Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

Fibrex is a family run nursery, started by Hazel & Dick Key over half a century ago. The business is still run by family members; Angela works alongside her sister, brother and sister-in-law, as well as other family members, to make the nursery the success it is today.   In addition to being respected horticultural experts, they hold two National Collections and continually attain top accolades at...

Born in 1986 to Jamaican parents in South East London, Esiah Levy is a London-based creative Food Grower, Gardener Designer and the founder of SeedsShare, a project sending edible plant seeds all over the world. SeedsShare is a project set up by Esiah in December 2016 to provide organic seeds which can be sown to produce free food and provide long-term food security for Individuals or community ga...

  Gardening in A Changing Climate This is a recording of a panel discussion that took place at a Designers' Day event on 27th November 2018. The sound quality is pretty raw and not up to our excellent standards, as we recorded in a polytunnel in the lashing rain! The topic up for debate was how climate change is affecting the way designers design gardens for clients. Or not, as the case may be! A...

Decoding plant categories so you can tell how long your plant will live. This episode sees the introduction of a new segment, 'Getting to the Roots of...' and this week we're going back to basics to find out the differences between annuals, biennials, perennials etc. so you know how long to expect your plant to live.   Get in touch; Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk Website www.rootsandall.co.uk Twi...

This episode, I'm talking BioChar with Craig Sams, the co-founder of Carbon Gold, a company that produces a range of BioChar products for the garden but also for agricultural use. I interviewed Craig in his beautiful garden in Hastings, so please excuse the cries of the seagulls who tried to get in on the act around halfway through the interview.   We discuss: - What is biochar? - Why did people s...

Have you ever noticed how natural landscapes always seem to work? The colours, shapes, scale and textures of a natural landscape appear pleasing to the eye despite little or no human input. It's this sense of innate beauty in nature, speaking to us on an almost subconscious level, that interests today's guest Toby Diggens.   We speak about naturalistic and ecological gardens which incorporate elem...

Do you welcome foxes into your garden or are they the bane of your life when it comes to growing plants and keeping a clean and tidy plot? Foxes can be a joy to watch but a pain when they're digging up your plants! In this episode, I speak to animal behaviour expert and fox aficionado Terry Woods. Terry is co-founder of Fox-A-Gon, a company which offers organic and ethical solutions in situations...

Sarah fields listener questions about herbaceous border maintenance in October and when to prune pieris. She reports back on her visit to the Great Dixter Plant Fair and there's a little bit of housekeeping too.   Get in touch; Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk Website www.rootsandall.co.uk Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod   Patreon Link; Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Don...

Alliums have to be one of our most well-loved, contemporary perennials. They're relatively pest and disease free, pollinators love them, they look good in flower and also in skeletonised form during the winter. However, if you thought growing alliums was as straightforward as bunging some bulbs in the ground and enjoying them year after year, you may be surprised… After losing some alliums in my o...

Sarah talks about jobs she should have done two weeks ago (same old same old) and about how National Collections work and why you may be able to have one if you so desire it.   Get in touch; Email  podcast@rootsandall.co.uk Website www.rootsandall.co.uk Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod   Patreon Link; Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like...

The first ever Vegan Garden Festival was held at Hortus Loci Plant Centre in Hampshire on Sept 15th 2018. Sarah reviews the event and her discovery that she may be more than just a vegan who gardens.   Get in touch; Email  podcast@rootsandall.co.uk Website www.rootsandall.co.uk Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod   Patreon Link; Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much...

Selecting and planting trees can be a minefield. Never fear though, help is on hand as 'legend in the world of trees', Kew-trained, Peter Thurman is here to provide straight-forward advice about what to do and what not to do when buying a tree and planting it out. Peter's CV is suitably impressive. He is a landscape designer and plantsman and holds chartered status in arboriculture, horticulture,...

If you want to know the answers to why your carnivorous plant may look dead but isn't and why none of them can eat greenfly, listen in...    Get in touch; Email  podcast@rootsandall.co.uk Website www.rootsandall.co.uk Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod   Patreon Link; Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsand...

Sarah is surprised to find that August is not the most popular month with gardeners and explores some ways in which the month can be made a little more bearable. She also talks about thrips on houseplants. Get in touch; Email  podcast@rootsandall.co.uk Website www.rootsandall.co.uk Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod   Patreon Link; Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as...

Houseplants have come a long way since your mum's Swiss cheese plant from the 1970s. However, successfully cultivating one of the myriad of varieties available today, is not as simple as wedging your chosen species into the barren corner of the living room in a once redundant terracotta pot. From nurturing your first cactus at university to transforming your home into an indoor sanctuary full of o...

Beth Otway AKA Pumpkin Beth has turned terrarium gardening into a perfectly balanced combination of science and art. Sarah reads excerpts from her interview with Beth and also talks about when to order your tulips and offers some suggestions for ones to look out for.   Get in touch; Email  podcast@rootsandall.co.uk Website www.rootsandall.co.uk Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod   Patre...

Sarah starts by pondering how come the roses seem to be having 2 distinct flushes this year and gets no nearer to an answer. She also discusses when to trim your box bushes and talks about the intriguing houseplant du jour, the Crocodile Fern. The Budcast finishes with an unexpected confession...    Get in touch; Email  podcast@rootsandall.co.uk Website www.rootsandall.co.uk Twitter @rootsandall I...

Lacking the space but certainly not the enthusiasm? Taking on an allotment has fast become a popular solution to keeping those green fingers satisfied and the benefits are endless. Not only is it environmentally friendly, working an allotment can be seen as therapeutic, sociable and an all round healthy discipline, which can promote a healthier lifestyle.  In the first part of this episode, Sarah...

If you're flagging in the hot weather, chances are your plants are too. Listen in to find out if you should be watering your outdoor plants in a drought and if so, how often. Also, Sarah shares a nifty trick to keep your indoor plants happy if you're going away on holiday. Share your watering successes and woes;   Get in touch; Email  podcast@rootsandall.co.uk Website www.rootsandall.co.uk Twitter...

You've got the space, you've got a budget, but where to begin? It can be difficult and sometimes daunting to know how to set about transforming and making the most of your outdoor space. For those of us who aren't blessed with a green-fingered talent, the best option may be to bring in the professionals and hire the services of a garden designer. Fortunately, Sarah Wilson is here with another esse...

Today, Sarah interviews Paul Hetherington, Director of Fundraising and Communications at the Buglife Invertebrate Conservation Organisation, with a particular interest in discussing worms and depending on the type, their significance in the garden.   So dip into the world of our 2 enthusiasts for an insightful chat about the trials and tribulations of this common garden dweller and much understate...

Anyone with a modest or sizeable outdoor space will appreciate the time and effort that goes into maintaining it.  So the question professionals in the industry are often asked is, how do I get a good gardener?   In the second episode of this series, Sarah Wilson finds out some answers as she interviews Claire Vokins a friend and fellow Horticulturist, who runs her own garden care business, Elizab...

In the first episode of this insightful series, Sarah covers one of her favourite topics as she talks to two special guests about Dahlias. Join Emma Page, Award winning Horticulturalist and Garden Designer and Dave Gillam, Chairman of the National Dahlia's Society as well as being the General Manager for Abercorn Garden Centre in Chelmsford, as they share their extensive knowledge and experience....