Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 213: Weird & Wonderful Plants Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

Episode 212: Biological Controls Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

This week, my guest is Julian Ives, founder of Dragonfli Limited, a company specialising in taking biological controls which have been more commonly used in professional growing environments and bringing them to home gardeners. We talk about why these controls might be suitable for helping you manage your own garden, how and when you can apply them and why they might provide a useful long-term solution for those looking to avoid chemical deterrents.

About Julian Ives

Julian Ives is a Director of Dragonfli Ltd, a company he founded in 2010 with the aim of bringing biological pest control to the gardener.

Julian spent his early career advising professional growers on how to use biological pest control whilst working for Koppert Biological Systems, and now advises a number of leading botanical gardens in how to manage insects using biological controls.

Links

Gardener's Guide to Biological Pest Control: Using natural predators in the garden by Julian Ives - The Crowood Press Ltd, August 2022

Other episodes if you liked this one:

Probiotics for your Garden

Patreon Membership

Episode 211: How to Grow the Flowers Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome to this week's episode where I'm speaking with Marianne and Camilla, joint founders of Wolves Lane Flower Company. Marianne and Camilla are on a mission to inspire everyone to have a go at growing flowers and are part of a new wave of "farmer florists" putting the environment first.

Their new book 'How to Grow the Flowers' charts a year at Wolves Lane Flower Company and in easy to understand and digest fashion, shows you what to do and when to do it in order to create your own flower farm at any scale.

About Wolves Lane Flower Company

Camila Romain and Marianne Mogendorff are the founders of Wolves Lane Flower Company, a micro flower farm in north London. The duo is on a mission to inspire everyone to have a go at growing flowers and were earmarked as one of British Vogue's "most talented female gardeners" in 2020. They are part of a new wave of "farmer florists" putting the environment first.

Flowers are something we are irresistibly drawn to and turn to at the milestone moments of our lives, at births, marriages and deaths, to connect with an estranged friend, to send love or say we're sorry. They colour our most formative experiences and are our gateway to finding our own personal relationship with the planet we inhabit. No matter the size of your garden, 'How to Grow the Flowers' is a practical, but approachable guide that will instill the confidence in you to grow flowers to bring into your home and enjoy all year round.

Links

'How to Grow the Flowers' by Camila Romain and Marianne Mogendorff - HarperCollins, Sep 2022

Other episodes if you liked this one:

Growing Cut Flowers with Georgie Newbery of Common Farm Flowers

Alstroemerias with Ben Cross

Patreon Membership

Episode 210: Gardening in a Changing World Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

This week my guest is garden and landscape designer and writer, Darryl Moore. Darryl is one of the most, if not in my opinion, the most informed voice on gardens and design in the UK and his new book Gardening in A Changing World: People, Plants and the Climate Crisis presents an overarching perspective of the complexity of plant life, and the ways that we can begin to appreciate and work together with plants, rather than against them, in addressing the rapidly changing conditions affecting the planet.

About Darryl Moore

Darryl Moore is an award-winning garden and landscape designer and writer. He is Director and co-founder of the innovative urban landscape organisation Cityscapes, realising creative approaches to greening city spaces through novel design ideas that ensure ecological, economic and social sustainability. He is co-curator of thehub.earth. He sits on the Society of Garden Designers Council, and is a fellow of the RSA. His most recent award was for the St Mungo's Putting Down Roots Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022, showcasing sustainability and ecology in public places.

Links

Gardening in A Changing World: People, Plants and the Climate Crisis by Darryl Moore - Pimpernel Press Ltd, Oct 2022

Other episodes if you liked this one:

Wild Gardens with Jo McKerr

James Basson of Scape Design

Patreon Membership

Episode 209: Soundscapes and Landscapes Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

This week I'm speaking to Dr Mike Edwards, Chief Listening Officer at Sound Matters, a company focussed on using sound and listening to create more sustainable and resilient futures. Sound Matters provided the soundtrack to the Rewilding Britain garden that one best in show at this year's Chelsea Flower Show. Mike recently spoke passionately about climate change, soundscapes and landscapes at the Beth Chatto Symposium and wowed a lecture theatre full of rapt listeners with his prowess on the didgeridoo.

End music included with the kind permission of Sound Matters.

Links

The Soundtrack from the Rewilding Britain Garden at the 2022 RHS Chelsea Flower Show

The Sound Matters Soil Composer

Listening project

www.sound-matters.com

Other episodes if you liked this one:

Gardening by Touch, Taste, Sound & Smell

Gardening for Your Senses

Patreon Membership

Episode 208: Ecological Gardens with Sid Hill Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

Episode 207: Alternative Allotments Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

This week, I'm speaking to co-founder of Roots Allotments Ed Morrison. Along with Christian, Will & Josh, Ed set up Roots Allotments on a site in Bath as an alternative to traditional allotments with their long waiting lists, large and often difficult to manage plots and set up a low carbon footprint, no dig and wildlife-friendly site where people could lease some space and join the grow your own food movement.

Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Harvestmen

What We Talk About

How Roots Allotments came about

How they are different to conventional allotments

The costs of a plot, waiting lists, term of lease, facilities and support offered

What can be grown on a Roots Allotment?

Why no dig?

Links

Roots Allotments

Other episodes if you liked this one:

No Dig with Charles Dowding

Sharing & Borrowing Gardens with Joyce Veheary of Lend and Tend

Patreon Membership

Episode 206: Propagating Plants Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

This week, my guest is Nikki Barker. Nikki's long career in horticulture has seen her work across many sectors of the industry and she is now the Senior Horticultural Advisor at the RHS.

She's just had a book published called 'A Gardener's Guide to Propagation Techniques' and I spoke to Nikki to get some general tips on propagation and to find out what we can be propagating at this time of year.

Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Allium leaf miners

What We Talk About

With peat being phased out, what are good alternative proprietary growing media for propagation?

Some common seeds that require light to germinate

Seeds that can be particularly tricky to germinate

Good ways of propagating plants at this time of the year

Dahlias - good ways to propagate them

The easiest methods and plants to try propagating if you don't have a lot of space or equipment

Links

Gardener's Guide to Propagation Techniques: The essential guide to producing plants by Nikki Barker - The Crowood Press Ltd, September 2022

Other episodes if you liked this one:

Young Propagators' Society

Growing Under Protection with Guy Deakins

Patreon Membership

Episode 205: Gardening on a Gradient Sep 12, 2022

Show notes

This week's guest is Carol Smith, garden designer, lecturer and author of the book 'Gardening on a Gradient: Designing and Establishing Sloping Gardens'. Interestingly, the book is relevant to home gardeners and professional designers and covers everything from the initial garden site assessment and survey, right through the design process to the final stages of planting, as well as inspiration and ideas from sloping gardens around the UK. If you've ever faced the challenge of a sloping site, you'll know how tricky they can be but fear not, Carol is here to help you tackle them.

Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Large hairy house spiders

What We Talk About

Main drawbacks to gardening on a gradient and any advantages

Is it more expensive than gardening on the flat?

Gardens that slope back towards the house and drainage issues

Making changes to levels and water run off

Soil moisture and temperature ranges across a slope

Surveying a sloping site

Retaining soil

More naturalistic ways to deal with a sloping site

About Carol Smith

Carol Smith is a professional garden designer and freelance lecturer. She has worked on several award-winning show gardens and teaches on all aspects of garden and planting design.

Links

Gardener's Guide to Gardening on a Gradient: Designing and Establishing Sloping Gardens by Carol Smith

Other episodes if you liked this one:

I Want to Like My Garden with Rachel McCartain

Natural Stone with Giles Heap of CED

Patreon Membership

Episode 204: No Dig with Charles Dowding Sep 05, 2022

Show notes

This week, making his second appearance on the podcast, is my guest Charles Dowding. Charles is the leading proponent worldwide of No Dig gardening. He's authored and co-authored many books and articles on the subject, including his latest book No Dig which is the result of 40 years experience and looks set to become the definitive text on the subject.

He produces enough food to sell to local restaurants and inhabitants, to feed all his course attendees and visitors and also his own household from his plot which until recently has only been a quarter of an acre in size, proving categorically that no-dig equals maximum productivity. He is a prolific generator of media content, his YouTube channel has over 55 million views and he's bought the no-dig technique to a worldwide audience.

Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Spider silk

What We Talk About

How Charles got started out in gardening

Why do we need compost for no-dig and is it essential to create our own?

No dig techniques on different types of soils

Giving the beds a year off (or not) and crop rotation

No-dig and plant pests and diseases

Why every last gardener in the UK hasn't adopted no-dig!

About Charles Dowding

Charles Dowding is the leading proponent of no-dig gardening. Not only does he have a huge following, but his advice is born out of more than 40 years of growing, analysing, comparing, and recommending. He has been growing veg since 1981, having gardened in four different locations and grown hundreds of thousands of crops.

Charles currently gardens his modestly sized plot Homeacres, in Somerset, from which he produces enough food to sell to local restaurants and inhabitants, to feed all his course attendees and visitors and also his own household. He is a prolific generator of media content and has bought the no-dig technique to a worldwide audience.

Links

No Dig: Nurture Your Soil to Grow Better Veg with Less Effort by Charles Dowding - Dorling Kindersley, September 2022

www.charlesdowding.co.uk

Other episodes if you liked this one:

Feeding your Soil with Humanure with Joseph Jenkins

Growing Food with Stephanie Hafferty

Patreon Membership