Our Plant Stories

Sally Flatman
Our Plant Stories

Our Plant Stories - digging into the stories that plants tell us about people and places. This is a podcast that shares personal stories about plants. Plants often root us, perhaps to a garden, a country, or maybe to a person who loved them and taught us to love them too. By sharing these stories, we grow our plant knowledge through the experience, passions and sometimes quite remarkable knowledge of other plant growers and we will always learn how to grow the plant. It's presented by Sally Flatman, a former BBC Radio producer. If you have a plant story you would like to share, then do contact me: sally@ourplantstories.com and take a look at the website www.ourplantstories.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

  1. MAR 18

    Kathy's Radishes - the Book.

    In Rough Patch - How a year in the garden brought me back to life; Kathy Slack shares all the lessons she learned from her own story of recovery from depression. She shared her plant story with us in series 2 in an episode called Kathy's Radishes. As we sat by her veg patch she explained why it was so powerful to see life in the soil and discover its potential to grow food. In the conversation in this Offshoot episode she tells us why it was so important for her to get those lessons down on paper. We talk about what she wants readers to take away and as she explains; a book like this when she was struggling would not have solved her problems but she would not have felt so alone. And we find out how a cow can perhaps teach all of us something about just being present. And Kathy being so generous with her recipes and her expertise - I ask her for some advice on what to grow this year! Independent podcasts like Our Plant Stories depend on their listeners for help with the costs of making the podcast such as the hosting platform and the editing programme. Using the Buy Me A Coffee platform you can make a one off online donation of £5 and that money will go towards making more episodes. Everyone who buys a 'virtual coffee' will get a shout out on the podcast. The support of listeners means a lot to me. Buy Me A Coffee Every month I will make a plant story but stories often lead to more stories and I end up publishing Offshoot episodes. So if you 'Follow' the podcast on your podcast app you will never miss an episode. It also makes a real difference if you can spare the time to rate and/or review an episode after you have listened. Spotify and Apple look at these ratings and it helps to get the podcast promoted to other plant lovers. Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally Flatman The music is Fade to Black by Howard Levy Mentioned in this episode: Trailer for next months Plant Story This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

    30 min
  2. MAR 4

    Lucy and The Weed Trust

    One Summer Lucy Houliston, aged just 6, set herself the mission of raising awareness of weeds as plants that deserve love and attention, just like everything else. And so The Weed Trust was born. She also had a passion for insects, she remembers having pockets full of woodlice! Adult Lucy is now working in urban ecology and she shares the story of The Weed Trust and where it has led her. We went together to the Eden Nature Garden to meet Benny Hawkesbee, who describes himself as a wildlife gardener, he greeted us wearing his favourite dandelion teeshirt! There will be bees, beetles and frogs along the way! Independent podcasts like Our Plant Stories depend on their listeners for help with the costs of making the podcast such as the hosting platform and the editing programme. Using the Buy Me A Coffee platform you can make a one off online donation of £5 and that money will go towards making more episodes. Everyone who buys a 'virtual coffee' will get a shout out on the podcast. The support of listeners means a lot to me. Buy Me A Coffee Every month I will make a plant story but stories often lead to more stories and I end up publishing Offshoot episodes. So if you 'Follow' the podcast on your podcast app you will never miss an episode. It also makes a real difference if you can spare the time to rate and/or review an episode after you have listened. Spotify and Apple look at these ratings and it helps to get the podcast promoted to other plant lovers. Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally Flatman The music is Fade to Black by Howard Levy Mentioned in this episode: A trailer to the next episode of Our Plant Stories In the next Offshoot episode I'll be chatting to Kathy Slack, food writer, cook and veg grower, about her new book 'Rough Patch - How a year in the garden brought me back to life'. You can of course also hear her Plant Story episode called Kathy's Radishes. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

    37 min
  3. FEB 18

    Emma Thick - A Snowdrop Shepherd

    Imagine 1500 different snowdrops, roaming around an arboretum. Sometimes a new one joins, sometimes a group is divided, sometimes one just wanders off on its own. You need a snowdrop shepherd and at Thenford Arboretum that is Emma Thick. This is the perfect time to grow our knowledge about snowdrops and I think I have found the perfect person, a galanthophile, to help us. If you know the podcast well, you won't be surprised that I am drawn to an expert because in my experience their passion for the plant can prove contagious. So if you want to know which snowdrop to buy, when or where to plant it, how they spread and why they can sometimes be miffy - well you have come to the right podcast! My guests are Emma Thick, a gardener and Rupert Heseltine whose parents developed this garden and I met them both at Thenford Arboretum. The book I mention is called Thenford - The Creation of an English Garden by Michael & Anne Heseltine Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally Flatman The music is Fade to Black by Howard Levy Independent podcasts like Our Plant Stories depend on their listeners for help with the costs of making the podcast such as the hosting platform and the editing programme. Using the Buy Me A Coffee platform you can make a one off online donation of £5 and that money will go towards making more episodes. Everyone who buys a 'virtual coffee' will get a shout out on the podcast. The support of listeners means a lot to me. Buy Me A Coffee Mentioned in this episode: A trailer to the next episode of Our Plant Stories In the next Offshoot episode I'll be chatting to Kathy Slack, food writer, cook and veg grower, about her new book 'Rough Patch - How a year in the garden brought me back to life'. You can of course also hear her Plant Story episode called Kathy's Radishes. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

    33 min
  4. FEB 4

    Constance and the 9/11 Daffodils

    This podcast episode delves into the inspiring story behind the Daffodil Project, a community-driven initiative that has resulted in the planting of over 12 million daffodil bulbs across New York City since its inception in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. Sally Flatman speaks with Constance Casey who was working for the New York Parks Department when the gift of one million daffodil bulbs , was given to the city by Hans van Waardenburg and the city of Rotterdam following on from the attack on the World Trade Centre. That Autumn as the community took on the task of planting the bulbs, they were creating "a ribbon of yellow around the island of Manhattan" that would bloom the following Spring. Adam Ganser, the Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks, joins the conversation to discuss the ongoing efforts to maintain and expand this initiative, emphasising the importance of community involvement and equitable access to parks. The episode highlights not only the significance of the daffodil project as a living memorial but also the broader impact of green spaces on public health and community wellbeing. Of course we also learn how to grow the plant ourselves though as Adam assures us: "its hard to screw it up"! Our Plant Stories is back and once again we will be sharing stories about plants. Independent podcasts like Our Plant Stories depend on their listeners for help with the costs of making the podcast such as the hosting platform and the editing programme. Using the Buy Me A Coffee platform you can make a one off online donation of £5 and that money will go towards making more episodes. Everyone who buys a 'virtual coffee' will get a shout out on the podcast. The support of listeners means a lot to me. Buy Me A Coffee Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally Flatman The music is Fade to Black by Howard Levy Takeaways: The Daffodil Project began as a response to the tragedy of 9/11, aiming to bring beauty and hope to New York City. Every fall, thousands of volunteers participate in planting daffodil bulbs. The project has distributed around 12 to 13 million daffodil bulbs over 23 years, making it a significant and beloved initiative. Daffodils are hardy and easy to grow, making them accessible for both new and experienced gardeners alike. The initiative highlights the importance of parks and open spaces in urban areas, fostering a sense of community. New Yorkers for Parks advocates for equitable funding for parks, ensuring all neighbourhoods have access to green spaces. Mentioned in this episode: A trailer to the next episode of Our Plant Stories In the next Offshoot episode I'll be chatting to Kathy Slack, food writer, cook and veg grower, about her new book 'Rough Patch - How a year in the garden brought me back to life'. You can of course also hear her Plant Story episode called Kathy's Radishes. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

    33 min
  5. 10/01/2024

    Silent Space - an Offshoot episode

    Picture yourself in a garden. Do you get your phone out to take photos of the plants and send them to friends and family? Maybe a swift selfie! Perhaps like me you google the plants - wanting to identify them. Now picture a bench in the same garden but this time you and anyone else around you are just sitting, not a phone in sight. You're in the equivalent of the 'quiet carriage on the train' - and as you sit, you start to experience the garden in a different way. Welcome to Silent Space the brainchild of garden writer Liz Ware. Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally Flatman The music is Fade to Black by Howard Levy Independent podcasts like Our Plant Stories depend on their listeners for help with the costs of making the podcast such as the hosting platform and the editing programme. Using the Buy Me A Coffee platform you can make a one off online donation of £5 and that money will go towards making more episodes. Everyone who buys a 'virtual coffee' will get a shout out on the podcast. The support of listeners means a lot to me. Buy Me A Coffee Mentioned in this episode: A trailer to the next episode of Our Plant Stories In the next Offshoot episode I'll be chatting to Kathy Slack, food writer, cook and veg grower, about her new book 'Rough Patch - How a year in the garden brought me back to life'. You can of course also hear her Plant Story episode called Kathy's Radishes. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

    21 min

Trailers

About

Our Plant Stories - digging into the stories that plants tell us about people and places. This is a podcast that shares personal stories about plants. Plants often root us, perhaps to a garden, a country, or maybe to a person who loved them and taught us to love them too. By sharing these stories, we grow our plant knowledge through the experience, passions and sometimes quite remarkable knowledge of other plant growers and we will always learn how to grow the plant. It's presented by Sally Flatman, a former BBC Radio producer. If you have a plant story you would like to share, then do contact me: sally@ourplantstories.com and take a look at the website www.ourplantstories.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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