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_outlineThis week my guests are Northern California based musical duo Misner & Smith. Sam, who is Misner, and Megan, who is Smith comprise one of the most acclaimed acts in the Americana world. Blending elements of that genre with bluegrass, traditional folk ballads, and more pop leaning ideas, they’ve been described as making music that is gloriously nonconforming. Aside from their musical chops, Sam & Megan are expert gardeners who focus on pollinators, sustainability and community gardening. Listen on to find out how their connection to nature feeds into their music.
What We Talk About
Sam & Megan’s gardening backgrounds
Gardening sustainably and for the community
Gardening as a creative outlet?
How gardening inspires when you are looking for creative prompts
How gardening factors into their music?
The garden soundscape
About Misner & Smith
Northern California based unclassifiable duo Misner & Smith treasure the unpredictability of
their band. Technically precise songwriting mirrored with an improvisatory spirit and soaring
harmonies have made the band consisting of Sam Misner and Megan Smith one of the most
acclaimed acts in the Americana world. Blending elements of that genre with bluegrass,
traditional folk ballads, and more pop leaning ideas, Misner & Smith makes music gloriously
nonconforming.
The duo first met at a Shakespeare festival as professional actors in California in 2002 but began working as a musical duo two years later when Sam and Megan discovered a
mutual love of roots music, Woody Guthrie, and in particular, harmony singing. Before the
release of their career defining sixth LP ALL IS SONG, the duo had released five critically
acclaimed records, including Halfway Home (2004), Poor Player (2008), Live at the Freight & Salvage (2010), Seven Hour Storm (2013), and headwaters (2017). It was that 2017 release that found the group stripping their sound back down to where it began, two voices and two instruments. headwaters was recorded live in the studio and features the duo doing what they do best. On ALL IS SONG, they build upon that momentum and turn in their finest work to date, an album of inspired declarations to the power of music, song, and, most importantly, collaboration.
Other episodes if you liked this one:
Natural Fibres - This week’s guest is multi-media artist Hanna Varga. Hanna incorporates the natural world into her work and her current projects involve foraging for fibres she turns into both useful and beautiful items. The conversation began with Hanna talking about her work past and present and developed into a really important conversation about the value of items at their more than fiscal level.
Soundscapes & Landscapes - This week I’m speaking to Dr Mike Edwards, Chief Listening Officer at Sound Matters, a company focussed on using sound and listening to create more sustainable and resilient futures. Sound Matters provided the soundtrack to the Rewilding Britain garden that one best in show at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. Mike recently spoke passionately about climate change, soundscapes and landscapes at the Beth Chatto Symposium and wowed a lecture theatre full of rapt listeners with his prowess on the didgeridoo.