Grow Cook Inspire

In the next instalment of the Helen’s Heroines of Horticulture mini series, she speaks with Elle Hollingworth who is part of the RHS Shows Development team and is a show judge coordinator. However like so many women that Helen has interviewed a career in the world of horticulture had not always been on the cards for Elle. The global pandemic put the breaks on her travelling overseas and she had to return to her parents. Nevertheless returning home reignited a love for gardening and floral design and one thing led to another. Helen discusses with Elle her journey to the RHS, the women who inspire her and Elle also reveals an exciting new project she is working on in her local community in north London to help combat loneliness amongst the older residents where she lives. www.rhs.org.uk. Supported by Plank Bridge www.plank bridge.com. Be sure to subscribe to Grow Cook Inspire www.growcookinspire.com

Helen continues her summer mini series celebrating the Heroines of Horticulture, with her interview with the dynamic duo behind Caley Bros. Sisters Lorraine and Jodie join Helen on the podcast to discuss their journey to Chelsea, their heroines and how a family bereavement drove them to reassessing their career path. This change has resulted them growing mushrooms for a living and they made their mark at Chelsea this year by taking home a Gold medal. www.Caleybrothers.Co.uk. This special mini series has been supported by Plank Bridge, the pioneers behind the shepherd hut revival. To find out more visit www.plankpridge.com And be sure to subscribe to Grow Cook Inspire on whichever podcast platform you use. www.growcookinspire.com

In the third episode of this special mini series of Grow, Cook, Inspire, Helen is joined by the creative powerhouse Hazel Gardiner, founder of Hazel Gardiner Design, the London based floral design studio. We talk about her transition from the world of fashion journalism and the gruelling schedule of TV production and talent management to the world of floristry, after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Hazel explains her drive and who influences her work as well as the challenges she has faced as being one of only a few black women in the industry. When she came onto the scene she couldn’t see many women who looked like her. This series of the podcast has been supported by Plank Bridge, the pioneers behind the shepherd’s hut revival in the UK. www.plankbridge.com Hazel Gardiner @hazelgardinerdesign & www.hazelgardinerdesign.com. Please do subscribe, share and review the podcast www.growcookinspire.com

Continuing this special Heroines of Horticulture podcast, Helen is joined by one one of her own heroines. In today’s show Helen talks with Jekka McVicar. From the dizzy heights of Glastonbury as part of a rock band, Jekka has been at the helm of the UK’s largest herb farm for almost 40 years, growing over 500 different culinary and medicinal varieties just outside of Bristol. With 62 gold RHS medals under her belt Jekka is not only a wealth of knowledge but a powerhouse for good. Generous with her time and expertise. She talks about her journey to setting up Jekka’s Herb Farm back in 1984, her determination to get ahead and be seen and the struggles so many UK growers are currently facing during these unprecedented times. Plus there is chat of a new book on the horizon. This series of the podcast has been generously supported by Plank Bridge, the pioneers behind the shepherds hut revival built in the UK. (www.plankbridgecom) Jekka’s Herb Fest will take place on the 30 June, 1 July & 2 July 2023. To find out more go to www.Jekkas.com. Please do subscribe to the podcast, review and share visit www.growcookinspire.com

Women have always gardened. However their journey into the professional realm of horticulture was turbulent. However there’s were huge numbers of pioneering women who have have left a lasting legacy. Some of them well known others less so and their stories buried in the fire notes of history. To kick off this special series of the podcast celebrating just some of the remarkable women who are making waves in the world of horticulture, Helen is joined by the author Fiona Davison who is also Head of Libraries & Exhibits at the RHS. Fiona shares a potted history about women and gardening and discusses the revelations she unearthed while writing her new book, An Almost Impossible Thing, The radical lives of Britains pioneering women gardeners. which will be published in September 5 2023 and is available to preorder now. https://tdy.lol/ZwHnL. To find out more about all RHS events & exhibits go to www.rhs.org.uk. Plank Bridge are the pioneers behind the shepherds hut revival, built in the UK www.plankbridge.com. To find out more about Helen’s work and new book go to www.growcookinspire.com

It has been well over two weeks since the dust has settled on the greatest show on earth. Now that the curtain rail has gone down for another year, Helen reflects on her highlights at this years prestigious event. She explores three of her favourite gardens; Harry Holdings School Food Matters garden, Camellia Taylor’s garden titled The Natural Affinity Garden for Aspens and Tayshan Hayden - Smith’s small but mighty garden Closing the Green Gap. You can find out more about each of these gardens by visiting www.rhs.org.uk 🌸🌻🌻. Plus on the back of the RHS’s Horticultural Heroines exhibit at this year’s show which celebrated just some of the inspirational women who have shaped the Horticultural industry, Helen reveals a new podcast series that is in the pipeline for the summer months ahead. If you don’t already please do subscribe to Grow, Cook, Inspire on which ever podcast platform provider you use, leave a review and share with a friend. 🙏. And to buy a copy of Helen’s new book head to www.growcookinspire.com.

In todays episode Helen highlights the final piece of the jigsaw as she concludes her special mini series looking at the charities which have been supported by Project Giving Back, giving them an opportunity to raise awareness about their cause at the worlds greatest flower show which gets underway next week. Helen speaks with the duo Nicola and Susan of Semple Begg who are designing their first Chelsea garden for the charity The Tea Pot Trust, a charity providing art therapy for children and young people with chronic illnesses and hidden conditions. The Tea Pot Trust Elsewhere Garden will be relocated to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow after the show. Helen also interviews the charity’s CEO Sarah Randall, to find out more about the story behind The Tea Pot Trust, based in East Lothian in Scotland. To find more visit www.teapot-trust.org, www.semplebegg.com, www.rhs.org.uk. To find out about Helen’s new book and to order a copy and find out about her book tour go to www.growcookinspire.com

In today’s episode I speak with the founder and Chief Executive of School Food Matters, Stephanie Slater and garden designer Harry Holding. Harry is designing a garden for the charity School Food Matters, which will be on show at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May putting the charity on the map and sparking a conversation about the necessity not only to provide healthy and nutritious school meals to all children across the UK but also the need to educate children about food, and the environment around them. Something we talk about a lot about on this podcast. www.rhs.org.uk www.projectgivingback.org www.school food matters.org. www.Harryholding.co.uk Plus Helen’s debut book Grow Cook Inspire, is due to be released on Thursday 20 April find out more about her first book what inspired it. You can preorder direct by going to www.growcookinspire.com 🌸🙏💚

In today’s episode Helen learns more about the charity Aspens and their garden, supported by Project Giving Back,which will be showcased at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. She speaks with the garden designer Camellia Taylor and Aspens Head of fundraising Susan Sawyer, to learn more about how the Chelsea garden will help raise awareness around the work Aspens does supporting people with autism and learning disabilities and the long lasting legacy the garden will have once relocated to Aspens following Chelsea. 🪴 www.aspens.org.uk 🪴 www.thegardentaylor.com. Plus Helen heads to Ayrshire to meet with Katrina aka @buildingafoodforest_scotland on Instagram and as featured on BBC’s Beechgrove Garden. Katrina home educates Clayton her 15 year old son who is autistic and non verbal. Their garden has become a classroom which has allowed Clayton to flourish and learn in a way that makes him feel comfortable and grounded.