fertiliser can be used for all outdoor and indoor plants. As a special offer for listeners, Natural Grower are offering 15% off all of their range. Simply go to naturalgrower.co.uk and enter ROOTS15 on checkout.
What we talk about:
How many cats there are in the UK - is cat ownership growing or declining in popularity?
Where do cats factor in the big picture of wildlife decline?
Can we exclude the neighbourhood cats from our gardens? Or deter them?
Is it myth that cats don't use their own gardens to go to the loo? Can we deter them from doing it?
What can we do if all the neighbourhood cats choose to use our garden as a battleground?
What can we do if we want to feed the birds but keep them safe from cats? What about if we put food out for foxes, hedgehogs?
Ways to avoid wildlife casualties
Plants cats particularly like/don't like
What benefits can cats bring to a garden?
About Ca…
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Episode 126: The Psychology of Gardening with Professor Harriet Gross
15 februari 2021 · 40 min
This week I'm speaking to Harriet Gross, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Lincoln. She was part of a team that won a gold medal for the Digital Capabilities garden at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show and she is the author of The Psychology of Gardening. Harriet talks about our emotional connection to our gardens, what makes people connected to nature and the environment, why we can be territorial over our gardens and just what it is we get from gardening. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Stridulation
This episode is sponsored by the London College of Garden Design Melbourne.
Based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne the college brings together unique Australian design and horticultural expertise with the training experience of Europe's leading garden design college. The College delivers professional skills training for those aiming for a career in landscape design and from 2021 will offer a real-time online option for those who want to study from anywhere in Australia or New Zealand. To find out more visit lcgd.com.au
What we talk about:
What led Harriet to write the book
Is the amount of research conducted into the psychology of gardening commensurate with its popularity in the UK?
People who are more connected to natured and concerned with the environment and their personality type
Personality traits that are generally common to gardeners
Why people become so emotionally attached to their gardens
Taking refuge in our gardens during the pandemic
Emotional attachment to allotments
Fractals and their significance in landscapes and to our appreciation of these landscapes
About Professor Harriet Gross
Harriet Gross is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at University of Lincoln. She was part of a team that won a gold medal for the Digital Capabilities garden at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show and she is the author of The Psychology of Gardening.
Harriet Gross on Twitter @Harriet_Gross
Links
The Psychology of Gardening by Harriet Gross …
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Episode 125: Ben Cross of Crosslands Flower Nursery
8 februari 2021 · 37 min
This episode is the last one before Valentine's Day. Of course, you may be thinking about buying some flowers to give on Sunday so I thought, what better person to interview than a British flower grower? So I'm talking to Ben Cross of Crosslands Flower Nursery, a family owned and run nursery specialising in cut Alstroemerias. Ben is an expert grower, public speaker, an ambassador for British flowers and founder of the British Flowers Rock Campaign. As you will find out, growing flowers isn't all roses but Ben loves what he does and he starts by giving some background on the nursery and his involvement… Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Tobacco Whitefly
What we talk about:
The history of Crosslands Flower Nursery and how Ben came to be involved
Specialising in growing Alstroemerias - why them?
The scale of the nursery operations
Organic and sustainable flower farming
Some of the biggest challenges facing British flower growers
The British Flowers Rock campaign
About Ben Cross
Ben is a 4th generation grower at Crosslands Flower Nursery which was established in 1936 in West Sussex and is one of the last flower nurseries producing cut flowers in a full colour range all year-round.
Ben's British Alstroemeria is a very sustainable crop. His flowers are not sprayed with any chemicals after being harvested and go into recyclable, reusable boxes and arrive with customers the next day. No soil cooling techniques are used to force production and some flower beds are over 20 years old, still producing premium quality stems. Under 5% of the crop is replanted a year so sterilizing the soil is kept to a minimum.
The British Alstroemeria is known as a 'Cool Crop' and a 'Dry Crop' so doesn't take much heat input or watering. Optimum heat at night through the winter is just 13°C via a biomass boiler and the crop is watered for just 20 minutes once a month in the winter and just 20 minutes once every 10 days in the summer unlike flowers grown in warmer countries that use …
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Episode 124: No Winter Garden Should be Without...
1 februari 2021 · 28 min
In this week's episode I'm speaking to Fiona Edmond of Green Island Gardens about one of the stars of the winter garden, the Hamamelis aka witch-hazel. Fiona is the holder of the National Collection of Hamamelis and she talks about their cultivation and goes through some of the fool-proof and some of the choicer varieties. I dare you not to buy one after listening! Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Fig Wasps
This episode is sponsored by gardencourses.com
What we talk about:
Fiona's background and that of Green Island Gardens
How Fiona came to have the National Collection of Hamamelis
Their preferred soil and aspect and their hardiness
Pruning
Propagation
Potential pests and diseases (hint: this is short answer!)
What can they be underplanted with? Do they look particularly good in one sport of setting/against a certain type of plant as a background?
The flower colour spectrum
Easy to grow cultivars and Fiona's favourites
About Green Island Gardens
Green Island Gardens are private gardens, open for the public. Professionally designed by its owner Fiona Edmond, they are laid out as a series of structured gardens displaying a huge range of unusual trees, shrubs, perennials, and bulbs - 'A Plantsman's Paradise'. Surely one of the best gardens open to visit in Essex. Recommended in Great British Gardens 2019 and Essex Days Out.
20 acres of Water Gardens, Seaside Garden, Japanese Garden, Gravel Garden, Woodland Gardens, Island beds and stunning colour everywhere. There is a tearoom serving light lunches, home-made teas and cream teas.
The nursery offers plants all seen growing in the gardens. We now offer mail order service for the nursery during the lockdown period.
We also run different courses and special events.
Visitors will be able to enjoy flat and easy walking throughout the gardens.
Links
Green Island Gardens
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTfQ6Aq6evRmBZ0fjfqwdA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenislandgardens
Inst…
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Episode 123: Wild Gardens with Jo McKerr
25 januari 2021 · 43 min
This week's episode features garden designer and horticulturist Jo McKerr, who runs Pratensis Gardens. Jo is particularly interested in designed spaces where soil health, biodiversity and wildlife are encouraged but which still look good to the human eye. I started with a list of questions for Jo but the interview became more of a fireside chat, so pull up a chair and join Jo and I as we wend our way through eco-gardening. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Winter Moths
This episode is sponsored by the London College of Garden Design Melbourne.
Based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne the college brings together unique Australian design and horticultural expertise with the training experience of Europe's leading garden design college. The College delivers professional skills training for those aiming for a career in landscape design and from 2021 will offer a real-time online option for those who want to study from anywhere in Australia or New Zealand. To find out more visit www.lcgd.com.au
What we talk about:
Jo's background and the type of projects she is currently working on.
Rewilding has been a buzzword for a few years and is creeping over into gardening. Can we rewild our gardens?
Jo wrote an article for Bloom magazine about creating natural gardens and stated that due to our lack of real knowledge about gardens and their wild inhabitants, "I've come to the conclusion that if we are to garden in a way that's kind to the planet, we need to be conscious protectors and regenerators, with good instincts." Jo explains what she means by this and talks about how it can be at odds with the way many currently garden.
Younger generations or people new to gardening - are they are alienated by certain practices or traditional methods of thinking?
The place of gardens in a climate crisis.
The future of horticulture.
About Jo McKerr
"Horticulture and garden design is my second career. Before I had children and a mortgage I worked as a TV producer and direct…
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Episode 122: Meadows with Keith Datchler
18 januari 2021 · 31 min
I'm kicking off the year on the podcast with an interview with conservationist and wild meadows expert Keith Datchler. We talk about the state of our wildflower meadows, their importance for biodiversity and where we, as humans, fit as part of the biodiversity that feels at home in meadows. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Winter Bumblebees
What we talk about:
The definition of a meadow
How many ancient meadows are left in the UK. When they date from. How they were created.
Do we need to protect them from a wildlife and a human perspective?
How meadows are region and ecosystem specific
Why we should consider the locale when choosing plant species to add to or to create a meadow
Can meadows work on a small scale? How long do they take to establish? What are the major hurdles to implementing one?
Whether it's desirable to encourage people to visit meadows and interact with them in terms of footfall and conservation
What's being done to preserve ancient meadows and create new ones
About Keith Datchler OBE
Keith Datchler started his career as a dairy farmer, before moving into estate management, with his latest position being Estate Manager at the Beech Estate in Ashburnham, East Sussex. He is a Trustee of the Weald Landscape Trust and of People Need Nature and he works as a conservationist and wild meadows consultant.
Links
www.peopleneednature.org.uk
www.highwealdlandscapetrust.org
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Episode 121: Greening the Paranormal with Dr Jack Hunter
21 december 2020 · 32 min
This week I'm talking to Dr Jack Hunter, anthropologist and author of the book Greening the Paranormal: Exploring the Ecology of Extraordinary. The book isn't about fairies at the bottom of the garden, although they do get a mention in the episode, but looks more at ways of studying and engaging with the super-natural and considers how these might be useful when approaching the environmental crisis. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Holly Leafminer
About Dr Jack Hunter
Dr. Jack Hunter is an anthropologist exploring the borderlands of ecology, religion and the paranormal. He lives in the hills of Mid-Wales with his family. He is an Honorary Research Fellow with the Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre, University of Wales Trinity Saint David and a Research Fellow with the Parapsychology Foundation, New York. He is a tutor on the MA in Ecology and Spirituality and the MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology with the Sophia Centre, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
He is the founder and editor of Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal, the author of Spirits, Gods and Magic: An Introduction to the Anthropology of the Supernatural (2019) and Engaging the Anomalous (2018). He is the editor of Strange Dimensions: A Paranthropology Anthology (2015), Damned Facts: Fortean Essays on Religion, Folklore and the Paranormal (2016), Greening the Paranormal: Exploring the Ecology of Extraordinary Experience (2019) and is co-editor with Dr. David Luke of Talking With the Spirits: Ethnographies from Between the Worlds (2014).
Links
Dr Jack Hunter's website
Greening the Paranormal: Exploring the Ecology of Extraordinary Experience by Dr Jack Hunter, August Night Press, 2019
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Episode 120: Anna Soper on Kate Crooks
14 december 2020 · 33 min
This week, I'm talking to Anna Soper, a Canadian artist, writer, podcaster and master of too many things to mention really about Kate Crooks, a largely forgotten Canadian botanist whose work Anna uncovered for a project she undertook in 2018. Anna's research into Kate Crooks has unearthed pieces of a historical jigsaw puzzle which leave us wondering how many other botanists and specimens are out there just waiting to be discovered and how many of these important pieces of the botanical record have been lost forever. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Fleas
About Anna Soper
"Anna Soper has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from OCAD University, where she won the OCAD University Medal in 2011. She has studied abroad at the Glasgow School of Art, and has a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Western University.
Soper has exhibited her work in Toronto, New York, and London, UK. She lives and works in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, where she has created two public art works for the City of Kingston." https://www.annasoper.ca/about
Links
Anna Soper's Article on Kate Crooks in Atlas Obscura
www.annasoper.ca
Flora150Project on Twitter
Teen People Podcast on Twitter
Teen People Podcast on Instagram
Botanical Society of Canada - Biodiversity Library
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/kate-crooks-botany-collection-lost-1.5249427
https://news.westernu.ca/2019/08/alumna-searches-for-botanists-trailblazing-work/
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Episode 119: Soil Testing
7 december 2020 · 28 min
This week, I'm delighted to speak to Robert Galster, one of the co-founders of Safe Soil UK, about soil testing. There are many companies offering soil testing but the whole process is incredibly opaque. Companies offering the testing don't often tell you what to test for, or offer to explain the results they'll be sending and the process can be very costly. Enter Soil Safe UK, who offer soil tests for gardeners, that make sense and that don't cost a small fortune! Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Indoor Plant Pests
What we talk about:
What does a soil test involve?
Are all soil tests the same?
When might we need one? Is it a legal requirement in some cases?
What does it measure? What might it reveal about your soil?
What are some typical results we might see?
What are some common problems that might be revealed?
About Robert Galster & Safe Soil UK
"At Safe Soil UK, our aim is to make the testing and analysis of soil easy. Whether it's to check that soil has all the nutrients it needs to grow great veg or to investigate for potential serious contamination (the UK's industrial heritage has left behind much that can have a negative impact on our health), we offer a straightforward approach to soil testing. Because while growing and eating local, even homegrown, should ideally be what we do as often as possible, it definitely shouldn't be dangerous.
Britain's proud industrial and farming history left behind a legacy of contamination, with countless substances and waste products that have the potential to harm human health being discharged into the ground. Our testing packages can give you peace of mind that your growing space is safe - so why chance it?
We're big fans of gardening in general and growing vegetables in particular. Have been for as long as we can remember. Robert, one of our cofounders, tells of his early childhood memories annoying his mum by "planting" exotic fruit in various plant pots around the family home. This involved making a little…
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Episode 118: Tokachi Millennium Forest with Dan Pearson & Midori Shintani
30 november 2020 · 44 min
In this episode, I am very pleased to have a double interview with Dan Pearson and Midori Shintani, the two key horticultural forces driving the Tokachi Millennium Forest project in Hokaido, Japan and co-authors of the book Tokachi Millennium Forest: Pioneering a New Way of Gardening with Nature. I speak to Midori first, then Dan, about this vast, 1000 year project, their hopes and intentions for now and the future and about their own places with the timeline of the forest. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Ivy Mining Bees
What we talk about:
The history of the site of the Tokachi Millennium Forest
The idea behind the project
The challenges on site, posed by flora and some big fauna!
Influences on the design
The future of the site
About Dan Pearson & Midori Shintani
Twenty years ago, Dan Pearson was invited to make a garden at the 240-hectare Tokachi Millennium Forest in Hokkaido, Japan. Part of the intention was to entice city dwellers to reconnect with nature and improve land that had been lost to intensive agriculture and this was achieved along with much more. By tuning into the physical and cultural essence of the place and applying a light touch in terms of cultivation, this world-class designer created a remarkable place which has its heart in Japan's long-held respect for nature and its head in contemporary ecological planting design. The bold, uplifting sweep of the Meadow Garden mixes garden plants with natives while the undulating landforms of the Earth Garden bring sculptural connection with the mountains beyond.
Under the skilful custodianship of Midori Shintani, the garden has evolved beautifully to reflect principles that lie at the heart of Japanese culture: observation of seasonal changes, practical tasks carried out with care and an awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things. This beautiful, instructive book allows us all to experience something of the Tokachi effect, gain expert insights into how to plant gardens that feel…
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Episode 117: Biochar with Lottie & Connor of Earthly Biochar
23 november 2020 · 33 min
This interview features two guests instead of the usual one and those guests are Lottie and Connor, founders of Earthly Biochar. Maybe you already use Biochar in the garden, maybe you've heard of it but aren't quite sure what it does or how it works, or maybe you're completely new to it as a concept. In any case, I'm sure you'll learn such a lot from this interview. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Spiders and their Webs
What we talk about:
The origins of Earthly Biochar
What is biochar
Biochar in the home & garden
The history of biochar and its uses around the world
'Charging' biochar
About Earthly Biochar
Website: www.earthlybiochar.com
Biochar maker
Organic biochar
Free biochar guide + webinar
Twitter: @earthlybiochar
Instagram: @earthly.biochar
Email: lottie@earthlybiochar.com and connor@earthlybiochar.com
"We'd love to offer the audience 10% off their order with the code ROOTSANDALL - simply place an order on our website and enter this code at checkout. All our orders come with free shipping! We're based in North Devon in Appledore and if anyone wants to meet up, talk biochar, have a go with our kiln, please reach out to us on Instagram or via email. We're currently offering a special price for our biochar makers for the first 10 orders, if anyone would like to be a raving fan and get one of our first kilns, then please email connor@earthlybiochar.com ***The special price is not listed on our website so if you're interested please email us***
We sell only high quality, EBC certified, organic and professionally tested biochar which has been made in a carbon negative process – aka it's capturing carbon not emitting it! You can learn more about this process in our free guide and webinar, which you can sign up to receive on our website here.
Lottie is doing her PhD on biochar at Reading University, working with growers across the UK, and she is recruiting farms (of all sizes and all crops), nurseries and orchards – basically anyone growing plant…
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Episode 116: Green Roofs with Dr Anna Zakrisson
16 november 2020 · 30 min
This week I'm speaking to scientist and science communicator Dr Anna Zakrisson about green roofs, particularly with regard to their use in urban areas and the important role they can play in water management. Amongst other things, we talk about the functions these roofs can perform, whether they can work in rural as well as urban situations, how self-sustaining we should expect the plants on green roofs to be and if they're always the best solution. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Allium Leaf Miner
About Dr Anna Zakrisson
Anna Zakrisson has travelled extensively for work and study, including periods spent at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge University and Stockholm University, where she completed her doctoral thesis on cyanobacteria. She worked as a researcher for the Max-Planck-Institute before working in Berlin as a biologist. She currently works as a consultant on green roofs and is attached to US-based research company Green Roof Diagnostics.
What we talk about:
The functions green roofs can perform
Do green roofs improve our environment?
The adverse effects they can mitigate
Can green roofs have an application in rural areas too?
Is it responsible to supplement green roofs with water and/or nutrients?
Are green roofs always the best solution?
Pioneering work in the world of green roofs and future developments
Links:
Anna's Imaginarium website
Anna Zakrisson on Twitter
www.greenroofdiagnostics.com
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Episode 115: Herbs with Barbara Wilkinson of The Herb Society
9 november 2020 · 44 min
This week I'm speaking to Barbara Wilkinson, a Trustee of The Herb Society, which was founded in 1927 in order to promote the use and understanding of herbs and to provide a worldwide forum for the exchange of ideas and information pertaining to these plants. We talk about growing herbs in different garden situations, unusual herbs to grow, why humans seem drawn to them, what Barbara refers to as "generous" herbs and why we seem to enjoy abusing them by cramming them in unsuitable containers and most importantly, what even is a herb? Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Box Tree Moths
About Barbara Wilkinson
Following a lifelong passion for health and nutrition, Barbara qualified as a Consultant Medical Herbalist in 2012. She is a member of the College of Medicine and Integrated Health, and runs The Springfield Clinic of Natural Healing in Cheshire. Barbara is an advocate of cultivating the use of plants in everyday life and keen to empower people with the confidence to embrace food as medicine. As well as running her own practice, Barbara is a Trustee for The Herb Society and has appeared as a guest speaker at numerous events and conferences. She has an allotment, where she grows produce that is used for medicines within the practice, and has worked with The Herb Society on designing gardens for the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. In 2018, she appeared in the BBC's coverage of the RHS Flower Show, as part of a special segment looking at fermented foods. She recently supported Horticulturist Alys Fowler in producing her new book A Modern Herbal.
What we talk about:
What is The Herb Society?
The definition of a herb
Humans' affinity with herbs
Herbs for shade
Herbs for dry, sunny spots
Unusual herbs to grow
Links:
www.herbsociety.org.uk
The Herb Society on Instagram : @theherbsocietyuk
Evolutionary Herbalism: Science, Spirituality, and Medicine from the Heart of Nature by Sajah Popham
Tree Medicine by Peter Conway
Self-Sufficient Herbalism : A Guide to Gro…
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Episode 114: An Economic History of the English Garden with Sir Roderick Floud
2 november 2020 · 40 min
This week I'm speaking with Sir Roderick Floud, author of 'An Economic History of the English Garden'. The book charts the economics surrounding English gardens since the seventeenth century and talks about private gardens, public spaces, professions related to gardening and the often eye-watering amounts of money spent on achieving a bigger and better gardens. Sir Roderick calculates the cost of yesteryears' gardens in today's money and it's worth reading the book alone to find out how much the likes of Capability Brown earned or the amounts spent on the gardens of Versailles! Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Cluster Flies
About Roderick Floud
"Roderick Floud has been a pioneer of two new kinds of history: using statistics to study the past and the history of human height and health. The economic history of gardens is his third innovation.
He has taught at the universities of Cambridge, London and Stanford, has written or edited over 70 books and articles and is the long-standing editor of the Cambridge Economic History of Modern Britain.
He has also led London Metropolitan University and Gresham College London and undertaken many other roles in the university world, such as President of Universities UK, receiving a knighthood for services to higher education." - https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/123901/roderick-floud.html?tab=penguin-biography
What we talk about:
Public parks
Charles II and his popularisation of garden making.
Why were extravagant gardens built? Were these gardens worth the huge sums spent on them?
Technological advances that were later applied outside the world of horticulture
Trends around people growing their own fruit and vegetables
Trends in the numbers of people employed as gardeners
How gardeners wages over the centuries compare with those today
Economic trends on the horizon related to gardening
Links:
An Economic History of the English Garden - Roderick Floud Paperback out 5th Nov 2020. Pre-order here.
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Episode 113: Permaculture with Graham Burnett
26 oktober 2020 · 43 min
This week I'm speaking with permaculturist, teacher, speaker and author, Graham Burnett. Through his organisation Spiralseed, Graham has been involved with both public and private projects across the globe and has accumulated a huge portfolio of work. We talk about the principles which underpin permaculture and how to implement these in your own garden. Lees meer
Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Earwigs
About Graham Burnett
"In addition to cultivating his own garden and allotments in Southend in Essex, where he lives with his family, Graham nowadays teaches permaculture and writes extensively on the subject. Graham founded Spiralseed in 2001, and he has worked with projects and organisations including Comic Relief, Naturewise, Green Adventure, the Vegan Organic Network, Ars Terra (Los Angeles), NuArc Health and Wellbeing Centre (Puglia, Italy), Wild Earth Farm and Sanctuary (Kentucky, USA) and Ekosense Ecovillage (Croatia), as well as a number of Transition Town initiatives. He has also over the years written a number of books and booklets (including The Vegan Book of Permaculture, Permaculture a Beginners Guide, Well Fed Not An Animal Dead, and Earth Writings).
Earlier this year Graham taught a permaculture course in Italy, and in summer 2015 he was one of the instructors in the first ever vegan permaculture course in the USA. He continues to teach and organise courses both at home and abroad." - https://spiralseed.co.uk/graham-burnett-‒-path-permaculture/
What we talk about:
How Graham became involved in permaculture
The theory behind a permaculture garden
How much work is involved in establishing a permaculture garden from scratch, or from an existing garden?
Can permaculture gardens incorporate ornamental areas?
Permaculture gardens; are they completely dedicated to production?
Vegan permaculture gardens
Can we feed ourselves without harming animals in some way? For example, how do you successfully grow brassicas without excluding birds and butterflies?
Lin…