Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Bonus: A Review of the Podcast So Far Nov 27, 2019

Show notes

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

Episode 67: Planting in a Post-Wild World with Thomas Rainer Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

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

Episode 66: Beth Chatto: A Life With Plants with Catherine Horwood Nov 19, 2019

Show notes

Explore the lasting legacy of legendary plantswoman Beth Chatto and her revolutionary approach to horticulture. Biographer and author Catherine Horwood joins me to discuss drought-tolerant planting strategies, the famous "right plant, right place" principle, and timeless garden design wisdom you can apply to your own plot.

Right Plant, Right Place: Discover how Beth Chatto transformed difficult, dry, and shady spots into thriving garden ecosystems by matching plants to their natural conditions.
Drought-Resilient Design: Learn practical lessons from her famous gravel garden and how to manage water scarcity without sacrificing beauty.
The Living Legacy: Hear personal stories and insights from Catherine Horwood on what it was like researching the life of one of Britain's most influential gardeners.

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

Episode 65: Apples with Naomi Slade & Sassie Yassamee Nov 12, 2019

Show notes

This episode we're discussing apples and I have TWO guests; Naomi Slade who is the author of An Orchard Odyssey and Sassie Yassamee who runs Eve Apple Press, a mobile apple pressing service in East Sussex. We're just harvesting the last of our apples here in Sussex, so with the tastes and sights of varieties fresh in your mind, what better time to start planning your own orchard?

Naomi's book, An Orchard Odyssey runs through the practicalities of growing apples, but the focus of our chat is the ways in which we use our apples and our trees as both ornamental and edible additions to our own gardens, particularly from a design perspective. We also chat about how to reconsider how we view orchards and how we can use them within our communities.

Which leads nicely on to my interview with Sassie Yassamee, who runs Eve Apple Press in Hastings in East Sussex. Sassie run a mobile apple pressing service, which helps people conveniently and productively deal with their crops and provides an ingenious solution to gluts and food waste.

What I cover with Naomi:

The definition of an orchard
Historical orchards
Our changing relationship with orchards
The tale of Johnny Appleseed
Fruit trees for wildlife
Designing & underplanting orchards

What I cover with Sassie:

About mobile apple pressing
Which varieties you can use
Preserving the juice

Links:

Naomi Slade www.naomislade.com

An Orchard Odyssey - Naomi Slade, Green Books, 2016

Naomi on Twitter @NaomiSlade

Naomi on Instagram @naomisladegardening

Eve Apple Press www.eveapplepress.co.uk

Eve Apple Press on Facebook

Get in touch;

Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk

Website www.rootsandall.co.uk

Twitter @rootsandall

Instagram rootsandallpod

Patreon Link;

Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall

Episode 64: Soil with Tim O'Hare Nov 05, 2019

Show notes

This episode, I'm talking about one of the fundamental cornerstones that underpins everything we do as growers - soil. And to talk about this vital element, who better than soil scientist and international expert on the subject, Tim O'Hare? Tim is the principal consultant of Tim O'Hare Associates and works on a wide variety of domestic and commercial projects, both in the UK and abroad.

Tim answers questions about issues that most gardeners have faced at some point; soil compaction, poor drainage, working with the soil you have and what to look out for if you're bringing new soil in to your garden. As well as possessing phenomenal knowledge on the subject, Tim explains things in clear and simple language and you will enjoy this episode whatever your level of gardening expertise.

About Tim O'Hare

Tim is the principal consultant of Tim O'Hare Associates, a leading independent soil science practice that provides soil investigation, testing and consultancy services to the landscape industry. He has been a Soil Scientist for over 20 years, working on anything from domestic garden projects to major construction developments. Tim and his team have worked on a wide variety of assignments throughout the UK and internationally, including the London Olympic Park and Commonwealth Park in Gibraltar. They also test and approve many of the topsoil and subsoil products that are sold into the landscape market nationwide.

Earlier this year Tim was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by The Kew Guild (Association of Alumni of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew) for his "outstanding contribution to the environment".

We discuss:

Common problems with soil management
Storing and moving soil during building works
Soil compaction
Wet soils
Ways to combat poorly draining soils
Bringing life into new or damaged soils
The impacts of transporting soil into and away from a site
What to look for when you're buying soil
Soil contamination
Tim's more challenging/unusual work
Soil erosion and the shape of our future food production

Links:

Tim O'Hare Associates - Soil & Landscape Consultancy www.timohare-associates.com

London Olympic Park www.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk

Get in touch;

Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk

Website www.rootsandall.co.uk

Twitter @rootsandall

Instagram rootsandallpod

Patreon Link;

Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall

Episode 63: Bats in Our Cities & Gardens Oct 29, 2019

Show notes

This week, I'm speaking to Jo Ferguson and we're talking about bats. As with most of our wildlife, population trends show a decline in bats in the UK in recent times. Loss of habitat, human activities including nighttime lighting and construction and lack of food are all contributing factors. If you're listening to the Roots and All podcast, in all probability you're a conscientious gardener who wants to improve the natural landscape, not just for humans but for all species. In this episode, Jo talks about what bats need in order to thrive and how we can make small changes that will make big contributions to our bat populations.

About Joanna Ferguson BSc MCIEEM:

Jo has worked for the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) for the last 4.5 years as the Built Environment Officer before becoming the Built Environment Manager in early 2019. Prior to starting at BCT she had been involved with bat conservation in a voluntary and professional capacity for over 16 years. Jo's more recent professional experience is as an ecological consultant specialising in urban bat ecology; providing surveys, mitigation and enhancement advice covering a range of development projects, including residential, commercial and transport. She also has extensive experience in scientific research, working for the Australian Research centre for Urban Ecology and Earthwatch in Melbourne. Jo is a Full Member of CIEEM, a Volunteer Bat Roost Visitor and London Bat Group Member.

We discuss:

Where bats live
How many species of bat are there in Britain and some of the most common ones we're likely to see in our gardens
The biggest challenges facing bats at the moment
How we can help our bat populations
Will they get caught in our hair or give us rabies?

Links:

Bat Conservation Trust www.bats.org.uk https://www.bats.org.uk/

National Bat Helpline 0345 1300 228

Leaflet on helping create a great environment for bats, including which plants to include in our gardens https://cdn.bats.org.uk/pdf/Resources/Stars_of_the_Night.pdf?mtime=20181101151554

Bat 1K Genome project mapping bats DNA:

'Imagine uncovering the secret of longer health-spans, flight, echolocation and disease resistance hidden in the bat genome.' https://bat1k.ucd.ie/

Get in touch;

Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk

Website www.rootsandall.co.uk

Twitter @rootsandall

Instagram rootsandallpod

Facebook @rootsandalluk

Patreon Link;

Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall

Episode 62: Edible Mushrooms with Geoff Dann Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

This week, Sarah is talking with Geoff Dann. Geoff is a Hastings based forager with a vast and by the sounds of it, pretty unique understanding of the mushrooms that grow in our landscape. He's also the author of Edible Mushrooms.

Geoff is a pioneer because many of the mushrooms in his book were not classified as edible and he's taken on the role of a well-informed and cautious taster, but nonetheless has been a human guinea pig in many instances! As he mentions, his book is without parallel in terms of classifying the edibility of our mushrooms and is the bible for foragers.

They discuss:

Why we're a nation of mycophobes here in the UK
How to get started with mushroom foraging
Mushroom habitats
Beginner levels edible mushrooms
Mushrooms to watch out for

Links

Geoff's website www.geoffdann.co.uk

Edible Mushrooms by Geoff Dann, published by Green Books, 2016

Natural Bushcraft Forum www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk

Get in touch;

Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk

Website www.rootsandall.co.uk

Twitter @rootsandall

Instagram rootsandallpod

Patreon Link;

Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall

Episode 61: Garden BirdWatch with Kate Risely of BTO Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

This week, I'm talking garden birds with Kate Risely, Garden BirdWatch Organiser at the British Trust for Ornithology. Kate talks us through the trends that have occurred in our garden bird populations over the past 40 years, what and when to feed them, diseases that are on the rise and how you can attract more birds in your garden. Plus, Kate answers my question; are magpies vandals, living off the fat of our songbirds?

About Kate:

Kate leads the BTO's Garden Ecology team and co-ordinates the programme of garden ecology surveys and research, within the Communications department.

Kate has overall responsibility for running for Garden BirdWatch, a 'citizen science' project where volunteers record birds and other taxa using their gardens on a weekly, year-round basis, as well as additional garden-based surveys. Kate is interested in the research and conservation applications of our garden wildlife data.

We discuss:

The BTO Garden BirdWatch & how you can take part
Why the data collected through the Garden BirdWatch is so important
Trends around garden birds over the last 40 years
When and what to feed your garden birds
Diseases in garden birds
How to attract more birds to your garden

Links:

British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU

Tel: 01842 750050

Garden BirdWatch www.bto.org/gbw

Garden Wildlife Health: https://www.gardenwildlifehealth.org/

Feeding affecting bird communities: https://www.bto.org/our-science/publications/peer-reviewed-papers/composition-british-bird-communities-associated-long

Blackcaps: https://www.bto.org/our-science/publications/peer-reviewed-papers/supplementary-feeding-gardens-driver-evolutionary

Disease risks of bird feeding: https://www.bto.org/our-science/publications/peer-reviewed-papers/health-hazards-wild-birds-and-risk-factors-associated

Greenfinch declines due to disease: https://www.bto.org/our-science/publications/peer-reviewed-papers/emergence-and-spread-finch-trichomonosis-british-isles

Predator effects on bird populations: https://www.bto.org/our-science/publications/peer-reviewed-papers/population-change-avian-predators-and-grey-squirrels

Get in touch;

Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk

Website www.rootsandall.co.uk

Twitter @rootsandall

Instagram rootsandallpod

Facebook @rootsandalluk

Patreon Link;

Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall

Episode 60: Peonies with Alec White of Primrose Hall Peonies Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

This week, Sarah is talking Peonies with Alec White of Primrose Hall Peonies. If you attended this year's Chelsea Flower Show, you probably saw the amazing, gold-winning stand Alec put together in the floral marquee - it was the one with the bath, peonies spilling everywhere and the semi-nude model painted all over with peonies. It certainly caused a stir and rightly so, because it was stunning.

Sarah was delighted to chat to Alec because, frankly, she has a chequered past with peonies. Under discussion are problems such as peony wilt and peonies that don't flower. Alec also talks about the different types of peonies and debunks myths such as peonies can't be moved. Sarah asks expert-grower Alec how to get the best out of your peonies and if you're planning to add some to your garden or want to troubleshoot any problems you have, this is an episode not to be missed.

They discuss:

The 3 main types of peony
Peony wilt
Moving, dividing, deadheading and feeding
The reasons your peony may not be flowering
Pruning tree peonies
Growing peonies in containers
Growing peonies from seed

Links

Primrose Hall Peonies www.primrosehallpeonies.co.uk

On Twitter @primrosehalluk

On Instagram @primrosehalluk

On Facebook Primrose Hall Nursery

Get in touch;

Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk

Website www.rootsandall.co.uk

Twitter @rootsandall

Instagram rootsandallpod

Patreon Link;

Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall

Episode 59: Public Green Spaces with Neil Sinden Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

Just how free are we to walk around our cities and countryside? Who owns our parks and public spaces and who makes the decision what you can and can't do in them and when they can be closed for ticketed events? What can you do to make sure our green spaces stay open and accessible to all?

These are all questions I asked Neil Sinden, the Director of the London branch of the CPRE (Campaign for Rural England). I'd seen mention of the Urban Right to Roam, which piqued my interest and made me wonder about how much freedom we do have to roam across our cities and indeed our countryside. I had always assumed we had inalienable rights across public land but it seems it's not as clear cut as I thought.

As Neil mentions in the interview, 2.6million people in the UK live more than a 10 minute walk from a green space. That's hugely important as our country becomes more urbanised and it's important if, for you, your local green space is your only garden.

We talk about: