Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

This week’s guest is multi-media artist Hanna Varga. Hanna incorporates the natural world into her work and her current projects involve foraging for fibres she turns into both useful and beautiful items. The conversation began with Hanna talking about her work past and present and developed into a really important conversation about the value of items at their more than fiscal level. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Cabbage Whiteflies About Hanna’s ‘Say It With Knots’ Project "I am currently working on an engaging and urgent body of work in response to our current ecological times. I'm making a new series of sculptural forms using wild foraged plant fibres and transforming them into tactile artefacts of cordage, ropes and knots to tell stories. I source the art materials I use from the local environment to minimise my carbon footprint. The process of both gathering and making cordage is beautiful, versatile and yields evocative results. The metaphors in language offer us a diverse range of symbols, hiastorical and cultural associations and highlights the important role of rope making technologies played in the development of civilisations. I juxtapose the craftmanship with the natural history of the landscape where the raw materials come from. I'm beginning this work on the north coast of the Scottish Highlands where a long history of shipping and fishing trades have been present. Natural and human history intertwines in the resulting artworks. I am currently in Cromarty on an artist residency developing this project that will culminate in the first exhibition of this project opening on the 15th of December. I wish to transport my audience in time - back to the beginning, where it all started by twisting together vegetal fibres into a piece of string. Also, looking ahead into the future, an invitation to imagine new possibilities in tactile dimensions in our increasingly digitised age. I wish to awaken curiosity and evoke questions about interconnectedness.  How will we continue making meaning with our hands? How can we create in reciprocity with the more-than-human world around us?" Links Hanna on Instagram Ashleaf London Other episodes if you liked this one: Botanical Storytelling with Amanda Edmiston Amanda’s new book - The Time Traveller’s Herbal  Making & Using Natural Dyes Patreon

Hello and welcome to this week’s episode where 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! Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Fuchsia Gall Mite What We Talk About  Bumblebee concerns Bumblebee identification Honeybees and beekeeping Encouraging and caring for bumblebees Tomato pollination Links Bumblebee Conservation Trust Bee the Change Managed Honeybees lbka.org Article on beekeeping Honeybees and other wildlife Trouble with beekeeping boom Other episodes if you liked this one: Urban Bees with Mark Patterson Pollinators with Professor Jeff Ollerton Patreon

This week’s episode my guest is Pete Russell, founder of Ooooby, an online platform which matches customers with small scale, local growers. Shopping for food in this way promotes homegrown produce, farm to consumer sales, supports independent growers, helps people to buy local, protects our farming heritage and helps us to move away from the chronically broken food system we currently live under. Listen in as Pete tells us how Ooooby works and how you can get involved if you’re interested. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Allium Leafminers What We Talk About  The idea behind Ooooby The value of small scale and local farming  Sustainability The range of products available Quality control The cost to the producer Links www.ooooby.com  Pete’s Ted Talk  More on Ooooby  Other episodes if you liked this one: Climate Cuisine with Clarissa Wei Greg Peterson of The Urban Farm Patreon

My guest this episode is New Zealand based landscape designer Jo Wakelin. Jo creates low impact and environmentally conscious spaces and her own garden is a masterclass in water-wise planting that sits lightly within the landscape - beautiful but in keeping with its surroundings both aesthetically and ecologically. We talk about her extensive research and the lessons she’s learnt along the way. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Black Vine Weevils What We Talk About  Jo’s work and what she does in her own garden Jo's thoughts on native versus non-native plants in a garden setting How gardens can and should work with their surrounding landscape Current schools of thought in NZ garden design  Links Jo Wakelin on Instagram  Other episodes if you liked this one: Design Experts - Xanthe White Ecologically Integrated Gardens Patreon

This week’s episode, my guest is Clive Farrell. Clive is a butterfly expert who established The London Butterfly House at Syon House and has dedicated his life to breeding and studying the butterflies of Britain and the world. His latest project has been to develop the 100 or so acres around his home in Dorset into a haven for insects, that features unusual, even magical elements such as a giant fibreglass dragon, a replica of a Saxon longhouse that is home to a huge bog oak sculpture, a temple dedicated to ravens and a giant’s chair. Clive’s garden is the stuff of dreams to adult and child visitors, but also to the invertebrates which makes their homes amongst this garden which is built for them. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Overwintering Butterflies What We Talk About  I’m not telling you, just listen ;-) Other episodes if you liked this one: Butterflies with Peter Eeles Bugs in Your Garden with Dr Ian Bedford Patreon

This episode my guest is Jarema Osofsky, founder of the design studio Dirt Queen NYC and author of Moon Garden: A Guide to Creating An Evening Oasis. Moon gardening is an enchanting way to slow down in the evenings, immerse yourself in nature and cultivate a relationship with your plants and the moon and I’m talking with Jarema about how you can create your own. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Large Hairy House Spiders What We Talk About  What is a moon garden? Do they have to contain all white flowers? Should you plant for year round interest?  Should the garden be visible from the house?  Apart from colour, what else is important in a moon garden? Can you create a moon garden indoors? Can moon gardens benefit wildlife? Night blooming and night fragrant plants How best to enjoy your moon garden About the book MOON GARDEN: A Guide to Creating an Evening Oasis (Chronicle 10/3/23) is a guide to creating a garden that comes alive at night, with night-blooming plants and night fragrant flowers. The book is full of design and horticultural wisdom; planting tips for outdoor, indoor, and container gardeners; and soothing rituals such as journaling and meditations. With beautiful botanical illustrations, Moon Garden encourages readers to approach gardening as a grounding, spiritual practice. Spending time outdoors, and bringing nature into one’s home, is both joyful and healing. MOON GARDEN is part of Jarema’s mission to design beautiful garden spaces that help people cultivate meaningful connections to the natural world, while also benefiting local ecosystems in the process. About Jarema Osofsky Brooklyn-based landscape and interior plant designer, Jarema Osofsky is the founder of Dirt Queen NYC, a garden design and plant care business. Her debut book, MOON GARDEN: A Guide to Creating an Evening Oasis (Chronicle 10/3/23), invites readers to dive into the world of moon gardens and all that they offer. MOON GARDEN is a guide to creating a garden that comes alive at night, with night-blooming plants and night fragrant flowers. The book is full of design and horticultural wisdom; planting tips for outdoor, indoor, and container gardeners; and soothing rituals such as journaling and meditations.  With beautiful botanical illustrations, MOON GARDEN encourages readers to approach gardening as a grounding, spiritual practice. Jarema grew up in New York’s Hudson Valley, the daughter of an avid gardener. Throughout Jarema’s life, visiting family in Hong Kong and Arizona sparked Jarema’s love affair with tropical plants, the desert landscape, and unusual cactuses. What started out as a hobby and a “fresh start” after a bad break-up, Jarema began growing plants and sold them in vintage pots in her neighbourhood. She earned her BA in East Asian studies and fine art from Oberlin College and worked as an artist assistant in New York and Los Angeles, where she struggled to find her own form of expression. It was a pivotal moment when she realised that plants were the medium she had been searching for. After developing a strong customer base and advising plant owners, she decided to pour all her energy and passion into starting her own business.  Jarema’s design studio, Dirt Queen NYC, works closely with clients to create verdant gardens that offer meaningful and ecologically sustainable connections to the natural world. Jarema’s work has been featured in Architectural Digest, T Magazine, Elle Decor, Apartment Therapy, and others. Jarema currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her partner Adam, and their pup, Esme. A day in the life includes a trip to the local farmers market, walks in the park with her dog, qi gong and evening journaling. Always watering, pruning or propagating in her garden, Jarema also loves to travel and immerse herself in other cultures, landscapes, botanical gardens, art and architecture.  Links Moon Garden:A Guide to Creating an Evening Oasis Jarema on Instagram @dirtqueennyc Other episodes if you liked this one: Botanical Styling Houseplant Legends Patreon

This episode I’m speaking with Kevin Hobbs & Artur Cesar-Erlach, authors of EDIBLE: 70 Sustainable Plants That Are Changing How We Eat which is a beautifully illustrated book looking at edible plants from around the world that are revolutionising how we grow, eat and appreciate food. It tackles important questions like what do we eat when our usual diets are no longer sustainable, how do we future proof food and how can we be more mindful about what we eat and considers what the future of global food production might look like. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Harvestmen What We Talk About  The idea behind the book  Traditional staple crops Hopniss Great Burdock Cornelian cherry Ebbing’s Silverberry Sea buckthorn Kevin & Artur’s vote for the most under-utilised crop About the authors Kevin Hobbs is a UK-based professional grower and plantsman with over thirty years’ experience in the horticulture industry. He is the author of The Story of Trees and Herbaceous Perennials, Hillier’s Gardener’s Guide. Artur Cisar-Erlach is an ecologist and food expert based in Vienna, whose work spans the fields of food and ecotourism. He is the author of The Flavor of Wood. Katie Kulla is an illustrator, writer and farmer based in Oregon in the United States. Links Edible: 70 Sustainable Plants That Are Changing How We Eathttps://www.summerfieldbooks.com/product/edible-70-sustainable-plants-that-are-changing-how-we-eat/ Lucinda Weldon Coaching Other episodes if you liked this one: Wild Food Tasting Session Edimentals with Stephen Barstow Patreon  

This episode, my guest is Susan Poizner. Susan is the author of the award-winning fruit tree care book Growing Urban Orchards and her new book, which is now an Amazon Number One Bestseller, Grow Fruit Trees Fast. Susan trains thousands of new growers worldwide through her award-winning fruit tree care training program and is the host of The Urban Forestry Radio Show and Podcast and an ISA Certified Arborist. She founded the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard in Toronto in 2009, helps others establish and maintain community orchards and food forests in Toronto and beyond and has won multiple awards for her work. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Ivy Mining Bees What We Talk About  Selecting trees for disease resistance and planning for a staggered harvest if you grow multiple trees Choosing a spot for your tree  Tree roots as the tree matures Feeding your fruit trees Mulching Success in a community orchard  Summer and winter pruning  About Susan Poizner Susan is the author of the award-winning fruit tree care book Growing Urban Orchards and her second book Grow Fruit Trees Fast. Susan trains thousands of new growers worldwide through her award-winning fruit tree care training program and is the host of The Urban Forestry Radio Show and Podcast and an ISA Certified Arborist. She founded the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard in Toronto in 2009, helps others establish and maintain community orchards and food forests in Toronto and beyond and has won multiple awards for her work. Links Growing Urban Orchards Grow Fruit Trees Fast The Urban Forestry Radio Show Great Dixter Charitable Trust Other episodes if you liked this one: Plan, Plant & Maintain Fruit Trees Apples Patreon

This episode, my guest is qualified herbalist Meghan Rhodes. Meghan discusses how we can tap into our gardens for better health, why herbs are good for dealing with conditions that are manifestations of multiple problems, such as stomach issues, the 7 keys tastes you find in herbs and how you can get started on your own journey using herbs for wellbeing. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Spanish Slug Story What We Talk About  How herbalism adds another layer of wellbeing to gardening Why taste is baked into our biologies, even if you’re brand new to working with plants and herbs How to recalibrate your palette to be able to detect the 7 key tastes of herbs How understanding tastes helps you make the most of foraged and homegrown herbs About Meghan Rhodes Meghan Rhodes is a qualified herbalist who has helped over 80 people start living herbalism, making healthier, safer solutions for themselves and their families a reality. As the founder of Rhodes Roots & Remedies, she has written 10 course books, authored the books Easy Herbal Remedies for Infants and Slow-Infused Self-Care, as well as developed a unique four season sense-based herbalism course and journey, Awaken Herbal Wisdom. Meghan’s practice of herbalism is rooted in the belief that we must remember, reclaim and relearn our knowledge of our bodies, our autonomy and how to work with plant medicine in order to bring control of our own health back into our families and homes for a sustainable future for ourselves and the planet. Meghan is a member of both the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy and the Ayurvedic Professionals Association. Links Get on the waiting list for Meghan's intensive herbalism course - Awaken Herbal Wisdom - enrolling annually - or DM Meghan the word ACCESS for the link.   Exclusive access to exploring one of the seven tastes  Instagram - @rhodesrootsandremedies GreenBlue Urban Other episodes if you liked this one: Sensory Herbalism The Herb Society Patreon

Hello and welcome to Roots and All, where 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… Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Ear Wigglers What We Talk About  How many hives are there in London, does anybody have an estimate? Is it a sustainable number? Where are they foraging for floral resources? Are there enough of these? Are urban conditions more taxing for bees? Do environmental stressors lead to higher incidences of disease, for example?  Do managed bees outcompete wild bees when it comes to consuming pollen and nectar?  Are managed bees necessary? Useful? Desirable? Filling a niche left by potentially dwindling numbers of wild bees? A useful pollination and food source for humans?  Why are commercial beekeeping companies trying to muscle in on the beekeeping tradition in London? Do honeybees count as an ‘environmental credit’ in terms of planning and building?  About Mark Patterson After completing a National Diploma in Agriculture, Land use and recreation which included a practical Horticultural course Mark went on to study for an Honours Degree in Countryside Management and Ornithology at Kingston Upon Hull University - an ecology based course of study. It was during this time at University that Mark was introduced to bee keeping by a fellow student.  As senior Consultant Mark has amassed over 26 years of experience in the fields of nature conservation and ecology. His past professional positions include marine biologist/ranger on the Farne islands national nature reserve, Countryside Ranger for a local Authority, Nature reserve manager for Durham Wildlife services, Worked on a bird of prey Reintroduction program with the RSPB , Freelance consultancy and 11 years as a project and program manager for a national Environmental regeneration Charity, Groundwork. Having assisted others with their beekeeping for several years Mark began bee keeping on his own in 2010 having attended an introduction course and a seasons mentoring. Since then he has volunteered extensively for Bee keeping associations, serving as elected committee official and Trustee to the LBKA, taught courses and organised forage planting activities for the bee keeping community he serves. Mark spent 3 years working for DEFRA as a seasonal Bee Inspector and currently cares for around 30 colonies of honey bees,10 of which are his own. Mark currently posses the BBKA Bee basic certificate, BBKA Honey bee management certificate, several of the BBKA modular exam certificates and the General Husbandry certificate. Mark has extensive training and experience in notifiable bee diseases diagnosis and management.  As well as Honey Bees Mark is also highly knowledgeable about Solitary bees and Bumblebees and teaches Bee identification courses for the Field Studies Council as part of the nationwide BioLinks program. Links www.apicultural.co.uk  Mark Patterson on LinkedIn  www.howgreennursery.co.uk Other episodes if you liked this one: The Garden Jungle with Professor Dave Goulson Pollinators with Professor Jeff Ollerton Patreon