Episodes
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Hello and welcome to this week’s episode which features garden writer , broadcaster and returning guest Kate Bradbury. Kate has a new book out One Garden Against the World: In Search of Hope in a Changing Climate. It’s been a while since we last spoke about Kate’s garden and with the opportune timing around the release of the book, I thought it would be the ideal time to catch up on what’s changed for Kate, her garden and nature in general since 2019.
Links
One Garden Against the World: In Search of Hope in a Changing Climate by Kate Bradbury
Other episodes if you liked this one:
If you liked this week's episode with Kate Bradbury, you might also enjoy this one from the archives:
Wildlife Gardening with Kate Bradbury - Following on from my episodes on native vs. non-native plants and gardening for wildlife, who better for me to interview than wildlife gardening guru Kate Bradbury?
We talk about the best ways to garden for wildlife, including what to put in to your wildlife garden and what to leave out. Kate champions some unusual species and our conversation touches upon aspects that may surprise even the most seasoned wildlife gardener.
The timing was perfect too, as Kate’s new book Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything hit the shelves 5 days ago. Once she’s tempted you with snippets of wildlife gardening gold, you can go buy the book and find out everything you need to know about turning your own garden, whatever its size, into a haven for all creatures great and small.
The Biodiversity Gardener with Paul Sterry - My guest this week is wildlife author and photographer Paul Sterry. Paul has written many books on wildlife but his latest, The Biodiversity Gardener, pulls together his decades of knowledge and the result is a wildlife gardening manual with real-life examples taken from Paul’s Hampshire wildlife friendly space.
Please support the podcast on Patreon
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Think you know what slugs eat? And what eats slugs? You might be surprised...This episode my guest is retired academic and lifelong gardener Jo Kirby. Jo has written The Good Slug Guide, the first-ever book on slugs and snails that explains why the usual controls often don`t work, what slugs and snails really get up to, what they really eat and – importantly – what eats them.
About the Good Slug Guide
The Good Slug Guide is full of simple, practical advice on how to encourage your new-found friends and transform your garden into a beautiful, leafy and above all slug-resilient haven. It really is that easy, and The Good Slug Guide is all about the why and how.
Most scientists are not gardeners, and most gardeners are not scientists, and few scientist-gardeners have a background in the ecology of decomposition alongside a deep interest in environmental toxicology. This combination of skills and knowledge has prepared Jo Kirby uniquely to write a gardening book for the modern age.
About Jo Kirby
Jo Kirby is a retired academic and lifelong gardener who is passionate about the environment. His family were commercial growers who used pesticides and other grim methods of pest control routinely. By the 1990s it was clear that chemical pest control was causing a decline in flora and fauna, polluting the planet and harming a whole range of species, not just the intended victims. At college, Jo became interested in environmental toxicology and went on to do post-doctoral research in the ecology of decomposing plant matter before returning to the family business. Jo has undertaken a 30-year quest to understand the ecological processes at work in gardens, and how they might be adapted and used to help create beautiful places in which pests could never become a major issue.
Links
The Good Slug Guide: How to tackle the slugs and snails in your garden and help save the planet by Jo Kirby
Other episodes if you liked this one:
If you liked this week's episode with Dave Jo Kirby, you might also enjoy this one from the archives:
The Living Jigsaw - This week, I’m talking to journalist and author Val Bourne about her book The Living Jigsaw: the secret life in your garden. Val is a perfect example of a gardener who loves ornamental plants as much as she respects the wildlife in her garden. She walks the walk, produces writing based on her observations and has a palpable love for all the things that share her garden. We talk about how to achieve an outdoor space where there’s room for everything to flourish.
Making a Wildlife Garden - This week I’m speaking to gardener, TV presenter, author, government adviser and wildlife and environment advocate, Chris Baines. Chris designed the first ever wildlife garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in 1985, which was swiftly followed by his bestselling book ‘How to Make a Wildlife Garden’ so I thought it would be a perfect time to speak to Chris, given the continuing interest in wild gardens that we witnessed again at this year’s Chelsea.
Please support the podcast on Patreon
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Episodes manquant?
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The episodes generating the most feedback recently have been those featuring other gardeners and business owners who are trying to run green businesses, so I called on former guest and supporter of the podcast, Dave Woolmer. Dave changed career from law to gardening and has been forging ahead creating a business based on sound principles and horticultural excellence.
Links
The British Association for Supported Employment
Safe Opportunities are at safeopportunities.co.uk
Disability Confident Employment registration is at www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign
And Green Heart is at facebook.com/greenhearthort
Other episodes if you liked this one:
If you liked this week's episode with Dave Woolmer, you might also enjoy this one from the archives:
Soil and Soul - This episode, my guest is Ella Malt. Ella runs an all female gardening team in Norfolk called Soul and Soul Norfolk Ltd. She is passionate about the intentional reimagining of existing spaces, and about renovation over replacement. Listen on to find out how Ella started her business and developed her team, whilst maintaining a focus on sustainability and nature.
Making Gardening Accessible - Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of Roots and All, where my guest is garden designer, TV personality and Trustee of the Gardening with Disabilities Trust Mark Lane. Mark talks about the various types of challenges people can face that might impede their activity in the garden, and how gardens and gardening can be adapted to enable people to carry on with these activities. He gives some excellent, practical advice for anyone who may need to adapt horticulture to suit their own needs or those of others.
Please support the podcast on Patreon
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My guest this episode is gardener and activist Ed Allnutt. Ed is part of Plastics Rebellion and the @plasticscrisis Instagram account and campaigns to reduce the use of plastics, particularly in a gardening context. We talk about the most common offending items in the gardening world and discuss possible solutions to the current accepted ways of gardening so we can make changes that better the environment.
Links
Plastics Crisis on instagram
Other episodes if you liked this one:
If you liked this week's episode with the Ed Allnutt, you might also enjoy this one from the archives:
Waterwise Gardening - I’m talking water-wise gardening with Janet Manning. Janet undertook a three year project with the RHS and Cranfield University where she looked at strategies and techniques currently available to gardeners to help them both conserve and manage water in a way that reduces waste and protects the environment. We talk about why there’s a need to be water-wise in wet countries like the UK, what we can do to help and why gardens are an important part of the bigger environmental picture.
Running a Green Nursery - This week I’m speaking to Chris Williams, co-founder of Edibleculture, an inspirational nursery based in Faversham in Kent. From the day the nursery was established 5 years ago, ethically and ecologically sounds principles have been employed to create the brilliant business that exists today. We talk about how the nursery succeeds where so many others are failing to make changes; using peat-free compost, gardening organically without chemicals, eliminating single use plastics from their sales output and many other initiatives that make this nursery truly revolutionary.
Please support the podcast on Patreon
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Welcome to the 300th episode! Join me as I take a look back at some of my favourite episodes, some of your favourites and take a bit of time to reflect on the sheer enormity and yeah, I’ll say it, the sheer excellence of the back catalogue of the podcast!
Find out;
The Top 3 episodes of all time as ranked by downloads
How I choose guests to be on the podcast
What guest had me in tears
The ones that got away…
The episode that was a load of shit
And listeners’ pick their favourites
Links
Episode 168: Cottage Gardens with Andrew Sankey
Episode 204: No Dig with Charles Dowding
Episode 188: Huw Richards on Veg Growing
Episode 23: Esiah Levy’s SeedsShare project
Episode 136: In Search of Mycotopia with Doug Bierend
Episode 44: Creating An Ark with Mary Reynolds
Episode 281: Shrouded in Light with Kevin Philip Williams and Michael Guidi
Episode 297: Soil and Soul with Ella Malt
Episode 294: Wood Meadows with Jake Rayson
Wildlife: Jeff Ollerton, Dave Goulson, Kate Bradbury, Terry Woods, Doug Tallamy, Richard Jones, Benjamin Vogt, Ian Bedford, Val Bourne, Paul Sterry, Hugh Warwick and Kate Risely
Q&A with Sarah Wilson
Episode 178: Feeding your Soil with Humanure
Episode 247: Botanical Education
Epsiode 66: Beth Chatto: A Life with Plants with Catherine Horwood
Please support the podcast on Patreon
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What if growing food was never meant to be about just the end product? What are we missing from conventional agriculture and gardening?
Steven Martyn is an Ontario based teacher and practitioner of sacred agriculture and what he terms wildculturing. He focusses on the traditional living skills of growing food, building and healing and has a unique take on how we can live in the with the earth. Steven had me pondering how agriculture has been used to create culture historically, how we incorporate intentionality into horticulture, he even had me rethinking my morning beverage…
About Steven Martyn
Steven says “After passing from my body when I was 19 I saw what my life purpose was, and that I had fallen well short. I was given back my body to fulfill a very specific purpose in this life. Since that time forty some years ago I have spent my life spreading the green gospel and bringing people back to be healed by our Great Mother Earth. I spent many years teaching traditional plant use and many more de-programing colonial thinking, opening peoples minds and hearts to a sacred relationship with land, and specifically with the plant people. I practice and teach forms of sacred agriculture and “wildculturing” that our ancestors have practiced since the Paleocene, that generate such abundance the land easily feeds our family, school and friends.”
Steven has more than thirty years experience living co-creatively with the Earth, practicing traditional living skills of growing food, building and healing. Steven created Livingstone & Greenbloom in 1986, Toronto’s first green landscaping company.
In 1996, he created the Algonquin Tea Company, North America’s premiere bioregional tea company. He has given talks and run workshops internationally for more than twenty years and taught plant identification and wilderness skills at Algonquin college for 11 years, and at the Orphan Wisdom School for eight years. In 2014, Megan and Steven started the Sacred Gardener Earth Wisdom School. Steven released his first book The Story of the Madawaska Forest Garden in 2016, his second, Sacred Gardening in June 2017 and The Roundhouse in 2022.
Steven Martyn: M.A. (traditional plant use), B.F.A. honours, artist, farmer, wildcrafter, builder, teacher, writer, visionary.
Links
Steven's books on Amazon
Here are a couple of podcasts that Steven has been on:
MYTHIC MASCULINE : Agents of Cultural Regeneration
FOR THE WILD: Letting Land Lead
www.sacredgardener.ca
On instagram
Other episodes if you liked this one:
Regenerative Design - This episode, my guest is Erik Ohlsen, a US based regenerative designer, permaculturist, landscape contractor, author, farmer, herbalist, storyteller and practitioner of Nordic folk traditions. His approach to regenerative landscaping is rooted in decades of practical experience and a humbleness that allows Erik to be led by what the land has to tell him.
The Human Garden - This episode is an interview with environmental landscape artist, TED Speaker and art21 Educator Tobacco Brown. Tobacco connects art and environmental justice and is a visual artist, digital storyteller, master gardener, social practitioner, cultural historian and intuitive environmental advocate. We talk about community green spaces, how humans connect with the land and why it’s so important that we do.
Please support the podcast on Patreon
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Why have gardens been underused in care home settings in the past, even when they're designed to be used?
This episode, my guest is Debbie Carroll. Debbie is a Southampton based garden designer with experience in designing for care homes and other health settings for residents with dementia. Her work in these surroundings prompted her to question why these gardens were not more actively used even when they were designed to the latest design guidance. Along with her fellow designer Mark Rendell they researched what hindered engagement with the garden, in particular for people living with dementia.
About Debbie Carroll
Debbie Carroll is a Southampton based garden designer celebrating 20 years as a designer. She is passionate about gardens being well used and well-loved long after she has left. Her experience in designing for care homes and other health settings for residents with dementia prompted the question of why gardens were not more actively used even when designed to the latest design guidance. Along with her fellow designer Mark Rendell they researched what hindered engagement with the garden, in particular for people living with dementia.
Step Change Design Ltd was formed 10 years ago to share the findings of this study and has since published their ‘Why don’t we go into the garden?’ series of books and tools. These support both the care sector towards more person-centred care and designers in working effectively alongside them. Their ultimate aim is to enable residents to continue to step outside as and when they choose and for gardens to be well-used and much loved long after the designer has left.
Links
Summary of Step Change’s research Free resources – loads of articles on the Step Change download page Books & tools – ‘Why don’t we go into the garden?’ series of books and toolsWebinars:
Webinar Debbie did for Salford Age UK. YouTube Panel webinar for the Dementia Housing groupOther episodes if you liked this one:
Sensory Gardens & Autism - Hello and welcome to this week’s episode, where in recognition of World Autism Acceptance Week, I’m speaking about Sensory Gardens, with a focus on design for people with autism. I have three guests; Camellia Taylor who’s designed The Natural Affinity Garden, which will be at the Chelsea Flower Show in May, after which time it will be relocated to Kent, to the charity Aspens where it will be used by residents of and visitors to the site. Next, I speak with Meraud Davis who’s overseeing the project at Aspens and finally, to Alexis Selby a foraging obsessed, nature-loving, all-round amazing person who’s giving us her take on using outdoor spaces with her son, Jared.
Making Gardening Accessible - Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of Roots and All, where my guest is garden designer, TV personality and Trustee of the Gardening with Disabilities Trust Mark Lane. Mark talks about the various types of challenges people can face that might impede their activity in the garden, and how gardens and gardening can be adapted to enable people to carry on with these activities. He gives some excellent, practical advice for anyone who may need to adapt horticulture to suit their own needs or those of others.
Please support the podcast on Patreon
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This episode, my guest is Ella Malt. Ella runs an all female gardening team in Norfolk called Soul and Soul Norfolk Ltd. She is passionate about the intentional reimagining of existing spaces, and about renovation over replacement. Listen on to find out how Ella started her business and developed her team, whilst maintaining a focus on sustainability and nature.
About Ella Malt
Ella Malt runs an all female gardening team in Norfolk called Soul and Soul Norfolk Ltd. She is passionate about the intentional reimagining of existing spaces, renovation over replacement with a focus on sustainability and nature.
Links
www.soilandsoulnorfolk.co.uk
Other episodes if you liked this one:
Hiring a Gardener - Anyone with a modest or sizeable outdoor space will appreciate the time and effort that goes into maintaining it. So the question professionals in the industry are often asked is, how do I get a good gardener?
In the second episode of this series, Sarah Wilson finds out some answers as she interviews Claire Vokins a friend and fellow Horticulturist, who runs her own garden care business, Elizabeth Clare Gardening Ltd, in South West London. With a no-nonsense approach, Claire blows the lid off this topic and reveals a wealth of knowledge and practical advice.
Learn about the benefits and pitfalls of hiring a gardener, the many variables to consider and the most important factors when deciding on your choice, especially the ever grey area of how much you can expect to pay on an hourly rate. Adversely, pick up some helpful pointers on what to do if hiring a regular gardener is out of your budget.
So whether it’s a ‘jungle cut’ or a more detailed maintenance and care plan you have in mind for your outdoor space, there is bound to be something that will grab your attention in this episode.
The Organic Nursery - This episode, my guest is Sam Frings who founded The Organic Plant Nursery. Sam explains in his own words how he got started and how things have been along the way. It’s not easy being a pioneer, but listen on to find out how Sam and his family have battled against the odds to do it right.
Please support the podcast on Patreon
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This episode, my guest is Erik Ohlsen, a US based regenerative designer, permaculturist, landscape contractor, author, farmer, herbalist, storyteller and practitioner of Nordic folk traditions. His approach to regenerative landscaping is rooted in decades of practical experience and a humbleness that allows Erik to be led by what the land has to tell him.
Links
www.erikohlsen.com
The Regenerative Landscaper: Design and Build Landscapes That Repair the Environment by Erik Ohlsen
Other episodes if you liked this one:
Ecological Gardens with Sid Hill - This week’s guest is eco gardener, landscape designer, permaculturist, horticultural thinker and garden experimenter, Sid Hill.Sid is concerned with building gardens that can sustain people and wildlife and he’s talking to me today about his particular brand of gardening, what we can do differently to improve our gardens and the whole discipline of horticulture in the UK.
Ecologically Integrated Gardens - My guest this week is Shawn Maestretti of Studio Petrichor, a design studio working out of California. Shawn’s personal mission is to reconnect with the natural world, tread lightly on the land, nurture biodiversity, protect water, and bring people together. We speak about how Studio Petrichor designs with these values in mind and the systems and techniques that are used to achieve these goals. I as we wend our way through eco-gardening.
Please support the podcast on Patreon
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Hello and welcome to this week’s episode where my guest is freelance photographer Mark Bolton. Mark photographs gardens and interiors for editorial and commercial clients and after purchasing a house in Devon, he decided to create his own picture perfect garden. He chose the cottage style of gardening to fit the bill, so listen on to find out how he created his perfect space and tips for how to create your own picturesque paradise.
Links
A New Cottage Garden: A practical guide to creating a picture-perfect cottage garden by Mark Bolton
About Mark Bolton
Mark Bolton (@markboltonphoto) is a freelance photographer who photographs gardens and interiors for editorial and commercial clients throughout the UK and Europe. He lives in Devon.
Other episodes if you liked this one:
Cottage Gardens - This episode features garden designer, grower, speaker and writer Andrew Sankey. Andrew specialises in English cottage gardens and has meticulously researched the subject for decades, becoming an expert on this style of gardening. He’s recently released a book called The English Cottage Garden and in the interview, we talk about what defines a cottage garden, both in the past and now, the plants and features most commonly found in one and tips if you’re looking to create your own.
Wild Gardens with Jo McKerr - 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.Please support the podcast on Patreon.
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Hello and welcome to this week’s episode where I have a returning guest, Jake Rayson. We’re talking about wood meadows, or rather we’re talking around the periphery of wood meadows as a concept. We’re talking about the use of land, gardens, humans and wildlife and generally getting a bit ranty about the absolute state of things. I realise that’s not by much in the way of introduction, but the conversation twists and turns and the best thing to do is just take a listen…
Links
When culture supports biodiversity: The case of the wooded meadow by Kull, Kukk & Lotman 2003
Three Hagges Wood Meadow, designed by Linden Hawthorne & managed by Plantlife
Tending The Wild by Kat Anderson
Readings on Land Ownership reading circle by Antonia Malchik
How Buildings Learn, TV series & book by Stuart Brand
The Real World of Technology lectures & book by Ursula Franklin
The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber & David Wengrow
Responsive Web Design by Ethan Marcotte
Less Is More by Jason Hickel
Meadows by George Peterken
Is fly-tipping good for biodiversity? by John LittleOther episodes if you liked this one:
No Mow May - This episode, my guest is Mark Schofield, Plantlife’s Road Verge Advisor for the UK. Mark has a huge amount of experience when it comes to green space conservation and is currently involved in a number of projects across the country to manage road verges better for wildlife involving biomass harvesting trials and the use of AI in surveys.
He’s also one of Plantlife’s representatives for the #NoMowMay campaign, and in this interview, he talks about how we can maintain both private and public green spaces more sympathetically for wildflowers and the wildlife they support.Meadows with Keith Datchler - Join me for 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.we take a light-hearted look at the power of plants to help you manifest your deepest desires.
Please support the podcast on Patreon
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Hello and welcome to this week’s episode where my guest is Sue Reed. Sue’s background is varied and she’s worn a variety of hats, including teacher, museum guide, upcycler of waste wool knitwear and published author. Her most recent creation is the fictional character Molly McFlynn, a quirky and courageous character who comes to terms with the concept of being an outsider against the backdrop of covid and a rugged Northern landscape. Listen on to find out how nature factors into the rewilding of Molly…
About Sue Reed
Sue Reed lives in rural Northumberland with her husband, Tim where their love of wild places and nature can be realised. They have three grown-up children and two granddaughters who mean the world to them.
Born in Worthing, Sussex, Sue migrated steadily north and has worn a variety of hats in her professional life from teacher, museum guide, upcycler of waste wool knitwear as The Woolly Pedlar to published author. It was in 2019 that she decided to go to Newcastle University to do an MA in Creative Writing, which is where the idea for the Molly McFlynn books started.
When not writing, Sue divides her time with her husband in the garden, travelling in their converted campervan or looking after the grandchildren. They try to live as sustainably as possible, leading gentle lives in tune with the seasons, and growing their own fruit and vegetables. Sue also writes about organic gardening, seasonal eating and foraging at The Bridge Cottage Way.
Links
www.suereedwrites.co.uk
Sue on Facebook
On Instagram
Sue’s Substack: Down Clarty Lonnen
Other episodes if you liked this one:
Can Women Save the Planet? - This week I’m speaking to Dr Anne Karpf. Anne is Professor of Life Writing and Culture at London Metropolitan University and is a writer, sociologist and award-winning journalist. In 2021 she released the book ‘How Women Can Save the Planet’, where she looks at how there is gender inequality across the board from how we experience the climate crisis to our ability to effect change.
Magical Plants & Flowers - This week’s episode, my guests are Chris Young and Susan Ottaviano. Chris and Susan are better known as the 2 Green Witches. Chris Young is a lifelong gardener whose acclaimed garden, Tiny Sur is a certified wildlife habitat and Susan is an artist, performer, songwriter, and food stylist. Their new book is The Green Witch’s Guide to Magical Plants & Flowers: Love Spells from Apples to Zinnias and together we take a light-hearted look at the power of plants to help you manifest your deepest desires.
Please support the podcast on Patreon
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This week, my guest is Meg Skinner. Meg works as an invertebrate ecologist, surveying sites for protected species and volunteers for the British Arachnological Society. We’re talking today about spiders in your garden; how they go about their business, how you can encourage more, to visit your garden, oh and we talk about the much maligned false widow…
About Meg Skinner
Meg Skinner works as an invertebrate ecologist, surveying sites for protected species. She volunteers for the British Arachnological Society as a Press Officer and recording scheme organiser for harvestmen. Meg grew up in the rural Cotswolds and has always had a fascination for the natural world.
Links
BAS website
BAS youtube channel
Other episodes if you liked this one:
Worms in Your Garden - Sarah interviews Paul Hetherington, Director of Fundraising and Communications at the Buglife Invertebrate Conservation Organisation, with a particular interest in discussing worms and depending on the type, their significance in the garden.
So dip into the world of our 2 enthusiasts for an insightful chat about the trials and tribulations of this common garden dweller and much understated invertebrate. Learn about the enormous impact they have on our ecosystems and how we can encourage and nurture these ultimate ‘friends of the earth’. However it pays to be mindful that not all worms have a positive effect on our environment!
Bugs in Your Garden - I’m speaking to esteemed entomologist Dr Ian Bedford about accepting the insects in your garden and learning to accept their vital role in the wider ecosystem. We talk about the how gardens can work alongside public spaces to provide habitats for beleaguered bugs, how we can reconcile growing food with welcoming bugs and whether reports of Insectageddon are justified.
Support the podcast on Patreon
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This week, my guest is watercolour artist Lisa Gardner. Lisa is inspired by the natural world, the connection between breath and brushwork and rare wild plant species on the edge of extinction - seemingly far flung interests that come together in a beautifully natural and synergistic way in Lisa’s work.
About Lisa Gardener
Lisa Gardner is a watercolour artist inspired by the natural world, the connection between breath and brushwork and rare wild plant species on the edge of extinction.
Passionate about wild plants and the vital role they play in the health of our environment, Lisa’s art strives to connect people to nature, to improve their wellbeing, and inspire action to save species and their habitats.
Links
Lisa has created 6 video workshops that share her journey with Plantlife, they can be found here.
Short film mentioned in the interview
Plantlife's important work can be found here.
Information on the Grassland Action Plan Lisa and Plantlife are campaigning for can be found here.
You can also get involved and volunteer for the National Plant Monitoring Scheme.
Other episodes if you liked this one:Garden Sculpture - This episode I’m speaking to Victoria Leedham, Co-Curator and Gallery Manager of the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden. I visited the garden earlier this month and even in winter garb, it was beautiful, set as it is in ancient woodland with streams running through it that pour down from Leith Hill in Surrey. The sculptures in the garden are diverse in character and look stunning within the location, each one fitting harmoniously into the backdrop of planting and landscape. Victoria is responsible for sourcing and placing sculpture in the garden, alongside owner garden designer Anthony Paul. We spoke about Victoria’s work, about the sculpture garden and also how you can select and place sculptures in your own garden.
Plants as Art - Sarah chats to Alyson of Alyson Mowat Studio and author of Terrariums & Kokedama. Alyson Mowat runs her studio out of Shoreditch in London and has been creating botanical masterpieces for the past 5 years. She works with indoor and outdoor plants to make visually stunning green displays and specialises in terrariums, jarrariums, aquascapes and kokedama to stage plants in unique ways. We talk about using plants to create visual statements, finding sources of inspiration and how you can try some of these techniques for yourself.
Support the podcast on Patreon.
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Sue has been CEO at SongBird Survival for the last three years leading the charity
in its ambition to protect the amazingly diverse but sadly declining songbird
populations across the UK. With its growing body of scientific research which is
fuelling solutions, SongBird Survival is advocating that we can and should take
action to protect these ecologically threatened creatures. Campaigns including
Gardens for Birds provide accessible and rewarding opportunities to play a part in
much needed practical ways to reverse the drastic declines many species are facing.Charlotte has been the research and engagement manager at SongBird Survival for
over two years, and her passion is in bringing science to the public. By overseeing
the research programme at SBS, she hopes to create the greatest impact on UK
songbirds possible. Prior to her role at SBS, she worked as a scientific researcher
and wanted to do more to connect scientific research and conservation.Links
SongBird Survival
www.songbird-survival.org.uk
Advice on the optimum methods for protecting birds in your garden
Downloads of plant lists and hints and tips to support birds through gardening
Whether you are a novice or an experienced gardener, see our tips for some ideas to
get gardening with wildlife in mind.Other episodes if you liked this one:
Britain’s Birds with Benedict Macdonald - This episode, I’m talking BioChar with Craig Sams, the co-founder of Carbon Gold, a company that produces a range of BioChar products for the garden but also for agricultural use. I interviewed Craig in his beautiful garden in Hastings, so please excuse the cries of the seagulls who tried to get in on the act around halfway through the interview.…
Garden Birdwatch - This week I’m speaking to Sue Allen of Microbz, which produces and distributes probiotics for gardens. The concept of probiotics in gardens is new to me, but it dovetails nicely with previous episodes looking at soil health and mycorrhizal fungi so I was delighted to speak to Sue and find out more about how probiotics work in gardens and what we can do to encourage them.
Support the podcast on Patreon
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This week, my guest is Los Angeles-based landscaper and fertiliser guru Erin Riley. Erin specialises in organic vegetable gardens and native, drought-tolerant landscapes and we’re talking today about her work to create fertilisers that are good for plants, people, animals and the planet.
About Erin Riley
Erin is stewarding a gardening renaissance: elevating organic fertilizers past their dependance on animal byproducts by founding the vegan fertilizer company. Her mission: to grow plants without killing the planet.
Links
www.cabbagehillfertilizer.com
Erin’s substack post “Does fertilizer matter?”
Other episodes if you liked this one:
Biochar - This episode, I’m talking BioChar with Craig Sams, the co-founder of Carbon Gold, a company that produces a range of BioChar products for the garden but also for agricultural use. I interviewed Craig in his beautiful garden in Hastings, so please excuse the cries of the seagulls who tried to get in on the act around halfway through the interview.…
Probiotics for your Garden - This week I’m speaking to Sue Allen of Microbz, which produces and distributes probiotics for gardens. The concept of probiotics in gardens is new to me, but it dovetails nicely with previous episodes looking at soil health and mycorrhizal fungi so I was delighted to speak to Sue and find out more about how probiotics work in gardens and what we can do to encourage them.
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This week, my guest is bee expert Kevin Hancock. Kevin has invented a honeybee nest box that’s the only self-regulating honey harvesting system in the world, meaning the bees will dictate how much honey you can take dependent on the environment that year. It’s a way of hosting rather than keeping bees and is an intriguing system. About the Eco Beehive “ECO BEEHIVE is the only SELF REGULATING HONEY HARVESTING SYSTEM IN THE WORLD! Wow that is so exciting!! But it is !! no really.. give me a chance and I'll explain. I am on a mission to strengthen the honeybee network across Europe!! You are automatically involved. First. What is strengthening the honeybees network? Honeybees don’t live in isolation. They are all interconnected though a network of colonies. No beekeeper is in isolation. Whatever they do impacts on the greater network around them. OK so why? To get more colony’s in the environment. Not apiaries. More hives spread out creates a network of interconnected nests, results in stronger genetics. Faster response to problems like predation and sickness, across the network. The problem is the network has collapsed. You can affect change by installing honeybees nest boxes. I recommend my nest box: Where did it all start you ask? Well as a little boy helping with the bees on my Grandfather’s farm in Africa, to catching my first swarm when I was about twelve years old. This then sparked the interest and evolved into my hobby of beelineing (tracking bees to find wild colonies). My story makes me uniquely qualified to design and build the ECO- BEEHIVE. With an interest in bees ( Apis mellifera ) not beekeeping! My interest is mostly investigating bees in the wild. These little insects are under pressure from all sorts of thing. But simplest of these to fix and something we can all get involved in and help with is to simply give them a safe, natural home to live. Solving this simple but big problem, is my mission! After trying many different designs over quite a few decades, and using all the data I have collected from observing bees, I have developed a nest that is so convincing, to bees, they will just move in on their own! But more impressive is they will stay, But even more impressive, is they will then thrive. This then is the ECO--BEEHIVE. www.gardenersbeehive.com Other episodes if you liked this one: Urban Bees - My guest this week is urban apiculturist Mark Patterson. Mark founded and runs Apicultural where he work with businesses and communities to invest in natural capital, improving the environment for pollinators and delivering pollinator monitoring surveys for clients. He provides honey bee hive management solutions, beekeeping training and education and also supplies quality urban honey to a select group of establishments. So you’d think Mark would be all for the idea of urban honeybees, right? Listen on… Looking Out for Bumblebees - This episode my guest is Gill Perkins, CEO of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. We talk about bumblebee populations and habitats, what we can do to encourage and care for bumblebees in our gardens and about the role of bumblebees in tomato pollination, which came as a complete surprise to me! Support the podcast on Patreon
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This episode my guest is former jewellery designer to the stars, turned social media veg grower, Lucy Hutchings. Along with music festival organiser, Kate Cotterill, Lucy set up SheGrowsVeg, an heirloom seed company which is bringing the most unusual veg, fruit, and edible flowers to veg patches and plates everywhere. About SheGrowsVeg Would you like to enliven your dishes with homegrown veg that looks and tastes incredible? Jet black tomatoes, stunning pale pink chicory that looks like a rose or salad leaves that taste like wasabi are just a few of the tasty veg that could grace your plate thanks to exciting new seed brand, SheGrowsVeg. SheGrowsVeg is disrupting the seed market with its range of over 150 open pollinated heirloom seed varieties that promise the most beautiful, unique and delicious veg to give your dishes the wow factor. Launched by former jewellery designer to the stars, turned social media veg grower, Lucy Hutchings (@shegrowsveg), along with top marketeer and music festival organiser, Kate Cotterill, SheGrowsVeg is set to bring the most unusual veg, fruit, and edible flowers to veg patches and plates everywhere. SheGrowsVeg’s range is entirely open pollinated seed from heirloom or rare origins, meaning they are packed full of nutrients, are outstanding in the looks department and taste phenomenal. Explains Lucy, “We want to disrupt the seed market with varieties that, up until now, have largely been unavailable. We firmly believe that the only way to give yourself the most incredible range of ingredients, at a price that won’t break the bank, is to grow it yourself. You don’t have to be into gardening to grow food and we’ve created our range to give you beautiful open pollinated veg and the helping hand you need to get growing.” SheGrowsVeg wants to attract everyone from ardent growers, to kitchen garden novices, along with experimental cooks who are dreaming of using unique and delicious produce they simply can’t buy in the shops. To help those new to growing their own, ‘Sow, Grow and Taste’ Youtube videos can be found via QR codes on every single pack, giving confidence to all. So if you’re dreaming of bringing new colour, taste and variety to your plate, growing your own could be the answer and SheGrowsVeg will help you turn that dream into a reality. Each pack features stunning photography and jargon free instructions, making them a pleasure to collect. SheGrowsVeg have also carefully curated seed collections such as ‘chef’s choice’ and ‘top 5 heirloom tomatoes’ that make beautiful gifts tucked in little eco cotton bags. To find out more about the huge variety of seeds available and to buy online visit www.shegrowsveg.com. Other episodes if you liked this one: Edimentals - This week, I’m speaking to one of the world’s foremost experts in ornamental, edible plants, Stephen Barstow. Stephen grows a dazzling range of plants, some you probably haven’t even heard of, let alone eaten and more still that you may have heard of but may not have considered to be edible. Stephen’s book Around the World in 80 Plants looks at perennial, leafy plants from around the globe that play a big part in the diet of those living where these plants naturally occur in abundance. He’s grown and studied these in his garden in Norway and selected varieties for taste, growth performance and for nutritional, ornamental and entomological value. that please the eye, work from a maintenance perspective and can evolve successfully over time. We talk about what he grows in his garden, his passion for onions, his book and some of the varieties mentioned therein. Sky Gardening - My guest this episode is the super-talented and creative gardener and designer Brent Purtell and we’re talking about the Capitaspring Rooftop Garden in Singapore, which shares the ‘2nd highest’ building ranking along with 3 other buildings, all the same height. There are 3 gardens on the building, covering an area of 10,000 square feet and containing a mixture of ornamentals and edibles, all growing at dizzying heights. Brent was involved on the build and design side before he became the Head Gardener, overseeing the maintenance of Capitaspring Rooftop Garden. Support the podcast on Patreon
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This episode my guest is Alan Heeks, former corporate world inhabitant, organic farmer, coach and author of the book ‘Natural Happiness’. After his transition into organic farming, Alan realised that “a cultivated organic ecosystem is a profound guide to tending human nature, and that organic growth methods have parallels for people: such as composting your stress, and using crop rotation to avoid burnout.” We explore the idea further…
About Alan Heeks
Alan Heeks had a baptism by mud at age 42, when he dropped out of a successful business career and followed a wild impulse to start an organic farm as an education centre where young people could find their roots and direction as they entered adult life.
Despite Alan's lack of any relevant experience, the project succeeded, and gave him a huge education too. He explains, "I realised that a cultivated organic ecosystem is a profound guide to tending human nature, and that organic growth methods have parallels for people: such as composting your stress, and using crop rotation to avoid burnout."
Alan's new book about this approach, Natural Happiness, also draws on the workshops he has led for hundreds of people sharing his insights, from troubled teenagers to super-stressed NHS doctors. Alan and his wife Linda live in Hay-on-Wye, and grow many of their own vegetables.
Linkswww.naturalhappiness.net
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTubeOther episodes if you liked this one:
Forest Bathing - Forest Bathing, or Shinrin Yoku, is the practice of immersing yourself in nature as therapy. It’s the perfect antidote for those who feel disconnected from the land and unattached from nature, which is increasingly likely to happen in a world where 55% of us live in urban areas. In this episode, I speak to Stefan Batorijs who founded Nature and Therapy UK in 2017, as a response to a growing need to foster a spiritual and psychological connection to the land. If you’ve always wondered what Forest Bathing, or Shinrin Yoku, entails, this is the episode for you!
Gardening for Your Senses - This week I’m chatting with writer Kendra Wilson. Kendra has written a vast amount about gardening but I was particularly interested in speaking to her about her book Garden for the Senses. Engaging all your senses can lead to a deeper connection with the landscape and it can be an unusual and transformative experience. I wanted to find out how we can all learn to better use our senses and firstly, what prompted Kendra to write the book.
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Hello and welcome to this week’s episode where my guest is Mark Schofield, Plantlife’s Road Verge Advisor for the UK. Mark has a huge amount of experience when it comes to green space conservation and is currently involved in a number of projects across the country to manage road verges better for wildlife involving biomass harvesting trials and the use of AI in surveys. He’s also one of Plantlife’s representatives for the #NoMowMay campaign, and in this interview, he talks about how we can maintain both private and public green spaces more sympathetically for wildflowers and the wildlife they support.
About Mark Schofield
Mark used to work for the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust before he joined Plantlife as their Road Verge Advisor for the UK. He has 15 years of experience of road verge and urban green space conservation and has organised extensive citizen science surveys. He is currently involved in a number of projects across the country to manage road verges better for wildlife involving biomass harvesting trials and the use of AI in surveys.
Mark is also one of Plantlife’s representatives for the #NoMowMay campaign, and has written much of the guidance on the Plantlife website for how we can maintain our lawns and public green spaces more sympathetically for wildflowers and the wildlife they support.
LinksNo Mow May and lawn management guidance:
https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/
https://www.plantlife.org.uk/advice-learning/managing-grassland/
Trends in green space management:Report from APSE with good news from local authorities for meadows and biodiversity priorities
Other episodes if you liked this one:
Tapestry Lawns - This episode, I’m talking to Dr Lionel Smith, horticulture lecturer and author of the book Tapestry Lawns: Freed from Grass and Full of Flowers. As the title suggests, a tapestry lawn replaces grass with flowering dicots, increasing biodiversity, lowering maintenance needs and seriously upping the aesthetic value of a lawn. Living with a tapestry lawns involves a little bit of self-education around how you treat plants and I start by asking how to overcome one of my own biggest worries about having one…
Gardening for Your Senses - This week I’m chatting with writer Kendra Wilson. Kendra has written a vast amount about gardening but I was particularly interested in speaking to her about her book Garden for the Senses. Engaging all your senses can lead to a deeper connection with the landscape and it can be an unusual and transformative experience. I wanted to find out how we can all learn to better use our senses and firstly, what prompted Kendra to write the book.
Support the podcast on Patreon
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