Trowels and Tribulations

In this episode we are live at the Harrogate flower show and we are talking to the head gardener Ben Preston.York Gate is a magical one-acre garden created by the Spencer family between 1951 and 1994. Frederick and Sybil Spencer along with their son Robin, laid out and nurtured what is now one of the finest small gardens in the country. The design of ‘rooms’ interlinked through a succession of vistas and executed with meticulous attention to detail owed much to the Arts and Crafts movement, complemented by Sybil’s skills as a plants woman.  In accordance with Sybil’s wishes, on her death in 1994, York Gate was given to Perennial. York Gate has been granted Grade II national heritage status in a list of post-war gardens and landscapes for England. “It is an amazing garden, and it should be protected. It’s not a stately home, it’s a family home. It would have meant a lot to Sybil, to see the family name and legacy live on.”  Ben Preston, Head Gardener.https://perennial.org.uk/garden/york-gate-garden/#gardening #trees #gardening-podcast #horticulture#nature #flowers #podcast #herbs #vegetables #gardendesignSupport the show

In this episode we are live at the Harrogate flower show and we are talking to Jason Daff from the University of YorkProfessional horticulturist specialised in plant production for research and development purposes.Particular interests include seed biology and technology, import and export of seed/plant material and plant husbandry within controlled environments and glasshouses.He is also part of the The Chartered Institute of Horticulture#gardening #trees #gardening-podcast #horticulture #nature #flowers #podcast #herbs #vegetables #gardendesignSupport the show

In this episode we are live at the Harrogate flower show and we are talking to Alistair BaldwinAlistair qualified as a landscape architect in 1992, and following a 12 year spell as an academic at Leeds Metropolitan University and a 5 year term as director of a landscape design firm in York he established his own practice outside Ripon, North Yorkshire. His passion for planting design and the genius of the place has lead to commissions around the UK, ranging in size from small courtyard gardens to large country estates.Having a diplomat as a father meant that Alistair grew up amongst the varied and deeply memorable landscapes and cultures of Spain, Italy, Syria and the Lebanon, and his work today is influenced by a passion for architecture and the natural world.  In particular, his works reflects a fascination with the way in which horticulture can affect the mood, scale and spirit of a place through the manipulation of scale colour and texture.Alistair is supported by a team of qualified landscape architects, who's combined skills span masterplanning, planning applications, planting design, technical construction design, project management and team working.  The team works closely with architects, interior designers, lighting designers and specialist advisors to bring our portfolio of design projects to fruition. AWB Associates specialises in the creation of public and private gardens and landscapes that are timeless, memorable and meaningful.  Our work is underpinned by a respect for our built and landscape heritage, and much of what we do results in the illumination, appreciation and enjoyment of significant buildings and places.We work closely with like-minded architects, engineers, interior designers, craftsmen and women, ecologist and many other specialists to deliver well-crafted places.  Where a project allows, we create planting schemes that bring nature, delight and dramatic seasonality to the site, producing management plans and working with maintenance staff to ensure longevity of our creations.​Our collective experience and skills across a wide range of media and software allows us to interface with other professionals while assembling planning and listed building applications for our clients, and our track record for gaining planning consents in challenging environments is excellent.  We offer the full range of design services, from inception and site assessment through master planning and visualisations to construction design, planting design and project management.  We also manage other consultants on behalf of the client. #gardening #trees #gardening-podcast #horticulture #nature #flowers #podcast #herbs #vegetables #gardendesignSupport the show

In this episode we are live at the Harrogate flower show and we are talking to Leilah Vyner from Dragon WillowLeilah is a traditional craft business aiming to encourage others to enjoy willow weaving and green wood working. She fosters an environmentally minded ethos in all my activities and her workshop is near Tadcaster in North Yorkshire. She have been weaving willow since 2000 and running her own business since 2010.As time moved on, Leilah moved away from the medieval scene and started to make more everyday products including baskets and decorations. Due to the amount of people who asked , she then started to run workshops in basketry and garden items. She also started to learn how to make greenwood spoons and bowls using traditional hand tools.Quite a few years later She moved to a place called Greenhow in North Yorkshire; this was an idyllic rural location in the Yorkshire Dales where she thought that she could expand her hobby. However the climate was too extreme to run a willow weaving business from, so she ended up moving to Tadcaster where the climate is much friendlier, this is where she started creating willow sculptures.#gardening #trees #gardening-podcast #horticulture #nature #flowers #podcast #herbs #vegetables #fruit #carnivorous #worms #aquatic #showgardens #foral #willow Support the show

In this episode we are live at the Harrogate flower show and we are talking  to Jonathan Moseleyhttps://www.jonathan-moseley.com/Since early childhood a fascination with flowers and nature have inspired Jonathan to become one of the UK’s leading designers within the floral art world. For over 25 years he has inspired and entertained audiences and individuals with his love of flowers through demonstrations, workshops and classes.Living on the edge of the Peak District Jonathan undertakes extensive private commissions throughout the UK for both public and private clients.  Jonathan is a regular feature at all of the major RHS shows including Chelsea, Hampton Court, Tatton and Malvern and he delivers seasonal events at Belmond Le Manoir aux quat ‘Saisons, Woburn Abbey, Castle Howard, Chatsworth House and at many other prestigious locations.Working directly with the retail floristry sector Jonathans extensive industry knowledge, skills and presentation techniques are highly sought after by wholesalers and independent retailers to help source and promote seasonal products through demonstrations, interior displays, workshops and magazine articles. He is a regular contributor to the BFA Magazine and Flora International and writes many features for leading lifestyle and horticultural magazines, blogs and online features.Jonathan is immediate past President of the North of England Horticultural Society.He is an Ambassador for the charity UCARE and an ambassador for The Haven Breast Cancer CharityAs a British Flower Ambassador Jonathan works closely with professional flower farmers to forge links between growers and florists. He is a passionate advocate for British seasonal flowers and is always enthusiastic to promote them to the public when he is demonstrating at any major event. In recognition for his celebrated role within UK floristry he was awarded in 2020 an honorary membership of the Institute of Professional Florists by the British Florist Association #gardening #trees #gardening-podcast #horticulture #nature #flowers #podcast #herbs #vegetables #fruit #carnivorous #worms #aquatic #showgardens #foral Support the show

In this episode we talk to Nicholas Edward Fryer, Garden Design and Landscaping based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.Award winning garden designer and landscaper based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Nick takes on projects nationally, pulling together teams of industry leaders in construction and planting to fulfil any sized project to the highest standard. Nick has built gold medal winning gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and designed and built gold medal winning gardens at RHS Hampton Court Flower Show and is a regular at Harrogate Flower Show.#gardening #trees #gardening-podcast #horticulture #nature #flowers #podcast #herbs #vegetables #fruit #carnivorous #worms #aquatic #showgardens https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-edward-fryer-103a6876/?originalSubdomain=ukhttps://www.visitharrogate.co.uk/blog/from-car-park-to-yorkshire-dales-gardenSupport the show

In the episode we talk to Peter from Wacks wicked plants.They are a small, North-Yorkshire based, nursery, and they grow, display and sell Carnivorous Plants at Shows and Fairs. They started as a backyard nursery in Knaresborough, and moved to the beautiful village of Scampston in 2015 to enable them to grow the nursery. When they started up, the shows were mainly in Yorkshire, but they have now gone further afield. The 2018 season has been great for they displays, taking part in several RHS Flower Shows as well as they local Harrogate Flower Shows and the Great Yorkshire Show. They have achieved gold awards all season and are particularly proud of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold medal at their first attempt! To achieve what they said they wanted right from the start (Best in Show at the Great Yorkshire Show) was also a great feeling. In 2019 they did it all again, achieving another Chelsea gold, as well as a 2nd Best in Show at the Great Yorkshire Show, and many other gold medals. 8 RHS gold medals and counting …#gardening #trees #gardening-podcast #horticulture #nature #flowers #podcast #herbs #vegetables #fruit #carnivorous #worms #aquatic Support the show

This was recorded live at the Harrogate flower show. In this episode with talk to Anna from The Urban Worm CIC. https://theurbanworm.co.uk/Urban Worm is a social enterprise committed to raising the profile of worm farming as the ecological and economical solution for organic waste management and organic agriculture. We support schools, communities, businesses, farmers and families harnessing the power of the humble earthworm to build the foundations for food production to flourish, and for societies to thrive in the face of adversity.Why Worm Farm?The reality of climate change, natural resource depletion and mass urbanization present unprecedented threats to global food security and the survival of humanity. Worm farming provides solutions to help us meet and address these challenges, as individuals, communities, institutions and businesses. The process particularly lends itself to the urban environment with small scale indoor, low tech and low cost systems. With 83 % of the UK living in cities an urban worm farming movement is essential for future food security and provides easy solutions for our kitchen waste.Food waste emits the green house gases (GHG) methane and nitrous oxide that are 31 and 310 times stronger than carbon dioxide, respectively. On an individual and grassroots level, worm farming has the potential to reduce GHG emissions by significantly reducing the volume of food waste directed to landfill, and in turn alleviates the necessity for fossil fuel-powered collection vehicles.Worm farming enables us to regenerate the earth, producing nutritionally rich fertiliser and compost from our waste to support the production of nutritionally rich food. With less than 40 years of topsoil left in the UK and less than 60 years globally we must act accordingly if we wish to thrive in the face of adversity and avoid mass famine. Worm farming offers the opportunity to rebuild the earth in our homes, within our communities and on our farms. The paradigm of industrial chemical-dependent agriculture has taken precedent over farming for more than a century, with disregard for the health and life of the soil and for those who work the land. Consequently the health of humanity and the earth has suffered beyond measure and we are now faced with feeding the world when our source of food production is diminishing rapidly. Investing in advanced agrotech is not the answer, investing in the earth, and the earthworm, is.Worm farming, otherwise known as vermiculture (vermis from the Latin for worm) is the process of harnessing earthworms to convert organic waste into the world’s most nutrient-rich fertiliser; worm manure. Worm manure – also worm castings or vermicompost – is teeming with minerals, nutrients and beneficial micro-organisms essential for healthy plant growth, root development and disease suppression. Due to the nutritional superiority of worm manure, farmers and gardeners often refer to it as ‘Black Gold’, with one tablespoon enough to feed a small plant for three months.Among the 4000 known species of earthworm seven are suitable for use in worm farming, all belonging to the epigeic category. Epigeic earthworms are red in colour and are surface dwellers, thriving in fresh rotting organic waste. Throughout the world the most commonly employed species is the Tiger Worm, sometimes referred to as the Red Wiggler or Californian Red (Eisenia Fetida). Native to Europe, the Tiger Worm has exceptional adaptability and tolerance to a range of food sources, temperature variation (10—30°) and moisture content (60—90%). Possessing both male and female sexual organs their hermaphroditic biological nature enables earthworms to reproduce very quickly. The Tiger Worm in particular has the capacity to double its population every 60 days and consume up to half its body weight a dSupport the show

This was recorded live at the Harrogate flower showIn this episode we talk to Megan and Linda from  https://www.aquaticfinatic.co.uk/#gardening #trees #gardening-podcast #horticulture #nature #flowers #podcast #herbs #vegetables #herbs #pondplants Support the show

This was recorded live at the Harrogate flower showThe group was formed in November 1995 by a group of like-minded people with a passion for fruit growing.  Our membership has since grown to over 400 in number with a wide range of expertise from novice to professional  growers.  Geographically the group covers a large area, along with our members in Yorkshire, our membership spreads as far as Scotland, west Wales, northern France and the Netherlands!The aims of the group are:to promote knowledge of growing fruit of all varieties, particularly those suitable for growing in the north of Englandto raise awareness of fruit growing through exhibition of fruits at shows and other meetings open to the publicto register old fruit varieties and orchards of the North and advise on orchard care and maintenanceto take part in research projects concerning the growing of fruit#gardening #trees #gardening-podcast #horticulture #nature #flowers #podcast #herbs #vegetables #fruit Support the show