Kelly Baldry Interviews Sarah Wilson
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
This time, I’m the one in the hot seat. In this reflective end-of-year episode, Kelly Baldry takes over as host to ask searching questions about the podcast, changing minds, climate contradictions, and the limits of horticulture as a mental-health cure, alongside a deeper look at my work with Veterans’ Growth and what it really means to create safe, supportive spaces in and beyond the garden. Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn
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Universal Qualities of Healing Gardens
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Sandra Schwarz talks about her new book Restore, and shares how her research led her to identify six universal qualities that make landscapes restorative. We talk about the complexities of “owning” nature, who restorative gardens are really for, and how designers can create spaces that meet people where they are. It’s a thoughtful, hopeful conversation about greening with intention. 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 Sandra Schwarz you might also enjoy these ones from the...
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Episode 365: Protecting Our Parks & Gardens
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Linden Groves of the Gardens Trust talks about the vital—and surprisingly vulnerable—protections for our historic parks and gardens, and the government’s proposal to remove the Trust’s statutory consultee role. We unpack what this would mean for our green spaces, why it matters to all of us, and how people can help. 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 Linden Groves you might also enjoy this one from the archives: Sarah speaks with landscape designer and rewilding advocate...
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Episode 364: Permaculture Planting
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
I’m joined once again by permaculture designer and author Pippa Chapman to explore how beauty, productivity and wildlife-friendly principles can all thrive together in the garden. We dive into her creative approach, the ideas behind her new book, and how small, thoughtful changes can transform any space into a resilient, edible ecosystem. 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 Richard Hayden you might also enjoy this one from the archives: Sarah speaks with Pippa Chapman about her...
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Episode 363: The High Line
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Richard Hayden of New York’s High Line talks about how the space has grown and transformed—its evolving plantings, newly added areas, and the thoughtful maintenance practices that have helped it become a beloved, essential part of daily life for both residents and visitors. We trace how this once-industrial rail line has matured into one of the city’s most treasured green spaces. Links Please support the podcast on Patreon And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you liked this week's episode with Richard Hayden you might also enjoy this one from the...
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Episode 362: Growing Fruit
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
I’m joined by Chris Whitelock, author of Growing Fruit, to explore how modern varieties are reshaping the way we grow fruit at home. We discuss everything from choosing space-saving or container-friendly trees to tackling pests, diseases, and even the challenge of keeping birds off your harvest. Links Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn
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Restoring Nature, Rebuilding Lives
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
I’m speaking with Karen Hall, Program Director of Ecological Education at the Institute for Applied Ecology, about an inspiring initiative that connects conservation with social rehabilitation. We explore what ecological education involves, the features of the landscape and ecology of the region where Karen works and how changes to funding have affected these conservation in the efforts. Links Staff profile at IAE: — her bio, role description and contact information. Curriculum materials she oversaw: — downloadable education-units with her listed as Program Director. ...
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Beyond Big Food
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Nancy Matsumoto discusses her new book Reaping What She Sows, an exploration of the women transforming our broken food system from the ground up. We talk about what an alternative food system really looks like, why women are at the forefront of this movement, and how they’re reimagining the way we grow, distribute, and consume food could offer a more just, sustainable, and human-centric future. Links Other episodes if you liked this one: In this episode, Pete Russell discusses how the platform Ooooby links customers with small‑scale local growers, promoting a shift away from the...
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Episode 359: Hard Landscapes, Living Systems
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
This episode, Nicolas Salazar of Guardians Worldwide explores the often-overlooked role of rocks in our designed environments. We discuss their carbon storage potential, their deep relationship with plants, and why removing rocks from landscapes may have more impact than we think. It’s a conversation that challenges us to see rocks not as static objects, but as vital, living parts of ecological systems. Links Other episodes if you liked this one: In this episode, host Sarah Wilson speaks to Giles Heap of CED Stone about sourcing natural stone ethically, using materials appropriate to...
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Episode 358: Inside The New Beautiful
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Gardens Illustrated editor Stephanie Mahon has curated the magazine’s first ever book, The New Beautiful — a celebration of gardens that reflect today’s shifting ideas of beauty, sustainability, and design. We discuss what defines a ‘Gardens Illustrated’ garden, how the featured spaces in the book were chosen, about the evolving role of perennials to the challenges of capturing a garden’s true character in a photograph, Stephanie shares insights from her years at the forefront of garden publishing — and offers a glimpse into where garden design might be heading next. Links ...
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