Bunny in the Garden with...

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 

Bunny is with the world famous fashion and textile designer Dame Zandra Rhodes in her zany 9th Floor flat in London, which has tiny outdoor spaces that face south, north and west.  Despite Zandra having designed clothes for numerous super stars such as Freddie Mercury, Princess Diana and Princess Anne, Zandra has a very down to earth side being passionate about making her own bread, listening to the Archers and Gardeners’ Question Time and of course creating her spectacular garden. Her home is filled with mementoes that she has collected throughout her action packed, extraordinarily  successful career that spans well over 60 years. Zandra entertains her eclectic and wide circle of friends regularly, cooking her famous salmon with mango salsa for them - though has been known to fall asleep at the table due to her punishing work schedule.  Her pink hair is always a talking point but she explains the unexpected affect it has had on her illustrious career.  To see Zandra’s  fabulous flat and gardens see Bunny’s YouTube video ‘Zandra Rhodes, in her plot with its fantastic plants, patterns and paints’.  #zandrarhodes #fashionandtextilemuseum 

I must come clean, Rachel is not green fingered, but she has had an eventful life and talks about visiting her high achieving brothers garden at Chequers while he was PM.  We are later joined by her husband Ivo Dawney, who is a keen gardener, and was a director and consultant to the National Trust. He tells us about visiting Chevening House, which was the home of Boris while he was foreign secretary, and about how he persuaded the National Trust to open up the Big Brother House and garden to get more National Trust members visiting London properties. #bigbrother #nationaltrust 

Today Bunny is in Isabella Tree’s ground breaking Walled Garden at the Knepp Estate.  They start off in the more private garden by the stunning Knepp Castle before going into the Walled Garden that has been totally reworked creating hills and hollows to replace a flat croquet lawn and Traditional Kitchen garden. Lots of sand and crushed concrete have been added and the various aspects of the newly created slopes have been exploited to create a greater range of plant habitats to produce a greater biodiversity.  The new garden around the restaurant is a most used area and even a dog wash has been added for those that have visited the rewilded estate.  The present Bunny bought Isabella was an attractive  dark green hose with brass fittings from Claverton Cloches – something you don’t have to hide!   To see Bunny chatting to Isabella in the gardens see Bunny’s YouTube  ‘Bunny Chats to Isabella Tree in her ground breaking gardens at Knepp Castle. #knepp #rewilding

In this episode Bunny chats to  the renown homeware designer Sophie Allport in her beautiful east midlands garden.  Sophie’s range of homewares are inspired by nature, the British countryside, dogs and her busy family life. Listen to how Sophie started the business, got her first break at the country living faire, and went from designing mugs to textiles. Despite many heartbreaks along the way, learn how Sophie and her brother Jem make it work as a family business.  Bunny had designed the garden for the previous occupants of the house. Hear how Sophie, and her family transformed the garden to suit them, their growing family, and sporty lifestyles.  To see a glimpse of Sophie’s garden with Bunny’s YouTube video “Sophie’s stunning space!”  #home #sophieallport

In the second of these two episodes top football correspondent, Henry Winter talks to Bunny in his Rutland garden about the importance of football to the economics of the country (somewhat larger than horticulture) and how footballers can have a huge influence  on excellent causes such as school dinners, autism and planting trees. His brother Tim (aka Abdal Hakim Murad), says of Henry "I was always the clever, successful one. Henry just wanted to play football with his mates. I used to tell him, ‘I'm going to make loads of money, and you'll still be playing football with your mates.' Now he’s living in a house with 10 bedrooms and married to a Bond girl." Henry proudly shows off his topiary yew avenue, modelled on Alice in Wonderland, his Lord’s bench and his garden lock down project. His father, John Winter, was a famous Architect and his mother was a garden designer, who worked with Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe and John Brookes amongst others. Hear how these influences have rubbed off on Henry!  Henry read English at Edinburgh and in his small class of around ten were two now eminent gardeners - Sarah Raven and Isobel Bannerman.  As a present, Bunny took Henry a French tarragon plant, great for soothing stomachs – when Henry is (very occasionally) scooped, a tea from this plant is brilliant for turbulent stomachs. To see Henry in his garden watch Bunny YouTube video ‘HENRY WINTER in his garden talking about gardening and football. The nations greatest passions!’ #henrywinter

In the first of these two episodes top football correspondent, Henry Winter talks to Bunny in his Rutland garden about the importance of football to the economics of the country (somewhat larger than horticulture) and how footballers can have a huge influence  on excellent causes such as school dinners, autism and planting trees. His brother Tim (aka Abdal Hakim Murad), says of Henry "I was always the clever, successful one. Henry just wanted to play football with his mates. I used to tell him, ‘I'm going to make loads of money, and you'll still be playing football with your mates.' Now he’s living in a house with 10 bedrooms and married to a Bond girl." Henry proudly shows off his topiary yew avenue, modelled on Alice in Wonderland, his Lord’s bench and his garden lock down project. His father, John Winter, was a famous Architect and his mother was a garden designer, who worked with Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe and John Brookes amongst others. Hear how these influences have rubbed off on Henry!  Henry read English at Edinburgh and in his small class of around ten were two now eminent gardeners - Sarah Raven and Isobel Bannerman.  As a present, Bunny took Henry a French tarragon plant, great for soothing stomachs – when Henry is (very occasionally) scooped, a tea from this plant is brilliant for turbulent stomachs. To see Henry in his garden watch Bunny's YouTube video ‘HENRY WINTER in his garden talking about gardening and football. The nations greatest passions!’

In this episode Bunny talks to Bob  Flowerdew in his Norfolk garden.  They talk about his previous work before he started gardening professionally which include chicken giblet washer (advancing to chicken box counter), council care-home cleaner, dog impersonator, glass fibre laminator, houseboy & cook in house of ill repute, festival security lighting engineer, marine engineer, museum attendant, nude model, Parisian guide, theatrical gofer, vitreous enamel applicator, arcade mechanic & pinball wizard.  Bob though, is most at home performing.  He approached the producer of BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time some 28 years ago, where he had been in the audience and said he could do a better job, and was subsequently taken on by the producer. On the program, with its 2 million listeners a week, Bob has consistently promoted organic gardening  and had a big influence on the way people garden.  Hear why he was booed off stage at Glastonbury , why he is not a big fan of hedgehogs in his garden and why he disagrees with George Monbiot about growing pineapples in the UK. He also has boycotted Tesco’s over their ‘Bags for Life’. For his present Bunny took him a fig, ‘Desert King’ which is extremely cold tolerant with beautiful, large, melt in the mouth fruit. Not widely grown, but in Bunny’s opinion superior to ‘Brown Turkey’. To see Bob in his garden watch Bunny’s YouTube video ‘Bunny and Bob Flowerdew bicker in Bob’s Norfolk Garden’. 

In this episode Bunny chats to Tony Kirkham MBE in his South London garden. Tony Kirkham talks about his life growing with trees.  He was voted one of the most influential Londoners in 2016 but in fact he has a huge influence world-wide. He is extremely pleased The BBC Radio 4 program ‘The Archers’  is now highlighting tree surgeons, but is concerned that vast quantities of trees are being planted in a way that ends up with poor specimens or dead trees and points out that in 50 years time the UK may well have the climate of Barcelona, and so we need to consider carefully what to plant.  When Tony was asked out to dinner at Chateau Lafite, by the Rothschilds, surprisingly he took them trees not wine!  Bunny took Tony a great ground cover plant perfect for growing in dry shade Mellitis  melissiphyllum, or Bastard Balm, which grows to 60cm high and has pink flowers, perfect, hopefully for under his trees. To see Tony Kirkham in his garden talking about his passion see Bunny’s YouTube video ‘Trees: Tony Kirkham with Top Advice’. #bunnyguinnesspodcast #tonykirkham 

Today Bunny is in the garden with the star of BBC’s hit series ‘Normal for Norfolk’ Desmond MacCarthy.   Desmond talks about his beloved home, the Dutch gabled Jacobean, flint faced Wiveton Hall and how he has spent his life putting his energies into his family home with just a 250 acre farm to support it.  The series was the precursor to Clarkson’s Farm, showing just how difficult it is today to raise enough income from farming. Desmond boosted the profile of the house through the tv series and has a café, shop, cottages to let, garden and house tours plus other ventures. Desmond was an engaging star of the tv series, an aristocratic gentleman with certain idiosyncratic tendencies, and hugely characterful eyebrows, and he has the audience on side throughout.  To see Desmond’s house and garden see Bunny’s YouTube ‘WIVETON HALL - NORMAL FOR NORFOLKS GARDEN.’ #bunnyguinnesspodcast #normalfornorfolk

This week Bunny is in best selling author Caitlin Moran’s garden.   Caitlin is a best selling author, was the youngest broadsheet columnist for years and wrote her first book at 13. Bunny regards her as the nation’s psychotherapist as she takes problems we all have, makes them hilarious but gives us the tools to sort them. You always feel better informed having read her advice but will also have split your sides and will be empowered to embrace your conundrums with a lighter heart. Caitlin uses her garden to help set her body clock, calm her frenetic mind and sort out her brain jams. Her garden design is like her writing, uplifting, full of chutzpah and cohesive. Her husband tells her to write a gardening book, her passion and skill is obvious. Her quick wit and knowledge would help make the nations gardeners more relaxed, upbeat and foreword looking. Bunny ‘auditions’ Caitlin for Gardeners’ Question Time Her answers, are witty, not predictable but at the same time give knowledgeable, sage advice.   To see Caitlin’s garden see Bunny’s YouTube ‘Caitlin’s Calming Garden’. #caitlinmoran #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

Bunny chats to Her Grace, The Duchess of Rutland, Emma, in her gardens at Belvoir Castle.  Emma talks about her life and gardens, including how she won a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music to study opera singing, before changing direction and training as a land agent.   Emma has completed many ambitious projects at Belvoir, including recreating the Capability Brown scheme for Belvoir Castle which was Brown’s final scheme, plus creating The Engine Yard, a retail village next to the castle, complete with a small hotel. Emma also explains how she has managed to bounce  back from her breakdown, which was triggered by the break-up of her marriage. Emma also talks about the hugely successful podcast ‘The Duchess’, that she started, where she would chat to other chatelaines of English country houses. #theduchess #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

Bunny is talking to Emma Bridgewater in her seaside garden.  Emma tells Bunny about starting up her business at the tender age of 23  - it now has a turnover of £30,000,000 - and how her stepfather’s accountant ‘begged her to desist’, not realising her determination, and how she wanted to help revive and preserve the pottery tradition at the potteries at Stoke-on-Trent. The days the factory not only produces thousands of pieces of pottery each week, but also has a factory garden, where she holds a literary festival most years. Emma was president of the CPRE (Council for Protection for Rural England), which highlights her passion for all things rural. Emma talks about how she developed rheumatoid arthritis due to her frenetic lifestyle, and how she has managed to overcome it with help from outdoor spaces, her garden and learning how ‘to walk back to herself’. Emma’s appreciation of gardens comes originally from her two grannies who were both keen but very different gardeners. Emma’s garden contains two verandas, important covered spaces for enjoying the fresh air in all weathers.  She talks about how she designed the verandas, her treatment of her pelargoniums, her love of herbs and her meadow. Plus how she added her amazing look out point with sea views created from a reclaimed metal staircase. Emma chats about her proposal to make a greenhouse from reclaimed windows that she is just about to embark on.  To see Emma’s garden and kitchen see Bunny’s YouTube video ‘Emma Bridgewater’s kitchen, garden, veranda and lookouts’. #emmabridgewater #autoimmune 

Caroline Haughey OBE KC talks to Bunny in her idyllic garden (with its own cricket pitch) about the problems of modern slavery, how she works with the police and crime writers for TV dramas,  and her love of boots! Caroline uses her outdoor spaces as a counterpoint to her frenetic life. Despite having a life time phobia of soil, she still loves gardening.   Her  mother (who also ran her own legal practice) is an amazing gardener, and together with Caroline’s her late father, Baron Ballyedmond,  who was also was passionate about restoring and bringing to life houses and gardens, they did extensive work to Ballyedmond Castle, where Caroline spent some of her years growing up in a remarkable garden. #antislavery #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

Bunny chats to David Austin Junior in his Shropshire garden. David Austin Junior is the son of the world-famous rose breeder, David Austin OBE who died in 2018.  David (who is Bunny’s cousin) joined his father in the family business, after running a jewellery business for eight years with his first wife.  David has always had a keen interest in business, which he combines with a passion for roses.  David talks about how he grew up with the rose business as a child, how he realised that his father’s business was going to be massive, and how he helped develop the strategy including the licensing to many countries, developing the wholesale side and working with the garden centres.  David’s own garden is full of roses grown in many different ways.  He gives a fascinating insight into the business, the way roses perform and how to get the best out of them.  To see David’s garden see Bunny’s Youtube video ‘David Austin junior’s Fantastic Garden with Great tips on roses’. #davidaustinroses #bunnyguinnesspodcast