Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

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.

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 Little Other 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

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

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

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.

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

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. Support the podcast on Patreon  

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

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

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.   Links www.naturalhappiness.net  Twitter  Facebook  LinkedIn  YouTube  Other 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.  Support the podcast on Patreon