Our Plant Stories

Picture yourself in a garden. Do you get your phone out to take photos of the plants and send them to friends and family? Maybe a swift selfie! Perhaps like me you google the plants - wanting to identify them.Now picture a bench in the same garden but this time you and anyone else around you are just sitting, not a phone in sight. You're in the equivalent of the 'quiet carriage on the train' - and as you sit, you start to experience the garden in a different way.Welcome to Silent Space the brainchild of garden writer Liz Ware.Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyYou can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Mentioned in this episode:Finalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blogBuy Me A Coffee

Some of us (I think I mean me!) buy flowers, rummage for a vase, search for the scissors and then maybe tweak them a little bit before standing back to admire our handiwork. This is lovely but it is not art.In this podcast episode we travel to Strawberry Hill flower festival where floral artists take British grown flowers to a whole new level and they do create art. Follow up and down the stairs of this small gothic mansion, as it is transformed for one weekend into a feast of flowers. The theme this year is 'Nature unbound.' At the end of this sustainable flower festival all that will be left is a compost heap.Guests:Leigh Chappell and Janne Ford are the co-founders and creators of this festival now in its sixth year.Leigh Chappell grew up in Wales where she studied Botanical Illustration. She later moved to London and worked in graphic design before decided she wanted to be a floral designer. She is passionate about flowers. Follow her Instagram account. Janne Ford is a floral photographer. "I use natural light, composition and colour to create emotive floral imagery." She works from her garden studio at home, growing many of the flowers she uses in her designs. Follow her instagram account In this episode you also hear from:Philippa Stewart of Just Dahlias who you can also hear in two other episodes - 'Dahlia bonus' and 'Philippa's dahlias'. Andy Monaghan - who on his website says: "With a background in dance, I bring movement to my floral work, crafting a free and natural aesthetic inspired by the vibrant, changing seasons".Lucy Phillips who describes herself on her website as: "grower and supplier of unusual and unruly dried flowers. Part of the slow flower movement."Kara Johnson of Floral Odyssey, Kara spent 14 years as a Creative Producer in the design industry before becoming a floral designer.Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard Levy You can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Mentioned in this episode:Finalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blogOur Plant Stories website

Have you fallen in love with dahlias this year? Perhaps you have loved them for many years. But have you ever thought of harvesting the seed from your favourite blooms and creating your own unique flowers? Listen to hear how this is exactly what Philippa Stewart has been doing for the past few years.We also learn about the relationship between the grower and the floral designer as Philippa in conversation with Leigh Chappell, describes how they work together to produce stunning installations using Philippa's flowers.You can find Philippa Stewart, a dahlia farmer, at her Instagram account: Just DahliasLeigh Chappell is a floral designer - you can see her work on her website here. Or follow Leigh on Instagram. Leigh will be designing with Philippa's unique dahlia blooms at the Strawberry Hill flower festival which takes place in Horace Walpole's 18th Century gothic villa (Twickenham, London) between the Friday 13th - Sunday 15th September 2024. 30 floral designers will be "pushing the boundaries of sustainable floristry". Booking is advised.02.00 How do you become a dahlia farmer?05.10  The first 70 dahlias08.00 Selling the first bucket of flowers09.45 Can you dry dahlia flowers?12.27 Growing from seed15.00 Working with a floral designer20.20 What’s a floral installation?22.30 The Japanese art of Ikebana23.30 How to save dahlia seed30.15 When to sow your dahlia seedsOur Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyYou can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Mentioned in this episode:Finalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blogOur Plant Stories website

Hill Close was a pasture until 1845 when its owner decided to divide it up into gardens. Individual plots where Victorians could rent a space to tend their plants, build a summer house, relax with their family. These were detached gardens for people who had no outdoor space where they lived but a little bit of money to rent one nearby. Once there were many such gardens in the UK. Where did they go? Why did Hill Close survive? And who were the people who gardened here?Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyYou can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Mentioned in this episode:Buy Me A CoffeeFinalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blogFollow, Rate and Review Our Plant StoriesFollow podcast

Cacti are among the world's most threatened species. Jared Margulies research led him to the extraordinary illegal trade in these plants. Hear him talk about his work and his book The Cactus Hunters. Who are stealing the cacti and where are they taking them?You can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyCan I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Mentioned in this episode:Follow, Rate and Review Our Plant StoriesFollow podcast Finalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blog

A Disocactus x hybridus or forest cactus but in Lindy's family this particular plant is known as Sally's Cactus! It is also sometimes known by a common name: orchid cactus. In finding out about Sally who gave the original cutting we also learn how to get these cacti to bloom, what "soil' you should use to pot them up and where you should put them. This is all thanks to Sarah Gerrard Jones who is also known as The Plant Rescuer, who says: “I just think there is something so... beautiful about all the care and attention that has gone into nurturing this plant and when that person passes away I feel all that love is still contained there within every single cell of those plants and I feel that's something you can really feel.”Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyCan I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Can I dig into more plant stories?YES! You can check out the website where there are lots of photographs of plants and how to grow instructions. Our Plant Stories website You can also follow the weekly blog where you will get the behind the scenes lowdown on making the podcast and you could also contribute - readers have suggested gardens to visit, plants to feature, experts to contact. Our Plant Stories blog And you can follow more plants over on my Instagram account Instagram You can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Mentioned in this episode:Finalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blogFollow, Rate and Review Our Plant StoriesFollow podcast Buy Me A Coffee

How's your knowledge of Latin plant names? Meet Elizabeth Richmond she loves Latin plant names and she chalks them around the plants she finds growing between pavement cracks or along kerbsides. She does also chalk the common name too!Why does she do it? And how an earth did she get started?Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyYou can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Can I dig into more plant stories?YES! You can check out the website where there are lots of photographs of plants and how to grow instructions. Our Plant Stories website You can also follow the weekly blog where you will get the behind the scenes lowdown on making the podcast and you could also contribute - readers have suggested gardens to visit, plants to feature, experts to contact. Our Plant Stories blog And you can follow more plants over on my Instagram account Instagram Can I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Mentioned in this episode:Buy Me A CoffeeFollow, Rate and Review Our Plant StoriesFollow podcast Finalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blog

"Every child needs someone to introduce them to nature" - Rachel Carson author of Silent SpringIn this episode we hear how one woman came up with the idea for a GCSE in Natural History - a way for children to be introduced to nature. So where did the idea come from, what would an exam look like, and how far has she got? She had the idea in 2011.In this episode we learn what it takes to introduce a new exam and the reasons that despite many setbacks, Mary Colwell is not giving up, indeed she is determined to see this through.Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyCan I dig into more plant stories?YES! You can check out the website where there are lots of photographs of plants and how to grow instructions. Our Plant Stories website You can also follow the weekly blog where you will get the behind the scenes lowdown on making the podcast and you could also contribute - readers have suggested gardens to visit, plants to feature, experts to contact. Our Plant Stories blog And you can follow more plants over on my Instagram account Instagram You can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Can I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Mentioned in this episode:Buy Me A CoffeeFinalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blog

Why is a tiny plant from Janet Hickenbottom's childhood so important? And what was the special thing that her mum Margaret shared with Janet and her brother that has stayed with her for all her life?Lee Connelly is also a bit obsessed by this thing and he's on a mission to make sure we don't miss out on it....and even if we weren't given it as children, like Janet was, he promises we can still get it.And learn to grow a plant that you can literally fit anywhere - it only requires the tiniest of spaces and it's guaranteed to spread.Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyCan I dig into more plant stories?YES! You can check out the website where there are lots of photographs of plants and how to grow instructions. Our Plant Stories website You can also follow the weekly blog where you will get the behind the scenes lowdown on making the podcast and you could also contribute - readers have suggested gardens to visit, plants to feature, experts to contact. Our Plant Stories blog And you can follow more plants over on my Instagram account Instagram You can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Can I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Remember if you listen on Google Podcasts you need to switch to a new podcast app which you can find here: https://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/listenMentioned in this episode:Buy Me A CoffeeFinalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blog

When we think of 'allotment history' we perhaps have images from the two world wars with the population being urged to cultivate every spare bit of land from parks to bomb craters. But to really understand our relationship with these spaces we need to go back much further in time. Lally Snow has written a book called My Family and Other Seedlings and in this episode she tells us how she has woven this history into her own experiences of growing food on an allotment with the aid of 3 under 5 year olds.Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyCan I dig into more plant stories?YES! You can check out the website where there are lots of photographs of plants and how to grow instructions. Our Plant Stories website You can also follow the weekly blog where you will get the behind the scenes lowdown on making the podcast and you could also contribute - readers have suggested gardens to visit, plants to feature, experts to contact. Our Plant Stories blog And you can follow more plants over on my Instagram account Instagram You can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Can I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Mentioned in this episode:Finalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blogBuy me a CoffeeBuy me a Coffee is a way to support me to make this podcast and every virtual coffee you buy goes towards Our Plant Stories. Thank You!Buy Me A Coffee

Kathy Slack brings us the first plant story to feature a vegetable, it is a root vegetable; a radish. They may be tiny but as you will hear in this plant story the impact of growing radish seeds was rather enormous. Kathy has a passion for vegetables so we not only discuss her journey growing them but other questions too - if you were to come back as a vegetable what would it be? Spoiler alert she seems to favour being a broad bean not a radish!Hear her in conversation with Lally Snow, who we first met in Mint. Lally has just published a book about the history of allotments in the UK woven with her own story of taking on a plot and growing vegetables with the help of 3 under 5 year olds. They discuss their shared attitude of just 'having a go'.And of course we also learn how to grow the plant. 5 weeks from now you too could be eating a radish slammer, made with your own radishes, just add butter and salt!Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyCan I dig into more plant stories?YES! You can check out the website where there are lots of photographs of plants and how to grow instructions. Our Plant Stories website You can also follow the weekly blog where you will get the behind the scenes lowdown on making the podcast and you could also contribute - readers have suggested gardens to visit, plants to feature, experts to contact. Our Plant Stories blog And you can follow more plants over on my Instagram account Instagram You can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Can I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Mentioned in this episode:Buy me a CoffeeBuy me a Coffee is a way to support me to make this podcast and every virtual coffee you buy goes towards Our Plant Stories. Thank You!Buy Me A CoffeeFinalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blog

Philippa Steward of Justdahlias admits that her passion for dahlias has become somewhat of an obsession! So who better than Philippa to share with us that enthusiasm and love of this beautiful flower in its many shapes and colours. Philippa has a plant story for later in this series but I couldn't resist talking to her about dahlias now so we could all share her excitement and plant some for this summer.In this bonus episode we learn about planting tubers, she shares how to select your varieties and there is promise of gathering dahlia seeds in the future.Do follow Philippa on Instagram at Justdahlias.Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyCan I dig into more plant stories?YES! You can check out the website where there are lots of photographs of plants and how to grow instructions. Our Plant Stories website You can also follow the weekly blog where you will get the behind the scenes lowdown on making the podcast and you could also contribute - readers have suggested gardens to visit, plants to feature, experts to contact. Our Plant Stories blog And you can follow more plants over on my Instagram account Instagram You can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Can I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Mentioned in this episode:Finalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blogBuy Me A Coffee

Judith Kleinman had a Silver Birch tree outside her bedroom window when she was growing up. She now has three beautiful Silver Birch trees outside her back door in her small courtyard garden. But to understand why these trees are her plant story you need to go back to her first student summer and a terrible traffic accident that left her in a spinal injuries unit. She tells her story and returns to the hospital to see a garden that has been built by the charity Horatio's Garden and meet the Head Gardener Ashley Edwards. Will she find Silver Birch trees?Judith has written a book - Finding Quiet Strength which I think draws inspiration from these strong and flexible trees.Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyCan I dig into more plant stories?YES! You can check out the website where there are lots of photographs of plants and how to grow instructions. Our Plant Stories website You can also follow the weekly blog where you will get the behind the scenes lowdown on making the podcast and you could also contribute - readers have suggested gardens to visit, plants to feature, experts to contact. Our Plant Stories blog And you can follow more plants over on my Instagram account Instagram You can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Can I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Mentioned in this episode:Finalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blogBuy Me A Coffee

A short bonus episode in which David Gedye pieces together the story of how the Monkey Puzzle tree made its way to the UK and how it became so popular with gardeners in the country.David has been researching this tree and its links to his family for the past 68 years. He wrote a book about it, sadly sold out but luckily for us he shares his knowledge here.Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyCan I dig into more plant stories?YES! You can check out the website where there are lots of photographs of plants and how to grow instructions. Our Plant Stories website You can also follow the weekly blog where you will get the behind the scenes lowdown on making the podcast and you could also contribute - readers have suggested gardens to visit, plants to feature, experts to contact. Our Plant Stories blog And you can follow more plants over on my Instagram account Instagram You can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Can I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Mentioned in this episode:Buy Me A CoffeeFinalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blog

David Gedye's mum told him a plant story when he was just 10 years old. It involved a very famous Monkey Puzzle tree and his great great grandfather, a head gardener. That story has led him on a lifetime trail, 68 years so far, to learn more about head gardener Philip Frost and to find out about that tree. Could the story be true - did his great great grandfather carry Monkey Puzzle seed in a tin in his waistcoat pocket and plant the famous Dropmore Monkey Puzzle tree?He shares his story here. Do take a look at the episode page on the website to see the wonderful photograph of David's great great grandfather beside the tree. Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyCan I dig into more plant stories?YES! You can check out the website where there are lots of photographs of plants and how to grow instructions. Our Plant Stories website You can also follow the weekly blog where you will get the behind the scenes lowdown on making the podcast and you could also contribute - readers have suggested gardens to visit, plants to feature, experts to contact. Our Plant Stories blog And you can follow more plants over on my Instagram account Instagram You can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Can I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Mentioned in this episode:Buy Me A CoffeeFinalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blog

When Andrea moved to a new home, 12 years ago, there was a Monkey Puzzle tree in the front garden. She wasn't keen, it was marked down to go but it is still there. Find out why in this Monkey Puzzle Plant Story.These trees first came to the UK in 1795 but they didn't really start to become popular till the 1850s. Queen Victoria saw the tree and wanted one for Prince Albert.We have a Chilean botanist in the podcast to help us understand the tree, learn how to grow it and unravel that story about the original Monkey Puzzle nuts being stolen off a dinner table in Santiago.Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyCan I dig into more plant stories?YES! You can check out the website where there are lots of photographs of plants and how to grow instructions. Our Plant Stories website You can also follow the weekly blog where you will get the behind the scenes lowdown on making the podcast and you could also contribute - readers have suggested gardens to visit, plants to feature, experts to contact. Our Plant Stories blog And you can follow more plants over on my Instagram account Instagram You can click the Buy Me A Coffee link here or on the website to buy a virtual coffee and join the crew and get a shout out. Everyone shares their stories for free and I make it because I love it but there are costs like the hosting platform and the editing programmes etc. Buy Me A Coffee THANK YOU!Can I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Expert Guest: Eduardo OlateEduardo is from Chile and is an experienced lecturer, horticultural advisor, and business development consultant specializing in the agricultural sector, with over 25 years of expertise in plant propagation, plant tissue culture, plant breeding, and crop physiology in ornamental plants. He was a co-founder of the Chilean Native Plants Conference. He loves the Monkey Puzzle tree; Latin name - Araucaria araucana. It's the National tree of Chile Timeline of the episode:00.35. Intro to what listeners have been growing thanks to the podcast.01.16   Every Monkey Puzzle leaf can last for 25 years!01.42. Andrea’s plant story about the Monkey Puzzle tree in her front garden04.25 Who planted the tree?05.18. What do passers-by think of the tree?06.37.  What do the seed pods look like?07.55. Introducing Eduardo Olate, a horticulturalist from Chile and one of the co-founders of the Chilean Native plants conference08.47. When did the Monkey Puzzle tree first arrive in the UK and where does the name come from?09.44. How do the Indigenous people in Chile use this tree?10.43 So how does this tree end up in English gardens?14.28. When did they start to become popular in the UK?15.25. Andrea asks Eduardo about the seedpods20.23  Eduardo tells us about their native habitat in Chile of a Monkey Puzzle tree24.00 Were they around when dinosaurs walked the earth?27.46. How to grow a Monkey Puzzle tree32.00...

Who were the celebrity gardeners of the 1850's and why were they important to a fledgling charity?The charity still exists today, Mona Abboud (Ep 3 Mona's Corokia) has decided to leave her garden to it - it's called Perennial. It's dedicated to looking after people working in horticulture and their families, at any stage of life.The charity's roots go back almost 200 years and garden historian, Francesca Murray has, for her Phd, spent many hours in its archive. She shares a fascinating story for this Offshoot episode. You can see photographs of original documents on the website: Our Plant Stories.com Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally Flatman Fade to Black by Howard Levyhttps://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffeeMentioned in this episode:Finalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blogBuy Me A Coffee

Never say to Mona Abboud - "this plant is only for trade". This is a wonderful story of one woman's hunt for a plant, there's detective work, there's blackmail! The result is a beautiful New Zealand garden in North London created by a woman who has never set foot in New Zealand.Mona is on a one woman mission to get us all to love corokia - see if she can persuade you too, aided by Fiona Eadie, the author of 100 best native plants for New Zealand gardens. As always this is the podcast where knowledgeable, passionate people will be teaching you how to grow the plant they love.All the information, photographs and growing advice is on the website.Presented and Produced by Sally FlatmanMusic: Fade to Black by Howard Levyhttps://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffeeMentioned in this episode:Buy Me A CoffeeFinalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blog

"What is a Purdom" by Vicky Aspin's own admission this was her first reaction to being sent to the Purdom bed in Holehird gardens. Then her curiosity was aroused by a name plaque on a bench: For Three Native Lakeland Gardeners, William Purdom and sons William and Harry and from that her hunt began...who was William Purdom?Her searches before the era of the internet, led her eventually to China and the Purdom Memorial Forest Park and you can hear the story of her search and Purdom's life in this Offshoot episode recorded on a sunny Autumn day, sitting on the Purdom bench in Holehird Gardens in Cumbria. As always there are photographs on the website.Presented and produced by Sally FlatmanMusic: Fade to Black by Howard Levyhttps://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffeeMentioned in this episode:Buy Me A CoffeeFinalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blog

Season 2 of Our Plant Stories is here! And we begin with a very beautiful story from Penn Allen, a listener to the podcast who contacted me with a plant story that takes us to the Lake District. Diaries from Penn's Great Grandmother Alice Hough and her husband Harry reveal a garden built with love in the midst of loss and a friendship with Will Purdom that spanned years and continents leading to plants from China being planted on a rock overlooking Windermere.To understand more about mindset of Will Purdom, we talk to Tom Hart Dyke who has built the World Garden at Lullingstone Castle. We also learn how to grow the Viburnum thanks to wonderfully knowledgeable gardeners at Holehird gardens in Cumbria.All the information about the podcast is on the website.Presented and Produced by Sally FlatmanMusic: Fade to Black by Howard Levyhttps://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffeeMentioned in this episode:Buy Me A CoffeeFinalist in the Independent Podcast Awards 2024Check out the blog to see what happens!Our Plant Stories blog