Bunny in the Garden with someone special, someone who is well known for something other than their green fingers but who is also a mustard keen gardener. Bunny Guinness discover a range of guests through their garden, why, how and when they garden, the best tips they’ve learnt and their gardening style and approach.
21: Guy Singh-Watson
May 17, 2024
Show notes
In this episode Bunny chats to Guy Singh-Watson, who set up Riverford. Guy graduated from Oxford with a first class degree in Agriculture and Forestry despite being severely dyslexic, following a brief period working in New York as a management consultant he returned to his Devon roots and started growing veg on a 3 acre plot with a wheel barrow and tractor. He built this into a business with an £11million pound turnover in 2022. He is now starting to create a garden adjacent to the sea – Derek Jarmen style but with a few raised beds to grow -you’ve guessed it- veg. Guy gives advice about growing veg, and tells Bunny about his extraordinary life. #riverford #bunnyguinnesspodcast
20: Plum Sykes
May 10, 2024
Show notesThis week Bunny chats to Plum Sykes in her garden, in Gloucestershire. Christened Victoria but nicknamed Plum, she grew up with parents who had an extravagant lifestyle, mixing in high society circles, but with little money. Graduating from Oxford, Plum went to work for Vogue in the States. A successful novelist Plum is about to launch her latest book ‘Wives Like Us’ a satire based on the Chipping Norton set. Even before the release of the book, locals are guessing who exactly the main characters portrayed are based on! The hugely popular character, Shelby Fairfax is a Landscape Architect and Plum explains why she made this choice. Plum’s own garden is stylishly simple, and she talks about why it suits her, her favourite plants, whether she is a socialite and how she developed her fashion style on arriving in the Vogue offices.
19: Georgia Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort
May 03, 2024
Show notes
Today Bunny Guinness is in the gardens of Badminton House, with Her Grace, The Duchess of Beaufort. In this episode Bunny talks to Georgia, Duchess of Beaufort, about the gardens. Hear about the stunning tulip planting Georgia has been in charge of, to give the garden more spring appeal. Georgia Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort, married Henry Somerset, 12th Duke of Beaufort in 2018. Georgia is the grand daughter of the novelist Anthony Powell, she studied classics at Oxford University, before becoming a columnist and obituarist for The Daily Telegraph. Georgia, a keen gardener, is cataloguing the plants in the amazing gardens of Badminton House. There are many as Mary, Duchess of Beaufort, was one of Britain’s earliest distinguished women gardeners. Mary got into horticulture as she was trying to find a plant to ease her melancholy. She then began seriously collecting plants from many countries in the 1690’s, introducing more than 1500 plants, including Pelargonium zonale. Mary Somerset commissioned Everad Kickius to illustrate her choice exotics, and these are in her two volume florilegium which is still in the library at Badminton. Georgia is arranging for high quality prints to be made of a selection of these, so that they can be more widely appreciated. These fine gardens have been enhanced by a range of designers, including Charles Bridgeman, Capability Brown, Russell Page, and François Goffinet. Georgia’s husband’s mother, Caroline, was a keen and knowledgeable gardener, as is his step mother, Miranda, both who have put their stamp on the stunning gardens. In addition, the Badminton Estate are now working with the Royal Horticultural Society to create a new flower show in the historic grounds of the house in 2026, alternating with RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival which will become a biennial event in two years. To see what the garden looks like, Bunny Guinness’s YouTube ‘How the new Duchess of Beaufort is shining a light on the gardens of Badminton House.’ Is up now… For more episodes like this please subscribe.
18: Jimmy & Michaela Doherty
Apr 26, 2024
Show notes
Today Bunny Guinness is in the garden with Jimmy and Michaela Doherty, who set up Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, some 20 years ago. Jimmy and Michaela took on an almost derelict farm that had laid empty for 50 years, and it is now a humming, go to place with an ever increasing range of animals from Polar bears (in the worlds largest polar bear enclosure), to wolves, and rare breed pigs, cattle and sheep. Michaela’s grandmother was one of the first female students at Wisley. Her father was in the Ghurkas, and made beautiful gardens where ever he was sent. These influences are entrenched in Michaela’s DNA. She has created gorgeous gardens, and a beautiful natural looking landscape that surround and shelter the old Suffolk farm, bedding in the animals and buildings to the countryside in an idyllic fashion. Bunny took Michaela and Jimmy a huge decorative outdoor thermometer - from The Worm that Turned - that is a thoroughly useful guide for any gardener. https://www.worm.co.uk
17: Nicky Haslam
Apr 18, 2024
Show notesIn this episode Bunny Guinness is chatting to Nicky Haslam, the celebrated interior designer, in his garden. Nicky has led a rich life from breeding and showing Arabian horses in Arizona, to being a photographer, gossip columnist, author and a contributor to Tatler and working on British Vogue. He also ran his Nicholas Haslam shop in London. The ‘Nicky Haslam Tea towel’, which he regularly produces lists things Nicky finds ‘common’ and always causes a stir! Nicky has also collaborated on many garden designs and describes his approach to garden design and where he sources items and how he adores making things for his designs.
16: Julia Samuel
Apr 12, 2024
Show notesJulia is a well known psychotherapist, author of the best seller ‘Grief Works’, and she has a podcast ‘Therapy Works’. She is Godmother to Prince George, and was a close friend of the Late Princess Diana. Julia discusses her upbringing and how she got into psychotherapy via Interior Design. In this episode Julia discusses her upbringing and how she got into psychotherapy via Interior Design.She talks about her garden, which was originally laid out by Lutyens and Jekyll, and how she enjoys it at every season of the year. Additionally, she explains the importance of outside spaces especially when you are affected by trauma and grief. Bunny took Julia a gift box of beautiful products from Bertioli by Thyme, containing their hand & body lotion, hand & body wash, their 3-in-1 shampoo bar, a large double wick candle, and best of all their breathing balm. All of which are in their comforting Water Meadow fragrance, inspired by their water meadows at home in Southrop. Bertioli.co.uk.
15: Robert Pavlis
Apr 05, 2024
Show notes
Robert Pavlis is a chemist and biochemist by training but in his ‘semi-retirement’ he has researched many garden topics approaching them from a scientific point of view and as a result has written two books on ‘Garden Myths’ where he debunks common misconceptions that gardeners adopt. He lives in Guelph, Ontario, and gardens at his six-acre home called Aspen Grove Gardens. He has published a handful of books and maintains two websites, gardenmyths.com and gardenfundamentals.com. His latest book comes out in Autumn (Fall) 2024 ‘Food science for Gardeners - Grow Harvest and Prepare Nutrient Dense Food’, the first book on this subject. Bunny chats to Robert about his garden, how he researches for his books and the exciting new information he has found for his new book. Robert is an award winning author of several books, Building Natural Ponds, Soil Science for Gardeners, Plant Science for Gardeners, Compost Science for Gardeners, Microbe Science for Gardeners and Garden Myths and publishes the popular gardening blog; GardenMyths.com and a YouTube Channel; Garden Fundamentals.
14: Chris Baines
Mar 28, 2024
Show notes
n this episode Bunny is in the garden with Chris Baines. Chris made the first wildlife garden at Chelsea in 1985 and was one of the first Countryfile presenters. His best seller, ‘How to Make a Wildlife Garden’ came out in 1985, and has been in print continually since then. Bunny first met Chris when he interviewed her for the Landscape Architecture post grad diploma, and he made a big impression on her. Chris explains his environmental work which includes consulting on many huge projects such as being chair of the independent advisory group for National Grid New Electricity Infrastructure program and he is on Thames Tideway Tunnel ecological advisory panel plus numerous other roles. Chris was one of the first Landscape Architects to highlight the importance of creating areas in domestic gardens as habitats for wildlife. #wildlife #squirrel
13: Dr Clare Bailey
Mar 22, 2024
Show notes
Listen to Bunny’s chat to Clare Bailey, wife of Dr Michael Mosley, who has just got back from doing a theatre tour with her husband called Eat (well), Sleep (well), Live (Longer). It was such a success they are now planning one in Australia where their influence has really gathered momentum. They are used to travel, Clare was two weeks down the Amazon working in a remote spot when Michael surprised her by tracking her down and proposed to her. Clare gives great tips for healthy eating, and explains why fast diets and loosing weight quickly is - contra to popular belief - a great way to shed excess rapidly AND keep it off. The faster you loose way the more likely you are to keep it off. Clare explains how game changing fasting can be to help cure over weight patients to cure diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, inflammation, fatty liver, protect joints and other chronic diseases which were thought to be incurable. Clare explains why Ultra processed food leaves people hungry and so we eat more and why high protein diets are good to make you feel full for longer. Bunny and Clare chat about the lesser known benefits of gardening. Gardening makes you produce a hormone, BDNF, which makes your neurons function more efficiently and also a chemical called VEGF, boosts the blood supply to brain cells. Clare is a keen gardener, she loves mixing veg in her borders and grows lots of herbs too. She is just about to launch a new book including recipes for family favourites such as brownies, cheesecakes and crumbles to healthy cupcakes, scones and bite-size muffins, The Fast 800 Treats Recipe Book includes sweet treats and savoury snacks that won't send your blood sugars soaring. #clarebailey #fastdiet
12: Shane Connolly
Mar 15, 2024
Show notes
In this episode Bunny chats to top florist Shane Connolly. Shane is a top international florist and has a clutch of Royal Warrants having done the flowers for The King and Queen’s wedding, The (current) Prince and Princess of Wales’s wedding, and King Charles’s coronation. Shane shares his views on his approach to arranging, choosing and conditioning flowers, how he is anti trends, how possibly his psychology degree helps him deal with over anxious brides as well as his love of gardens and plants. See Shane's studio and adjacent small growing space and get more hints on Bunny's YouTube video. #shaneconnolly #flowers
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