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The Gardener's Almanac

Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

Release Date: 01/16/2023

Sensory Gardens & Autism show art Sensory Gardens & Autism

Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

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...

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Can Women Save the Planet? show art Can Women Save the Planet?

Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

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...

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The Chelsea Fringe show art The Chelsea Fringe

Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

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...

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Seed Balls show art Seed Balls

Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

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...

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Soil Bacteria & Rhizophagy show art Soil Bacteria & Rhizophagy

Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

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...

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Hardy Eucalyptus show art Hardy Eucalyptus

Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

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...

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Making Gardening Accessible show art Making Gardening Accessible

Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of Roots and All, where my guest is garden designer, TV personality and Trustee of the Gardening with Disabilities Trust Mark Lane. Mark talks about the various types of challenges people can face that might impede their activity in the garden, and how gardens and gardening can be adapted to enable people to carry on with these activities. He gives some excellent, practical advice for anyone who may need to adapt horticulture to suit their own needs or those of others. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Stridulation What We Talk About Is gardening...

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Hedges and Living Boundaries show art Hedges and Living Boundaries

Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

This week’s guest is Roger Hirons, a horticultural expert and speaker, who’s been in the industry for over 35 years. Roger has just released a really excellent book called the Gardener’s Guide to Hedges and Living Boundaries, which covers preparation and design advice for establishing a new living boundary; advice on dealing with existing boundaries in need of restoration or extension; planting for both your human and wildlife neighbours and also a directory of some really interesting hedging plants, climbers and trees. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: The Swallowtail What We Talk...

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Hedges & Living Boundaries show art Hedges & Living Boundaries

Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

This week’s guest is Roger Hirons, a horticultural expert and speaker, who’s been in the industry for over 35 years. Roger has just released a really excellent book called the Gardener’s Guide to Hedges and Living Boundaries, which covers preparation and design advice for establishing a new living boundary; advice on dealing with existing boundaries in need of restoration or extension; planting for both your human and wildlife neighbours and also a directory of some really interesting hedging plants, climbers and trees. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: The Swallowtail What We Talk...

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Nature from the Rubble show art Nature from the Rubble

Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

Hello and welcome to this episode of Roots and All. This week, I’m speaking to landscape architect Sally Bower. Sally has just been awarded the main RHS prize for her Bursary Report titled ‘Nature Rising from the Rubble’ which looks at gravel and recycled aggregate gardens in Essex and London. Specifically, Sally looked at John Little’s Hilldrop garden, RHS Hyde Hall, Beth Chatto’s gravel garden, the Langdon Nature Discovery Car Park and the Horniman Museum Grasslands garden and her findings were invaluable if you’re interested in designing with or growing in these types of media,...

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More Episodes

To book-end the winter break, I’m sort of picking up where we left off by talking about a way to mark the passing of the year and the seasons and to ground yourself and your gardening endeavours in the natural patterns that govern them. My guest is Lia Leendertz, author of the annual The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide and she starts by talking about the origins of her almanac.

Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Winter in the veg garden

What We Talk About

The history of Lia’s Almanac

How Lia intends for people to use the Almanac throughout the year

The importance connecting with traditions, celebrations and rituals

The monthly list of gardening jobs

Gardening by the phases of the moon

Underlying themes of the Almanac; the pond and the zodiac

A discussion of Lia’s line about the month of August, “Your ancestors would be proud to see how far you have come, sipping a glass of cold wine and laughing in the sun.”

About Lia Leendertz

Lia is an award-winning garden and food writer based in Bristol. Her reinvention of the traditional rural almanac has become an annual must-have for readers eager to connect with the seasons, appreciate the outdoors and discover ways to mark and celebrate each month.

Links

The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2023 by Lia Leendertz - Octopus Publishing Group, September 2022

Lia’s Website

Lia on Instagram

Lia on Twitter 

Other episodes if you liked this one:

The Wheel of the Year with Dr Rebecca Beattie

Garden Roots with Lulah Ellender

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