270 episodes

Do you want to know how to grow plants and get the best out of your outdoor space? Do you find traditional gardening media baffling and/or boring? Then you’re in the right place, because the Roots and All podcast is here to dig deep into how to create a successful garden.

If you want honest information and insider knowledge about how to get results, join irreverent horticulturist Sarah Wilson as she chats to the best people from the world of plants and gardens. Sarah is on a mission to help you create your own beautiful green environment, with a focus on saving resources and working with nature.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

Roots and All - Gardening Podcast Sarah Wilson

    • Leisure
    • 4.7 • 163 Ratings

Do you want to know how to grow plants and get the best out of your outdoor space? Do you find traditional gardening media baffling and/or boring? Then you’re in the right place, because the Roots and All podcast is here to dig deep into how to create a successful garden.

If you want honest information and insider knowledge about how to get results, join irreverent horticulturist Sarah Wilson as she chats to the best people from the world of plants and gardens. Sarah is on a mission to help you create your own beautiful green environment, with a focus on saving resources and working with nature.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

    Urban Bees

    Urban Bees

    Hello and welcome to Roots and All, where my guest this week is urban apiculturist Mark Patterson. Mark founded and runs Apicultural where he work with businesses and communities to invest in natural capital, improving the environment for pollinators and delivering pollinator monitoring surveys for clients. He provides honey bee hive management solutions, beekeeping training and education and also supplies quality urban honey to a select group of establishments. So you’d think Mark would be all for the idea of urban honeybees, right? Listen on…
    Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Ear Wigglers
    What We Talk About 
    How many hives are there in London, does anybody have an estimate? Is it a sustainable number? Where are they foraging for floral resources? Are there enough of these?
    Are urban conditions more taxing for bees? Do environmental stressors lead to higher incidences of disease, for example? 
    Do managed bees outcompete wild bees when it comes to consuming pollen and nectar? 
    Are managed bees necessary? Useful? Desirable? Filling a niche left by potentially dwindling numbers of wild bees? A useful pollination and food source for humans? 
    Why are commercial beekeeping companies trying to muscle in on the beekeeping tradition in London?
    Do honeybees count as an ‘environmental credit’ in terms of planning and building? 
    About Mark Patterson
    After completing a National Diploma in Agriculture, Land use and recreation which included a practical Horticultural course Mark went on to study for an Honours Degree in Countryside Management and Ornithology at Kingston Upon Hull University - an ecology based course of study. It was during this time at University that Mark was introduced to bee keeping by a fellow student. 
    As senior Consultant Mark has amassed over 26 years of experience in the fields of nature conservation and ecology. His past professional positions include marine biologist/ranger on the Farne islands national nature reserve, Countryside Ranger for a local Authority, Nature reserve manager for Durham Wildlife services, Worked on a bird of prey Reintroduction program with the RSPB , Freelance consultancy and 11 years as a project and program manager for a national Environmental regeneration Charity, Groundwork.
    Having assisted others with their beekeeping for several years Mark began bee keeping on his own in 2010 having attended an introduction course and a seasons mentoring. Since then he has volunteered extensively for Bee keeping associations, serving as elected committee official and Trustee to the LBKA, taught courses and organised forage planting activities for the bee keeping community he serves. Mark spent 3 years working for DEFRA as a seasonal Bee Inspector and currently cares for around 30 colonies of honey bees,10 of which are his own.
    Mark currently posses the BBKA Bee basic certificate, BBKA Honey bee management certificate, several of the BBKA modular exam certificates and the General Husbandry certificate. Mark has extensive training and experience in notifiable bee diseases diagnosis and management. 
    As well as Honey Bees Mark is also highly knowledgeable about Solitary bees and Bumblebees and teaches Bee identification courses for the Field Studies Council as part of the nationwide BioLinks program.
    Links
    www.apicultural.co.uk 
    Mark Patterson on LinkedIn 
    www.howgreennursery.co.uk
    Other episodes if you liked this one:
    The Garden Jungle with Professor Dave Goulson
    Pollinators with Professor Jeff Ollerton
    Patreon

    • 30 min
    Lawns

    Lawns

    My guest this week is David Hedges-Gower. David is a prominent figure in the UK's lawn care industry, known for his expertise and dedication to promoting sustainable lawn care practices. He wrote the book ‘Modern Lawn Care’, is the Chairman of The Lawn Association, founded the world’s first lawn care qualification and works tirelessly to promote responsible, sustainable lawn care practices that benefit the environment and homeowners. What David has to say on lawns certainly challenged my notions on what lawn care involves, whether they’re a sensible option to those concerned about wildlife and the environment and what they can and should be like from a horticultural perspective, so listen on with an open mind…
    Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Horse Chestnut Moth
    What We Talk About 
    Lawns and their uses
    Do lawns have to be high maintenance? 
    Ideal grass species for sustainable lawns
    Do you have to feed a lawn?
    Can lawns be of use to wildlife?
    Artificial lawns
    About David Hedges-Gower
    David Hedges-Gower is a prominent figure in the UK's lawn care industry, known for his expertise and dedication to promoting sustainable lawn care practices. His background in greenkeeping, including his role as Superintendent at the prestigious Oxfordshire Golf Club, provided him with a strong foundation in turf management.
    After recognizing the need for better information and knowledge in the lawn care field, David transitioned into lawn care and authored a book titled "Modern Lawn Care" in 2014. This publication served as a valuable resource for those seeking to improve their lawn maintenance practices.
    In addition to his book, David has been actively involved in educating people about proper lawn care through training days, seminars, and advisory services. He is a trusted source of information, having accumulated 43 years of experience in the field. He often serves as an expert for publications, radio channels, and other advisory bodies, helping to disseminate his knowledge to a wider audience.
    One of David's notable achievements is founding the world's first lawn care qualification, which caters to both homeowners and professionals. This qualification helps individuals gain a better understanding of modern and sustainable lawn care practices, contributing to the overall improvement of lawn maintenance.
    David Hedges-Gower is also the Chairman of The Lawn Association, an organization dedicated to promoting the value of living lawns and distinguishing between genuine sustainable lawn care and marketing tactics that claim sustainability without delivering on it. The association collaborates with significant horticultural bodies like English Heritage to educate staff, trainees, and apprentices on sustainable lawn care methods.
    Recently, David launched the True Garden Range, a groundbreaking product in the form of 2-in-1 fertilizers and soil conditioners made from composted recycled food waste. This product addresses the need for sustainable lawn care options in the retail market, providing a more environmentally friendly choice for gardeners.
    David's passion lies in making sustainable lawns a priority, countering the practice of franchises that prioritize profits over the health of lawns. He envisions sustainable lawns as not just a feature of our surroundings but a necessity, and he works tirelessly to promote responsible lawn care practices that benefit both the environment and homeowners.
    Links
    www.davidhedges-gower.com
    Modern Lawn Care by David Hedges-Gower
    www.lawnassociation.org
    Other episodes if you liked this one:
    Tapestry Lawns
    So & Mo
    Patreon

    • 33 min
    Buddlejas and Lavenders

    Buddlejas and Lavenders

    This week, my guest is Andrew Bullock, who runs The Lavender Garden Nursery. Andrew holds the National Collection of Buddlejas and grows a huge range of lavenders and buddlejas from his nursery in The Cotswolds. We talk about how to attract pollinators to your garden, when and how to prune your buddlejas and lavenders, whether buddlejas are invasive, why lavenders are sometimes short-lived and anything else you ever wanted to know about these two plants for pollinators.
    Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Mosquitoes
    What We Talk About 
    Which is better for bees - buddleja or lavender?
    The best varieties for bees/butterflies/pollinators in general
    Night time pollinators
    How to grow lavender and buddleja
    When to prune and how much to take off
    Buddleja - invasive?
    Causes of short-lived lavender
    Links
    The Lavender Garden 
    Contact Andrew on the phone: 01453 860356 or 07837 582943
    www.premierpolytunnels.co.uk 
    Other episodes if you liked this one:
    Pollinators & Pollination
    Bugs in Your Garden
    Patreon

    • 31 min
    The Lost Gardens of Loughrigg

    The Lost Gardens of Loughrigg

    Several years ago, Penn Allen inherited a collection of diaries that had been meticulously maintained by her great grandmother. Penn discovered the diaries documented the building of her great grandmother and grandfather’s Arts and Crafts house and the development of the garden that followed. She uncovered an untold story of her family, of plant hunting and of rock gardens - one that has significance to the wider world of horticultural history and in fact, goes some way to rewriting it.   
    Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Buddleias and Butterfly Tongues
    What We Talk About 
    What the book is about and why Penn felt it was important to write it
    How the garden helped heal; through providing a space to contemplate, a space to communicate, a distraction…
    Alpines and rock gardening
    Plant hunters
    Reginald Farrer
    Will Purdom
    What became of house and garden
    About Penn Allen
    Having spent most of my life in the UK, I moved permanently to the beautiful Lot region in SW France with my husband around fifteen years ago.  I have a passion for my garden and the outdoors and can generally be found either striding over a windswept hillside or upside down in my flower beds, always with a Labrador or two by my side.  The Lost Garden of Loughrigg is my first story, though hopefully not my last!
    Links
    The Lost Gardens of Loughrigg by Penn Allen 
    Tickets to see Penn Allen at the Kendal Mountain Book Festival
    Twitter @PennAllenwrites 
    Instagram penn.allen
    www.modicagardens.com

    • 22 min
    Aromatic Gardening

    Aromatic Gardening

    My guest this week is Amy Anthony, a certified clinical Aromatherapist and Aromatic Gardener. In addition to that, Amy is an aromatherapy educator, podcaster, herbalist, certified master composter, and artisanal distiller and is one of New York’s top aromatherapy practitioners. We talk about the importance of connecting with nature through scent, how aromatherapy can support wellness and vitality and how you can become an aromatic gardening practitioner yourself. 
    Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Rosemary Leaf Beetles
    What We Talk About 
    What is aromatherapy?
    What is aromatic gardening?
    What’s the difference between plant aromatics and synthetics?
    What are best essential oils for supporting wellness and vitality?
    Do you need to be careful with any aromatic oils? What are safe and practical approaches to aromatherapy?
    How are you connected to plants from your culture?
    “Aromatherapy is not a consumptive exercise.” Why? What can we do about this in our own gardens? 
    How is aromatherapy linked to the moon? 
    Where to find out more
    About Amy Anthony
    Amy is a certified clinical Aromatherapist and Aromatic Gardner who left her career in marketing research to pursue what is closest to her heart: working with plants. As a certified aromatherapist, aromatherapy educator, herbalist, gardener, certified master composter, and artisanal distiller, Amy is one of NYC’s top aromatherapy practitioners.
    Host of the Essential Aromatica podcast, Amy also tends her own aromatic garden on the North Fork of Long Island where she distills her unique products. 
    Listed as one of America’s most influential aromatherapists, Amy Anthony is currently the New York State representative for the Alliance of International Aromatherapists and has her private practice called NYC Aromatica which includes one-on-one customized aromatherapy sessions, online class offerings, corporate consulting and article writing. 
    Links
    Essential Aromatica Podcast
    NYC Aromatica
    Other episodes if you liked this one:
    Scent Magic with Isabel Bannerman
     
    Gardening for Your Senses
    Patreon

    • 27 min
    Green Roofs & City Wildlife

    Green Roofs & City Wildlife

    This episode, my guest is green roof guru, urban designer, photographer, birdwatcher, punk ideologist and all-round straight talker Dusty Gedge. We talk about green infrastructure, encouraging species back into landscapes, how to maintain landscapes for habitat value and what’s being and can be done to up the green value of public spaces.
    Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Woodlice
    What We Talk About 
    Brownfield gardening
    Biodiversity in decline
    The problems faced by birds in urban environments 
    What initiatives Dusty is most excited by
    What happens if biodiversity starts causing a problem?
    Maintaining green roofs as habitats
    About Dusty Gedge
    Links
    www.dustygedge.co.uk
    Facebook
    Instagram
    Twitter
    LinkedIn
    Collecting the Love 1
    Collecting the Love 2
    Other episodes if you liked this one:
    The Botanical Mind
    Public Green Spaces
    Patreon

    • 32 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
163 Ratings

163 Ratings

:3meadow ,

Great show, packs loads into each podcast.

Thanks for the podcasts, packs loads of information and interest in to each podcast.

swlondongardener ,

Great listening

It’s one of the best gardening podcasts around

allthingsold ,

A favourite podcast

I really enjoy this podcast each week, it’s really informative and always interesting, encouraging me to think about things in a new and often different way, most recently the positive rise in the keeping of honey bees while perhaps forgetting the many other bee species that also need our support. I love this aspect of the podcast.

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