The Plant Based Podcast

Know your Melianthus from your Mahonia? We've put together this new short, fun quiz for you to follow along with online. There are 20 quick fire questions in total. Seems some of you are serious plant geeks who tried our last quiz with a high score of 36! Can you get all of these questions correct? All you need to do is listen along to the podcast, where you will hear the questions. Open up the we...

"Plants are a great equaliser. A geranium is a geranium, no matter where in the world you are, or what you are experiencing" Lalage Snow is an award-winning freelance photojournalist, writer and filmmaker who has experienced life in some of the most hostile and war-torn places on the planet. Her book, "War Gardens" explores gardens tended to by those caught up in conflict around the world and show...

In the second 'in betweeny' episode for series three, we pack in a lot of fun so get ready to listen and be entertained with plants and gossip! Michael chats about houseplants and discusses your tips for looking after them before Ellen Mary shares some of your lockdown activities including seed watch and crafts. That's all before our special guest, that guy off the telly, Jez Rose, talks to us abo...

Your favourite plant lovers, Michael and Ellen meet Ian Drummond, director of the fabulous company, Indoor Garden Design. They are specialists in interior landscaping, from design to installation through to maintenance. Alongside installations in offices, Indoor Garden Design's speciality is events and creating living backgrounds and sculptures for parties. The team of green-fingered experts has s...

So, do you think you know your Dianthus from your Digitalis? Well, it could be time to prove yourself! We've put together a very special quiz for you to follow along with online. There are 8 rounds, and 40 questions in total. You will be tested on the origins of plants, plant based products, technical practices, and so much more. All you need to do is listen along to the podcast, where you will he...

Gardeners' World presenter and gardening writer, Mark Lane, meets Michael and Ellen to discuss how he got into gardening, and how it all started with a career in medical and architectural publishing. His love of gardening was sparked by his architectural work and learning how outside landscaping relates to building and design. Life changed for Mark following a car crash in 2001 which means he is n...

We are introducing an occasional extra episode for the plant-based podcast, and it is called the "in-betweeny" episode. In this weeks "inbetweeny", we review your comments and feedback to the recent podcast with Liz Earle, we also talk about some of the gardening news from over the last week, and gush over the joys of spring blossom. We also chat about the release of some long forgotten video tape...

Ellen and Michael took a trip to South London to visit TV presenter and entrepreneur Liz Earle in her wellbeing studio. With over 25 years of experience in the beauty, health and wellbeing industry, Liz now heads up one of the most progressive and successful magazines on the subject, not to mention a popular podcast and YouTube channel. They discussed the whole concept of wellbeing and how it rela...

In this episode, Ellen Mary is at the University of North Carolina Botanical Gardens in Charlotte with Jeff Gillman, the Director. The garden is an eclectic mix of a diverse orchid collection, lots of carnivorous plants, native plants and rhododendrons too. Their conversation is eclectic too, ranging from Fleetwood Mac to cookies made with cricket flour and silkworm soup! In the second half, Ellen...

Ever wondered about how you can make a career out of your love of gardening? But have sceptics and people's comments about how unrealistic a dream it is put you off?! This episode of The Plant Based Podcast delves into career changes in horticultural and looks at the paths available into the green-fingered world. The options are so varied. It's not just about being outside tending to plants - you...

In this bonus episode of The Plant Based Podcast, Ellen is at the Norfolk Olive Tree Company. She chats to Paul and Antonia Smith in their shed within a Mediterranean courtyard, surrounded by a wonderful evergreen garden. Paul and Antonia love the sculptural, evergreen qualities of olive trees and they ship trees from Europe that are no longer fruitful, to live out their retirement in the U.K. The...

Whilst we're waiting for series 3 we thought we'd treat you to some extra special plant-based goodness so we have some bumper episodes for you coming up! In this New Year episode, Michael discusses exciting new plants, speaking to two top breeding companies about projects they've worked on together and looking forward to what they've got coming up. He also looks at your fantasy plant league sugges...

In this episode, Michael and Ellen enjoy sampling the range of botanical drinks from Three Spirit with Dash and Tatiana, the couple behind the brand. Three Spirit are all about 'bringing plants to the party' with their drinks, which contain medicinal, functional, active ingredients found in botanics. They chat about lots of unusual plants and roots from around the world and their benefits and effe...

In this episode of the Plant Based Podcast, Ellen meets Jimmy Turner, the Director of Horticulture at Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens. Jimmy looks after not just one, but three high-profile gardens in Australia - perhaps one of the best horticultural jobs in the world!  Jimmy's mission is to inspire everyone with the wonder of plants and to get everyone to connect with nature. His infectious passio...

In this episode of The Plant Based Podcast, Michael and Ellen meet Neil Urry and Alex Allen, owners of Vegepod UK. They moved from Australia to England in 2018 to launch Vegepod in the UK. This is their story as to how they came to be part of the Vegepod family. Then in part two, Ellen meets Simon Holloway from Vegepod Australia on the beautiful shores of Manly beach. Over a beer, they have a chat...

In this episode of The Plant Based Podcast we explore the fascinating and misunderstood world of CBD oils. Leon and Michael from Honest Hemp, a pioneering grower of organic hemp and producer of superior cannabidiol CBD products, talk to Michael and Ellen. They unpack the misconceptions about the legalities, and the confusion between CBD and cannabis, making the distinction clear about how it is pe...

Among chirping bird song, nestled in Highgate Woods in North London, the Plant Based Podcast meets Kim and Vicky from Handmade Apothecary to learn about foraging, and how to use plants to create healing remedies and recipes. Kim and Vicky met at university when they were studying herbal medicine, and can now regularly be found out foraging for herbs. They use their medicinal backgrounds to carry o...

RHS gardens are one of the most stunning displays and are a true dream for any horticultrual fan to explore. But just what does it take to look after one? With such variety and high standards expected it's no mean feat. The star of this episode of The Plant Based Podcast is Peter Goodchild, leader of the Alpine team at RHS Wisley. Peter talks to Michael and Ellen about his journey from gardener at...

Gabriel Reid fell in love with flowers as a child. Over the years she evolved that passion into a cut flower business, and Gabriel's Garden was soon formed. Michael and Ellen visit the stunning gardens to meet Gabriel and find out how she started selling salads and edibles at farmer's markets, and how that grew into selling cut flowers. As an artisan florist and grower of fine flowers, Gabriel now...

Howard Nurseries grow over two million plants a year and is one of the country's largest, wholesale perennial specialists. This episode is the ultimate episode for those with a real plant passion, jammed with "plant chat" and a true character from the horticultural world dedicated to growing the very best plants and sharing that joy. Take a peek behind the scenes at Howard Nurseries to find out ho...

Join the Plant Based Podcast to explore the world of aquascaping and creating stunning landscapes underwater. Ray McCune and George Farmer from Scaped Nature in Norwich speak to Michael and Ellen to discuss how creativity needn't be limited to houseplants and how unusual spaces and scenery can be created within landscaped tanks and aquariums – without needing a snorkel! From moss art to terrariums...

Plant based drinks are a huge growth area and one company specialising in this is Botanic Lab. Michael and Ellen meet Rebekah, founder of the company, who explains how, with eating and drinking becoming about so much more than just stopping thirst and hunger, Botanic Lab is expanding its range to create drinking experiences. Plant milks, juices, teas, cold presses and even CBD based soft drinks ar...

Embracing plants and nature can brighten the darkest of days, and taking time out of a busy day to step outside for a moment's peace can have a huge impact on your wellbeing. Someone who knows this exceptionally well is Emma Mitchell, author of "The Wild Remedy: How Nature Mends Us". In this episode of the Plant Based Podcast, Emma chats to Michael and Ellen to discuss gardening, wellbeing and her...

We're back! The Plant Based Podcast is back for series 2 and in this first episode, Michael and Ellen head  to Peter Beales Roses to find out how the perfect rose is selected. Nursery manager, Ian Limmer, reveals how breeding roses is a numbers game. Did you know that a single rose that you might see on the Peter Beales' stand at the Chelsea Flower Show has been selected from 50,000 seedlings whic...

In a special bonus episode, Ellen and Michael have been to the Hampton Court Flower Show. Like the true plantspeople they are, they spent most of the time in the floral marquee, marvelling at how many retro plants seem to be back on trend. From previously disdained Heathers to mumsy Chrysanthemums, the tide has changed. New breeding, new innovation, and new attitudes mean that lots of plants are b...