Episode 179: Ecological Gardens with Sid Hill
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
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Podcast 178 - Alternative Allotments
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
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,...
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Episode 177: Propagating Plants
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
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...
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Episode 176: Gardening on a Gradient
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
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...
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Episode 175: No Dig with Charles Dowding
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
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...
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Episode 174: Gardening for Your Senses
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
This week I’m chatting with writer Kendra Wilson. Kendra has written a vast amount about gardening but I was particularly interested in speaking to her about her book Garden for the Senses. Engaging all your senses can lead to a deeper connection with the landscape and it can be an unusual and transformative experience. I wanted to find out how we can all learn to better use our senses and firstly, what prompted Kendra to write the book. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: The blue butterflies What We Talk About How catering to the senses can lend another dimension to the garden How...
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Podcast 173 - The Composting Process
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
This week’s guest is ecologist and author Julian Doberski. If you think about compost heaps, how much do you really think about the living micro and macro organisms that dwell within them, how they contribute to the composting process and how what you do to your heap can increase or decrease their chances of survival? Julian has written about the science of what goes on in a compost heap and about the living organisms who provide the ‘hard graft’ of transforming waste organic matter in his latest publication The Science of Compost. I spoke to Julian to find out more. Dr Ian...
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Episode 172: Your Garden Spa
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
This week I’m speaking to Juliette Goggin, perfumery consultant to some of the most recognised brands in the world, upcycling and reusing champion, owner of the cosmetics company Hand Made by Juliette and author of the books Handmade Beauty and Handmade Spa. We talk about how you can use plants from your garden to create products that are natural, inexpensive, easy to make and that actually work. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Gooseberry Sawfly What We Talk About Juliette’s background in perfumes and cosmetics The impetus behind the books Handmade Beauty & Handmade Spa Why...
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Episode 171: A Rolling Stone Gathering Moss
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
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Podcast 170 - Sassy Farming
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
This week’s guest is Hawaii-based writer and grower Ja-Ne de Abreu. When the pandemic began, Ja-ne became an instant 24/7 caregiver for her hanai mother. To keep things positive, she started growing food and discovered it also grew peace and calm to their lives amid the ongoing chaos. Ja-ne had an intuition to write Sassy Food to share the inspiration that everyone can grow food at any time of year, anywhere in the world on any budget and harvest peace in the process. We talk about growing in small spaces, how growing food can foster positive connections in difficult times and...
info_outlineThis week’s guest is Martin Harvey, an entomologist and biological recorder based at the UK CEH Biological Records Centre. His main areas of work include the iRecord online recording system, liaison with national recording schemes, and the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme. Martin enjoys watching and recording hoverflies and I was delighted he agreed to an interview as although I know next to nothing about them, I do love seeing them in the garden and I’m always keen to find out more.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Beewolf
What we cover
The UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme
How hoverflies are distinct from bees or other flies
How many species of hoverfly are in the UK
More common species and the rarest
Mimicry
How to encourage more hoverflies into our gardens
Where to find out more about hoverflies
About Martin Harvey
Martin Harvey is an entomologist and biological recorder based at the UK CEH Biological Records Centre. His main areas of work include the iRecord online recording system, liaison with national recording schemes, and the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme. He also teaches for Field Studies Council. Martin enjoys watching and recording hoverflies and other insects, and as a volunteer he runs the national Soldierflies and Allies Recording Scheme, and is County Moth Recorder for Berkshire.
Links
UKCEH Biological Records Centre
Buzz Club hoverfly lagoons from Sussex University
Dipterists Forum (the society for the study and conservation of flies)
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