On the threshold
with Lia Leendertz
February can be a gloomy month – but spring waits tantalisingly just beyond. Quite when it starts, though, is a matter of debate – the beginning of March, according to the meteorological way of reckoning, but not for another three weeks by the astronomical calendar. Which leaves us somewhere in between seasons – neither winter nor yet spring, with ever-increasing signs of the latter and still the very present threat of a cold, wintery blast.
We consider how the snowdrop is the perfect embodiment of this liminal time, with a micro review of Bulb by Anna Pavord. I talk at length with Lia Leendertz, author of The Almanac, a seasonal guide to 2019, about her early gardening influences, her work, and the importance of seasonal living for us all, while the angry squirrel continues to chatter furiously away in the February garden soundtrack, to an accompaniment of my secateurs making short work of the apple trees.
I hope you enjoy this episode – please continue to share the podcast on social media, and if you’d really like to brighten my day, leave a review on iTunes or your podcast app of choice. Or drop me a note in the comments section below, having listened on the embedded player on this page.
Gardens, weeds and words podcast, S01E06 show notes
A blend of slow radio, gardening advice and conversation, and readings from the best garden and wildlife writing.
These notes may contain affiliate links.
Garden soundtrack
Birdsong, growing by the day
One more week of winter
Meteorological and astronomical calendars
Somewhere on the threshold between two seasons
#thatwinterspringthing hashtag
Great Comp Garden
Comp Lane
Platt, Nr Sevenoaks
Kent TN15 8QS
https://greatcompgarden.co.uk/
Micro book review
‘Galanthus’ from Bulb, by Anna Pavord https://amzn.to/2GBvElb
Published by Mitchell Beazley 2009
Interview with Lia Leendertz
07:06 Plant memories
11:04 What Lia’s garden says about her
16:43 Lia’s cookbook Petal, Leaf, Seed – taking flavours from the garden
17:44 How the Almanac came about
22:15 The benefits of living in tune with the seasons
27:16 What if the stories run out?
30:42 Hope for the future
Stephen Blackmore https://twitter.com/SteveBlackm0re, British botanist, former Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, and chair of Botanic Gardens Conservation International http://www.bgci.org/
33:48 Lia’s favourite season
36:53 The Instagram hashtag #myalmanacmoment
Seasonal signs – are the seasons merging?
Help The Woodland Trust track the effects of weather and climate change with Nature’s Calendar https://naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk/
You can find Lia on on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lialeendertz and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lia_leendertz/
The Almanac, a seasonal guide to 2019 is available at your local indy book stores, or you can buy it from Amazon here https://amzn.to/2VcP82D
With thanks to Lia for being my guest this episode, and to Charles Budd for his wonderful reading. You can find Charlie here: Twitter https://twitter.com/charliebudd Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thetallphotographer/
website: gardensweedsandwords.com
email: gardensweedsandwords@gmail.com
Instagram: instagram.com/AndrewTimothyOB
Twitter: twitter.com/AndrewTimothyOB
You can hear find the podcast trailer and the first four episodes here, either on iTunes or on Switcher.
Click the button below to subscribe!
If you’d like to receive blog posts in your inbox as soon as they are published, enter your email in the box below to be added to the Gardens, weeds & words mailing list.
Hello! I’m Andrew, gardener, writer, photographer, and owner of a too-loud laugh, and I’m so pleased you’ve found your way to Gardens, weeds & words. You can read a more in-depth profile of me on the About page, or by clicking this image.