Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

Part 2 of the Design Experts Series, kindly sponsored by the London College of Garden Design My guest for this episode is Kim Wilkie. Kim grew up in the Malaysian jungle and the Iraqi desert, before moving to England to attend school. He is a prolific landscape architect who works on large-scale projects in the UK and internationally, in both public and private spaces. He works on a scale that is beyond the experience of many, if not most designers, for example, designing the green spaces around an entire new city in Oman or his 100 year Thames Landscape Strategy that encompasses the land along the river Thames from Richmond to Kew.  Arguably, it’s necessary on any project to tie together the culture, history, geology, the people, the place but never is it more important to get this right on projects of this scale where human experience is being shaped through what happens in the landscape on a huge scale and will be for generations to come. Kim’s book Led by the Land explores just that, how he is led by the land through every part of his design process. About Kim Wilkie: “After 25 years of running his own practice, Kim now works as a strategic and conceptual landscape consultant. He collaborates with architects and landscape architects around the world and combines designing with the muddy practicalities of running a small farm in Hampshire, where he is now based. Kim studied history at Oxford and landscape architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, before setting up his landscape studio in London in 1989. He continues to teach and lecture in America; writes optimistically about land and place from Hampshire; and meddles in various national committees on landscape and environmental policy in the UK. Current projects are focused on regenerative farming combined with human settlement, both in England and North America.” - www.kimwilkie.com What we talk about: Keeping landscapes in a state of adolescence Kim’s projects in Solovki and Transylvania. How modern ways of living seem so incompatible with bygone ways where people lived in harmony with the land and with the other species that occur within that landscape. Can we successfully have it all i.e. have a life where all the component parts work together in a mutually beneficial way or is it one compromise after another when we try to modernise? An overview of the Thames Landscape Strategy Kim’s work at the Natural History Museum and how Kim sees urban green spaces performing as natural resources get more squeezed and our climate changes Kim’s Chelsea Barracks design, incorporating a vegetable garden. Who looks after the vegetable garden, who can harvest the produce and where would the produce be used or sold? Landforms  The need to reconcile areas of high maintenance turf with wildlife gardening Is it the job of the designer to impose their artistry on a project or to channel the views of the stakeholders? Or both? Are gardens art? If they are, does this mean we can sacrifice the environment when creating them so as not to compromise our artistic freedom? If so, where do we draw the line, should we draw a line in terms of materials used, the ecological impact and so on? Links: Website: www.kimwilkie.com  Led by The Land - Kim Wilkie, Updated, expanded and reissued by Pimpernel Press, 2019 With thanks to the episode sponsor, the London College of Garden Design www.lcgd.org.uk  Tel +44 (0) 1483 762955 Email info@lcgd.org.uk Get in touch; Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod Patreon Link; Help me keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall           

This week, I’m speaking to Robin Snowdon who runs Limeburn Hill Biodynamic Vineyard. The vineyard is biodynamic and Robin works closely with the land, managing the estate not just for the vines but also for native flora and fauna. He also uses fascinating methods to produce unique wines that encapsulate the flavour and essence of the site. Robin gives an excellent insight into what can happen when you grow crops in tune with your site, rather than fighting against it.  About Robin Snowdon: Robin Snowdon and Georgina Harvey planted Limeburn Hill Biodynamic Vineyard in 2015, and Robin now works full time managing the vineyard and making the wine. The vineyard has been run following biodynamic practices from the beginning and this helps create both vineyard and wines that are full of character, identity and with a strong sense of place. More than half of the vineyard area is managed purely as habitat for native flora and fauna, and all wines are natural and fermented using only wild yeast from the vineyard. As part of his commitment to the land and his interest in the spiritual aspect of farming, Robin is also training to become a Druid. What we talk about: How Robin manages the vineyard and what they produce from Limeburn Hill? How the vineyard is biodynamic? What does this involve? What made Robin decide biodynamic growing was the best way to manage his vineyard? Is there evidence that biodynamic growing produces better crops, higher yields and so on? Robin’s salutogenic approach to growing. The anti-fungal and anti-mildew sprays he uses on his vines The terroir and why the wines wouldn’t taste the same if they were grown anywhere else Links: Website:  www.limeburnhillvineyard.co.uk Instagram: limeburnhill Twitter: @limeburnhill  For more details on Biodynamics have a look at the Biodynamic Association UK website https://www.biodynamic.org.uk Get in touch; Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod Patreon Link; Help me keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall 

This is a bonus episode and a follow-up to one I did back in April with Graham, where he spoke about new DEFRA Legislation that comes into effect on Dec 14th 2019.  This episode will be relevant if you buy, sell or supply plant material (including plants, cut flowers, bulbs, Christmas trees and so on) in the UK. As you listen, you'll discover that there are no clear-cut answers as to what exactly the new legislation means as it seems very much up in the air, especially for small scale and independent nurseries.  I will aim to keep you abreast of the situation, but for now, here's Graham's take on how the industry may be affected. Links: Plantbase Nursery www.plantbase.co.uk  Plantbase on Twitter https://twitter.com/Plantbaseuk Plantbase on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/plantbase Get in touch; Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod Patreon Link; Help me keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall   

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.  About Stephen Barstow: “Stephen Barstow has devoted 30 years to trialling the world’s perennial vegetables. It is unlikely that anyone anywhere has tried as many different species of edible plants – just witness his salad comprising 538 varieties in 2003 – earning him the title of ‘Extreme Salad Man’! Stephen grew interested in green issues whilst studying in Norwich. He began eating whole-foods baking bread and learning the names of birds and plants. He became vegetarian when studying in Edinburgh and began a vegetable patch at his landlords flat. He was even sold with the building to the new owner as a lodger/gardener. In 1981 Stephen moved to Norway for work and found vegetarianism was only a small underground movement and that supermarkets stocked little vegetables. To survive they grew their own, and now Stephen has a garden that takes over two days to tour and 2,000 or so edibles, each with their own ethnobotanical story to tell.” - Permanent Publications What we talk about: Stephen’s book and how he came to write it,  plans to release further editions that go beyond leafy veg?  Advice for interested in growing edimentals, where to source seeds or plants, in the UK and internationally? If you’re ‘blessed’ with Japanese knotweed, what can you with it? How to carry out blanching to improve flavour How onions propagate themselves? Stephen’s favourite ornamental edible onion? If it’s possible to be self-sufficient in ornamental veg all year round? How much space would you need?  How vital is it that we use our gardens to at least supplement our diets?  Other good resources for those interested in Edimentals Links: Stephen’s Blog - Edimentals!  Around the World in 80 Plants: An Edible Perennial Vegetable Adventure For Temperate Climates by Stephen Barstow - Permanent Publications, 2014  Stephen Barstow on Twitter https://twitter.com/s_barstow Edimentals Group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/273637002647408/ Edulis Nursery www.edulis.co.uk  Incredible Vegetables www.incrediblevegetables.co.uk Cool Temperate Nursery www.cooltemperate.co.uk   Edgewood Nursery edgewood-nursery.com  Eric Toensmeier www.perennialsolutions.org   Plants for a Future - Online Database  Cornucopia II: A Source Book of Edible Plants by Stephen Facciola  With thanks to Jackie Currie, National Collection Holder of Alliums and Jake Rayson - www.forestgarden.wales  Get in touch; Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod Patreon Link; Help me keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall       

A warm welcome to new listeners and to those existing listeners who haven't quite got to grips with my wonky episode numbering system - this episode is for you!  Join me for a quick whizz through all the previous content. I've split it into areas of interest (sort of!) to help you navigate easily through the back catalogue and discover episodes you may have missed.  Thanks for listening.   Get in touch; Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod Patreon Link; Help me keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall     

Part One: The Design Experts Series - Sponsored by The London College of Garden Design  This episode features Thomas Rainer, Principal Designer at Phyto Studio in Virginia and co-author of the book Planting In A Post-Wild World. Thomas’s approach to design pays particular attention to establishing new plant communities, especially within urban and suburban environments, where the native flora and fauna has effectively been pushed out. Concentrating on plant selections that work alongside each other and also with the site, Thomas introduces green spaces that please the eye, work from a maintenance perspective and can evolve successfully over time. About Thomas Rainer: Thomas is a leading voice internationally in ecological landscape design. He co-authored the book ‘Planting In A Post-Wild World’ in 2015 and has designed landscapes for the U.S. Capitol grounds, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and The New York Botanical Garden. Thomas is Principal Designer at Phyto Studio and works alongside Melissa Rainer and Claudia West. Phyto Studio was created “to bring clients both customized, technical expertise in plant community ecology as well as an artistic vision of the possibilities of gardens with emotional depth.” He lectures internationally and teaches planting design on the George Washington University Landscape Design program. What we talk about: Wild landscapes - accepting that we can’t turn back the clock to a bygone era and what this means for designers and gardeners going forward Planting in urban and suburban landscapes versus rural areas? Thomas’s 3 archetypes for the purposes of categorising planting and landscapes If there's a danger, especially in public spaces, that people come to accept edited versions of nature as the correct way ‘natural’ spaces should look and therefore become less tolerant of wilder, transitional, unkempt spaces? The issue of ongoing, skilled maintenance The future of built landscape design  Links: Tickets to the Thomas Rainer Masterclass at Regent’s College, London on 18th January 2020   Email: gillian@gilliangoodson.com Phyto Studio www.phytostudio.com  Planting in a Post-Wild World - Thomas Rainer & Claudia West, Timber Press 2015 With thanks to the episode sponsor, the London College of Garden Design www.lcgd.org.uk  Tel +44 (0) 1483 762955 Email info@lcgd.org.uk Get in touch; Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod Patreon Link; Help me keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall     

This week I’m talking to Catherine Horwood, authorised biographer of Beth Chatto and author of the recently released Beth Chatto: A Life With Plants. Catherine was hugely privileged to be given access to Beth’s personal diaries and I’m sure there are lots more stories she could tell you about Beth that didn’t make it into the book, but the snippets of Beth’s journals and the biographical information that are in the book paint a wonderful picture of Beth as a wife, a mother, an employer, a gardener and as the RHS crowned her this year an “Iconic Horticultural Hero”. About Catherine Horwood: Catherine is a freelance author and journalist and is the authorised biographer of Beth Chatto. As well as writing the recently released Beth Chatto: A Life With Plants, Catherine has written Rose (Reaktion, 2018) Gardening Women: Their Stories from 1600 to the Present (Virago, 2010) and contributes articles to Gardens Illustrated, The English Garden and several national newspapers. What we talk about: Her early career in flower arranging How she changed to fit in with the socials circles she found herself moving in The move to White Barn House Her friendship with Christopher Lloyd The inspiration for the gravel garden Her awards and the recognition she gained worldwide Her legacy, the future of the nursery and the Beth Chatto Education Trust Links: Beth Chatto: A Life With Plants - Catherine Horwood, Pimpernel Press, 2019  Catherine Horwood www.catherinehorwood.com  The Beth Chatto Gardens www.bethchatto.co.uk  The Beth Chatto Nursery  Get in touch; Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod Patreon Link; Help me keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall 

This episode we’re discussing apples and I have TWO guests; Naomi Slade who is the author of An Orchard Odyssey and Sassie Yassamee who runs Eve Apple Press, a mobile apple pressing service in East Sussex. We’re just harvesting the last of our apples here in Sussex, so with the tastes and sights of varieties fresh in your mind, what better time to start planning your own orchard?  Naomi’s book, An Orchard Odyssey runs through the practicalities of growing apples, but the focus of our chat is the ways in which we use our apples and our trees as both ornamental and edible additions to our own gardens, particularly from a design perspective. We also chat about how to reconsider how we view orchards and how we can use them within our communities.  Which leads nicely on to my interview with Sassie Yassamee, who runs Eve Apple Press in Hastings in East Sussex. Sassie run a mobile apple pressing service, which helps people conveniently and productively deal with their crops and provides an ingenious solution to gluts and food waste.  What I cover with Naomi: The definition of an orchard Historical orchards Our changing relationship with orchards The tale of Johnny Appleseed Fruit trees for wildlife Designing & underplanting orchards What I cover with Sassie: About mobile apple pressing Which varieties you can use Preserving the juice Links: Naomi Slade www.naomislade.com  An Orchard Odyssey - Naomi Slade, Green Books, 2016 Naomi on Twitter @NaomiSlade  Naomi on Instagram @naomisladegardening  Eve Apple Press www.eveapplepress.co.uk Eve Apple Press on Facebook  Get in touch; Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod Patreon Link; Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall 

This episode, I’m talking about one of the fundamental cornerstones that underpins everything we do as growers - soil. And to talk about this vital element, who better than soil scientist and international expert on the subject, Tim O’Hare? Tim is the principal consultant of Tim O’Hare Associates and works on a wide variety of domestic and commercial projects, both in the UK and abroad. Tim answers questions about issues that most gardeners have faced at some point; soil compaction, poor drainage, working with the soil you have and what to look out for if you’re bringing new soil in to your garden. As well as possessing phenomenal knowledge on the subject, Tim explains things in clear and simple language and you will enjoy this episode whatever your level of gardening expertise.  About Tim O’Hare Tim is the principal consultant of Tim O’Hare Associates, a leading independent soil science practice that provides soil investigation, testing and consultancy services to the landscape industry. He has been a Soil Scientist for over 20 years, working on anything from domestic garden projects to major construction developments.  Tim and his team have worked on a wide variety of assignments throughout the UK and internationally, including the London Olympic Park and Commonwealth Park in Gibraltar. They also test and approve many of the topsoil and subsoil products that are sold into the landscape market nationwide.   Earlier this year Tim was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by The Kew Guild (Association of Alumni of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew) for his “outstanding contribution to the environment”. We discuss: Common problems with soil management Storing and moving soil during building works Soil compaction Wet soils Ways to combat poorly draining soils Bringing life into new or damaged soils The impacts of transporting soil into and away from a site What to look for when you’re buying soil Soil contamination Tim’s more challenging/unusual work Soil erosion and the shape of our future food production Links: Tim O’Hare Associates - Soil & Landscape Consultancy www.timohare-associates.com  London Olympic Park www.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk  Get in touch; Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod Patreon Link; Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall 

This week, I’m speaking to Jo Ferguson and we’re talking about bats. As with most of our wildlife, population trends show a decline in bats in the UK in recent times. Loss of habitat, human activities including nighttime lighting and construction and lack of food are all contributing factors.  If you’re listening to the Roots and All podcast, in all probability you’re a conscientious gardener who wants to improve the natural landscape, not just for humans but for all species. In this episode, Jo talks about what bats need in order to thrive and how we can make small changes that will make big contributions to our bat populations.   About Joanna Ferguson BSc MCIEEM: Jo has worked for the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) for the last 4.5 years as the Built Environment Officer before becoming the Built Environment Manager in early 2019. Prior to starting at BCT she had been involved with bat conservation in a voluntary and professional capacity for over 16 years. Jo’s more recent professional experience is as an ecological consultant specialising in urban bat ecology; providing surveys, mitigation and enhancement advice covering a range of development projects, including residential, commercial and transport. She also has extensive experience in scientific research, working for the Australian Research centre for Urban Ecology and Earthwatch in Melbourne. Jo is a Full Member of CIEEM, a Volunteer Bat Roost Visitor and London Bat Group Member.   We discuss: Where bats live How many species of bat are there in Britain and some of the most common ones we’re likely to see in our gardens The biggest challenges facing bats at the moment How we can help our bat populations Will they get caught in our hair or give us rabies?   Links: Bat Conservation Trust www.bats.org.uk https://www.bats.org.uk/ National Bat Helpline 0345 1300 228 Leaflet on helping create a great environment for bats, including which plants to include in our gardens https://cdn.bats.org.uk/pdf/Resources/Stars_of_the_Night.pdf?mtime=20181101151554 Bat 1K Genome project mapping bats DNA: ‘Imagine uncovering the secret of longer health-spans, flight, echolocation and disease resistance hidden in the bat genome.’ https://bat1k.ucd.ie/   Get in touch; Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod Facebook @rootsandalluk   Patreon Link; Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall