There’s an intricacy and generosity of spirit to the work of floral artist and broadcaster Hazel Gardiner that betrays her love of story telling, as well as hinting at her ability not just to absorb energy from the creatives she works along side, but to amplify that vibrancy and share it back around. In this episode she joins me to talk about her varied career path, the roots of her artistic approach and, of course, her garden
Read moreThe Gardens, Weeds & Words podcast, Series 3 Episode 7
To celebrate the publication of my first book, To Stand and Stare: how to garden while doing next to nothing, I’m having the tables turned on me. For this episode, I find myself on the other side of the mic as friend of the podcast Alice Vincent drops by to interview me about how the book came about, how it relates to my wider work, and why a title that’s very much not a ‘how to garden’ manual still manages to have so many ‘how to...’ sections in it.
Read moreThe Gardens, Weeds & Words podcast, Series 3 Episode 6
I’m so delighted to have florist and grower Milli Proust on the podcast for the last episode of 2022. Her book From Seed to Bloom was one of the highlights of the year for me, as it has been for many others, and the images of her floral arrangements and beautiful growing space in West Sussex continue to provide a gorgeous backdrop to pleasant reveries. We discuss her emphasis upon the seasons and the land, on story and theatre, and the impact that becoming a mother has had on her work. And laugh, a lot.
Read moreThe Gardens, Weeds & Words podcast, Series 3 Episode 5
Susanna Grant’s mission seems to be to make gardening easy for people; particularly people who live in the city, where space is at a premium and buildings huddle together to crowd out the light. From behind an unassuming garden gate in Hackney, her courtyard store Linda glows, filled with the kind of lush, green growth that thrives in these conditions. We talk of shade and weeds, community gardens and cake, perennial window boxes and sending worms through the post.
Read moreThe Gardens, Weeds & Words podcast, Series 3 Episode 4
“Something I believe is missing from conversations about the climate crisis is the need for us to build a stronger emotional connection to our planet and each other”, writes Hannah McDonald in the wake of COP26. In this episode, we consider how our readiness to engage with the great outdoors not only benefits our own sense of wellbeing, but lies at the heart of necessary and urgent change.
Read moreDay 176: planting with Mother Nature
Mother Nature and I have different opinions about how this border should be planted up…
Read moreThe Bumblebee Flies Anyway
Kate Bradbury’s previous book, The Wildlife Gardener, gave us a step-by-step guide to creating an organic garden that placed an emphasis on biodiversity. In her latest title, she describes a year in the life of her own small garden in Brighton. But there’s a bit more to it than that.
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