Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

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.  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. Respectively. Michal and Ellie worked together in the arboretum nursery at RBG Kew when Michal was botanical horticulturist and Ellie was a student, Michal is now the dendrologist at Westonbirt arboretum. Natasha and Ellie have been friends since teenagers and they have inspired each others’ learning and understanding of plants and botany. Natasha is a gardener and builder. Links www.youngpropsoc.com 

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.  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 Doug Bierend - Chelsea Green Publishing, 2021 www.dougbierend.com

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. 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 

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!  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 Minnesota, National Geographic Pocket Guide to Birds of North America, the best-selling Into the Nest: Intimate Views of the Courting, Parenting, and Family Lives of Familiar Birds (co-authored by photographer Marie Read); the National Outdoor Book Award-winning Sharing the Wonder of Birds with Kids; 101 Ways to Help Birds; and The Bird Watching Answer Book for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. She’s currently a columnist and contributing editor for BirdWatching magazine. Since 1986 she has been producing the long-running “For the Birds” radio program for many public radio stations; the program is podcast on iTunes. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.” - https://www.lauraerickson.com/about-laura/ Links www.lauraerickson.com The Love Lives of Birds: Courtship and Mating Rituals by Laura Erickson - Storey Publishing, 2020  Pathway to Peace course - starts 28th April - more details. Episode 67 with Karen Lawton of Sensory Solutions  

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.  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 May  Horatio's Garden Summer Art Auction which opens on 15th May for two weeks until 30th. Pathway to Peace Course - starts 28th April. Sign up now. Episode 67 with Karen Lawton of Sensory Solutions  

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. 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 offering international garden tours each year for the discerning garden traveler. Her book "Adventures in Eden: An Intimate Tour of Private European Gardens" was published by Timber Press in 2020. In addition, she produces popular social media posts daily showcasing gardens from around the world on both Instagram and Facebook for a large international community of garden and plant enthusiasts. Links CarexTours Facebook Instagram

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. 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

Hello. This is a short introduction to a new episode that’s being released on Thursday called Roots and All: Dig In. 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!

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. 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 began to 'edibilise' her garden aiming to find a way of growing food that required as little time, effort and skill as possible. She based her experiments on forest gardening but adapted this to fit in an average sized back garden. This led her to focus on experimenting with perennial vegetables, obtaining and growing as many as she possibly could. As she gained experience and enthusiasm for this style of gardening she wanted to convey what she had learned to others which in turn led her to write Edible Perennial Gardening or the book she would have liked to have been able to read years ago, if it had already been written! She hopes that it will inspire and enable others to grow perennial vegetables which are little known but tasty and rewarding crops. Anni's garden is in a challenging situation high on a hill facing Wales in one direction and England in the other. When she is not in the garden she loves nothing more than exploring the local countryside and coffee shops” - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anni-Kelsey/e/B00N8XJMPK/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1 Links Anni’s Veggies Blog  The Garden of Equal Delights by Anni Kelsey - Permanent Publications, 2020

Podcast 101 - GrowVeg with Benedict Vanheems 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 with sowings, or helping his granddad plant leeks or pick climbing beans on his veg patch. As a teenager, Benedict worked during his school holidays at a nursery supplying plants to many of the UK’s top garden designers. After completing a degree in Horticulture he went on to edit gardening publications, including Garden Design Journal and Grow it!. He has written for Grow Your Own magazine and is an ongoing contributor to Kitchen Garden, Britain’s longest established edible gardening title. In 2014 Benedict joined the team at GrowVeg.com where he has become the face of their YouTube channel, growing it from 20,000 subscribers to more than 280,000. A firm advocate of growing in tune with nature, he continues to produce compelling gardening content for the respected GrowVeg.com website, inspiring both new and seasoned gardeners to get more from their space. Benedict lives in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire and has recently moved house, taking on a third-of-an-acre garden where he is creating two kitchen garden areas to indulge his horticultural hunger. Links growveg.co.uk GrowVeg: The Beginner's Guide to Easy Vegetable Gardening by Benedict Vanheems - Storey Publishing, 2021