In this episode sponsored by Genus Garden Wear,  Joff talks to Kate Bradbury about her new book ONE GARDEN AGAINST THE WORLD - in search of hope in a changing climate from Bloomsbury wildlife

Kate is an award-winning writer specialising in wildlife gardening and the author of The Bumblebee Flies Anyway, Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything, How to Create a Wildlife Pond and The Tree in Your Garden. She’s the Wildlife Editor of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and has a regular Country Diary column in The Guardian. She writes regularly for the RHS The Garden magazine, The Wildlife Trusts members’ magazine and BBC Wildlife. Her garden was featured as part of the BBC Springwatch Garden Watch campaign, and she and her garden have also appeared on Autumnwatch and Gardener's World. 

She is a patron for two charities: amphibian and reptile charity Froglife and bumblebee charity Bumblebee Conservation Trust. She is also an Ambassador for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and conservation charity Butterfly Conservation. She lives in Brighton.

We go a bit off-piste and discuss wildlife in general and Kate recommends plants and methods of attracting more insects, birds, and mammals into our gardens. 

Hoverflies, butterflies, moths, hedgehogs, birds, frogs, toads, slowworms, etc etc. All get a mention in the book.

Theres an interesting Q and A section where Joff asks questions from friends of the podcast.

In this episode Joff hops on the train to Paddington and navigates the London underground to find The Business Design Centre in Islington, London. It's the Garden press Event and he get to talk to some amazing people who have produced some equally amazing and well thought out products.

Previous guest on the podcast Andy from Dahlia Beach (Pictured) tells us about her flower farm, the highs and lows of growing flowers, and her plans for 2024. Joff tries to sell her a double decker bus.

Sue O'Neil form Genus Gardenwear is launching a fabulous new product - The Pro-Pant. Feature rich, designed by gardeners, and built to last these trousers are going to be a firm favourite amongst professional gardeners and landscapers. 

Guy Grieve from Atlantic Garden has lived an intersting life writing books, living in the wilds of Alaska, diving for scallops in Mull, and now turning seaweed into a product that will put the life back into your soil.

Alex Curran started Roots Plants three years ago and has a network of UK nurseries supplying sustainable plants with provenance. 

Dick Woods from Finches Friend has decided to combat the problem of parasite transference on garden bird feeders and has produced several new products that will save a lot of our garden birds from trichomonosis.

Stuart from Niwaki introduces us to a new secateur the latest addition to there fabulous range of japanese garden tools.

In this episode Joff talks to Adrian Bloom about his new book FOGGY BOTTOM - A GARDEN to SHARE.

From breaking turf in an empty meadow in 1966, to its near maturity in 2023 it is the story of a garden and its plants. That’s a 56-year-old garden with stories to tell. 

More important in Adrian’s view is what the Foggy Bottom Garden represents today and how many more can benefit from sharing it. He shows and describes changes in weather and habitats, dramatic seasonal changes shown through the diversity of many worthwhile plants.  

How to keep a balance between design and ‘right plant’, ‘right place’ and need for change as the garden grows and develops. Adrian has continually adapted his garden as the once empty windswept meadow became sheltered and shaded. Flooding still happens from time to time, spring frosts seek out early flowers, occasional gale blows the tops out of trees.

Joff discovers Adrian's early passion for speed skating, how a seed brought back from his adventures is now a 100 foot Redwood tree, the fashion for conifers and the changing markets. The early days of Foggy Bottom from a stark new-build bungalow with a small garden to six acre grounds laid out for perrenials and conifers. 

To have a look at the books and it's contents or to purchase go to the Foggy Bottom website here.

Derek Gow is a farmer and nature conservationist. Born in Dundee in 1965, he left school when he was 17 and worked in agriculture for five years. Inspired by the writing of Gerald Durrell, all of whose books he has read - thoroughly - he jumped at the chance to manage a European wildlife park in central Scotland in the late 1990s before moving on to develop two nature centres in England. He now lives with his two children on a 300-acre farm on the Devon/Cornwall border which he is in the process of rewilding. 

Derek has played a significant role in the reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver, the water vole and the white stork in England.

He is currently working on a reintroduction project for the wildcat.

 

I ask Derek about his transition from Scottish farm to Scottish wildlife park to a 300 acre rewilding project in Devon.

We talk extremes from huge water buffalo to tiny harvest mice and from Heck cattle whose sole aim in life seems to be to kill you to water voles and white storks. 

Derek is a straight talker with a dislike for commitees much prefering to be hands on getting jobs done while others continue to discuss and debate. 

If you like what you hear you can stay on Derek's farm to see for yourself what he's getting up to. Go to www.rewildingcoombeshead.co.uk 

If you want to dig deeper into the processes of growing your own organic food, self-sufficiency practitioner, Liz Zorab, offers insights to the rhythm and patterns of her gardening year. In this personal gardening journey, she explores seasonal harvests and how the vegetable garden sits within the wider context of the gardening landscape – including weather, microclimates, water cycles, light levels, seasons and the gardener’s personal tastes and preferences. Liz’s salt of the earth approach to life and to the garden and her gentle humour makes The Seasoned Gardener an easily digestible read. She provides hundreds of practical tips, including how-to guides, observations and inspiration for both the beginner and practiced gardener alike. Unlike many gardening books that run from January to December, this book starts in the autumn when harvesting is at its peak. Most of the fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers highlighted in this book are grouped according to when we enjoy them most – at the point of harvest. The Seasoned Gardener will show you how to: Enjoy the abundance of each month of the year Decide which plants are best to grow in your garden Find pleasure in your growing space year-round Avoid the pitfalls of doing too much at once Be creative with your garden resources Make the most of your time and energy Celebrate nature’s productivity as much as your own. This is a journey of experiment and learning that will inspire you to grow tastier food and savour the experience.

 

Liz Zorab is author of the bestselling 'Grounded – A Gardener's Journey to Abundance and Self-Sufficiency'. She spent more than 20 years working with specialist housing charities and in community development, with an emphasis on innovative volunteering practices. An award-winning gardener, she gained an RHS Silver Medal for a community-led garden featured on BBC's 'Gardeners World Live' in 2002. A health crisis led Liz to turn to her life-long passion for gardening and growing food as a career. Liz spent several years transforming her 0.8 acre plot in Monmouthshire into an abundant smallholding. She is now regenerating a tired and over-grazed 4.5 acre site using permaculture practices. On less than an acre, she grows most of the food and drink her family enjoy each year, giving them food security, resilience and increased self-reliance. She enjoys spending time with Mr J (her husband) and her family, watching rugby and creative handicrafts, and has a distinct dislike of housework. Liz regularly writes for Permaculture Magazine, teaches gardening and self-sufficiency skills and encourages thousands of people to take up their trowels and live their dreams through a vibrant YouTube Channel, Liz Zorab – Byther Farm.

In this episode Joff talks to Simon from Hydria Life who explains the merits of his award winning water fountain kit with rechargeable batteries and a programmable timer. It won Best New Product at GLEE in 2022.

 

Tea Francis, pictured, is an arachnologist and science communicator who's  aim is to 'keep the pro-spider propaganda machine well oiled' and to change our attitudes towards spiders in our homes and gardens - something she does extremely well. She offers workshops, socials, and more and can be found on instagram as @teasjungle.

 

Kate from Capi-Europe offers an impressive range of pots, planters, and waterbutts that are produced in a CO2 neutral factory using and recycling old discarded fishing nets in their production.

 

Karen Abbott is from Spear and Jackson a company that has been in the business of producing tools for 260 years. A long handled trowel, a pruning saw, a cape cod weeder, and a small spade that is great for splitting and dividing perennials are all new to their range this year.

 

Adrain Bloom a well known family name that is synonymous with Bressingham Gardens is releasing a beautifully produced and illustrated book FOGGY BOTTOM - a gardeners share. Available in September 2023 I suspect it's going to be a bible for plant lovers for many years to come.

 

Haws Watering Cans are old friends of the show and Josh explained their new concept that they want to promote in 2023 - The Art of Watering. He also goes into detail on the many steps required in the manufacture of one of their beautiful cans.

 

Sarah Gerard-Jones from The Plant Clinic offers PLANT RESCUE BOXES a concept to prevent imperfect plants, the compost, and their pots fro going into landfill. So popular is her idea that The RHS at Wisley are trialling her boxes. 

 

Sean Kelly is from Fauna Bird a Dutch Company that have worked with global company Tetra Pak to develop the technology to remove the plastic film from inside cartons - a material that is then turned into innovative birds feeders. They also have a complimentary range of bamboo feeders and ceramic nest boxes.

 

In this episode Joff talks to Sarah Biddulph and Sarah Rivett-Carnac about The Generous Gardener where they offer a series specialist plant sales  and a season of  brilliantly curated lectures given by many of today's top garden designers, gardeners, flower growers, and photographers. The venue is the beautiful Arts and Crafts property Rodmarton Manor located between Cirencester and Tetbury in Gloucestershire.

The amazing line up for 2023 includes Todd Longstaffe- Gowan, Richard Miers, James Alexander-Sinclair, Pippa Greenwood, Lulu Urquart and Adam Hunt, Jimi Blake, Niff Barnes, Jinny Blom, Clive Nichols, and  Georgie Newbury. 

The Specialist Plant sales are held at Charlton Farm near Malmesbury and have some of the countries top growers and nurseries to include Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants, Exedera Plants, Tom's Yard, Tortworth Plants, Riverside Bulbs, Chris Cooke, Malcolm Allinson Plants, Kitchen garden Plants, Harry's Honey, The Gobbett, Old Court Nursery, and Sparrow Plant Supports. 

The entry fee includes a donation to The Simon Rivett-Carnac Trust who support mental health charities in the UK.

The gardens at Rodmarton Manor are famed for their collection of over 150 varieties of snowdrops and are open for snowdrop days on a number of dates at the start of February every year. There are more opportunities to visit the garden throughout the year.

In this Episode sponsored by Genus Gardenwear Joff talks to Chris Baines about his book The RHS COMPANION TO WILDLIFE GARDENING - how to make a wildlife garden.

 

This best selling book was first published in 1985 and launched at the Chelsea Flower Show making wildlife a mainstream issue for gardeners and the public. Now fully revised and updated by Chris, this freshly illustrated edition highlights the changes in garden wildlife over the the past 30 years.

 

Incorporating RHS research, updated best practice and addressing a multitude of controversial wildlife issues, it is also a celebration of of the rich variety of wild plants and animals that can bring a garden to life.

 

Chris talks about why to make wildlife garden in the first place.  What sort of habitats can be created. 

An oxymoron? A wild vegetable garden? 

 

Chris was instrumental in setting up National Nest Box Week  and International Dawn Chorus Day.

 

The Book is Published by Quarto/Frances Lincoln on 16th February 2023

In this episode sponsored by Genus Gardenwear Joff  talks to Barbara Segall about her new book GARDENS of the SOUTH-EAST published by Frances Lincoln. Within its 144 pages are  20 gardens many of which often remain overlooked but all of which display the passion of the owners or gardeners that look after them. It's a fascinating talk with not just the gardens, but many names of people involved in horticulture scattered throughout the episode for one reason or another. Jane Perrone, Alys Fowler, Peter Donegan, Rocky Coles, Marcus Harper, Fergus Garrett, Clive Boursnell, Beth Chatto, Christopher LLoyd, Tom Coward,William Robinson, John Brookes,  and Gertrude Jekyll all get a brief mention.

The publisher says:

A tour of some of the UK's most beguiling gardens in the counties of Kent, Sussex and Surrey, the counties that exemplify 'the garden of England'.

They are in villages and towns, as well as in deep countryside, and all are privately owned. Some have been in the possession of the same family for many generations, while others have recently been transformed by new owners. Some open for the National Garden Scheme, while others are open privately and in some cases for just the occasional day for charity.

The stunning gardens explored in this visually rich guide include: Arundel Castle, Denmans, Gravetye Manor, Munstead Wood and Sussex Prairie Garden. The book also includes a gazetteer of other important gardens in the area with location advice, to enable readers to plan a more elaborate tour of this fertile garden area.

Filled with stunning, specially commissioned photographs by Clive Boursnell, Secret Gardens of the South East is a unique guide that opens the gates to the most intriguing gardens in this part of England.

• 5 chapters. PLANTS BEHAVING BADLY. MISTAKEN IDENTITY. GREATER GOOD. SUPERHEROES and  X-RATED.
• We talk about the pyromaniac plant - Dictamnus Albus var purpureus. 
• A plant intent on murder - The Venus Fly Trap
• The plant that's full of beans - Coffee arabica
• The original bar snack - Peanuts - Arachis hypogaea
• A crop worth grafting for - the Egg and Chips Plant
• The Flavour bending berry - Synsepalum dulcificum - the bit where Joff drinks pure lemon juice with a smile on his face.
• The luckiest tree - The Wollemi Pine - Wollemia nobilis
• The X rated vulva vine - Clitoria ternatea 

• The book has 4 chapters - Learn - Plan - Grow - Care
• Harriet's advice is right plant, right place, and right pot, but at the same time do experiment and have fun.
• A few pests and how to manage them without resorting to chemicals
• Drainage, watering feeding.
• Irrigation
• Pot materials and the question of pot feet
• Grouping plants for affect and water conservation
• We talk about a few specific plants. Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty'. Oxalis 'Iron Cros'. Begonia carolineifolia. Begonia sizemoreae. Amicia zygomeris. The ' Honka' dahlias. Coleus 'Henna'. Canna 'Russian Red'. Abutilon 'Canary Bird'.
• Climbing plants in pots.
• The effects of wind and sun.
• Grow hostas without resorting to slug pellets.

• Andie from Dahlia Beach tells us about her unique pick-your-own Dahlia business and her plans for a dig-you-own Dahlia opportunity towards the end of October. (Shhhh. It's a secret!!)
• David Whittaker from The National Hedge Laying Society explains all the different styles of hedge laying using his ingenious bonsai'd hawthorn hedges.
• Old friend of the show Vanessa from Poddy and Black updates us on the latest addition s to her colourful range of natural rubber waterproof gardening shoes. 
• Clive Saunders is passionate about his collection of early 20thC free standing engines that were used to run belt driven tools and agricultural equipment. It's a fascinating subject and Clive warns it can become very addictive; 'no-one ever just has one engine' he warns!!

Joff and Tamsin discuss:

• Growing up in the 70's
• Tamsin's collection of snakes, mice, and snails
• A house full of chickens
• Holidays in Poole with Aunty Margie
• Was there a lightbulb moment when horticulture came into her life? No, after an unsuccessful attempt at art college she was sent to her uncle's nursery.
• Romantic moments over a dissected pigs head.
• Working for The parks Department and green-keeping
• A spell on breakfast TV
• Opening her own gardening shop
• Becoming a lecturer - the most character building period of her life.
• Becoming the editor of The English Garden magazine and commuting by scooting.
• Becoming an international speaker during lockdown
• The launch at Hatchards, London of her first book. 

Tamsin and her open garden at Stockton Bury can be found on instagram as @TamsinWesthorpe. Her fantastic publisher, Orphans, can be found here www.orphanspublishing.co.uk

• Chapters in the book include An introduction to the skin. Plotting the skincare garden. Choosing skincare plants. The natural skincare garden through the seasons. Formulations and techniques.

Joff and Silvana discuss:

• No dig gardening
• The worst polluters in the skincare industry
• The use of 'weeds' in skincare
• The best plants for your skin care patch
• What are hydrosols, enfleurage, and tinctures.
• How to make a tussie-mussie bath bomb.
• Make a gardeners hand scrub
• Sustainability

More information about Silvana and her amazing Farm Soap Co can be found here. She can also be found on instagram under Farmsoapco.

• We talk about Ellen Wilmott's upbringing and her inherited wealth.
• At the age of 7 £1,000 a year from her godmother (Equivalent to £130,000 in today's money!!)
• Where Sandra first became aware of Warley Place and its gardens
• The 11th century castle and the hidden 'treasures' in its damp cellars.
• Wilmott Tombola, dead mice and silverfish.
• The legendary parties at Warley Place organised by Fred, Ellen's father. (36 bottles of Champagne, 7 of claret, 6 bottles of sherry, 1 of port, and 2 of Brandy)
• In 1897 along with Gertrude Jekyll, Ellen was awarded the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour but didn't attend the presentation. Was it a snub to the RHS? You may need to read the book to find out the answer to this!
• Gertrude and Ellen's friendship. Complicated or misunderstood?
• Revolvers and knuckle dusters. Every lady needs them.

 

• Peas, Lettuces, Courgettes,
• Beans, Tomatoes, Beetroot, Winter squash and pumpkins, Apples and Pears, Kale, Leeks.
• Frisee, walnut and roast grape salad
• Runner beans in tomato sauce
• Salted beans in old sweet jars
• A tomato-lover's salad with anchovy breadcrumbs
• Kathy reads 'The tragedy of the beetroot and the mole'.
• Beetroot, tahini, and almond brownies
• Kathy reads a tale of 'The unbuyables'. 
• Warm squash, feta, and pomegranate salad.
• Fried pears, blue cheese, and bitter leaves .
• Leek, chestnut, and cider crumble.

• David Wyndham-Lewis tells us about the horticultural charity Perennial who offer support to those in the industry who may find themselves in financial difficulty for whatever reason.
• Richard Pennock (pictured right with Josh Papworth) is from Haws, the worlds oldest watering can manufacturer who still make their product in the UK.
• Tom Willday of Willsow writes and publishes gardening books for children with pages of handmade paper embedded with seeds that can be planted.
• Chris Holden form Nemasys discusses the range of organic based pest control solutions the company offers. Dealing with slugs, vine weevil, and leatherjackets has never been easier.
• Mark Pitman is  from Wildlife World who have just released a range of sustainable seed trays, root trainers, and cell trays in natural rubber that will enable us to rid our sheds of all those disintegrating plastic products we've all amassed over the years.
• Vanessa Easlea is from WFGA (Working for Gardeners Association) She tells us about the networking, support, and training opportunities they provide.

• Privet and the Royal Academician Tom Philips
• Paul McCartney and Vita Sackville West in the same sentence?! Yes, Really!!
• Flowering Cherries 
• Collingwood 'Cherry' Ingram, Naoko Abe, and Seisaku Funatsu
• The Kanzan cherry and Christopher Lloyd's changing attitude later in life.
• Thermogenic magnolias
• How to get on in TV. ( Hint,You need a USP)
• Hybrid tea roses and the future 
• Life in Copenhagen

• Becoming a 'purple' shirt.
• Designing the WW1 memorial garden at Chateau de Péronne, France.
• The horticultural charity Perennial
• Designing 17th and 18thC gardens
• The APL awards
• Recording the Sodshow in challenging locations.
• Being Monsieur Architects but keeping your feet on the ground.
• Definitely not being recognised in the supermarket

• Responsibilities of a consultant
• Japanese Knotweed
• Design and Build
• Contracts
• Legalities of being a designer
• Contracts
• Public and Employers Liability
• Case Studies
• Artificial Grass
• Appointing a Head Gardener

• Joff talks to Tricia Atkinson from Butterfly Conservation about the nectar garden at Prinknash Abbey. They discuss plants suitable for the adult butterfly and those for the larvae.
• Maurice Avent was the national chairman for Butterfly conservation and is now the conservation officer for the Wiltshire branch. Joff recorded this conversation over ten years ago on his battered minidisc recorder. Luckily the recording survives and Maurice was able to tell Joff all about the Pearl Bordered Fritillary, its history, and habits. 
• Chris Tracey is an expert on the Pearl Bordered Fritillary and shows Joff around one of the sites she looks after that is one of the best spots for observing this fast declining species.
• Sue Smith is chairperson of the Gloucestershire branch of Butterfly Conservation and met Joff at Daneway Banks a site that is now a stronghold for the once  extinct (in the UK) Large Blue butterfly. This enigmatic butterfly  is both demanding in its habitat and unbelievable in its unique life cycle.
• Go too www.butterfly-conservation.org for more information.

• Joff talks to Ray Howe from Sunray Plants of Devon about sempervivums and restios

• Andrew from Plantlife charity explains their work, particularly with local councils and roadside verges.

• Rob hardy of Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants talks about  'frilly Knickers' and a small amount of the large range of plants they stock in their nursery.

• Geoff Car makes his final appearance on the show and discusses the time consuming and sometimes costly job of staking.

 

• Pictured: Carol Klein entertaining crowds on the central stage.

• Joff enjoys a chat with Andrew Grout of The Old Lawnmower Club
• Mark Savagar explains the workings of The Institute of Groundsmanship
• Colin Bedford explains the advantages of The National Allotment Society
• Felicity Weeks represents Herefordshire Growing Point an amazing charity offering horticultural therapy at a number of sites. They had a garden at the show that had been constructed with the help of many of the adults who benefit from their services
• Jim Chapman not only  holds the national collection of Perry pears in Gloucestershire but was displaying a record number of these ancient fruits. 

 

• Joff speaks to Charlotte (pictured right with her sister Sarah) from Natural Grower about her soil conditioner and plant feed that is a byproduct from their renewable energy plant. It's one of the few plant fertilisers that can also be happily used by vegans!
• Chris Parker has developed an unusual hand fork that is great for weeding and cultivating soil and it all came about as the result of an accident with his old garden fork. Proncroft was born!
• David Kelly from Vivagreen discusses his product MossOff a chemical free biodegradable product for eradicating moss form lawns and hard surfaces in your garden.
• Kelley Cooney launched Gold leaf Gloves in 2004 and they're now recognised as the worlds finest gardening glove so much so that they are endorsed by The RHS.
• The beautiful range of Japanese secateurs, shears, and tripod ladders from Niwaki are highly regarded in the horticultural community. Stewart Willes talks us through the range.
• SylvaGrow is a particularly popular brand of peat free compost  manufactured by Melcourt nr Tetbury in Gloucestershire. Beverley Moseley gives us the low down on their wide range of peat free sustainable products.
• Another company from the Tetbury area is Wildlife World. I speak to Norman sellers who takes us for a guided tour of their range of timber wildlife products. TV's Simon King has designed a number of products for them.

 

 

 

• Johanna Wallis from Stone Globe Lights discusses her beautiful lighting solutions
• Simon Reed from the Willow Wand company has a range of these attractive willow topiary artworks to suit any sized garden.
• Hugh Frost explains the benefits of the range of spray on nature friendly pest deterrents from Grazers.
• Neil Urry from Vegepod demonstrates his unique vegetable growing system from down under.
• Cheryl (whose voice is the first you here on the podcast) from Hotbin Composting explains how their system reaches super high temperatures enabling you to compost kitchen food as well as garden waste.
• The Garden media Guild get a mention too.
• Joff also took the opportunity to catch up with Jane Perrone from On the Ledge Podcast as well as Sarah Wilson from Roots and All Podcast. Both highly recommended.

• Pam Ayres is an award winning poet, songwriter, comedian, and 'clairvoyant'
• We talk Zaak Goldsmith and his special hedgehog drill
• Celebrity MasterMind
• Creating a wildlife oasis
• Wildlife friendly plants
• Hedgehog food
• Favourite plants. Nepeta, pyracantha, dahlia
• The new book 'Up in the attic
• A wildlife book for children
• Pam wins an award at Foyles for the country's favourite poet and beats Carol Ann Duffey and Seamus Heaney to the crown!
• I finish with a fabulous product review with garden designer Geoff Carr.

• The beautiful book and photographs
• Voted Top 14 books in 2017  by Gardens Illustrated
• The Herb Society
• Judith preceded Jekka McViccar as president
• Zoology in the 60's with David Bellamy
• Judith's first introduction to herbs
• A tour of Judith's herb garden
• Herb teas
• The magnificent Chicken Brick
• Edible flowers
• Herbs sugars
• Cutting back herbs for better plants
• Hard, hard, prune lavender. REALLY!!
• Hanns Herbs and The Herb School Judith runs
• Herb pesto's. Sage pesto surprisingly Number One
• Cupcake 'Judith Hann"
• Seed collecting
• Joff sets the kitchen on fire.
• Rick Stein, the lovely Chalky and the dead 'pet' rabbit.
• Jane Perrone Guardian Gardens editor says 'Hi'. 
• The Product Review with Geoff Carr

• Choosing a tree with GST
• Appreciating the picturesque
• Identifying flower scent
• Policy, policy, policy. Or not.
• Keeping the ship afloat
• The garden History Society and Westbury Court
• A 'smoking timebomb'
• Wear and tear
• Lawrence Johnston
• Norah Lyndsy-Excellent flower gardener
• Should The Trust be more selective?
• Objective. 200,000 visitors. WHY?
• Easter egg hunts at Hidcote. WHY?
• Property Managers
• Grahams humble hatchback hearse.
• Car Valeting, mileage, and lodgings.
• Product Review with Geoff Carr 

A brilliant conversation (Part one of two) with John Sales former head of gardens for The National Trust . John has just brought out his book 'Shades of Green' my life as The National Trust Head of Gardens. Not only an overview of his former role but a lovely insight into the well respected Graham Stuart Thomas and his dedicated and meticulous working practices. 

• John Sales talks about his wartime experiences
• Young John gets the horticultural bug
• Early memories with pampas and conifers
• Cape heaths and Begonias
• Writtle, Kew
• Graham Stuart Thomas
• VMH medal memories
• Product Review with Geoff Carr
• This episode is part one of two 
• We discuss John's book in part two
• Thanks to our fab show sponsors MYWINDOWBOX-Bringing the garden to your window.

 

• Richard Gatenby
• Barnsley House, Gloucestershire
• Rosemary Verey
• Julie Dolphin
• BBC Gardeners World
• The Nursery at Miserden, Gloucestershire
• Salvias
• Pelargs
• Chris Beardshaw
• Cafe and Pop up dinners
• Glasshouses and Vineries
• Product Review with Geoff Carr

• Stephen Anderton talks about his recent book
• 'Lives of the Great Gardeners'
• Charles Jencks
• The Garden of Cosmic Speculation
• Alexander Reford-Champion of the conceptual
• Le Jardin de Metis
• Lawrence Johnston
• Hidcote Manor Gardens
• Vita Sackville-West
• Sissinghurst
• White Gardens
• Colour themed borders
• Worlitz in Dessau
• Nymphs, fauns, and wenches
• Artificial Volcanoes
• Product Review with Geoff Carr