Episode 377: Britain’s Hidden Psychedelic History
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Release Date: 03/23/2026
Episode 383: Roots in Orkney
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What happens when you follow a decades-long love affair with a place all the way to its shores? Victoria Bennett did exactly that, uprooting her life in Cumbria to start afresh on the windswept islands of Orkney — new garden, new climate, and an inspiring vision for a community apothecary space rooted in creativity, care, and the land itself. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Orange-tip Butterly With thanks to our sponsor - . get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout. Links Author Website Books All My Wild Mothers...
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Episode 382: When Gardening Doesn’t Make You Happy
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What if gardening doesn’t make you happy? Gardening isn’t always the simple “cure-all” it’s often made out to be. We get into the realities behind the wellbeing narrative — from overwhelm and pressure to the deeper emotional connections we form with our outdoor spaces. It’s a thoughtful, honest conversation about what gardens really give us… and what they sometimes don’t. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Gooden’s Nomad Bee With thanks to our sponsor - . get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout. ...
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Episode 381: Ecology, Art and Memory
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Rebecca Wynn Kelly works at the intersection of sculpture, ecology, and myth as a “species architect” exploring how we might reimagine our relationship with the land. Rooted in West Wales, her work blends habitat creation with storytelling and folklore to ask who—and what—we build the landscape for. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Batman Overfly 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 on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On...
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Episode 380: Following a Drop of Water
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
This week, we dive into the hidden world of water with author Stephen Rutt, exploring the landscapes we so often overlook. From chalk streams to peat bogs, we trace water’s strange and vital journey through our environment—and why it deserves far more of our attention. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Yellow-Legged Mining Bee 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 And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you liked this week’s episode with...
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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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Episode 375: 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:...
info_outlineWhat 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 - roastinghouse.co.uk and get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout.
Links
Psilocybe Pickers by Robert Dickins - Psychedelic Press, 2025
About: Robert Dickins, PhD, is a historian and publisher, whose works examines the social and literary history of psychoactive substances and altered states of experience. He is the author of Cobweb of Trips: A Literary History of Psychedelics (2024) and Psilocybe Pickers: A Short History of Bemushroomed Britons (2025), and is currently researching the connection between tripping and gardens for a forthcoming project. He is on the steering committee for Breaking Convention, Europe's largest psychedelic conference, and has been publishing in the psychedelic space for almost 20 years. He lives in the Vale of Pewsey, Wiltshire.
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If you liked this week’s episode with Robert, you might also enjoy this episode from the archives:
Episode 371: Wild Edibles
In this episode, Sarah explores the world of foraging and our relationship with wild food — from what’s safe and sustainable to pick, to the deeper cultural connections we have with the plants and fungi around us, making it a perfect companion to today’s discussion of Britain’s overlooked natural history.
Episode 136: In Search of Mycotopia with Doug Bierend
Doug Bierend joins Sarah to delve into the rich cultural and historical world of fungi, exploring how mushrooms have shaped human societies and imaginations — an ideal follow-on from today’s episode on the hidden stories and significance of psychedelic species.