Pot and Cloche Garden Podcasts – Details, episodes & analysis

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

In this episode sponsored by Genus Gardenwear Joff Elphick travels to the north of the Cotswolds to visit Harriet Rycroft, a garden speaker, consultant, writer, and an expert in container gardening. They talk about her book 'POTS' and wander around Harriet's back garden, home to nearly 800 pots.

• 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
• 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.

In this episode sponsored by the amazing Genus Gardenwear Joff talks to a number of the interesting exhibitors that can be found at The Malvern Autumn Show.

• Andie from Dahlia Beach tells us how her company, the first cut-your-own Dahlia farm in the UK came about. She also telss us about her plans to open the farm for 'dig your own' dDahlia plants at the thend of October. (It's a secret at the moment. keep it to yourself!!)
• David Whittaker is from the National Hedge Laying Society and with his superb mobile trailer of bonsai'd hawthorn hedges explains all the different styles of hedge laying in the country.
• Clive Saunders is a passionate private collector of early 20th century free standing engines that were often used  on farms and in workshops where belt drivenn tools were employed. It's a fascination subject that can become very addictive. Clive tells us that no-one ever has just one machine despite their best intentions.

In this Episode  sponsored by Genus Gardenwear I talk to Tamsin Westhorpe about her latest book Grasping the Nettle - tales from a modern country gardener.

Tamsin is a hands-on gardener who opens her garden Stockton Bury near Leominster to the public. She had worked as a parks greenkeeper, an interior landscaper, she had her own shop, and is probably best known for holding the position of Editor at The English Garden magazine. 

We discuss her childhood in the 70's. Being brought up surrounded by chickens and other crestures. Her holidays to Poole in Dorset where she spent a lot of time in her Aunty Margie's garden. 

Her transition to gardener wasn't a lightbulb moment.

We talk of catching a boyfriends while dissecting pig's hearts, art college, and summer days spent untangling Clematis at her uncle's nursery. 

She became a lecturer which was the most character building period of her life.

The commute from Herefordshire to The English garden in Cheltenham involved a commute by scooter. (It didn't last long)

During lockdown she became an international speaker talking to gardeners in America, Japan, the Uk and beyond. 

 

In this episode sponsored by Genus Gardenwear Joff talks to Silvana de Soissons about her book Natural Skincare for all Seasons. 

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 use of 'weeds' in skincare.
• What are hydrosols, enfleurages, and tinctures
• How can we make a tussie-mussie bath-bomb?
• Gardeners hand scrub
• Sustainability

Joff can be found here

Find out more about Silvana's business by visiting the Farm Soap Co.

In this episode sponsored by Genus Performance Gardenwear Joff talks to Sandra Lawrence author of 'Miss Wilmott's Ghosts - The extraordinary life and gardens of a forgotten genius'.  They discuss Ellen Wilmott, her upbringing, and her inherited wealth.  The 11th century castle and the hidden 'treasures' in its damp cellars.

The legendary parties at Ellen's home Warley Place. 

'Wilmott Tombola' with dead mice and silverfish.

Ellen Wilmott 'snubbing' the RHS after being awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour.

Ellen's complicated friendship with Gertrude Jekyll.

Why every Victorian lady should carry knuckle dusters and a revolver.

 

 

In this episode sponsored by the amazing Genus Performance Gardenwear Joff taks to Kathy Slack who's book 'From the Veg Patch' was published last year by Ebury Press. They discuss the vegetables Kathy grows and the some of the deliciuos recipes in the book.

In this episode sponsored by the amazing Genus Performance Gardenwear Joff travels to the old horticultural halls in Islington, London, where he talks to the charities and businesses who attend the event. His first visit is to David Wyndham-Lewis of the horticultural charity Perennial who offer suppoert to those in the industry who may find themselves in financial difficulty for a number of reasons.

He then talks to Richard Pennock of Haws watering cans, the words 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 made of handmade paper  embeded with seeds that can be planted!! 

Chris Holden from Nemasys discusses the range of organic nematode based pest control products that the company offers. Dealing with vine weevil, slugs, 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 finally enable us to rid our sheds of all those dissintegrating plastic products we've amassed over the years. 

Vanessa Easley is from the WFGA (Working for Gardeners Association) She tells us about the networking, support, and training opportunites they provide.

Joff talks to Ben Dark about his latest book The Grove - a nature odyssey in 191/2 front gardens.

Ben Dark is such a wonderful writer - The Grove drew me in from the first line. Lia Leendertz

The Grove is overflowing with delicious nuggets of cultural, social and garden history, - and I adore Ben's humour and humility in equal measure. Advolly Richmond

A heartfelt romp through the wisteria and wilderness of London's horticulturally remarkable front gardens. Jack Wallington

Fans of Ben Dark's mellifluous tones on The Garden Log Podcast will be delighted how perfectly his lyrical musings transfer to the printed page as, with infant son in tow, he invites the reader upon a series of horticultural expeditions inspired by the deceptively ordinary planting of the front gardens in a south London street. Andrew O'Brien