The Sodshow, Garden Podcast - Sod Show

John Wyer is one half of one of the UK's finest landscaping and design companies Bowles and Wyer. On this episode of the garden podcast and with much thanks to London College of Garden Design, the legend sits for a chat with Peter Donegan.

When I asked John for a biography, he gave me two:

John started his working life in the mud on site, before studying landscape architecture at Manchester Polytechnic, qualifying in 1983. He has worked in garden design and landscape architecture ever since, running Bowles & Wyer for the last 25 years or so. He is a strong believer in collaboration and speaks regularly and widely at industry and other events. According to his profile, he ‘eats, drinks and sleeps good design.’

And secondly:

John was born on the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous many years ago. After studying cycling and cookery for several decades and working in a fulltime position colouring-in, he switched to the landscape industry in 1977, first working on site before studying landscape architecture and mixing up concrete in the holidays. He set up Bowles & Wyer in 1992 and now spends most of his time pretending to tell others ‘Why don’t you do it like this instead?’.

Above all things, John Wyer is an absolute gentleman. And there again exists the respect for the man and secondary for the spaces that he creates.

The Sodshow is available every Friday in iTunes, all good podcast stores and www.sodshow.com

London College Garden Design:

web: www.lcgd.org.uk

twitter: @LCgardendesign

fb: TheLondonCollegeofGardenDesign

John Wyer:

Web www.bowleswyer.co.uk

Blog: https://www.bowleswyer.co.uk/blog/

Twitter: @WyerJohn

Instagram: @Wyer.John

The Sodshow:

Twitter: @sodshow

facebook: The Sodshow

instagram: sodshow

Peter Donegan chats with David Ward, Garden and Nursery Director at Beth Chatto Gardens.

Beth Chatto was born and bred an “Essex Girl” with both her parents keen gardeners. She studied to become a teacher and always tried to include gardening in her classes. Beth married Andrew Chatto in 1943 and settled into domestic life, raising two daughters. Living next door to Ramparts nursery run by Pamela Underwood, Beth learnt the art of Flower arranging and was introduced to the local plantsman Sir Cedric Morris who became a “spiritual father to her. The family moved to Elmstead Market in 1960 and Beth set about creating her garden and opened a nursery “Unusual Plants” in 1967.

Beth was catapulted into the gardening world in 1976 with her iconic Chelsea displays and 10 Gold Medals. A natural communicator, through her books, lectures as well as one to one with visitors to the gardens, many people have a personal connection. Championing the mantra of “right plant, right place” with her own practical experience and artistic skills. Sadly Beth passed away in May 2018 but her garden and nursery continues to thrive under her loyal team along with an Educational Trust, set up in her name to further Beth’s horticultural ethos.

Dave first met Beth as a Horticultural student in 1977 whilst studying Nursery practices at Merrist Wood College in Surrey. After working at Bressingham Gardens, on nurseries in Boskoop, Holland and a couple of tree nurseries in this country he eventually settled at Avon bulbs in Somerset for three years. Regularly visiting Beths garden and seeing her at Chelsea as a fellow exhibitor he was taken by her range of plants. Dave joined her team in 1983 when Beth was looking for someone to train up to take over the propagation. Beth seemed particularly keen to employ a fellow East Anglian (I was born in Norwich). His experience allowed him to update the nursery and freed Beth up to concentrate on the garden and Chelsea. As the propagation team grew he was able to spend more time with Beth in the garden and helped her create the Gravel garden as well as plant up our woodland garden following the great storm in October 1987.

The Sodshow is available every Friday in iTunes, all good podcast stores and www.sodshow.com

The Sodshow:

Twitter: @sodshow

facebook: The Sodshow

instagram: sodshow

Beth Chatto Gardens:

web: www.bethchatto.co.uk

facebook: bethchattogardens

twitter: @bethchattogdns

Peter Donegan chats with Matthew Biggs; a gardener, writer and broadcaster

On leaving school at sixteen he rapidly found office work too claustrophobic and rushed outdoors where he has remained happily ever since. He is currently developing his Hertfordshire garden and learning to love clay soil. Fascinated by plants of any kind he grows exotics, heritage fruit, unusual vegetables, tree and masses of bulbs. Matt is in love with Echium wildpretii has grown it several times in his garden but still dreams of seeing it in the wild. His latest book is The Secrets of Great Botanists.

Botanists are the trailblazers who first discovered how plants work and searched the globe for many of the plants we grow in the garden today. Each of the thirty five profiles, reveals their fascinating life stories from botanizing Pirate William Dampier to pioneering photographer Anna Atkins and modern day collectors and conservationists Bleddyn and Sue Wynn-Jones. Special feature pages reveal the qualities that brought them success and what we can learn from them. Illustrated with beautiful period watercolours and vibrant, colourful photographs, this is the ideal book for anyone who loves real life adventures.

The Sodshow is available every Friday in iTunes, all good podcast stores and www.sodshow.com

Matt Biggs:

Octopus Publishing: The Book - Secrets of Great Botanists

twitter: @plantmadman

web: www.matthewbiggs.com

The Sodshow:

Twitter: @sodshow

facebook: The Sodshow

instagram: sodshow

River of Flowers is a non-profit eco-social enterprise founded by rewilding strategist and botanist Kathryn Lwin and musician songwriter Peter Lewinson, which works in diverse partnerships to create trails or 'rivers' of wildflowers and wild flowering trees through cities for bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

River of Flowers co-designed the Honeycomb Meadow Bee Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 with Studio SuperNatural in partnership with Urban Bees, which achieved a Silver Medal.

With very much thanks to CED Natural Stone, on todays episode, Peter Donegan chats with landscape architects Gabrielle Shay and Kerrie Mckinnon to find out why an just what River of Flowers is.

The Sodshow is available every Friday in iTunes, all good podcast stores and www.sodshow.com

Gabrielle Shay and Kerrie Mckinnon set up Studio SuperNatural after meeting at University studying Landscape Architecture last year. They work collaboratively on public and private landscape design and Landscape Architecture projects in the UK and abroad.

Gabrielle worked at Petersham Nurseries for some years before going onto study Landscape Architecture at the University of Greenwich. Gabrielle won a gold medal at the RHS Hampton Court 2015 for her show garden 'African Vision' and co-designed the Honey Comb meadow bee garden Rhs Chelsea flower show 2018 with Kerrie.

Kerrie worked as a graphic designer for several years before studying Landscape Architecture, through her passion for plants and the environment. Kerrie now works as a Landscape Architect for a practice in Greenwich​ as well as collaborating with Gaby on Landscape Architecture projects. Kerrie became a director of River of Flowers in 2017.

Much thanks for listening X

Further info:

Read: CED Stone on River of Flowers

Twitter: @RiverofFlowers

web: www.riverofflowers.org

And also:

Twitter: @sodshow

facebook: The Sodshow

instagram: sodshow

On todays episode Peter Donegan and Giles Heap of CED Natural Stone everything from trends in how stone in landscape design has evolved over the last 30 years, from what was (or, more to the point) what was not available, a super saturation of affordable sandstone and what the future maybe, all the way back to crazy paving, wooden sets and making your own in the 1970's. 

We talk Giles eventual entry into the stone industry, going on holidays with Dad, how a daughters education and a change in thinking wraps around todays products and just how that has changed how we use and lay them. In a nutshell, this is not how I imagined this conversation would go - but then, I think that's every episode of The Sodshow since time began.  

The Sodshow is available every Friday in iTunes, all good podcast stores and www.sodshow.com

With thanks to London College of Garden Design for making this one happen. 

London College Garden Design:

web: www.lcgd.org.uk

twitter: @LCgardendesign

fb: TheLondonCollegeofGardenDesign

Giles Heap at CED Natural Stone:

twitter: @GilesAtCED

fb: CED Ltd Natural Stone

web: www.cedstone.co.uk

The Sodshow:

Twitter: @sodshow

facebook: The Sodshow

instagram: sodshow

This is part 1 of a 2 part episode - with Tim Richardson.

Tim Richardson is a London-based writer, historian and critic specialising in landscape, gardens and art. He writes regularly for the Daily Telegraph and other publications including Country Life and Gardens Illustrated. He is the author of a number of books including Arcadian Friends (Bantam, 2007), Avant Gardeners (Thames & Hudson, 2008) and The New English Garden (2013).

A collection of his journalism entitled You Should Have Been Here Last Week has just appeared in paperback. Tim advises the National Trust on gardens and wrote the course on landscape history for Oxford University. He is the founder-director of the Chelsea Fringe Festival, now in its eighth year.

On todays episode Peter Donegan chats with Tim.

The Sodshow is available every Friday in iTunes, all good podcast stores and www.sodshow.com

The Sodshow:

Twitter: @sodshow

facebook: The Sodshow

instagram: sodshow

Linda Petrons, better known to me as Lou, is the Director of Communications at Greenfingers. As they word it, they are a national charity dedicated to supporting children who spend time in hospices around the UK, along with their families, by creating inspiring gardens.

On todays episode Peter Donegan sits with Lou to chat working with some of the UK's top garden designers, why they do what they do and just what it means to be a child or a member of their family with a photosynthetic outdoor place to be just that, if only but for a moment or a memory in time. 

We talk why the entire industry simply adores them so very much, the Agents of Field Christmas video, their upcoming 20th anniversary and so much more.  

The Sodshow is available every Friday in iTunes, all good podcast stores and www.sodshow.com and this episode is brought to you with very special thanks to The London College of Garden Design celebrating their 10th anniversary and who more importantly made this episode possible. For that I thank you so very much. 

Peter 

London College Garden Design:

web: www.lcgd.org.uk

twitter: @LCgardendesign

fb: TheLondonCollegeofGardenDesign

Greenfingers Charity:

twitter: @greenfingerscha

fb: Greenfingerscharity

web: www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk

The Sodshow:

Twitter: @sodshow

facebook: The Sodshow

instagram: sodshow

This is part 1 of a 2 part episode - with Tim Richardson. 

Tim Richardson is a London-based writer, historian and critic specialising in landscape, gardens and art. He writes regularly for the Daily Telegraph and other publications including Country Life and Gardens Illustrated. He is the author of a number of books including Arcadian Friends (Bantam, 2007), Avant Gardeners (Thames & Hudson, 2008) and The New English Garden (2013). 

A collection of his journalism entitled You Should Have Been Here Last Week has just appeared in paperback. Tim advises the National Trust on gardens and wrote the course on landscape history for Oxford University. He is the founder-director of the Chelsea Fringe Festival, now in its eighth year.

On todays episode Peter Donegan chats with Tim.  

The Sodshow is available every Friday in iTunes, all good podcast stores and www.sodshow.com 

The Sodshow:

Twitter: @sodshow

facebook: The Sodshow

instagram: sodshow

Will Williams has completed three show gardens, including at RHS Hampton Court and of his latest, at RHS Tatton Park Flower Show, he walked away with Gold and The RHS Young Designer of the Year award for 2018. 

On todays episode Peter Donegan sits with Will to ask all of the why's. From how he ended up in landscape design, his first show garden, real friends and mentors not just of horticulture, but of life - to what the future holds, staying in business and standing tall with the very best. 

The Sodshow is available every Friday in iTunes, all good podcast stores and www.sodshow.com 

With thanks to London College of Garden Design for making this one happen. 

London College Garden Design:

web: www.lcgd.org.uk

twitter: @LCgardendesign

fb: TheLondonCollegeofGardenDesign

Will Williams Garden Design:

twitter: @WillWilliamsGD  

web: www.willwilliamsgardendesign.com

The Sodshow:

Twitter: @sodshow

facebook: The Sodshow

instagram: sodshow

Misti Little is an biologist and environmental consultant based out of Houston, Texas by day, and gardener, podcaster, and outdoor enthusiast when she can fit them in the other hours of the day.

On todays episode, Peter Donegan also a long time fan of Misti's ramblings and conversation chats about all of the why's than invariably pop up in gardening more hours than one could shake a stick at and also exist in one day. 

As Misti notes it, she founded The Garden Path Podcast in 2015 to fill a niche in the American gardening podcast genre. Connecting with other like-minded gardeners and naturalists to share their stories through the podcast has become one of her favorite hobbies.

Show Links:

The Garden Path Podcast - www.thegardenpathpodcast.com

Instagram - TheGardenPathPodcast.

Misti's outdoor adventures - www.oceanicwilderness.com

Much thanks for listening, always X

Peter

Twitter: @sodshow

facebook: The Sodshow

instagram: sodshow