50: Claire Austin

This week is the last episode in this series.  The tables are turned and, Unity, Bunny’s daughter, as well as being the sound engineer, quizzes Bunny on her life, career and her garden.  There is an accompanying YouTube video on Bunny’s YouTube channel ‘The Guinness Girls gossip about Life and Gardening‘ which illustrates various aspect of Bunny’s life they chat about. This will go up on or just before, Friday 20th December. Happy Christmas and we hope you have enjoyed this series. #family #guinness 

This week Bunny is in the garden with nursery women Claire Austin.  Claire is the daughter of rose breeder David Austin (Senior) and worked with him following leaving Art College. Claire admits being more influenced by her mother, who also went to art college and was the gardener in their family.  Although when Pat died, her father, David took it over and radically altered it.   Claire set up her own nursery growing perennials, irises and peonies and admits to really not liking roses as garden plants.  She has written several books and is now on the council of the Royal Horticultural Society.  #davidaustin #royalhorticulturalsociety

Today Bunny is in the garden with of Caryn Hibbert, founder and director of Thyme and the Bertiolli  Brand.  Caryn started life as a medic, an obstetrician and gynaecologist  whilst having  and bringing up 3 children.  Then in the early 2000 Caryn changed tack and started developing her own business.   Hear about the problems of combining medicine and a family, her brilliant father’s invention and her amazing water meadows with their extraordinary bird and wild flower populations plus golden moles!    See Caryn’s Garden in Bunny’s  accompanying YouTube video ‘Caryn Hibbert in her Gloucestershire Garden’  #takethyme #cotswolds 

Today Bunny is in the Garden with Sir Roderick Victor Llewelyn. Better known as Roddy.  Roddy is a gardening journalist, author and garden designer. He had a weekly column in the Sunday Mail for 12 years.  His father, the legendary Sir Harry Llewelyn, was the David Beckham of the day, an Olympic gold medallist in Show Jumping, and came second in the Grand National. His horse Foxhunter had a chain of cafes named after him. As a present Bunny gave Roddy a Hand Widger from KENT and Stowe Westland, which is brilliant for weeding in awkward crevices, such as between paving slabs.  To see Roddy's garden, watch Bunny's latest YouTube video 'RODDY LLEWELYN in his Garden!' #roddyllewellyn #royalfamily

Today Bunny is in the garden with Lulu Guinness OBE. Lulu talks about her approach to design, how she loves creating original designs whether for handbags, interior design, gardens or clothing.  Several of her iconic handbags are in the V and A museum. Before setting up her business, Lulu was a model (probably the smallest one then in the world) a backing singer in Valentine Guinness’s band, and she made corporate videos.  Lulu and Bunny discuss what its like becoming a Guinness! #luluguinness #houseofguinness

Bunny is in the garden with David Haig MBE an extremely keen gardener though his famous face is familiar to many as Bernard in ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, Jim Hacker in the film of ‘Yes Minister’ and has appeared in ‘Killing Eve’, and the Downton Abbey film too.   He is also a celebrated playwright, he wrote  ‘My Boy Jack’  where he not only penned  the play but also played Rudyard Kipling with Daniel Radcliffe as his son.  David loves the rain and understands a fair bit about our climate having written the drama ‘The Challenge’ about the meteorologist James Stagg, who helped changed the outcome of the war by predicting the weather for the proposed date of D Day.  See David in his garden in Bunny’s YouTube video ‘David Haig in  his Generous Garden talking about gardening, Acting and Playwriting’ #davidhaig #actor

Carole Boyd has been in the Archers since the mid 80’s. Following her training at the City of Birmingham University she then won BBC’s Carlton Hobbs award which involved a 6 month contract with  BBC Radio Drama Company.  But she started acting age 3, when, whilst being bored in long cinema queues, she used to sing and dance to entertain the other queue members.  Carole voices all the female voices on ‘Postman Pat’, fell in love with Laurence Olivier in her early teens, and looked after her husband for twenty years after he had a stroke which removed half his brain. Though remarkably Patrick retained his speech and sense of humour.  Carole talks about techniques to manipulate your voice and use it to be as expressive as your face.  Bunny first met Carole when they were on the same team for University Challenge, and she describes her favourite colourful plants which she likens to ‘NewBerry Fruit Jewels’ a jelly type of sweet.  #thearchers #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

Today Bunny is chatting to Melanie Reid MBE, about her garden in Scotland. Melaine Reid is best known for her weekly ‘Spinal Column’ in The Times magazine, which discusses disability and her life as a tetraplegic, following a serious riding accident.  Bunny and Melanie, chat about how she got into riding, the accident, dark humour in hospitals and aftercare. They talk about how gardening is good at reducing pain, and the positive effects the Horatio’s Gardens have had on spinal wards.  For Melanies Bunny gives her 3 handmade wrought iron hares from Forge & Folie.   https://www.etsy.com/listing/1648348342/add-a-unique-touch-to-your-garden-with https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557270892108 #disability #bunnyinthegardenwith 

Today, Bunny chats to George Monbiot, sadly not in his garden as it is a building site, but we hear all about his plans for the garden, which he is working on with his partner, Rebecca Wriggly. Rebecca is Chief Executive of Rewilding Britain.  Bunny and George  chat about why  George had an unhappy time at Oxford difficult, (he had an open scholarship) though enjoyed his course, his several near death experiences, his thoughts on whether Bunny should change her diesel car to electric and where he buys his clothes. Plus ideas, of course, on how we can hopefully save the planet. Bunny gives him a present of a Cambridge Gage tree from Frank Matthews. They are one of the largest tree growers in the UK with an extensive range of fruit and ornamental trees. Available as container grown or bare root in the winter, trees can be delivered to anywhere in the UK or you can visit their Tree Shop in Worcestershire. The delicious fruit have a  very short shelf life, so you can only enjoy them by growing your own. #equality #wildlife 

Bunny is in Edward Bulmer’s beautiful, renovated Queen Anne house in rural Herefordshire.  Edwards family started the Cider firm, but Edward, having done a history of Art degree found that working in design was what really fascinated him.  Apart from being a prominent interior designer, he has his design shop in London, and has founded his natural paint firm, Edward Bulmer Natural Paints.  Edward is really a frustrated Landscape Architect, and in his own garden has restored a historic water garden, created vistas and amphitheatres, made a beautiful tented outdoor ‘room’ and a lock down water feature from old coppers, mash tuns, buckets and barrels.  For his present Bunny gave him The Good Slug Guide by Jo Kirby for £12.95 To see Edward’s amazing gardens see Bunny’s YouTube video ‘Edward Bulmer in his Brilliant Garden.’ #paint #edwardbulmer