"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 Flatman

Music: Fade to Black by Howard Levy

https://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffee

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 Flatman

Music: Fade to Black by Howard Levy

https://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffee

Our Plant Stories is back for a second season and once again the plant stories are going to take us all over the world. To follow and dig into the stories we'll be meeting gardeners, botanists and historians and along the way of course we will learn how to grow the plants.

Season 2 starts 12th January 2024.

If you have a story that you would like me to follow up in this new series you can email me - [email protected]

To find out about the plants featured in all the episodes just go to the website where you can also subscribe to a weekly blog which will mean you'll be first to hear about upcoming episodes.

The series is presented and produced by Sally Flatman.

Instagram: ourplantstories_podcast

Welcome to a bumper crop of plant stories! I'm looking back over some moments from this years episodes but I also invited 3 other plant podcasters to do the same with their podcasts - hence the 'friends'. We've all picked some clips from the past year that we hope you will enjoy. So thanks to Jane Perrone from On the Ledge, Sarah Wilson from Roots and All and M.T. O'Donnell of Scotland Grows.

There are conversations about spiders and sacrificial lambs (well hostas actually), difficult decisions about felling trees and the value of researching local hedgerows. Jane, Sarah and M.T also talk about making their podcasts. I love the way Sarah describes herself as 'a kid chasing a butterfly'. All are connecting people with a passion for plants and it's been a real joy to talk to these fellow podcasters.

I will put all the details of their podcasts on the website www.ourplantstories.com

If you have a plant story you want me to investigate, you can email me:

[email protected]

Music: Fade to Black by Howard Levy

https://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffee

I'd like to transport you to Levens Hall and a garden that was created in 1694 when topiary was the height of fashion and taste. Over the intervening 329 years this Lake District garden has had only 10 Head Gardeners and each has cared for and clipped that topiary.

We first met the current head gardener, Chris Crowder, in Episode 8 in conversation with Diana Boston about the slow nature of gardening with topiary. You can of course listen to that Plant Story and its Offshoot.

Hearing Chris talk about his annual job of clipping some 100 pieces of topiary was fascinating, so I went to find out more. I hope you enjoy this visit to the garden and you can see photographs on the website.

Produced and Presented by Sally Flatman

Music: Fade to Black by Howard Levy

https://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffee

A short bonus episode to help us celebrate the UK's National Apple Day! Listen for just 15 minutes and you will have some fascinating facts both historical and horticultural to share with others this weekend or just anytime! And I hope you will look at the trees, the apples and the pips in a slightly different light.

See pictures of the Reverend Wilkes on the website along with links to all the organisations and charities mentioned in this episode.

Here's the original Plant Story and Offshoot about apples.

Presented and Produced by Sally Flatman

Music: Fade to Black by Howard Levy

https://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffee

In October, 140 years ago, Mr R. Gilbert of 'the Gardens Burghley House in Stamford' exhibited the Peasgood's nonsuch apple at the National Apple conference held by the RHS in Chiswick. In Episode 5, we learned of the Peasgood's nonsuch; apples the size of small training footballs.

Mr R. Gilbert was a prize winning Victorian gardener in charge of the walled and pleasure gardens at Burghley House. His staff: 120 gardeners! The walled gardens have hardly been touched since the late sixties.

The current Head Gardener has a passion for walled gardens and a vision to bring this one back to life and there will be Peasgood's nonsuch apples in there. Join Joe Whitehead for a tour.

You can see pictures of the fruit galleries, mushroom house and walled garden on the website.

Music: Fade to Black by Howard Levy

https://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffee

We return to two lovely florists with a passion for flowers in this Offshoot episode. We first met Hannah and Maya in Episode 9, when Hannah told us the story of her plant tattoos, which honour and remind her of her mum. Maya introduced us to floriography - the language of flowers.

Hannah offered to take me to New Covent Garden Market where she goes to buy flowers which is a place I have always wanted to go. So this Offshoot takes us to the market and hears more from Hannah and Maya about working as florists.

You can see pictures of New Covent Garden Market on the website.

Music: Fade to Black by Howard Levy

https://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffee

We first visited the Manor in Hemingford Grey in Episode 8, admiring the topiary: crowns and orbs that were shaped for the Queen's coronation. But this is a garden that holds many stories, including airmen from the second world war, picnicking on the lawn and the adventures of the children from the Green Knowe story books.

You can see photographs of this special garden on the episode page.

Check out Episode 8 for everything you need to know about topiary including how to start your own.

Presented and Produced by Sally Flatman

Music: Fade to Black by Howard Levy + Abide with Me - Ernest Lough

https://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffee

Imagine taking your 'babies' from show to show to show. That's what Vicky Meads has been doing with her Hostas all Summer. We first met Vicky back in May when she was gearing up for the season. I caught up with her first at RHS Malvern and then at the big one - the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. This is a chance to see the shows through the eyes of the grower. Can she achieve that prestigious Gold Medal?

Check out Episode 7 and the shownotes for everything you need to know about growing hostas.

Presented and Produced by Sally Flatman

Music: Fade to Black by Howard Levy

https://ourplantstories.captivate.fm/buy-me-a-coffee