Episode 379: Pam Lewis: Ahead of the Curve
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Horticultural legend Pam Lewis began her garden at Sticky Wicket in Dorset decades ago, and revisiting her early writing shows just how ahead of the curve—and fearless—she was in championing wildlife-friendly, sustainable gardening. We sat down to reflect on her years in the garden and how the horticultural world has changed along the way. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Asiraca clavicornis Please support our sponsors - . get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout. Books Sticky Wicket: Gardening in Tune With Nature - Pam...
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Episode 378: Growing a Sustainable Nursery
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What does it really take to run a small, sustainable nursery? This week on Roots and All, I’m joined by nurseryman and designer Ben Preston of Cliff Bank Nursery for an honest conversation about the realities of the job—from growing in sand and selling bare root plants to why local nurseries matter more than ever, and why it’s truly a labour of love. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Orange Ladybird Please support our sponsors - . get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout. Links Instagram: Please support the podcast...
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Episode 377: Britain’s Hidden Psychedelic History
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What if Britain’s fields were hiding a secret psychedelic past in plain sight? In this episode of Roots and All, I’m joined by historian and publisher Robert Dickins to explore the surprising story of our native mushrooms—from how they grow to the cultural and legal forces that have shaped our relationship with them. It’s a fascinating glimpse into a little-known side of Britain’s natural and social history. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Orange Ladybird Please support our sponsors - and get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box...
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Episode 376: From Rewilding to Renaturing
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Small spaces, big wildlife. Writer James Canton joins me to discuss his book Renaturing and his two-acre North Essex project, showing how subtle, thoughtful interventions can revive biodiversity — a great companion episode to Randal Plunkett’s conversation about large-scale “V-wilding.” Benny’s Insect of the Week: European Orchard Bee Links Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you liked this week’s episode with James, you might also enjoy this episode from the archives: Randal Plunkett joins Sarah to explore his...
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Growing with Cloches
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
In this episode, I’m joined by Beth Gregg, founder of Claverton Cloches, who’s on a mission to revive the beauty and practicality of Victorian cloche gardening. We talk about cloches of all shapes, sizes, and materials, how they can extend the growing season and protect crops, and explore the history, design, and sustainability behind them — and why sometimes the smallest structures can make the biggest difference in the garden. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Daffodil Dung Fly About Beth Gregg is a passionate advocate of cloche gardening and the founder of Claverton Cloches. Her love...
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Episode 374: Smarter Tomato Growing
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Tomatoes might be the gateway drug to vegetable gardening — but are we making life harder than it needs to be? In this episode of Roots and All, I’m joined by Frank Hyman to talk about the origins of the tomato, why it struggles in our wet climates, and how small shifts in the way we grow can make a huge difference. From myth-busting pruning advice to clever ways of keeping plants dry and productive, this is a practical, good-humoured deep dive into growing better tomatoes. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Hairy-footed Flower Bee Links Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All:...
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Episode 373: V-Wilding
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What happens when a thousand-year-old estate stops farming and lets nature take the lead? I’m joined by Randal Plunkett, who transformed his ancestral home at Dunsany Nature Reserve into a bold rewilding experiment — removing livestock and embracing a hands-off, vegan approach to restoration. We explore how his model challenges mainstream ideas about deer, biodiversity, woodland succession and the economics of conservation in a time of climate crisis. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Spotted Thintail Links Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On...
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Episode 372: Modular Greening in Cities
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Can modular planting reshape our cities? In this episode, the Upper Bloom team explores how modular, plant-filled containers are bringing greenery to dense urban streets, terraces, and retail frontages. A natural follow-up to our Sloane Street episode, we discuss whether these systems enhance biodiversity, serve aesthetic goals, or simply make challenging urban spaces greener, while also diving into sustainability, plant choices, and the practical realities of keeping cities green. Benny’s Bug of the Week: Green fanged tube web spider - sponsored by Cerddwr’s Herbs go to and use the code...
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Episode 371: Wild Edibles
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What if the future of our food system is already growing wild beneath our feet? Wendy Russell and Freda Farquharson explore the power of wild edibles — from sorrel seeds and citizen science to health, biodiversity, and climate-friendly farming — and how these overlooked plants could help shape a more resilient future for people, nature, and the land. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Australian Orange Tip Moth - sponsored by Cerddwr’s Herbs go to and use the code BUGPODS for a listener’s discount. Links The for becoming participants of the project The Wild Edibles logo was...
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Remembering Our Nature
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
There are no human atoms—only nature’s. In this episode, Brigit Anna McNeill joins me to explore what it means to truly come home to the natural world. Drawing on her book and her journey, Brigit reflects on healing through plants, herbalism, folklore, and ancestral connection. We talk about losing and reclaiming connection, the slow unfolding of change, and why nature simply waits for us to listen. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Australian Orange Tip Moth - sponsored by Cerddwr’s Herbs go to and use the code BUGPODS for a listener’s discount. Links Author — Brigit Anna McNeill ...
info_outlineHello 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, and Sally had some surprising findings of note too.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Harlequins
What We Talk About
The purposes of the study and the distinctions between the different growing media used by people creating gravel/rubble gardens
Is this style of gardening be appropriate across the whole of the UK?
Big Sky Meadow - is this style of planting is as labour intensive as a traditional flower border might be?
In Beth Chatto’s garden, when beds are newly installed or are refreshed, they are subject to double digging during which process mushroom compost is incorporated to improve soil fertility. How does this gel with the idea that plants grow really well in low fertility, well-drained gravel substrates?
John Little’s private garden and how it is built to encourage biodiversity
How important is a site specific approach?
One of the gardens is a success because once the plants grow through the aggregate and reach the clay below, they grow happily and healthily. Isn’t this just a gravel mulched garden rather than a proper gravel garden?
How gravel gardens make a positive environmental contribution
Why does soil which contain demolition waste high in lime capture carbon more quickly?
Sally’s favourite example of this type of garden from the ones she wrote about
About Sally Bower
Based in Liverpool, I’ve been a landscape architect and garden design for over 20 years. My designs aim to develop attractive low impact schemes which reconnect people with nature, support wildlife and respond to the site and its setting. I am particularly interested in what it means to make a ‘wild’ garden and brownfield gardens for biodiversity and wildlife.
Links
Link to Sally’s Report - ‘Nature rising from the rubble’
Other episodes if you liked this one:
John Little of the Grass Roof Company