The Botanical Lovecast

This week we're talking to Matt Collins, head gardener from London's Garden Museum. We learned about ancient plant hunters, the history of the museum, the Tradescant family (of tradescantia fame) and America's Redwoods.

Rebecca James is an artist and creator. Rebecca has worked with natural fabrics and dyes for years creating pieces that sit between sculpture, textile, and installation.

This week we take a quick look at some of the ways in which plants are included, and honoured in solstice celebrations through history and around the world. Including, most obviously, the Christmas tree. This is the last Botanical Lovecast for 2019 so we will see you in the New Year!

It's not a nom de plume, it's nominative determinism at it's finest. Fiona Garden talks succulents, phyto-necromancy, plant-reddit, and the fractal life-giving magic of propagation.

Are plants manipulating us with their scents? Are organic scents superior to synthetics? Why do so many perfumers smoke? Why are smells so emotionally affective? What is your favourite bad smell? Scent artist John Foley takes me on a wonderful journey through the world of organic scent.

Hemp, hemp, hemp. I went to visit a hemp farm and met the plant. Drew the plant. Tasted the plant. 

Leif Bersweden is a fellow orchid enthusiast, and nature lover. In this episode we talk about  his work, and the journey of writing his book, The Orchid Hunter.

In this episode Maddy can't remember the words "Geological Epoch", we touch on plant blindness and the Botany of Desire. Geo talks about listening to his house plants. It's a pretty broad plant chat. Buckle up.

Valeria Sumar is The Radiant Nutritionist. We talked about a little known Chilean super food called Maqui. These dark purple berries grow wild in South America and have been used medicinally by the indigenous Mapuche for thousands of years.