Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

Over the past four or so years, experts from many fields have come together to record the biodiversity at Great Dixter and the results have been fascinating. Fergus shares some of the results of this biodiversity audit and talks about how important it is to establish a coherent network of habitats in both public and private spaces across the UK. About Fergus Garrett: Fergus trained in horticulture at Wye College. He worked for Rosemary Alexander and for Beth Chatto before becoming Head Gardener at Great Dixter in 1992. Fergus worked closely with Christopher Lloyd until Christopher's death in 2006. Since then he has become Chief Executive of the Great Dixter Charitable Trust. Fergus continues to work full-time in the garden alongside a dynamic team of gardeners and students. He also writes for many publications and lectures extensively across the world. In 2019, he was awarded the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour. What we talk about: The decision to commission the Biodiversity Audit of Great Dixter The findings of the audit Biodiversity hotspots How the ornamental areas compare to wilder areas such as the meadows and woodland Thoughts about how the research that's underway at Great Dixter can be developed and how it can beneficially inform the way we all garden The importance of preserving historic houses and gardens from a biodiversity perspective Links: Great Dixter House & Gardens www.greatdixter.co.uk Great Dixter Biodiversity Report 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

Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the podcast. This week I'm speaking to Richard Stubbs who currently works as the Trade Manager at David Austin but who's worked in pretty much every department there, including as the Head Gardener of the 2 acre show garden. Richard lectures, designs and advises all over the world and what he doesn't know about roses you can write on the back of a stamp and still have room to lick it. I asked him about which roses need pruning and which don't, when to do it, how to do it and how not to do it. Plus, I got some inside information on why you shouldn't leave the label on a rose when you plant it. About Richard Stubbs: "My interest in gardening stretches back to my childhood as my dad was very knowledgeable and worked in the trade for a number of years after the War. My original intention was to go to college when I left school but due to the poor economy at the time I found myself working for a bank !!! After nearly 15 years I found myself out of work and decided a change of career was the right way to go. As I lived in the village of Albrighton the local unemployment office suggested I went to see David Austin Roses to see if they would consider me under a special Government Scheme at the time. After a quick interview with Michael Marriott the then Nursery Manager I was taken on, on a temporary basis. My first job was to walk through a field full of 900,000 new plants picking up the tops of the rootstocks that had been chopped off to allow the actual varieties to grow on. I loved the place from day one and still do to this day, it's a family business and everyone who work there is treated very much as members of their family. I was very keen to learn and obtained a copy of Mr Austin's first book 'The Heritage of the Rose' which I found fascinating, and my passion for roses quickly grew. Over the years I have worked in almost all the departments, the breeding section, producing 100's of thousands of seedlings each year and helping them test possible new varieties for various attributes, the production department, growing the roses, lifting them from the fields and packing them up to send to our customers, and for many years the head gardener of the 2 acre show garden. The garden was my passion and I became almost obsessive about it trying to make sure it was kept to a very high standard (not easy with only one person to look after nearly 5000 roses of all different shapes and sizes). I loved working and listening to Mr Austin on a daily basis and the memories of this time will live for ever. After a short break to look after people's gardens in the area I started back at DAR but this time in the office, passing on my knowledge to our customers and processing orders. That was nearly 15 years ago now and I have had various positions in the offices including office manager. My main role now is to look after all our trade customers (apart from Garden Centres), so Local Councils, National Trust, large public estates, garden designers and landscapers. I am also responsible for staff technical training and one of my favourite jobs is designing rose gardens for either private or trade customers. These can range from a simple small border right up to very large park projects. Mostly it is just advising on what roses to plant where but sometimes you are given a completely blank canvas to work on and I always think it is a wonderful job to be able to create a beautiful rose garden for people to enjoy over many years from a blank space. I also visit gardens in the UK and abroad to advise and my favourite rose garden of all is a garden we created 10 years ago in Assisi Italy and I hold pruning courses there every February. I am very, very passionate about roses and love to share this passion with whoever is willing to listen !!! This is one of the main reason I started The Magnificent Rose group on Facebook along with my wife so people with the same passion could share their pictures and their knowledge with likeminded people all over the world. I also have my own photography page RICMAY PHOTOGRAPHY as I am a keen amateur and love taking flowers and landscapes with my DSLR." What we talk about: A brief overview of the various types of roses we might find in our gardens Roses that don't need pruning When to prune The key tenets of rose pruning aka the 3 D's. Different types of pruning for different types of roses What can go wrong? What would happen if you didn't prune your rose? Pruning hygiene and good practice Common mistakes Links: David Austin Roses www.davidaustinroses.co.uk Richard's Photography Site 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

The National Geographic published an article by Saul on December 9th titled "How to live with mega-fires? Portugal's feral forests may hold the secret", which provides an insight into what conditions are needed for mega-fires to occur, the effects they have on humans once they take hold and how we can, and indeed must, be responsible for curtailing these events in the future, however the way forward is not certain and will undoubtedly involve a large amount of individual responsibility. I began by asking Saul just how much of a problem forest fires are becoming across the globe. About Saul Elbein: Saul is a freelance journalist who writes non-fiction features for outlets such as The New York Times Magazine, the National Geographic and one that some listeners may be fans of, the radio program and podcast, This American Life. He writes articles about the environment and the complex and often tense relationship between people and the land. "Above all, my work is guided by one idea: the world is changing for all of us alike. Vast storm fronts sweep across it, bending down forests in their wake, shaking boulders from the mountains. We can see the outlines of faraway storms before they reach our homes. In my small way, as a Texan far from home, I try to chart these storms and find a logic in them." - Saul Elbein www.saulelbein.com What we talk about: Are forest fires getting worse globally? What areas are most at risk How more densely planted areas can actually be more susceptible to wildfires How have the ways communities are structured contributed to the problem? Do people realise the extent of the problem? What is being done to tackle the problem in Portugal and is it enough? What should/could be done? Is there a danger communities are waiting for someone in power to do something when we all need to take back management of our lands, which involves a cost to the individual, at least in terms of time? Is there a danger knowledge of land management is dying out? Links: Website: www.saulelbein.com National Geographic - How to live with mega-fires? Portugal's feral forests may hold the secret - by Saul Elbein Dec 9th 2019 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 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