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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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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Sky Gardening
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
My guest this episode is the super-talented and creative gardener and designer Brent Purtell and we’re talking about the Capitaspring Rooftop Garden in Singapore, which shares the ‘2nd highest’ building ranking along with 3 other buildings, all the same height. There are 3 gardens on the building, covering an area of 10,000 square feet and containing a mixture of ornamentals and edibles, all growing at dizzying heights. Brent was involved on the build and design side before he became the Head Gardener, overseeing the maintenance of Capitaspring Rooftop Garden. Dr Ian Bedford’s...
info_outlineThis 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 About
Why plant a hedge or living boundary instead of installing a fence?
What is a living boundary?
Which plants are well suited to creating a fedge?
What plants are good for wildlife?
Boundaries that are low maintenance
Boundaries that are good for security
Mounds aka bunds
Wall shrubs
Tips for staking newly planted plants
Hedges that are good for wildlife
When to cut a hedge if being considerate of bird nesting and feeding behaviours
About Roger Hirons
Roger Hirons has been a horticultural speaker for over thirty years, presenting to garden clubs and societies as well as the University of the Third Age and the Women's Institute. Since studying horticulture at Pershore College, he has also run and co-run plant centres and worked in the landscaping industry for nearly twenty years.
Links
Gardener’s Guide to Hedges and Living Boundaries by Roger Hirons - The Crowood Press Ltd, October 2022
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