Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

Decoding plant categories so you can tell how long your plant will live. This episode sees the introduction of a new segment, 'Getting to the Roots of...' and this week we're going back to basics to find out the differences between annuals, biennials, perennials etc. so you know how long to expect your plant to live.   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

Craig Sams, co-founder of Carbon Gold and a pioneer in sustainable food, sheds light on the transformative potential of biochar. He explains the unique properties of biochar versus standard BBQ charcoal. Discover how different biomass influences biochar production, and learn about its benefits for soil health, moisture retention, and disease resistance in plants. Sams also discusses application tips and the remarkable ability of biochar to capture carbon, making it a game-changer for sustainable gardening practices.

Have you ever noticed how natural landscapes always seem to work? The colours, shapes, scale and textures of a natural landscape appear pleasing to the eye despite little or no human input. It’s this sense of innate beauty in nature, speaking to us on an almost subconscious level, that interests today’s guest Toby Diggens.  We speak about naturalistic and ecological gardens which incorporate elements of nature that gardeners have traditionally sought to keep out. Key talking points were: Naturalistic planting and designing – elaborating on what Toby refers to as Aesthetic Ecology  The importance of plants as food for invertebrates Unpopular plants that are actually good for wildlife The best wildflowers/weeds for wildlife Wildflowers that are too badly behaved for the garden Ornamentals that work well in naturalistic gardens Resources for those interested in practicing wild gardening Toby’s top tips for wild gardeners About Toby: Toby Diggens runs Digg & Co., a design studio focussing on ecological landscape design and architecture. His style is one which brings ecological science into the design process, and marries this with the aesthetic and artistic practice of design. Toby studied Landscape Architecture at the University of Gloucestershire and received distinctions in both Post Graduate Diploma and Masters. His masters work, entitled Second Nature explores how wild life can be brought back into our cities and towns through the understanding of ecology as a function rather than only an aesthetic. A great lover of plants, he sees the opportunity of beautiful landscape design, touched by a hint of the wild, as a moving way to rekindle the human passion for the natural world, and hopes that his work, regardless of scale, adds both drama and beauty, but importantly nature back into the gardens and parks of the UK and beyond.  To contact Toby his email is below: You can also request a copy of his Masters work. toby@diggandco.co.uk  Or Follow his Instagram  @diggandco   Further Resources Emorsgate Seeds – www.wildseed.co.uk    Books The Wild Garden – William Robinson The Dynamic Landscape: Design, Ecology and Management of Naturalistic Urban Planting – Dunnett & Hitchmough Meadows – Christopher Lloyd Sowing Beauty – James Hitchmough   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 

Do you welcome foxes into your garden or are they the bane of your life when it comes to growing plants and keeping a clean and tidy plot? Foxes can be a joy to watch but a pain when they’re digging up your plants! In this episode, I speak to animal behaviour expert and fox aficionado Terry Woods. Terry is co-founder of Fox-A-Gon, a company which offers organic and ethical solutions in situations where foxes may be unwelcome visitors.  We discuss common problems that can occur when sharing our gardens with foxes and Terry dispels some of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding these occasionally maligned animals. Terry offers a refreshing and common-sense perspective to living alongside wildlife based on his decades of experience and observation.  The Fox-a-Gon website is a fantastic resource if you’d like to find out more about co-existing with foxes. It also provides solutions to dissuade them from visiting your plot, should you need them. Their FAQ page is comprehensive and no-nonsense; I highly recommend it as your first port of call if you need even general advice about foxes, it really does provide some brilliant information.   Points of interest; The Law as it relates to fox control/removal in the UK Feeding foxes Why foxes dig up plants Foxes and cats Foxes and humans Urban foxes Injured foxes   Guest follow up; Terry Woods founded Fox-A-Gon alongside Graham Le Blond. The company is based in the South East, however they work all over the UK. www.fox-a-gon.co.uk Telephone: 0208 925 9639 Mobile: 07768 903 043 / 07973 414 935   Further useful resources; The Fox Project – www.foxproject.org.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

Sarah fields listener questions about herbaceous border maintenance in October and when to prune pieris. She reports back on her visit to the Great Dixter Plant Fair and there's a little bit of housekeeping too.   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

Alliums have to be one of our most well-loved, contemporary perennials. They’re relatively pest and disease free, pollinators love them, they look good in flower and also in skeletonised form during the winter. However, if you thought growing alliums was as straightforward as bunging some bulbs in the ground and enjoying them year after year, you may be surprised… After losing some alliums in my own garden, I was determined to find out a bit more about what these plants need to succeed in the garden. Jackie Currie has held the National Collection of Alliums for the past 4 years and I surmised that if anyone could help me on my quest to make my alliums happy, she could. Since she started studying alliums in earnest, Jackie has learned many things that might surprise even the most seasoned grower and it appears she may be re-writing the rule book on alliums as we know it. Listen to the episode to find out which alliums truly act as perennials, coming back year after year. Also find out which alliums to treat as annuals, what to feed them, where to grow them and the answers to many other questions about alliums you didn’t even realise you should be asking!   Points of interest; Ideal soil conditions for alliums  Alliums that are easy to grow Alliums that are tricky Potential diseases  What to plant them with Feeding How to propagate them   Guest follow up; Jackie Currie has run Euphorbia Design in partnership with Lorraine Cooke for the past 15 years. www.euphorbia-design.co.uk info@euphorbia-design.co.uk Jackie and her alliums can often be found exhibiting at RHS Flower Shows Hampton Court & Chelsea, where she is a multiple medal-winner.   Further useful research; There is none! Jackie doesn’t recommend any books or websites as useful resources for information on Alliums and I must say that having a poke around on the internet reveals common advice mainly conflicts with Jackie’s findings. Perhaps if you have any experience of alliums that may be useful you can email them to me podcast@rootsandall.co.uk and I will can pass them on to Jackie and I will find a way to share them online with listeners.    Allium names, in order of mention; Allium atropurpureum ‘Silver Spring’ ampeloprasum ‘Purple Sensation’ wallichii altissimum christophii sphaerocephalon senescens lusitanicum giganteum ‘Ambassador’ schubertii caeruleum caesium ‘Eros’ ‘Mount Everest’ ‘Mont Blanc’ ‘Globemaster’ nigrum ‘Gladiotor’ paradoxum var. normale  siculum litvinovii angulosum fistulosum ‘Early Emperor’   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

Sarah talks about jobs she should have done two weeks ago (same old same old) and about how National Collections work and why you may be able to have one if you so desire it.   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

The first ever Vegan Garden Festival was held at Hortus Loci Plant Centre in Hampshire on Sept 15th 2018. Sarah reviews the event and her discovery that she may be more than just a vegan who gardens.   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

Selecting and planting trees can be a minefield. Never fear though, help is on hand as ‘legend in the world of trees’, Kew-trained, Peter Thurman is here to provide straight-forward advice about what to do and what not to do when buying a tree and planting it out. Peter’s CV is suitably impressive. He is a landscape designer and plantsman and holds chartered status in arboriculture, horticulture, forestry and the environment. He is a fellow of both the Arboricultural Association and the Chartered Institute of Horticulture and it doesn’t end there. Find out more about Peter and his passion for all things tree related in this episode.  Discover how to select the right tree for your garden’s soil type and which species of tree will help you create the effect you are targeting. Learn how pleached trees can become an attractive alternative to fencing, just beware of the High Hedges Act! Does it pay to have patience when growing your tree, or is it easier to have instant impact?  Pick up some valuable tips and tricks on the planting process. From deciding which food you should feed your prized specimen with, to mulching and watering, your questions are sure to be addressed in this informative episode.    Points of interest;  Soil conditions when planting a tree  Choosing the right trees for your garden  The process of planting a tree Round vs square hole  Tree food How to deal with planting a tree in clay soil Watering your tree Staking your tree The importance of mulching Ideal trees for small or large gardens Trees for; privacy/scent/flowers/autumn colours/the ultimate seaside garden    FAQs answered;  When is the best time of year to plant a tree? Should I take the hessian off a field grown tree before planting? When shopping for my tree, should I buy the biggest one possible? Are soil Testing kits a good idea? What do I need to put at the base of my newly planted tree? How do I deal with leaders? Which type of stake should I use?    Guest follow up;  Peter Thurman  Email: ThurmanConsultancy@btinternet.com  www.thurmanconsultancy.co.uk  - Peter Thurman Consultancy, Landscape www.lcgd.org.co.uk  - London College of Garden Design    Further useful research;  www.kew.org - Visit The Royal Botanical Grades at Kew  www.reading.ac.uk - Dr Glynn Percival www.biochar.co.uk - Tree food Rigel-G - Tree food product    Trees in order of mention, Botanical name followed by UK common name; Kolreuteria paniculata fastigiata – Pride of India Quercos phellos – Willow Oak Lime trees AKA Tilia species: Tilia tomentosa – Silver Lime Tilia T. henryana – Henry’s Lime Taxus baccata – Yew  Ginkgo biloba – Maidenhair Tree Cordyline australis – Cabbage Palm Pterostyrax hispida – Epaulette Tree Liriodendron tulipifera – Tulip Tree Liquidambar styraciflua - Sweetgum  Parrotia persica – Persian Ironwood Tamarix species - Tamarisk Quercus ilex - Holm Oak Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore Cedrus libani – Cedar of Lebanon   Get in touch; Email: podcast@rootsandall.co.uk Website: www.rootsandall.co.uk Twitter: @rootsandall Instagram: rootsandallpod   Patreon Link; https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall        

If you want to know the answers to why your carnivorous plant may look dead but isn't and why none of them can eat greenfly, listen in...    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