Stay ConnectedIn conversation with garden people — designers, florists, growers, naturalists, chefs, artists and more — about how gardens have shaped their lives and inform their work today. Seasonal tips, expert recommendations, and lots and lots of plants.
https://www.violetearstudio.com/episodes
Copyright: © Copyright 2021 Violetear Studio
My guest today is Ngoc Minh Ngo, a photographer and author based in New York City. Her work is an immersive exploration of the beauty of plants and nature, enveloping and other worldly. I always feel I am being drawn into a more three-dimensional space. It is an almost tactile experience as the garden wraps around you and where you can disappear into the page. No matter what she captures, it often seems as though I am looking at my own memory of a space or plant, whether or not I have seen it before. Her creative expression stretches not only through different gardens and subjects – this year alone she photographed gorgeous books by Gabriela Salazar and Umberto Pasti, and authored one on the green spaces of New York to be released next month – she also experiments with other media. I can see how these practices, along with her own garden, give her a deeper understanding of her subjects and allow her to reveal their beauty and essential nature. I am so grateful to have her work to transport and inspire me, and to share this conversation with you. Thank you for listening!
Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
Ngoc’s IG
Ngoc’s books:
New York Green - coming May 23, 2023
Artistry of Flowers: Floral Design by La Musa de Las Flores by Gabriela Salazar
The House of a Lifetime: A Collector’s Journey in Tangier by Umberto Pasti
Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan
Can you name a garden dweller who is ecologically obsessed, a little punk rock, and creates spaces for plants, pollinators and people in equal measure? Why that would be the next guest on the Garden People podcast, Rebecca McMackin! Link to listen in the bio or find us wherever you catch your podcasts.
Rebecca @oroeoboeococoao is an ecological gardener, a Loeb Fellow with the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and former Director of Horticulture for Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP) in New York. She writes, lectures, and teaches on ecological landscape management and pollination ecology. In these spheres, she brings an infectious enthusiasm alongside an abiding commitment to ecological vitality and urban biodiversity.
As part of NYC Parks Rebecca was the head gardener at historic Washington Square Park, where she deftly maintained displays and occasionally was called on to coax a reveler down from an English Elm. At BBP, Rebecca managed 85 acres of diverse parkland organically, creating a habitat that was welcoming to New Yorkers, birds, butterflies, and soil microorganisms. She migrated to Cambridge after being awarded the Loeb Fellowship, where she currently studies ecological design and science communication.
Rebecca understands plants and their pollinators, but she also understands people and how we can best invite them into the garden. This is helped by her exceptional ability to synthesis and share important information about our world. Her newsletter is an indispensable part of my learning, a go-to for a roundup of important articles and ideas, all framed by her optimism, humor, and seriousness of purpose. This interview was recorded in the last weeks of her Directorship at BBP, and it was a pleasure to speak with her at this time of transition.
Thank you for listening!
S H O W N O T E S
Rebecca’s IG @oroeoboeococoao
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center - Wildflower.org
My guest is Lucy Hunter, a multi-hyphenate if there ever was one: creative director, garden designer, floral artist, stylist, photographer, teacher, author, botanical dyer…the list goes on. Based in North Wales in the UK, Lucy is, at root, a restless creative who is always adding to her list of projects and modes of expression. She shows us how useless labels can be in a creative life, and how generous our output becomes when we do away with them. Her book, The Flower Hunter: Seasonal Flowers Inspired by Nature and Gathered from the Garden, was published in November of 2021.
I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop with Lucy, Gabriela Salazar, and Max Gill this past March, and saw first-hand her creative force at play. From design notes to photography demonstrations, her energy and engagement with attendees and their work was simply amazing. I’m so happy to welcome her here today.
Lucy will have another whirlwind tour of workshops in the coming months, including one in October with TJ McGrath in New Jersey. Next year, she will return to New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and New Orleans in March, and Provence in April. You can receive up-to-date information on dates and registration on her website and IG. Links in the show notes, below.
Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
Lucy’s book: The Flower Hunter: Seasonal flowers inspired by nature and gathered from the garden
Carol’s Garden (Featured in Lucy’s book)
Jackdaws eating buxus caterpillars
Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Interiors: My Rooms, Treasures, and Trinkets
Gabriela Salazar La MUSA de las FLORES
Wilding: Returning nature to our farm by Isabella Tree
From Seed to Bloom, Milli Proust
P L A N T L I S T
Roses
Daisies
Poppies
Rudbeckia
Buxus
My guest today is Jennifer Jewell, gardener, author, and the host of Cultivating Place, a co-production & podcast of North State Public Radio, which is syndicated across the United States and available as a podcast worldwide. For listeners of a garden podcast in North America, much less one produced in Northern California on indigenous land, Jennifer probably needs no introduction. In many ways she has shaped a corner of garden culture and literacy, introducing listeners to gardeners across the globe and the remarkable beings in their own backyard.
Her interviews and writing are focused on the importance of the person and place in the garden -- considering the land, its history, and culture, and always moving toward a more sustainable, inclusive whole. I am always inspired by her unwavering faith in gardeners, and the belief that we can meet the incredible challenges of our current time with community, care, and an embrace of the interconnectedness of our natural world.
Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
Arrabella Lennox Boyd (and her wonderful new book)
Anna Pavord, The Tulip (and her most recent: The Seasonal Gardener: Creative Planting Combinations)
Vandana Shiva (two favorites: Who Really Feeds the World? and Stolen Harvest)
Claire Cooper Marcus (a favorite book: Therapeutic Landscapes)
Debra Prinzing, Slow Flower Society
P L A N T L I S T
Salvia
Manzanita - Arctostaphylos edmudsii Big Sur Manzanita
Nasturtium
Iceberg roses
Native Eryngium aristulatum
Buckwheats - Eriogonum
Geum – (local native is Eeum triflorum)
Marigold
Deer Grass - Muhlenbergia rigens
Purple sage - Salvia leucophylla
Today I welcome Amanda Luu and Mia Westphal of Studio Mondine, a floral design studio based in San Francisco, California, to the Garden People podcast. Mondine’s work is multifaceted and always a reflection of the group’s deep appreciation of the natural world. Whether it’s finding inspiration for a bridal bouquet in the weeds growing around the wedding venue or puzzling through ways to make travel to that venue the most environmentally sustainable, the team works with admirable care and infectious joy. They lead by example and educate through beauty, and they might just invite you to eat the centerpiece. Listen in to hear them discuss sustainable floristry and seeking inspiration from nature.
Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio
S H O W N O T E S
Ikebana Unbound (by Amanda and co-founder Ivanka Matsuba)
Garden People episode with Hanna Brannan of Gather Flora
Lauri Kranz, her book A Garden Can Be Anywhere: A Guide to Growing Bountiful, Beautiful, Edible Gardens
P L A N T L I S T
Jasmine
Tulips
Peonies
Mushrooms
Today I welcome floral artist and flower friend and mentor, Sarah Statham of Simply by Arrangement. Whether writing from her corner of Yorkshire, England, or gardens farther afield, she is forever seeking light and the perfect pebble, and always celebrating color, form, and seasonality.
Her role as an educator extends beyond the vase, providing invaluable business advice through one to one conversations with numerous flower fettlers, both seasoned and new.
As much as I rely on her rock steady advice, it is her humor, love of learning, and keen sense of observation that I admire most. Perhaps it is due to the many roles she has held in her own life, but her ability to see and share stories is one of her greatest gifts. And since most of you will know her way with a bowl and a tulip or two, you’ll agree there are few in the same league.
Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
Rachel, Yorkshire Flower Patch
Sue Stuart Smith, The Well Gardened Mind: Restorative Power of Nature
The Business of Selling Flowers (Claire Brown, Paula Baxter, Carol Siddorn) - Scholarship Program
P L A N T L I S T
Grand Prix Roses
Clematis
Fritillary
My guest is Jane Scotter, a biodynamic farmer and author and the force behind Fern Verrow in Herefordshire in the West Midlands of England. Jane has been a huge inspiration for me and countless growers and gardeners. Her passion, drive, and love for her land are evident in each crate of castelfranco. In addition to her cookbook, Jane’s relationship with Skye Gyngell and Spring restaurant shows the wonderful partnership between plot and plate, and the artistry involved in the growing and making of meals. The gorgeous products of her work also make one of the most compelling arguments for how care for our earth and where our food comes from can be life affirming in addition to being life-saving.
From favorite tulips to the best days for cultivation, you'll hear about Jane's dynamic relationship with the growing season, which is always imbued with beauty and a celebration of taste.
Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio
S H O W N O T E S
Maria Thun calendar / Thun app
P L A N T L I S T
Tulip Bown sugar
Tulip Red impression
Castelfranco
My guest is Marryn Mathis, a flower farmer and educator running a small family flower farm in Stanwood Washington. A few years ago Marryn left her corporate job for a life of flowers and has never looked back. To hear Marryn’s approach, it seems like she can always do more, whether that’s planting 13,000 sweet peas to 10,000 sunflowers. This past spring she also fielded 46,000 online visitors to her dahlia tuber sale. It speaks to her boundless energy and enthusiasm for what she does, and the joy she takes in sharing flowers with her community. What I am struck by, though, is how thoughtful she is about what she spends her time on – she is constantly reconsidering and reshaping her work, which then allows her to put her whole heart into the farm and its many wonderful projects. Whether it’s a wall of sweet peas or a rainbow row of dahlias, you’re sure to be inspired.
Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
P L A N T L I S T
Chocolate lace flower
Sunflowers
Cress
Sweet peas:
Vicks
Blue shift
Emma
Windsor
Apricot queen
Old Times
Clementine kiss
Susan Burgess
Kings ransom
Betty White
Deborah Devonshire
My guest today is Bex Partridge, the floral artist and gardener Botanical Tales based in Devon, England. Bex creates sustainable designs, displays and installations using dried flowers, also known as everlastings. Her work celebrates nature and the shifts of the seasons, drawing attention to flowers in each stage of their existence. Her ethereal displays and designs create a sense of wonder in the observer, and bespeak certain magic. Learning from her – whether through her workshops, books, or Patreon community – will change the way you see the garden. Her most recent book, Flowers Forever, is available this month in the UK, and at the end of June in the USA. Please see the links below for order'/preorder information.
Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
Bex’s most recent book “Flowers Forever: Sustainable dried flowers, the artists way,” available early June in the UK and June 28 in the USA.
Also see: Everlastings: How to Grow, Harvest and Create with Dried Flowers
Charles Dowding no dig, No till from Love ‘n Fresh Flowers
Oudolf Field - Hauser and Wirth
P L A N T L I S T
Tulipa ssp.
Oxeye daisies Leucanthemum vulgare
Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris
Forget-me-nots Myosotis ssp.
Strawflowers Xerochrysum bracteatum
Helichrysum ssp.
Statice Limonium sinuatum
Dahlias Dahlia pinnata
My guest today is the incredible Melissa Goldstein, a ceramic artist based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work – hand thrown and painted with a cobalt stain and the occasional metallic splatter – is inspired by 17th century German and Japanese botanical illustration, and draws on numerical calligraphy, botanical drawings, and ornithology.
Every piece is absolutely exquisite: from platter to vase, the flowers seem to grow, the birds careen midflight. The details speak to a life of close observation and deep immersion in art and the world as a garden.
My guest today is Melissa Goldstein, a ceramic artist I have long admired. Melissa is based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work – hand thrown and painted with a cobalt stain and the occasional metallic splatter – is inspired by 17th century German and Japanese botanical illustration, and draws on numerical calligraphy, botanical drawings, and ornithology. Her pieces are absolutely exquisite: from platter to vase, the flowers seem to grow, the birds captured midflight. They speak to a life of close observation and deep immersion in art and the world as a garden.
If you are in New York, please make your way to Fox Fodder Farm to see more of the vases we discuss. You can buy Melissa’s pieces in all their forms at the lovely E-E Home, or on her website, Mg by hand.
Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
P L A N T L I S T
Flowering quince - Chaenomeles speciosa
Lady tulip - Tulipa clusiana
Snake’s head fritillary, checkered fritillary - Fritillaria meleagris
Persian lily - Fritillaria persica
My guest is Cel Robertson, author and owner of Forever Green Flower Co. an artisan flower farm in North Norfolk, England, growing garden gathered blooms for sale to florists and flower lovers. Cel’s commitment to sustainability and her steadfast conviction in the power of collective actions to create necessary change make her a persuasive champion of locally grown flowers. As an educator she manages to twine the beauty of the field to the necessity of spreadsheets, ensuring that growing ventures can become stable businesses. Her new book with Bloom Magazine is out now, a wonderful guide to growing cut flowers that is packed with Cel’s grace and wisdom.
Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
How to go peat free plus alternatives, UK resource list, US resource list
No Dig (Charles Dowding) / No Till Flower Farming (Love n’ Fresh Flowers)
Floret’s how-to on using horticultural fabric for weed suppression
Soil testing: USA lab services, UK RHS services, at home tests
P L A N T L I S T
Japanese Maple Acer japonica ideas
It is a pleasure to welcome Lauren Elizabeth Palmer, Founder and Principal Designer at The Wild Mother Creative Studio. Lauren, along with her sisters Leah and Callie, are based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where they offer incredible floral design as well as in-person and online education. Their art is informed by their Afro-indigenous heritage, and reflects their reverence for the natural world, drawing together the threads of the past and present, beauty and activism, to tell the stories of today. The care they take with their materials imbues their creations with passion and true joy.
2022 is the second year of the “Send Flowers To” campaign, through which the Wild Mother creates floral art installments to honor, draw attention to, and heal intergenerational community trauma. This year, the campaign highlights Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, or MMIW, and involves an installation at the First American’s Museum in Oklahoma City from May 7th to May 9th. Please follow the links in the show notes or at thewildmother.com to learn more and contribute to this important cause.
Garden People podcast, from @violetear_studio
S H O W N O T E S
Lauren and her sisters - The Wild Mother Creative Studio
#SendFlowersTo for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW)
Tulsa Greenwood Massacre - the subject of #SendFlowersTo for 2021
P L A N T L I S T
California Lilac, Ceanothus ssp. - Ceanothus thyrsiflorus ‘Blueblossom’
Sweet grass, Hierochloe odorata, and some of its uses
Coneflower, Echinacea, as medicinal plant
Olive leaf, Nestronia umbellula Raf.
Sweetheart rose, Champagne
Helleborus, Lenten Rose
Tweedia, Oxypetalum coeruleum
Limelight Hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’
PeeGee Hydrangea, H. paniculata
My guest is Clare Foster, the Garden Editor at House & Garden magazine in the UK. Clare is the author of numerous books, including the gorgeous Winter Gardens with photographer Andrew Montgomery.
Clare’s writing is such a pleasure to read and she has brought me closer to some of my favorite plants and gardens. Join us to hear about Clare’s career as a garden writer and her development as a gardener, as well as some of the principles at play in her own garden, which is an inspiring example of low(ish) input, high reward design from a gardener who has access to some of the most beautiful spaces and guides in the world.
** The first printing of Winter Gardens sold out quickly and a reprint has been ordered, which Clare and Andrew hope to make available by late summer. You can find links in the show notes to follow them for ordering information.**
Garden People podcast, from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
Rosie Atkins, book edited by Rosie on gardener profiles
Winter Gardens published with photographer Andrew Montgomery
Clare’s Compost book
Clare’s book The Flower Garden: How to Grow Flowers from Seed, in collaboration with photographer Sabina Rüber
Andrew Montgomery’s Petersham book
Ouldof’s Designing with Plants book
P L A N T L I S T
Myosotis perennial Forget-me-not
Lunaria annua - honesty ‘corfu blue’
Ammi majus - ‘False Queen Anne’s Lace’
CynoglossumChinese forget-me-not mystery lavender
Agastache aurantiaca, ‘Navajo Sunset’
Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
Aster umbulatas- flat topped aster
Symphyotrichum turbinellum (smooth violet prairie aster)
Dusty pink Campanula lactiflora from Clare’s garden - Campanula Loddon Anna
Clare’s granny’s shrub Clerodendrum trichotomum
My guest is Amanda Vidmar, floral artist of Amanda Vidmar Designs, and co-owner/designer at Francis & Frances in San Francisco, California. Amanda’s appreciation of place and the unique connection between a flower and its land are a through line in her arrangements, which draw from the stories of her clients and the surrounding environment. To hear her tell the story of her work, each step has, in retrospect, been the right one. As if the road has risen up to meet her, matching her own openness and generosity of spirit.
Garden People podcast, from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
Frances & Francis (co-owned with Mikenzie Francis Salvucci)
Joanna Letz, Bluma Farm
Hannah Brannan, Gather Flora
William Eggleston – Flowers
Bernal Heights neighborhood in San Francisco
P L A N T L I S T
Clematis Clematis lanuginosa 'Candida'
Lilac Syringa vulgaris
Daphne Daphne
Heuchera Heuchera
Pee Gee Hydrangea - Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora'
Rain Tree - Koelreuteria paniculata
Paper whites - Narcissus papyraceus
Koko Loco Rose - floribunda
Queen Elizabeth Rose - floribunda
Double Delight Rose - hybrid tea
Rose geranium Pelargonium graveolens
My guest is Alison Jenkins of Damson Farm in Somerset, England. Alison trained as a garden designer before making her small holding of Damson Farm into a resource for learning about the interrelationship of gardens and the natural world. The workshops that she offers at the farm focus on observing and supporting natural ecosystems, creating gardens which function ecologically and look beautiful, too. The garden is often a place of solace in difficult times. I think Alison’s work shows us the comfort that can be found working with nature, as well as a way forward in our efforts to bring peace and healing to the earth.
Garden People podcast, from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
The English Gardening School at the Chelsea Physic Garden
Gardens Illustrated profile of Damson Farm
Fergus Garrett, Great Dixter House & Garden
Robert McFarlane (some of my favorites are The Lost Words and Underland)
Braiding Sweetgrass – Robin Wall Kimmerer
Oxford Real Farming Conference
Amelanchier essay by Robin Wald Kimmerer: The Serviceberry, An Economy of Abundance
P L A N T L I S T
Lemon cucumbers or cucumber melons?
Amalanchier
Damson
Dog Rose, Rosa canina
Wild Plum, Prunus Americana
Crab Apples Malus
Currants (black currant, Ribes nigrum; red currant, Ribes rubrum)
Worcesterberry Ribes divaricatum
Edible honey suckle Lonicera caerulea
Perennial Sorrel Rumex acetosa
Alpine strawberries Fragaria vesca
My guest this week is Joanna Game, a grower and floral artist based in Devon, England. Joanna’s arrangements have a sort of cultivated wildness, reflecting both her garden and her forages from the surrounding countryside. She discusses her development as an artist, her next steps after pulling back from wedding design, and how she blurs the boundary between nature and maker.
Garden People podcast, from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
** Tips on responsible foraging**
Dan Pearson, Dan Pearson Studio
Sarah Ryhanen – Saipua, World’s End Farm
Brigitte Girling, Moss and Stone
Bex Partridge, Botanical Tales
P L A N T L I S T
Yellow rattle, Rhinanthus minor
Meadow buttercup, Ranunculus acris
Camassia, Camassia quamash
Campion Lychnis coronaria
Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris
Spindle berry, Euonymus europaeus
This week I welcome Tiffany Jones of Blomma Flower Farm (@blommaflowerfarm) to the show. Tiffany is a grower in San Clemente, California and is building new farm in Nevada where she’ll be focusing on her passion, Zinnia breeding and seed development. We talk about her journey to flower farming, zinnia breeding, and her new book. A self-described plant nerd, Tiffany has poured her enviable energy and enthusiasm into researching and writing this publication, and I know you’ll join me in saying that I can’t wait for the finished product.
Garden People podcast, from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
Tiffany Jones, Blomma Flower Farm
Erin Benzakein, Floret Flower Farm
P L A N T L I S T
Gladiolus (Gladiolus hybridus)
Martha Washington Geranium (scented geranium) (Pelargonium x domesticum)
Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus), Chantilly variety
Key lime (Citrus × aurantiifolia)
Blood orange (Citrus × sinensis 'Blood orange')
Tangelo (Citrus × tangelo)
Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis)
Zinnias (Zinnia elegans) here, here, here
Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum x grandiflorum)
We welcome Emily Avenson of Fleuropean to the show! Originally from California, Emily grew into her role as a floral artist and instructor after her move to Belgium, where she lives and works today. Her arrangements are always exciting, with movement and use of color. She grows all the flowers used in her on-site classes and online workshop, and the delight she takes in the growing process is visible in each stem. Enjoy!
Garden People podcast, from @violetear_studio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
Susanne Hatwood, The Blue Carrot
Studio Choo (Garden People’s favorite books: The Flower Recipe Book and Branches and Blooms)
Dan Pearson: Studio, Create Academy Class (Garden People’s favorite books: Home Ground and Natural Selection)
Madison Hartley, Hart Floral Design
Kristen Albrecht, Santa Cruz Dahlias (Kristen’s Dahlia breeding book)
P L A N T L I S T
Sweet peas Lathyrus odoratus (see here, here, here)
Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus (see here)
Nigella Nigella damascena (see here and here)
Café au lait dahlia (see here and here)
Bearded iris Iris germanica (see everything at Schreiners Iris)
Ranunculus Ranunculus asiaticus (see, e.g., Cafe here and Black here)
Scabiosa Scabiosa japonica, S. caucasica, S. columbaria (see here and here)
Zinnias Zinnia elegans (see here, here, and Blomma Farm for breeding)
Petunias Petunia × atkinsiana Surfinia Group (here, here)
Beech tree Fagus grandifolia
Bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum
Soloman’s seal Polygonatum odoratum (here)
Asters perennial Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (here) and annual Chinese Aster Callistephus chinensis (here)
Chrysanthemums Chrysanthemum spp. (here)
Snowdrops Galanthus nivalis, G. elwesii, G. woronii (here)
Helebores Helleborus orientalis, H. niger (here)
Tulips Tulipa gesneriana (here)
Fritillaries see Fritillaria meleagris, F. persica, F. thunbergii, F. imperialis (here, here)
Daffodils Narcissus (here, here)
Heuchera H. americana, H. sanguinela and x Heuchera (here)
Jowey Joshua Dahlia (here and here)
Akita Dahlia (here)
Pompon Dahlia (here)
Icelandic poppies Papaver nudicaule (here)
Oaxacan Green corn (seeds here)
Golden raspberries (find here)
White currants (find here)
Hybrid Tea Roses: created by cross-breeding hybrid perpetuals with tea roses, they are considered the oldest “modern” garden rose (see examples here and here)
This week we welcome Philippa Stewart, of Justdahlias, located in Cheshire, England. Philippa’s passion for Dahlias is infectious. She is an enthusiast first and foremost and turned her personal Dahlia obsession into a thriving business where she provides incredible blooms, both cut and dried, to florists and Dahlia lovers in the UK. Her commitment to supporting the natural ecosystems around her flowers is especially inspiring, producing gorgeous blooms in a way that is best for the bees and butterflies, too. Get ready for a dahlia masterclass.
L I S T E N
Garden People podcast, from @violetear_studio
S H O W N O T E S
Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival
Liquid seaweed (example here)
Epsom salts (example here)
Rosemary, peppermint, marigold essential oil mix (examples products)
No dig - a method of soil cultivation designed for minimal disturbance of the soil. See, e.g., Charles Dowding and No-till Flowers
Kristine Albrecht, @santacruzdalias - Book: Dahlia Breeding for the Farmer-Florist and the Home Gardener
Erin Benzakein, @floretflowers - Book: Floret Farms Discovering Dahlias: A Guide to Growing and Arranging Magnificent Blooms
The National Dahlia Society (and the US version: The American Dahlia Society!)
Andrew Vernon Book: Plant Lover’s Guide to Dahlias
Richard, Withypitts Dahlias
David Hall, Halls of Heddon
P L A N T L I S T
Dinnerplate Dahlias - a term describing any variety that produces large flowers measuring at least 8” across. See, e.g., Café au Lait and Belle of Barmera
Jean Fairs and Pink Gene Fairs
Collarette dahlias: Apple blossom, April Heather, Sunshine Girl
Mini-pompon: Gertla Twilight and Small world
Coral Strand
Stevie D (similar: Peaches n Cream)
Waterlily type, e.g., Gerrie Hoek
Anemone type, e.g., Platinum Blonde
Josudi Mercury, Andromeda, and Hercules
Barbarry D’amour, Drum, Pip, Vulcun (also: Jester, Sultan)
Rossendale series (Luke, Peach, Natasha, Flamenco)
Today we welcome Hannah Brannan of Gather Flora in the San Francisco Bay Area. Guided by the Slow Flower movement, Hannah created the Gather Flora web platform to connect local florists with regional growers. The site streamlines hundreds of orders between consumers and farmers, allowing for clear visibility into the seasonality, origins, and cultivations of each bloom. Her passion for flowers is the driving force behind the site, and her appreciation of the demands placed on farmers and florists is evident in everything Gather Flora does. Please contact them if you are interested in learning more about this kind of coordination in your region. I can’t wait to see how it grows!
@violetear_studio
@gatherflora
@gardenpeoplepodcast
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
The Flower & the B (now closed) (insta)
Sarah Reyes (owner, Wildflower and Fern and Unfurled)
San Francisco Flower Mart, manager Jeanne Bose, (read about the SFFM’s relocation)
Kelly Brown, Do Right Flower Farm (the Gather Flora Hub in Santa Cruz, CA)
Susan Kegley, Bees N Blooms Susan Kegley (the Gather Flora Hub in Petaluma, CA)
Seth Gowans, Side Kick Flowers
Sharla Flock, Sharla Flock Designs
Heidi Herrmann, Strong Arm Farm
Erin Benzakein, Floret Flowers
Debra Prinzing, Slow Flower Society
Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG)
Pilar Zuniga, Gorgeous and Green
Uprising Seeds (white cloud larkspur)
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
P L A N T L I S T
Lucospermum (Leucospermum spp.)
Button chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum morifolium)
Coral Amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus)
Caper Flower (Capparis spinosa)
Echium (Echium candicans)
Seaside Buckwheat (Eriogonum latifolium)
California Bush Anenome (Carpenteria californica)
California Lilacs (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus)
Lime Tree (Citrus aurantiifolia)
Bell Tree Dahlia (Dahlia imperialis)
Lunaria, honesty (Lunaria annua)
White Cloud Larkspur (Consolida regalis)
African Foxglove (Ceratotheca triloba)
Mallows (Malva ssp.)
Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)
Thistle (Cirsium ssp.)
Begonia (Begonia ssp.)
Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum ssp.)
Amaranth (Amaranthus ssp.)
Marigolds (Tagetes ssp.)
Statice (Limonium sinuatum)
Poppy pods (Papaver orientale)
Orach (Atriplex hortensis)
Larkspur (Delphinium consolida)
Craspedia, Billy balls (Craspedia globosa)
Xeranthemum (Xeranthemum annuum)
Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
Elaeagnus (Elaeagnus pungens)
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus ssp.)
Olive tree (Olea europaea)
Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis)
Art: @altavistastudio
We speak with Jane Slattery of @thewildpotager about her garden world in Newcastle in the north of England. Jane shares her pictures and words — poems really — on Instagram. She discusses favorite flowers, the ways she extends her season, planning for the bees, and what the garden has meant to her. She also shares her exciting new project, offering some lovely potager-infused items in her online shop.
Photos: @thewildpotager
Art: @altavistastudio
L I S T E N
S H O W N O T E S
P L A N T L I S T
Dahlias
Chamomile
Lavender
Agastache
Hyssop
Woodruff
Pineapple sage
Giant white scabious
Helebores
Coreopsis
Lemon Verbena
Borage
Calendula
Delphinium
Poppy
Nigella
Magnolia
Buddleia
Rosemary
Foxglove
Tulips
Garden writer, lecturer, and designer, Page Dickey, joins us from Connecticut to discuss her gardens past and present, the place where her children could always find her, and what she looks for in a garden.
S H O W N O T E S:
Uprooted: A Gardener Reflects on Beginning Again
May Sarton Journey of a Solitude
Art: @altavistastudio
Welcome to Garden People, hosted by Jill Sowards of Violetear Studio. Join us each season as we speak with your favorite garden people -- designers, florists, growers, naturalists, chefs, artists and more -- about how gardens have shaped their lives and inform their work today. With seasonal tips, expert recommendations, and lots and lots of plants.
To learn more, go to our website at violetearstudio.com. You’ll find episode information, our seasonal journal, class list, and seed offerings. Everything you need to start your own garden story.
Find us online:
www.violetearstudio.com
@violetear_studio
Artwork: www.katiecorman.com
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