Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

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. 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/

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! 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 hole in the soil using a toothpick and dropping orange, grapefruit and lemon seeds into the holes. Not a great deal came of these early efforts - Robert blames the climate - but he got better with time. And lots of practice. Since then his interest in gardening has remained with him and flourished as it expanded to include growing his own fruit and veg.  And that interest played a part in launching Safe Soil UK. That and curiosity.  A few years ago we came across a local rumour that a site near our urban house was once a battery factory. At this point, our interest started to extend beyond soil basics like pH and texture and on to toxic elements that may have been lurking beneath our feet. So we started to root around (pardon the pun) for a way to check the soil. What if our little annual harvests of veg and flowers were actually serving up a cocktail of lead, arsenic, chromium and other unsavoury (to say the least) elements while our time tending the fledgling crops was exposing us to airborne samples of dioxins, hydrocarbons and even asbestos? Posing that question marked the germination (again, sorry!) of Safe Soil UK, which aims to make the testing of urban soils easy, affordable (the scientific analysis involved in the testing is never going to be cheap but we’re doing our best) and also help interpret the results using UK government standards where they’re available and relying on international guidelines to fill in any blanks. There’s no disputing that the UK’s industrial heritage has left behind a legacy of contaminated land. We are descendants of a people who were at the sharp end of the industrial revolution and while this played an important part in establishing the living standards we now enjoy, there was a darker downside as the very industrial processes and activities that made Britain one of the wealthiest nations on earth also released substances and waste products into the environment that have the potential to have a detrimental impact on our health. When we started our journey in search of peace of mind that our little patch of land was not slowly killing us, we hit a roadblock. There is no shortage of laboratories capable of testing soil but many of these charged a fortune. Then there was the problem of what we actually wanted to test for. The list of harmful chemicals and elements that a lab could test for is a long one. Which ones should we be testing for? And finally, how much of something is too much?  The answers to these questions required extensive research but we got there in the end. And while no health authority can make a definitive call on the precise level at which something becomes harmful or even lethal, most agree on ranges. We use these to interpret results and where conflicts exist, we point them out to allow our customers to make informed decisions and, hopefully, provide peace of mind. When that’s not possible, we are happy to share recommendations on potential remediation approaches. We’re happy to report that we’re now in position to make everyone’s journey of discovery markedly easier than the one we had to take.” Links www.safesoil.co.uk

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. 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 right for their location, and reconnect with the land and wildlife that surround us. Links Tokachi Millennium Forest: Pioneering a New Way of Gardening by Dan Pearson & Midori Shintani - Filbert Press, 2020 www.danpearsonstudio.com 

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. 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 plants on a commercial scale – who would like to take part and try biochar out. If you want to take part, please email us! We're a growing company with great friends and partners in soil health, horticulture, agriculture and wood management but we're always looking to meet new people. We have an exciting project coming up, working with tree planting projects in the UK, and we are starting trials with the RHS.  Please get in touch if you want to learn more about us, our plans and opportunities to collaborate.

Dr. Anna Zakrisson, a scientist and consultant specializing in green roofs, shares her expertise on the significant role these structures play in urban water management. She discusses how green roofs can mitigate stormwater runoff and even contribute to improving water quality in cities. The conversation explores their adaptability for rural settings, the environmental benefits they provide, and considerations for managing their sustainability. Anna also highlights ongoing innovations in the green roof industry and the importance of diverse plant selection.

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? 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 Growing and Wild Harvesting Your Herbal Dispensary by Lucy Jones   

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! 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.

In this conversation with Graham Burnett, a renowned permaculturist and founder of Spiralseed, listeners explore the transformative power of permaculture. Graham discusses its foundational ethics, including earth and people care, and emphasizes the importance of resilience through polyculture farming. He also shares insights on community gardening, advocating for ecological diversity while engaging communities. Plus, there's a fascinating dive into the misunderstood earwig, highlighting its benefits in the garden and eco-friendly management tips.

This week’s guest is Caroline Ball, author of a beautiful book called ‘Heritage Apples’. In normal circumstances, this week would have seen lots of events to celebrate Apple Day taking place across the country, but instead, I’m celebrating here on the podcast by delving into some of our lesser known and historic varieties with Caroline, plus there’s a very useful bit at the end where Caroline explains the mysteries of apple tree pollination. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Leather Jackets About Caroline Ball  “Caroline Ball is an editor, copywriter and occasional translator. She has written on subjects from horticulture and travel to antiques and health, and has contributed to books about William Morris and a guide to historical sites. She is a keen gardener and, having been born a 'Kentish Maid’, some of her earliest memories are of apple orchards in blossom.” - https://bodleianshop.co.uk/products/heritage-apples What we talk about: What is a heritage apples? The Herefordshire pomona Why should we grow heritage apples?  Some of the varieties described in the book; Beauty of Kent, Catshead & Oslin  Where to taste heritage varieties  Apple tree pollination Links: Heritage Apples by Caroline Ball  Paul Barnett’s Family Tree  

This week I’m speaking to Nick de Rothschild, President of the Nerine and Amaryllid Society and of Exbury Gardens in the New Forest. The gardens play host to a huge range of plants providing interest throughout the year, but one of jewels in the crown of Exbury is the collection of Nerines. There are many types of Nerines planted in the garden and an exhibition is currently underway of one particular species, sarniensis. We talk about the different types, how to grow them successfully and about some of the intricacies and intrigue of plant breeding. (Apologies for sounding muffled, I was wearing a mask!) Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: House Spiders About Nick de Rothschild  Nick de Rothschild, President of the Nerine and Amaryllid Society and of Exbury Gardens in the New Forest.  Now celebrating more than 100 years, Exbury Gardens encompasses a spectacular collection of woodland, herbaceous, contemporary, formal and wildflower gardens. At over 200 acres, these impressive gardens located in Hampshire, were created and are now managed by the Rothschild family. They boast a number of special collections including world-famous rhododendrons and azaleas, unprecedented swathes of hydrangeas and the National Collection of Nyssa trees - https://www.exbury.co.uk/gardens What we talk about: The different nerine species Growing nerines outdoors and under glass The history of Nerine sarniensis cultivars Breeding Nerine sarniensis Pests and diseases Links: www.exbury.co.uk Nerine & Amaryllid Society