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The Lady Gardeners Podcast
Chelsea Flower Show, Big Max and why we garden with Kirsty from @my.little.allotment
Hello, and welcome back for season 2 of Diaries of a Lady Gardener!
If you think gardening is cool and would rather take a trip to the garden centre than go out out, then you’ve found the right podcast. But also, you’re not in the minority.
Research from Draper Tools has revealed that over 80% of young people officially think gardening is cool, mainly because of its benefits for mental health and the environment.
Draper Tools are back for season 2 as sponsors of the Diaries of a Lady Gardener podcast, so why not join me in following them on Instagram, “at Draper underscore tools”?
I’ve been excited to record this episode since I first started the podcast. Kirsty from my little allotment was one of the first people I ever followed and chatted to on Instagram. I just found her so inspiring and absolutely loved watching Big Max develop the first season. Get ready for some fantastic pumpkin tales, an insight into what it’s like behind the scenes of a 5* Chelsea Flower Show Garden and hear Kirsty’s amazing story about how she found her passion for gardening.
I absolutely loved recording that episode with Kirsty, she’s an amazing lady and it’s been such a pleasure to get to speak to her for this podcast after following her adventures for so long. If you’ve not come across her already, definitely head to her page and give her a follow @my.little.allotment. Next year is going to be epic at her allotment!
If you’ve enjoyed listening today, please do subscribe too keep up to date with upcoming episodes and leave a review! In the meantime, I’d love to hear any of your questions and stories on Instagram @diaryofaladygardener or via email diaryofaladygardener@gmail.com
That’s all from me, happy growing!
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6. Episode 6: Lessons in life, business and finding joy from a microgreens grower
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01:03:36||Season 6, Ep. 5In this episode, I got to chat with the lovely Harriet Rycroft, Ex-Head Gardener at Whichford Pottery, now free-range gardener, speaker and writer. Having dedicated much of her life to growing incredible displays in pots from grand country houses to RHS flower shows and in her own piece of heaven at home, Harriet has so much to share for those looking to get the most out of their potted displays, and the message to simply give things a go without the worry of failure. Find more from Harriet Rycroft:https://harrietrycroft.com/https://www.instagram.com/harrietrycroft/This season is sponsored by the wonderful Feverfew Gardening Co. who sell the most aesthetically pleasing AND utterly practical gardening gloves for women, alongside other treats like t-shirts, boonie hats and gorgeous gifts for gardeners. I have worn these gloves everyday in the garden since I got my first pair in 2022 and gloves for gals really don't get any better than these. If you want to get your hands on a pair of the best gloves going, use code LADYGARDENER15 for 15% off! Happy shopping, listening and growing!Find out more about the Feverfew Gardening Co. https://feverfewgarden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/feverfewgarden.co/https://www.facebook.com/feverfewgardenco/4. Creating community in the garden with @devon_dig_and_donate
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01:02:53||Season 6, Ep. 3In this episode, I got to chat to the lovely Lara Honnor, Founder of Skools Beanz CIC about the highs and lows of life and gardening. From a life-changing diagnosis to growing her own gardening community near Yeovil, Somerset, Lara opened up about her experiences with therapeutic horticulture and the past, present and future of Skool Beanz. Having seen Lara speak on Charles Dowding's Future Gardeners Forum, I knew she was going to be a fantastic guest and she certainly did not disappoint! Find more from Lara and Skool Beanz CIC:https://www.instagram.com/skoolbeanz/https://www.skoolbeanzcic.com/https://bookwhen.com/skoolbeanzcichttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsUCqiffDR4This season is sponsored by the wonderful Feverfew Gardening Co. who sell the most aesthetically pleasing AND utterly practical gardening gloves for women, alongside other treats like t-shirts, boonie hats and gorgeous gifts for gardeners. I have worn these gloves everyday in the garden since I got my first pair in 2022 and gloves for gals really don't get any better than these. If you want to get your hands on a pair of the best gloves going, use code LADYGARDENER15 for 15% off! Happy shopping, listening and growing!Find out more about the Feverfew Gardening Co. https://feverfewgarden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/feverfewgarden.co/https://www.facebook.com/feverfewgardenco/2. Wilding your garden with @Isabella.tree
01:05:14||Season 6, Ep. 2In this episode, inspirational author and conservationist Isabella Tree shares an array of tips and tricks for wilding your own space at home, no matter how big or small your garden. With more than 20 years of experience on a pioneering conservation project of her own at Knepp, documented in the book and film, Wilding, Isabella has recently launched her new title, The Book of Wildling, and opened up Knepp for tours with the incredible people working to bring the space back to life. Find more from Isabella Tree and Knepp:https://www.isabellatree.com/https://knepp.co.uk/https://www.isabellatree.com/bookshttps://www.instagram.com/isabella.tree/This season is sponsored by the wonderful Feverfew Gardening Co. who sell the most aesthetically pleasing AND utterly practical gardening gloves for women, alongside other treats like t-shirts, boonie hats and gorgeous gifts for gardeners. I have worn these gloves everyday in the garden since I got my first pair in 2022 and gloves for gals really don't get any better than these. If you want to get your hands on a pair of the best gloves going, use code LADYGARDENER15 for 15% off! Happy shopping, listening and growing!Find out more about the Feverfew Gardening Co. https://feverfewgarden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/feverfewgarden.co/https://www.facebook.com/feverfewgardenco/1. How to grow mushrooms with @caleybros
59:49||Season 6, Ep. 1Have you ever wondered how mushrooms grow, or how to grow your own mushrooms? This episode is for you, delving into this unknown world and showing you how simple it is to get growing at home, even if you've only got a windowsill to spare. Having been on my own mushroom growing adventure for the past few months thanks to the Caley Bros new book, Project Mushroom: A modern guide to growing fungi, it was such a treat to get to spend some time with these wonderful women and hear more about their story. Find more from The Caley Bros:https://www.caleybrothers.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/caleybrothers/https://www.facebook.com/caleybrothersGet the book: https://www.caleybrothers.co.uk/shop/p/3-kit-mushroom-growing-subscription-re9khThis season is sponsored by the wonderful Feverfew Gardening Co. who sell the most aesthetically pleasing AND utterly practical gardening gloves for women, alongside other treats like t-shirts, boonie hats and gorgeous gifts for gardeners. I have worn these gloves everyday in the garden since I got my first pair in 2022 and gloves for gals really don't get any better than these. If you want to get your hands on a pair of the best gloves going, use code LADYGARDENER15 for 15% off! Happy shopping, listening and growing!Find out more about the Feverfew Gardening Co. https://feverfewgarden.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/feverfewgarden.co/https://www.facebook.com/feverfewgardenco/12. Living in the moment and unlocking your homegrown potential with @mr_plantgeek
01:12:22||Season 5, Ep. 12In the final episode of the season, I got the absolute pleasure of chatting with Michael Perry, otherwise known as @Mr_plantgeek who I was very lucky to meet in person at Ellen Mary’s Wild Wellbeing Retreat back in April. As soon as we returned I bought his book ‘Hortus Curious’ and enjoyed it all the more for having spend 3 days in his company. Michael is an incredibly funny, intelligent and forward-thinking man and I was very excited to have him as the final episode, it felt like the perfect way to end the season. This conversation ended up being a little less about plants and more about going after the things you want in life, believing in yourself and overall not being afraid to be you, but don’t worry, there is PLENTY of plant chat in there too, from tulip fields to jam packed garden borders. Enjoy! Hello and welcome to Diaries of a Lady Gardener podcast, hosted by me, the Lady Gardener. I can't quite believe we're on season 5 of this podcast, which came to life after I desperately wanted an excuse to hop on a call with my favourite Instagram gardeners to ask them all of my pressing questions. It has turned into an incredible community of plant-lovers with inspirational guests each and every week sharing invaluable information, and making me want to buy at least 10 new plants, seed packets, bare roots, tubers (and the rest of it) every episode. I hope you're ready for another fabulous season chatting to everyone from flower farmers and allotmenteers to some of the greatest garden gurus, listening to us chat about all the things we’ve done in the name of plants, from our biggest achievements to our fabulous garden fails.This season is sponsored by ACAI Outdoorwear, which if you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that barely a day goes by where I'm not dressed head to toe in their clothing whether I'm out at the allotment, on the farm - or even out for lunch! I love the way they perfectly balance style and performance with features such as shower resistance and thermal lining, features which are invaluable when you're someone who is working outside whatever the weather. If you're keen to get some ACAI garms for yourself, they've kindly offered podcast listeners an exclusive discount, so head to the website and use code 'DOALG20' for 20% off orders over £50. This offer ends on 31st May 2023.11. The process of finding your passion with @sweetpeas_and_sunflowers
01:04:51||Season 5, Ep. 11In this episode, I got the pleasure of with one of the local flower farmers in my area, Harriet Mullions of Sweet Peas and Sunflowers, all about her journey into growing flowers. Harriet’s beautiful farm was one of the first that I visited, just 20 minutes down the road from me and I’ve loved watching her journey and getting to know her over the past few months, and am always so grateful for a little message here and there about spare pots, meet ups and seedlings that I might be able to make use of! She is both a regional and national coordinator for Flowers from the Farm and though the platform has offered me (and I’m sure so many others) so much support, advice and overall loveliness to motivate us in our journey. If you’re a flower grower and are not already a member of Flowers From the Farm, I’d highly recommend signing up because it’s an amazing community where I’ve gleaned so many useful pieces of advice and felt so inspired by the other growers all across the UK making waves in the industry. Without further ado, here’s the episode with the wonderful Harriet!Hello and welcome to Diaries of a Lady Gardener podcast, hosted by me, the Lady Gardener. I can't quite believe we're on season 5 of this podcast, which came to life after I desperately wanted an excuse to hop on a call with my favourite Instagram gardeners to ask them all of my pressing questions. It has turned into an incredible community of plant-lovers with inspirational guests each and every week sharing invaluable information, and making me want to buy at least 10 new plants, seed packets, bare roots, tubers (and the rest of it) every episode. I hope you're ready for another fabulous season chatting to everyone from flower farmers and allotmenteers to some of the greatest garden gurus, listening to us chat about all the things we’ve done in the name of plants, from our biggest achievements to our fabulous garden fails.This season is sponsored by ACAI Outdoorwear, which if you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that barely a day goes by where I'm not dressed head to toe in their clothing whether I'm out at the allotment, on the farm - or even out for lunch! I love the way they perfectly balance style and performance with features such as shower resistance and thermal lining, features which are invaluable when you're someone who is working outside whatever the weather. If you're keen to get some ACAI garms for yourself, they've kindly offered podcast listeners an exclusive discount, so head to the website and use code 'DOALG20' for 20% off orders over £50. This offer ends on 31st May 2023.10. Is growing your own food financially viable with @andygrowsherbs
01:15:04||Season 5, Ep. 10In this episode I got the chance to chat once again to Andy from Urban Herbs who has been making waves in the gardening community for quite some time now. With the launch of his new book: The Herb Gardening Handbook, and the incredibly growth of his personal account @andygrowsherbs, it felt like the perfect time to catch up and hear how things are going. Watch out, the late tomato growalong coming soon!Hello and welcome to Diaries of a Lady Gardener podcast, hosted by me, the Lady Gardener. I can't quite believe we're on season 5 of this podcast, which came to life after I desperately wanted an excuse to hop on a call with my favourite Instagram gardeners to ask them all of my pressing questions. It has turned into an incredible community of plant-lovers with inspirational guests each and every week sharing invaluable information, and making me want to buy at least 10 new plants, seed packets, bare roots, tubers (and the rest of it) every episode. I hope you're ready for another fabulous season chatting to everyone from flower farmers and allotmenteers to some of the greatest garden gurus, listening to us chat about all the things we’ve done in the name of plants, from our biggest achievements to our fabulous garden fails.This season is sponsored by ACAI Outdoorwear, which if you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that barely a day goes by where I'm not dressed head to toe in their clothing whether I'm out at the allotment, on the farm - or even out for lunch! I love the way they perfectly balance style and performance with features such as shower resistance and thermal lining, features which are invaluable when you're someone who is working outside whatever the weather. If you're keen to get some ACAI garms for yourself, they've kindly offered podcast listeners an exclusive discount, so head to the website and use code 'DOALG20' for 20% off orders over £50. This offer ends on 31st May 2023.