Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

This week, I'm talking Head Gardeners with Ambra Edwards; why she chose the ones she did to feature in her book of that name, the diverse range of tasks they undertake and what makes a good one. I ask Ambra what prompted her to write a book about some of the legendary and some of the unsung heroes of the horticultural world and if she could swap places with one, whose boots would she choose to fill. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Gooseberry sawfly This episode is sponsored by gardencourses.com. gardencourses.com offers online horticultural training for those looking to develop their own, home gardens. The lasted course to be added is Create Your Garden Sanctuary - you can go to gardencourses.com to find out more. What we cover How Ambra chose the head gardeners included in the book Is there any such thing as a typical head gardener? Some of the unexpected roles the gardeners in the book have to perform How much gardens are expressions of the personality of the head gardener Is it stifling for a head gardener to stick to historical plans/designs and not inject their own creativity into a space? What makes a great head gardener? Gardening as a profession About Ambra Edwards Ambra Edwards is a journalist with a special interest in garden history, and the people, passions and often surprising stories that lie behind our gardens. Three times voted the Garden Media Guild's Garden Journalist of the Year (2006, 2009 and 2015), she is a regular contributor to the Guardian, the Telegraph, Gardens Illustrated, Hortus and Country Living. Her most recent book is The Story of the English Garden (Pavilion, 2018). She lives in Dorset. https://www.pimpernelpress.com/ambra-edwards Links www.ambra-edwards.com https://www.pimpernelpress.com/head-gardeners-2 www.gardencourses.com

In this episode, I'm talking to Dr Elizabeth Westaway and Matthew Adams, founders of Growing Real Food for Nutrition, or Grffn for short. Grffn's vision is for a world where all food is grown for its nutritional qualities using regenerative practices, and made accessible to all. We talk about how the way food is grown can affect its nutritional value and how this can support environmentally sound growing practices. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Conopid flies This episode is sponsored by gardencourses.com. gardencourses.com offers online horticultural training for those looking to develop their own, home gardens. The lasted course to be added is Create Your Garden Sanctuary - you can go to gardencourses.com to find out more. What we cover How Elizabeth and Matthew came to start Growing Real Food for Nutrition Why not all carrots are made equal How you measure the nutrient content of food Why it can vary How we can make sure we're growing nutrient dense food How citizen science helps Brix testing Is organically grown food generally higher in nutrients than non-organically grown? About Growing Real Food for Nutrition Grffn's vision is for a world where all food is grown for its nutritional qualities using regenerative practices, and made accessible to all, creating an abundance of health and harmony, reconnecting humans with Mother Earth. Grffn's mission is to deepen citizens' understanding of how we derive nutrition from natural processes and to realise its impact on human development. Links www.grffn.org

This week I'm speaking to Michelle Mason, stylist, designer, author and co-founder of Mason & Painter a shop located next to Columbia Road which specialises in furniture, homewares and plants. Michelle's latest book Flower Market: Botanical Style at Home, is a mouth-wateringly beautiful and inspirational guide to styling your home using plants and cut flowers. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Noctuid moths This episode is sponsored by gardencourses.com. gardencourses.com offers online horticultural training for those looking to develop their own, home gardens. The lasted course to be added is Create Your Garden Sanctuary - you can go to gardencourses.com to find out more. What we cover Can you learn an eye for design? The importance of taking the time to arrange a small corner or table top with a collection of beautiful things The creative process and the end result Starting the habit of creating botanical displays How a theme or narrative can underpin a creation The accessories Michelle wouldn't be without when styling The importance of sourcing sustainably grown and seasonal plants and flowers Arranging plants and flowers on a budget? About Michelle Mason Michelle Mason is a designer, shopkeeper and stylist and has worked for a number of clients including Sir John Soane's Museum shop, the British Library, the National Gallery and the Southbank Centre. She is also co-founder of east London vintage shop Mason & Painter in Columbia Road, home to the weekly Sunday Flower Market. Her first book was Flower Market (Pimpernel, 2019). https://www.pimpernelpress.com/michelle-mason Links Mason & Painter Flower Market: Botanical Style at Home by Michelle Mason Vintage Shops London by Michelle Mason www.gardencourses.com

This week I'm speaking to Mark Laurence. For decades, Mark has been at the vanguard of sustainable and ecologically sensitive landscape and garden design. He currently specialises in coastal plants and gardens and in this interview we cover what makes a coastal garden, which types of plants fare well on the coast and whether these gardens can be havens for wildlife. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Flatworms This episode is sponsored by gardencourses.com. gardencourses.com offers online horticultural training for those looking to develop their own, home gardens. The lasted course to be added is Create Your Garden Sanctuary - you can go to gardencourses.com to find out more. What we cover Mark's background and work What is a coastal garden? How far can a garden be from the sea and still be classified as coastal? Some of the challenges facing plants in a coastal garden Plants that do well by the coast and plants don't fare well Coastal gardens and wildlife Trees for coastal gardens Further resources (or not!) About Mark Laurence Since 1987 Mark has worked as a designer, specialising in sustainable and adaptive landscapes, natural "drift" planting, coastal, water & rain gardens, living walls and vertical green infrastructure for urban environments. He is a current committee member (Technical & Sustainability) and has been a keynote speaker at SDG and other conferences. He works locally and internationally, creating water gardens in USA, living walls in London, Trondheim, Chicago and Dubai. Mark is a chartered horticulturalist and consults on horticulture and arboriculture in the Middle East. He has a passion for creating nurturing and relaxed gardens and landscapes which connect people to nature and place. https://www.sgd.org.uk/find_a_designer/search_for_a_designer/designers/f4775253-4f5d-4eaf-8fc1-cdb3b3755524/ Links www.marklaurence.com Mark Laurence on Facebook www.gardencourses.com

Today's guest is Mairi MacKenzie, fashion historian, writer and curator, whose research looks at the relationship between the clothes that we wear and our culture. Her latest research is into the world of scent and what flower could be more intrinsically linked with perfume than the rose? In the interview, we discuss famous rose-based perfumes, the symbolism behind its use, whether its historically been perceived as a feminine scent, the mysterious workings of the Osmotheque and why that rose perfume you made as a child never worked! Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Hummingbird Hawk Moths This episode is brought to you by the team at LECHUZA, suppliers of self-watering pots and planters. www.lechuza.co.uk What we cover Mairi's career and her interest in the role of the rose in perfume When roses were first used in fragrance The Osmotheque Roses for symbolism as well as scent Has rose always been perceived as a feminine scent? What does rose scent connote? Scents that are heavily rose based The role of the rose as an ingredient in contemporary perfumes About Mairi MacKenzie Mairi MacKenzie is Research Fellow in Fashion and Textiles at Glasgow School of Art. She is a fashion historian, writer and curator, and her research seeks to understand not just what was worn and by whom, but why it was worn and what the relationship is between the clothes that we wear and our culture. - https://www.gsa.ac.uk/research/design-profiles/m/mackenzie,-mairi/ The London College of Garden Design's Horti-couture conference takes place in October. The Conference will explore the influence of plants and gardens on the fashion world and features some of the industry's leading academics and influencers. For more information visit the LCGD website LCGD.org.uk or their Eventbrite page. Tickets start at just £59 and the day will be streamed online as well as in person at Kew Gardens.

In this episode I'm speaking to horticultural therapist Carol Sales. Carol headed up a therapy garden in a prison, before moving over to lead the Therapy Garden at Headley Court, a rehabilitation centre for injured military veterans. Carol was a pioneer in the use of horticultural therapy and is one of the most well-respected professionals in the field. Carol is featured in many books and media articles, including Head Gardeners by Ambra Edwards and Sue Stuart-Smith's The Well Gardened Mind and she was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2019. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Vapourer Moths This episode is brought to you by the team at LECHUZA, suppliers of self-watering pots and planters. LECHUZA brings decades of experience in state-of-the-art, precision manufacturing to bear on its stylish high-functionality range of planters. All LECHUZA products are designed in-house and manufactured in the same factory as the iconic Playmobil toys. The complete collection comes in a wide variety of traditional and trend-led colours and shapes and are highly reliable for use both indoors and outdoors. The integrated soil irrigation system ensures that the plant receives the perfect amount of water for optimal growth. Thanks to a reservoir that always holds enough water and is controlled by a water level indicator, dried out or overwatered root bales are a thing of the past. Find out more by visiting www.lechuza.co.uk About Carol Sales Carol is a gardener and designer who started working in horticultural therapy for the prison service. She was recruited by High Ground who worked out of Headley Court, a military hospital providing horticultural therapy to military veterans. Carol ran the therapy garden there for almost a decade, during which time she pioneered treatment methods and set the gold standard for therapeutic horticulture as it pertains to those with both physical and mental health issues. Links www.veteransgrowth.org www.highground-uk.org

This week I thought it would be good to get an overview of the horticultural industry - so I'm speaking to the person with their finger on the pulse, Matthew Appleby, Editor of Horticulture Week and host of the Horticulture Week podcast. We cover the effect of Brexit, plant passports and the pandemic on plant supplies and how this has affected consumers. Find out how the industry is faring given supply issues and the uptick in interest in gardening. Matthew talks about whether consumers need to adjust their expectations and their way of gardening and we end on how has the push to go peat-free is affecting gardeners and the trade too. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Aphids and Ecosystems This episode is brought to you by the team at LECHUZA, suppliers of self-watering pots and planters. LECHUZA brings decades of experience in state-of-the-art, precision manufacturing to bear on its stylish high-functionality range of planters. All LECHUZA products are designed in-house and manufactured in the same factory as the iconic Playmobil toys. The complete collection comes in a wide variety of traditional and trend-led colours and shapes and are highly reliable for use both indoors and outdoors. The integrated soil irrigation system ensures that the plant receives the perfect amount of water for optimal growth. Thanks to a reservoir that always holds enough water and is controlled by a water level indicator, dried out or overwatered root bales are a thing of the past. Find out more by visiting www.lechuza.co.uk Whether a gardener or working in the horticultural trade, this episode is relevant, covering Brexit, the pandemic, plant supplies, the popularity of gardening and how the push to go peat-free is affecting gardeners and the trade too. Matthew, Editor of Horticulture Week & host of the Horticulture Week podcast, gives an overview. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Aphids and Ecosystems This episode is brought to you by the team at LECHUZA, suppliers of self-watering pots and planters. www.lechuza.co.uk Links www.hortweek.com Horticulture Week Podcast

This week I'm speaking to smallholder and YouTuber Liz Zorab. Liz has been documenting her growing efforts, firstly via a blog and then via her hugely popular YouTube channel. She's recently written Grounded: A Gardener's Journey to Abundance and Self-Sufficiency in which she talks about setting up at a new site in Wales and how her gardening journey went hand in hand with her journey from ill-health to relative wellness. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Black Garden Ants This episode is brought to you by the team at LECHUZA, suppliers of self-watering pots and planters. LECHUZA brings decades of experience in state-of-the-art, precision manufacturing to bear on its stylish high-functionality range of planters. All LECHUZA products are designed in-house and manufactured in the same factory as the iconic Playmobil toys. The complete collection comes in a wide variety of traditional and trend-led colours and shapes and are highly reliable for use both indoors and outdoors. The integrated soil irrigation system ensures that the plant receives the perfect amount of water for optimal growth. Thanks to a reservoir that always holds enough water and is controlled by a water level indicator, dried out or overwatered root bales are a thing of the past. Find out more by visiting www.lechuza.co.uk About Liz Zorab "Liz works full time on the homestead and as a content creator in various media. Her love of gardening started as a small child, but blossomed when she left home. In her own garden, she found joy in propagating plants and growing food for her family. At her happiest when pottering in the garden, Liz now manages the half acre fruit and vegetable gardens and food forest at Byther Farm. Liz is available for talks and presentations about gardening, growing for food security and self-sufficiency." http://bytherfarm.com/about/ Links Byther Farm YouTube channel www.bytherfarm.com

This episode, I'm speaking to Canadian gardening superstar Niki Jabbour. Niki is a gardener and author of 3 books, including 'Growing Under Cover', which is the most comprehensive guide to using crop covers in your vegetable garden. It's based on Niki's first-hand, decades long research into successfully growing food 365 days a year in the challenging climate of Nova Scotia and what she doesn't know about using covers to protect crops, prolong the season and cheat the weather, you could write on the back of a stamp and still have room to lick it. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Doodlebugs and Billy Witches This episode is brought to you by new green-tech company Harvst. The company's recently launched smart web-connected 'mini greenhouses' are designed to help people grow more at home, with less effort and minimal space. Choose between The Yard and The Terrace; both are simply popped directly on the ground or patio, they're self-watering, climate controlled, space efficient and enable you to grow your own produce without the need to tend every day. So whether you're a budding beginner or a seasoned pro, visit www.harvst.co.uk and take advantage of a 5% discount on all 4 seasons and eco Mini Greenhouse orders from now until the end of July. Simply enter the code mentioned in the episode at the checkout. About Nikki Jabbour Niki Jabbour is the award-winning author of four books – The Year Round Vegetable Gardener (2012 American Horticultural Society Book Award), Groundbreaking Food Gardens: 73 Plans That Will Change the Way You Grow Your Garden, Veggie Garden Remix: 224 New Plants to Shake Up Your Garden and Add Variety, Flavor, and Fun (Winner of the 2019 American Horticultural Society Book Award, Winner of the Gold Book Award from GardenComm, and winner of the 2019 Silver Award from Taste Canada), and Growing Under Cover: Techniques for a More Productive, Weather-Resistant, Pest-Free Vegetable Garden. She also writes for magazines like Fine Gardening, Horticulture, and Birds & Blooms. Niki is an in-demand speaker, offering seminars and keynotes at events, shows, societies, and greenhouses across North America such as the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, The Dow Gardens, The Philadelphia Flower Show, The Boston Flower Show, and Canada Blooms. Since 2006, Niki has hosted and executive produced her popular radio show, The Weekend Gardener which airs on News 95.7 FM in Halifax as well as online. For her broadcasting work, Niki won the 2015 Gold Award from GardenComm as 'Best On-Air Talent'. Niki is very active on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and you can find her gardening videos on Youtube. When she's not writing, speaking, or broadcasting about food gardening Niki is harvesting year-round from her twenty raised bed vegetable garden in Halifax, Nova Scotia which is filled with an eclectic mixture of popular vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans, as well as unique heirloom varieties, and crops from around the world like cucamelons, snake gourds, and za'atar. https://savvygardening.com/about-us/ Links www.savvygardening.com Growing Under Cover by Niki Jabbour - Storey Publishing, 2021

This week's episode is a little bit different as it's a recording of me chatting to Daniel Fuller on the brilliant Plants Grow Here podcast. Although we may be geographically antipodean, there are a lot of similarities between Roots and All and Plants Grow Here, as Daniel and I both cover a wide range of horticultural topics, including those on the fringe and we both love a bit of geeking out! Join us as we dive into the world of podcasting and gardening. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Garden snails This episode is brought to you by new green-tech company Harvst. The company's recently launched smart web-connected 'mini greenhouses' are designed to help people grow more at home, with less effort and minimal space. Choose between The Yard and The Terrace; both are simply popped directly on the ground or patio, they're self-watering, climate controlled, space efficient and enable you to grow your own produce without the need to tend every day. So whether you're a budding beginner or a seasoned pro, visit www.harvst.co.uk and take advantage of a 5% discount on all 4 seasons and eco Mini Greenhouse orders from now until the end of July. Simply use the code mentioned in the episode. About Daniel Fuller Daniel is the primary host on the Plants Grow Here Podcast and content writer. Currently based in St. Kilda, Melbourne, he has been working in the horticultural maintenance field for 8 years, leading crews for most of this time. The idea of Plants Grow Here was born from his desire to learn more from people who have specialised knowledge and a passion for what they do. Links www.plantsgrowhere.com Plants Grow Here Podcast