Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

What happens when you follow a decades-long love affair with a place all the way to its shores? Victoria Bennett did exactly that, uprooting her life in Cumbria to start afresh on the windswept islands of Orkney — new garden, new climate, and an inspiring vision for a community apothecary space rooted in creativity, care, and the land itself. Benny's Insect of the Week: Orange-tip Butterly With thanks to our sponsor - roastinghouse.co.uk. get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout. Links Author Website Victoria Bennett — Official Author Site Books The Apothecary by the Sea — Waterstones All My Wild Mothers — Amazon author page Instagram — @beewyld Please support the podcast on Patreon And follow Roots and All: On Instagram @rootsandallpod On Facebook @rootsandalluk On LinkedIn @rootsandall If you enjoyed this week's episode with Victoria, you might also like these conversations from the archives: Episode 370: Remembering Our Nature Brigit Anna McNeill explores healing through plants, herbalism, folklore and ancestral connection — a beautiful companion to today's conversation about finding yourself through the natural world and the restorative power of putting down new roots. Episode 368: Rooted In Purpose Robin Singh's journey from corporate life to growing his own food and living more intentionally echoes Victoria's themes of caregiving, community and choosing a life shaped by purpose rather than habit.

What if the future of our food system is already growing wild beneath our feet? Wendy Russell and Freda Farquharson explore the power of wild edibles — from sorrel seeds and citizen science to health, biodiversity, and climate-friendly farming — and how these overlooked plants could help shape a more resilient future for people, nature, and the land. Benny's Insect of the Week: The Australian Orange Tip Moth - sponsored by Cerddwr's Herbs go to www.cerddwrshb.com and use the code BUGPODS for a listener's discount. Cerddwr's Herbs on Facebook Cerddwr's Herbs Links The website link for becoming participants of the project The Wild Edibles logo was designed by Gabrielle Reith Gabrielle Reith is an artist, illustrator and maker based in Scotland – small-stories Milestones since the project's launch on 1st May 2025: 1st seeds sent out on 7th May 2025 Over 300 packets of seeds sent or delivered by hand so that's over 15 000 seeds sent out so far! Furthest south sent - Kent Furthest North sent - Shetland Please support the podcast on Patreon And follow Roots and All: On Instagram @rootsandallpod On Facebook @rootsandalluk On LinkedIn @rootsandall If you liked this week's episode with Brigit you might also enjoy these episodes from the archives: Episode 155: Wild Food with Marlow Renton Foraging expert Marlow Renton joins Sarah to explore the delights and responsibilities of harvesting wild food, from deepening our relationship with the land to understanding seasonal abundance and ethical foraging. A perfect companion to Wendy and Freda's conversation about wild edibles, knowledge-sharing, and reconnecting with overlooked plants in our landscapes. Episode 349: Foraging Feasts with Flavour Fred Chef and forager Flavour Fred shares his passion for turning wild ingredients into vibrant, accessible food, celebrating flavour, creativity, and sustainability. This episode beautifully complements the Wild Edibles project, bringing the journey full circle from growing and foraging to cooking, eating, and valuing wild food as part of everyday life.

I'm joined by landscape architects Andy Harris and Andy Sturgeon to explore the thinking behind the transformation of London's Sloane Street. Together, they tell the story of a project that set out to reimagine this 1km stretch as a green boulevard inspired by the nearby Chelsea Physic Garden — shifting it from a traffic-dominated thoroughfare into a calmer, more human-centred place. We talk about how landscape can knit together retail and residential life, improve wellbeing, and encourage people not just to pass through, but to linger — using planting as environmental infrastructure. From underground constraints and traffic reduction to biodiversity uplift and long-term stewardship, this conversation reveals how thoughtful urban greening can reshape experience, behaviour and connection in the heart of the city and it provides a great companion episode to last year's one on New York's High Line. Benny's Insect of the Week: The Seven-Spot Ladybird - sponsored by Cerddwr's Herbs go to www.cerddwrshb.com and use the code BUGPODS for a listener's discount. www.cerddwrshb.com Cerddwr's Herbs on Facebook Sloane Street | John McAslan + Partners – official project page outlining the landscape and public realm transformation of this 1 km London boulevard with widened pavements, planting and green infrastructure as part of a masterplan for Cadogan Estates. Andy Harris | John McAslan + Partners – leading the Landscape and Urban Design Studio and responsible for the Sloane Street masterplan and other major public realm projects. Andy Sturgeon Design – the official site for Andy Sturgeon's landscape architecture and garden design practice, responsible for the planting and horticultural design on the Sloane Street project. Please support the podcast on Patreon

This time, I'm the one in the hot seat. In this reflective end-of-year episode, Kelly Baldry takes over as host to ask searching questions about the podcast, changing minds, climate contradictions, and the limits of horticulture as a mental-health cure, alongside a deeper look at my work with Veterans' Growth and what it really means to create safe, supportive spaces in and beyond the garden. Please support the podcast on Patreon And follow Roots and All: On Instagram @rootsandallpod On Facebook @rootsandalluk On LinkedIn @rootsandall

Linden Groves of the Gardens Trust talks about the vital—and surprisingly vulnerable—protections for our historic parks and gardens, and the government's proposal to remove the Trust's statutory consultee role. We unpack what this would mean for our green spaces, why it matters to all of us, and how people can help. Links The Gardens Trust Support the campaign Please support the podcast on Patreon And follow Roots and All: On Instagram @rootsandallpod On Facebook @rootsandalluk On LinkedIn @rootsandall If you liked this week's episode with Linden Groves you might also enjoy this one from the archives: Episode 336: Creating an Ark Sarah speaks with landscape designer and rewilding advocate Mary Reynolds about turning gardens and public green spaces into biodiversity-supporting "Arks," exploring how design choices can protect nature in everyday landscapes. Episode 351: Wild Campuses, Wild Futures Sarah talks to Liz Morley about rewilding public and institutional landscapes, discussing how sensitive, ecologically informed design can support nature while still serving community needs.

Richard Hayden of New York's High Line talks about how the space has grown and transformed—its evolving plantings, newly added areas, and the thoughtful maintenance practices that have helped it become a beloved, essential part of daily life for both residents and visitors. We trace how this once-industrial rail line has matured into one of the city's most treasured green spaces. Links www.thehighline.org Please support the podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall And follow Roots and All: On Instagram @rootsandallpod On Facebook @rootsandalluk On LinkedIn @rootsandall If you liked this week's episode with Richard Hayden you might also enjoy this one from the archives: Episode 323: Wildflowers, Community & Urban Nature Sarah speaks with Richard Scott and Polly Moseley of the Scouse Flowerhouse about creating biodiverse, people-centred urban landscapes and how community-driven planting can transform the character and ecological value of city spaces. Link: https://rootsandall.co.uk/podcast/wildflowers-community-urban-nature/ Episode 59: Public Green Spaces with Neil Sinden I talk with Neil Sinden from CPRE about the role of public green spaces in urban life, exploring access, stewardship, and how thoughtful planning can shape meaningful, lived-in landscapes for residents and visitors alike. Link: https://rootsandall.co.uk/podcast/public-green-spaces-with-neil-sinden/

I'm speaking with Karen Hall, Program Director of Ecological Education at the Institute for Applied Ecology, about an inspiring initiative that connects conservation with social rehabilitation. We explore what ecological education involves, the features of the landscape and ecology of the region where Karen works and how changes to funding have affected these conservation in the efforts. Links Staff profile at IAE: Karen Hall – Institute for Applied Ecology — her bio, role description and contact information. Curriculum materials she oversaw: Ecological Education Curriculum – Institute for Applied Ecology — downloadable education-units with her listed as Program Director. Article on the prison-conservation work mentioning her: "When Gardening is a Lifeline and Game-Changer" (in Pacific Horticulture) — includes direct quotes from her about the prison-based conservation programme. Pacific Horticulture A podcast featuring her and the prison conservation programme: Seeds for Change: An Institute for Applied Ecology Podcast — she appears discussing the "Sagebrush in Prisons" / conservation-in-prisons initiative. Other episodes if you liked this one: Episode 333: Designing for Habitat & Biodiversity Ecological designer and waterway whisperer Emmaline Bowman talks about her mission to heal landscapes through nature-led design at her practice Stem Landscape Architecture & Design. Episode 247: Botanical Education I speak with Seb Stroud (Leeds University) about the state of botanical education, its implications for biodiversity & climate, and what is being done to revive it. Please support the podcast on Patreon And follow Roots and All On Instagram @rootsandallpod On Facebook @rootsandalluk On LinkedIn @rootsandall

This episode, Nicolas Salazar of Guardians Worldwide explores the often-overlooked role of rocks in our designed environments. We discuss their carbon storage potential, their deep relationship with plants, and why removing rocks from landscapes may have more impact than we think. It's a conversation that challenges us to see rocks not as static objects, but as vital, living parts of ecological systems. Links www.guardiansworldwide.org Other episodes if you liked this one: Episode 41: Natural Stone with Giles Heap In this episode, host Sarah Wilson speaks to Giles Heap of CED Stone about sourcing natural stone ethically, using materials appropriate to location and job, UK local‑stone options, production/process environmental impacts, permeability and drainage issues with hard surfaces and the future of stone products. Episode 222: Nature from the Rubble In this episode, landscape architect Sally Bower discusses her RHS‑bursary‑winning report exploring gravel and recycled aggregate gardens in Essex and London (including Hilldrop, Hyde Hall, Beth Chatto's gravel garden, Langdon Nature Discovery Car Park and the Horniman Museum Grasslands garden) and shares surprising insights for designing with or growing in these media. Please support the podcast on Patreon And follow Roots and All: On Instagram @rootsandallpod On Facebook @rootsandalluk On LinkedIn @rootsandall