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If you want honest information and insider knowledge about how to get results, join irreverent horticulturist Sarah Wilson as she chats to the best people from the world of plants and gardens. Sarah is on a mission to help you create your own beautiful green environment, with a focus on saving resources and working with nature.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure you don’t miss an episode.
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Submit ReviewThis week’s episode, I’m speaking to holistic funeral director, Holly Lyon-Hawk. It’s not easy for most of us to talk about end of life, death and funeral arrangements and yet it’s such an important thing to prepare for, it’s unavoidable, it needn’t be frightening or taboo, and it is something we can make easier for ourselves and our loved ones if we start a conversation around it whilst we still can. In the interview, Holly talks about her approach and about what options are open to those of us who love nature and gardens and I expect you’ll find what we talk about sometimes surprising and also reassuring to know that there are alternative options.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Choices for pest control
What We Talk About
Holly’s background and how she became a holistic funeral director
How Holly approaches funerals differently
Some common misconceptions around funerals
Can I be composted? Can I be buried in my garden?
Eco-friendly ways to be buried
How a garden or love of gardening can be incorporated into a funeral
Talking about your funeral wishes and how we can prepare for dying
How to make sure your last wishes are followed
About Holly Lyon-Hawk
I originally trained as a veterinary nurse before working as a sculptor for many years.
I set up my own business working as a holistic funeral director many years ago understanding that people needed not only more choice, but also more support than they had been, on the whole, from mainstream traditional funeral directors. I now work across the S/E England supporting many families as both as End of Life Practitioner and a Holistic Funeral Director.
I am an author as well as a multi-award winning Holistic Funeral Director, Specialist in Ceremonial Care of the Body and End of Life Practitioner for People and Pets.
Links
Holly’s Podcast - No One Gets Out of Here Alivehttps://noonegetsoutofherealive.buzzsprout.com
Holly’s Book - A Gentle Goodbye
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Caring for God’s Acre with Harriet Carty
This week’s episode I’m speaking to horticulturist, journalist, host of the On the Ledge podcast and author of a new book ‘Legends of the Leaf’, Jane Perrone. Have you ever wondered why the leaves of the Swiss cheese plant have holes? How aloe vera came to be harnessed as a medicinal powerhouse? Or why – despite your best efforts – you can’t keep your Venus flytrap alive? If you’re familiar with the On the Ledge podcast, you’ll know Jane takes deep dives into the background of houseplants; where they come from, how they behave and how we can best grow them.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: The Lepidoptera
About Legends of the Leaf
Have you ever wondered why the leaves of the Swiss cheese plant have holes? How aloe vera came to be harnessed as a medicinal powerhouse? Or why – despite your best efforts – you can’t keep your Venus flytrap alive?
You are not alone: houseplant expert Jane Perrone has asked herself those very questions, and in Legends of the Leaf she digs deep beneath the surface to reveal the answers. By exploring how they grow in the wild, and the ways they are understood and used by the people who live among them, we can learn almost everything we need to know about our cherished houseplants.
Along the way, she unearths their hidden histories and the journeys they’ve taken to become prized possessions in our homes: from the Kentia palms which stood either side of Queen Victoria’s coffin as she lay in state; to the dark history of the leopard lily, once exploited for its toxic properties; to English ivy, which provided fishermen with a source of bait.
Each houseplant history in this beautifully illustrated collection is accompanied by a detailed care guide and hard-won practical advice, but it is only by understanding their roots that we can truly unlock the secrets to helping plants thrive.
About Jane Perrone
Jane Perrone is a horticultural expert, journalist and the host of On The Ledge, a podcast dedicated to houseplants and indoor gardening. She is a regular contributor to the Guardian, the Financial Times and Gardens Illustrated. She lives in Bedfordshire with her husband, two children, a dog called Wolfie and a home full of plants.
Links
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Plants as Art with Alyson Mowat
My guest this week is Shawn Maestretti of Studio Petrichor, a design studio working out of California. Shawn’s personal mission is to reconnect with the natural world, tread lightly on the land, nurture biodiversity, protect water, and bring people together. We speak about how Studio Petrichor designs with these values in mind and the systems and techniques that are used to achieve these goals.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Orange Tip Butterflies
About Studio Petrichor & Shawn Maestretti
Studio Petrichor is a group of compassionate individuals on a journey to manifest meaningful change in the world through transformational and environmentally-aligned landscaping practices.
Our goal is to help individuals and communities cultivate stronger, richer relationships with their environment. Along the way, we educate and empower one another to support and protect Mother Nature’s living systems.
When we see and believe our actions and lives matter, it places us in a role of responsibility. It is this belief that will bring about a more beautiful, abundant, connected world.
Shawn Maestretti is an Oracle and Alchemist, (aka plant daddy, licensed landscape architect, certified arborist, certified permaculture designer, biospheric caretaker, speaker, and educator). Shawn is a member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corp, a Kiss the Ground Soil Advocate, and has co-founded the non-profit Poly/Ana to empower communities to honor and protect natural, living systems. He is also a Landscape Design Teacher at the Theodore Payne Foundation.
Shawn has been presenting on Nature’s intelligence and humanity’s impact on climate change in his presentation series Regenerative Landscapes and the Climate Crisis, Reimagining Landscape and Lifestyle, and Landscape Architecture and The Death of the Ego. His personal mission is to reconnect with the natural world, tread lightly on the land, nurture biodiversity, protect water, and bring people together. Shawn always considers impacts on flora, fauna, fungi, soil, water, the environment, the interconnectedness of our actions, and of course, a changing climate.
Links
petrichor.com">www.studio-petrichor.com
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A Post-Wild World with Thomas Rainer
Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of Roots and All where I’m speaking to both of the Seeds Sistas, Fiona Heckels and Kazzla Goodweather about their latest book ‘Poison Prescriptions’. The book takes a look at three key plants; datura, henbane and belladonna aka the power plants. Steeped in political history, the mysterious past of our native power plants calls to us somewhere deep within. The book urges the resurrection of the ancient tradition of using of these plants in medicine, as well as being a practical guide to plant magic, medicine and ritual.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Ectoparasites
What We Talk About
Witching herbs
How long have they been used by humans and what have they been used for?
The chemicals they contain and how they can affect the body
Developing a deeper connection with plants
Henbane
Datura
Belladonna
Links
Poison Prescriptions by The Seed Sistas - Watkins Media Limited, November 2022
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Hello and welcome to this week’s episode, where in recognition of World Autism Acceptance Week, I’m speaking about Sensory Gardens, with a focus on design for people with autism. I have three guests; Camellia Taylor who’s designed The Natural Affinity Garden, which will be at the Chelsea Flower Show in May, after which time it will be relocated to Kent, to the charity Aspens where it will be used by residents of and visitors to the site. Next, I speak with Meraud Davis who’s overseeing the project at Aspens and finally, to Alexis Selby a foraging obsessed, nature-loving, all-round amazing person who’s giving us her take on using outdoor spaces with her son, Jared.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Narcissus Root Fly
What We Talk About
Why do we need to distinguish between men and women when it comes to environmentalism?
Isn’t it fair to say some women are interested in improving and caring for their environment and some aren’t, and this is the case too with men?
The feminisation of responsibility as it relates to climate change
Why women are more affected by climate change than men
Women and the control of the means of polluting production
Why women lack the opportunity to generate a larger climate footprint
Women who are making a difference
About The Natural Affinity Garden
Aspens will partner with garden designer Camellia Taylor to create a show garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (23 – 27 May 2023), supported by Project Giving Back. Aspens is a social care charity that provides high quality care and support topeople on the autism spectrum and with learning disabilities, and their families in the South-East.
The Natural Affinity Garden for Aspens, is one of six All About Plants gardens being supported by Project Giving Back in 2023. It will encourage a connection with nature and maximise the benefits to a visitor’s wellbeing by engaging with the seven senses (touch, taste, scent, sight, sound, movement and temperature).
Each planting zone of the design targets specific senses and every aspect of the planting has been included for sensory stimulation. The dominant use of green in the garden provides an overall feeling of calm for those with hyper-sensitivity (sensory avoidant) and subtle additions of purple and yellow provide stimulation and interaction for those with hypo-sensitivity (sensory seeking).
After the show, the garden will be relocated to the heart of Aspens’ Kent site, where it will provide a rich, therapeutic haven for the charity’s community. The Natural Affinity Garden for Aspens’ designer Camellia Taylor has a background in psychology and health care and has worked on previous projects with Aspens. She has a strong connection with the charity’s core values of empowerment, inclusivity and integrity and is passionate about supporting their vision for an inclusive society where people with disabilities can thrive.
Links
World Autism Awareness Week - The National Autistic Society
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This week I’m speaking to Dr Anne Karpf. Anne is Professor of Life Writing and Culture at London Metropolitan University and is a writer, sociologist and award-winning journalist. In 2021 she released the book ‘How Women Can Save the Planet’, where she looks at how there is gender inequality across the board from how we experience the climate crisis to our ability to effect change.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Queen Bumblebees
What We Talk About
Why do we need to distinguish between men and women when it comes to environmentalism?
Isn’t it fair to say some women are interested in improving and caring for their environment and some aren’t, and this is the case too with men?
The feminisation of responsibility as it relates to climate change
Why women are more affected by climate change than men
Women and the control of the means of polluting production
Why women lack the opportunity to generate a larger climate footprint
Women who are making a difference
Links
How Women Can Save the Planet by Anne Karpf - C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd, May 2021
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This week my guest is Tim Richardson, who, amongst many other things, is a garden writer, historian and founder of the Chelsea Fringe. The Fringe is an annual event which is a collection of all things horticultural, the quirkier the better, and it runs concurrent to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show each May. Events are held around the world and are an opportunity to celebrate horticulture in an alternative way.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Cabbage Bomb Aphids
About the Chelsea Fringe
The Chelsea Fringe – the alternative garden festival and established highlight of the horticultural calendar – will take place for a 12th year with nine days of festivities confirmed from 20 - 28 May 2023.
After two years in which participants responded creatively to the restrictions of the pandemic, the festival returned to the real world with a bang in 2022. A programme brimming with stimulating and diverse events took place with contributions from Cranbrook to Perth, and from Naples to Seattle. Fringe organisers are now encouraging everyone to start thinking about the imaginative, quirky, and unusual ideas they might bring to the 2023 Fringe to help create another bumper celebration of horticulture and grassroots gardening.
Fringe founder and director Tim Richardson said:
“We are a ‘true Fringe’ in that we don’t commission or curate. We accept everything that our participants suggest – if an event is on-topic, legal and interesting, it’s in! That means everything from community-garden events, art projects and performances to walks and talks, craft demos, and workshops – just a few of the categories we end up with. We are always surprised – and delighted – by what pops up each year, fresh from the imagination of our horticultural comrades in the UK and around the world.”
Thousands of events have taken place in more than 20 different countries since the first Fringe was held in 2012. What started as a back-of-a-postcard idea has grown over a decade into an international event which is an established — if unorthodox — fixture of the gardening calendar.
It remains an unfunded, unsponsored and volunteer-run Community Interest Company (CIC), powered by a small but dedicated group, with many events in the festival free to attend.
Contributors and venues over the years have included community gardening groups, public parks, artists, poets, chefs, galleries, schools, and major institutions such as Kew, the Inner Temple, the Natural History Museum, and Covent Garden Flower Market, among many others. Despite its name, the festival reaches well beyond Chelsea; not just to every quarter of London, but also to the far corners of the UK and around the world. Events have taken place on the Isle of Mull, in Monmouth, Margate, Leeds, Bristol and Henley-on-Thames, and the Fringe’s global appeal has been underlined by enthusiastic participants signing up in Canada, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Australia, and Japan.
Events usually begin to appear on the Fringe website from February, while registration remains open right up until the very last day of the festival. Potential event organisers are encouraged to make contact as soon as possible in order to make the most of the promotional potential that taking part brings.
Anyone with an idea – however unformed – is encouraged to get in touch now. Our team of volunteers will do everything we can to turn germs of ideas into flourishing blooms by May 2023.
The Chelsea Fringe is now inviting individuals and organisations, first-timers and Fringe veterans, to contact us at info@chelseafringe.com outlining what they propose to do as part of the 2023 festival programme.
Links
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My guest this week is Dr Ana Attlee, co-founder of the company Seedball. The idea for Seedball started to germinate in 2010 when Ana and her fellow PhD student Emily Lambert were looking into ways to successful start wildflowers from seed in order to encourage pollinators. 13 years later, Seedballs are stocked in respectable horticultural establishments all over the country and their range continues to grow with new and exciting seed packages being added all the time.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Preparing for Spring
What We Talk About
What is a Seedball?
What different types can you get?
How many seeds are in a ball and what’s the germination rate like?
How many seedballs do you need?
Can you throw them anywhere?
Do you need to water them?
How long are they viable?
How might you reuse the tins?
Links
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This week, I am delighted to welcome back champion of the soil food web, Jeff Lowenfels. Jeff is the author of the Teaming With series of books which look at what goes on at a micro level in the soil beneath our feet. His new title ‘Teaming with Bacteria’ lifts the lid on new findings about how plants use and interact with bacteria and he’s here to give us the lowdown on this amazing relationship.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Solitary Bees
What We Talk About
Rhizophagy
Bacteria and endophytic bacteria
How bacteria helps make healthy soil
What bacteria does for plants and vice versa
How plants attract bacteria
How plants know when to stop letting in bacteria
Can bacteria still exist happily in the soil without a plant?
Bacteria and monocrops
Bacteria carried in seeds
Bacteria and hydroponics
Simple and practical things we can do to help the plant/bacteria relationship
Bacteria research and the future of gardening and plant growing
About Jeff Lowefels
Jeff Lowenfels is the author several of award-winning books on plants and soil, and he is the longest running garden columnist in North America. Lowenfels is a national lecturer as well as a fellow, hall of fame member, and former president of the Garden Writers of America.
Links
The Teaming with series, written by Jeff Lowenfels
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Mycorrhizal Fungi with Jeff Lowenfels
My guest this week is Hilary Collins who runs Hardy Eucalyptus at Grafton Nursery. Hilary researches the best way to grow Eucalyptus trees in the UK and also Europe. At the nursery, they run all manner of trials and Hilary writes papers and articles on Eucalyptus plus she has a book called Cut Foliage Eucalyptus – Fantastic Foliage and How to Farm it. She consults all over the world, and also works in the Garden Design and Construction Company advising on planting design. Hilary is here today talking all things eucalyptus and my first question was how she came to specialise in this group of plants.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Signals
What We Talk About
Different garden-worth eucalyptus varieties
Eucalyptus selection
Eucalyptus pruning
Eucalyptus seed provenance
How to plant them to ensure success
The benefits of air-pot containers
What is March 18th all about in the Horticultural Calendar and the life of any Eucalyptus tree owner?
About Hilary Collins
First and foremost in my career: I am a horticulturist…and also parent to 2 daughters Charlie and Victoria. Charlie is our landscape Architect for our garden design and build company Envisage Gardens. Victoria has escaped from professional horticulture and works in education.
I started growing plants when I was about 3 or 4 with my father who was a very keen gardener and amateur tree-grower, but we grew all manner of bedding plants, fruit and vegetables, tomatoes, perennials. He was very into Bonsai too. And my mother was very keen that I should learn all about our native flora, from a very early age.
I went to University of Bath to read Horticulture because I loved the subject, loved the city and the location and also partly in rebellion because it really appalled my headmistress who thought it was a really unsuitable career for a ‘young lady’! The course is no longer on offer sadly.
Whilst at Bath, I worked for Long Ashton Research Station running the Specific Apple Replant Disease Trials, following year I ran the Fireblight Trials for Showerings (Allied Lyons) and then just before my final year I worked at the National Fruit Trials – trees again, but this time working in Tissue Culture. So I would have liked to have gone into research, but all the Research Stations closed down. I am an escaped Lab Rat.
So I went into commercial horticulture, growing plants and also garden design.
When I graduated, I ran a tree seed business for a couple of years before selling it. We bought Grafton Nursery in 2008 and decided amongst other plants, to grow trees. This has evolved into almost exclusively growing Eucalyptus trees for a wide range of customers.
I like to talk talk about the wide range of applications of Eucalyptus. There isn’t just Eucalyptus gunnii. We grow over 70 species. They have a wide range of applications.
· Carbon sequestration
· Producing timber for firewood logs, biomass, hardwood lumber and silvo pasture
· Cut Foliage for floral art and fodder for Zoo Animals
· Screening trees – shade trees
· Nectar and pollen for bees – all year round
· Sustainable drainage systems – via the Swamp Gums
· Tencel – Lycocell for clothing fabric and carpets etc
· Oil – antimicrobial – used in cosmetics, medicinal products and rocket fuel
· Gold prospected – ok may be not in the UK…
I run Hardy Eucalyptus at Grafton Nursery, where I research the best way to grow Eucalyptus trees in the UK and also Europe. We run all manner of trials. I write papers and articles on Eucalyptus;
Shrub-on-a-stick – how to prune them to keep them small
Shrub-in-a-tub – how to grow them successful in containers
Screening trees for privacy. How to grow them as a hedge
Best way to grow Cut Foliage so we can support our Flower Farmers with the right advice in their Eucalyptus orchards/plantations
We also have a small firewood plantation and we trial the trees for their use in sustainable drainage systems.
I’ve written a book on how to grow Cut Foliage Eucalyptus – Fantastic Foliage and How to Farm it.
Prior to Brexit we exported all over Europe – trying to make that happen again with our French Project.
I consult all over the world, including America, Norway, New Zealand and Australia.
I also work in our Garden Design and Construction Company – I do the planting plans. I have a particular interest in Wild Gardens and Kitchen/Fruit Gardens.
Links
eucalyptus.com">www.hardy-eucalyptus.com
eucalyptus.com/product-page/cut-foliage-book-fantastic-foliage-and-how-to-farm-it-by-hilary-collins"> Cut Foliage Eucalyptus: Fantastic Foliage and How to Farm It by Hilary Collins
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