The Underground

Author, broadcaster and nature therapist, Ellen Mary joins us this week, In a wide-ranging conversation, Ellen Mary shares her thoughts on how gardening and being in touch with nature provides immense benefits for physical and mental health. We discuss forest bathing, veganic gardening and agree that she to join us as a special guest host on the podcast providing we can secure a special guest!

Find out more about Ellen Mary:

http://ellenmarygardening.co.uk/

https://www.peopleplantswellbeing.com

https://www.ethica-content.com

The Plant Based Podcast: 

https://theplantbasedpodcast.net

The Plant Based Podcast episode's mentioned in this espisode:

Dr Neil Bell talks about moss: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-plant-based-podcast-s11-e06-discover-the-hidden/id1451392483?i=1000615616148

Chris Packham part 1: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s3-e13-part-1-chatting-with-wildlife-hero-chris-packham/id1451392483?i=1000489534362

Chris Packham part 2: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s3-e13-part-2-talking-plant-life-with-chris-packham/id1451392483?i=1000490227884

Discover more about our hosts:

Kate Turner: www.gardenerguru.co.uk

Phil Wright: www.wrightobara.com

This week we're reflecting on what an amazing start we've had to our podcast journey. We're so grateful to all our wonderful guests, for their generosity in time, insight and good humour. Here's a selection of some of our favourite bits to give you a flavour of what The Underground is all about.

Discover more about our hosts:

Kate Turner: www.gardenerguru.co.uk

Phil Wright: www.wrightobara.com

Thank you to all our featured guests:

Fran Barnes, HTA

Toby Thomas, RocketGro

Jane Hartley, Evergreen Garden Care

Vicky Nuttal, GIMA

Boyd Douglas Davies,Boyd Partnership

Michael Perry, Mr Plant Geek

Lee Connelly, The Skinny Jean Gardener

Scott H Smith, the former head gardener at BBCs Beechgrove Garden

Sally Nex, Peat Free Partnership

Megan Warren-Davis, YPHA and Forest Interior

Alan Roper, Blue Diamond Garden Centres

Elaine Gotts, Levington Research Station

Guy Jenkins, DLF Seeds, Johnsons Lawn Seeds

Steve Harper, Responsible Sourcing Scheme, Southern Trident

Charlotte Howard, Capability Charlotte

Linda Petrons, Greenfingers Charity

Kate Ebbens, Capi-Europe

Matt Mein, Hyve, Glee

This week we were fortunate enough to have been invited along to the press preview of Gardeners World Live at the NEC. We took in the show gardens and spoke to the designers as well as some journalists, horticulturalists and influencers also enjoying the show.

https://www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com

Thanks to all those who we managed to talk to including, Kevin Smith, Ade Sellers, Jayne Hickling, Jonny Hincks, Sarah Sanderson and Adam Frost. Head over to our socials to find out more about each of our guests!

Discover more about our hosts:

Kate Turner: www.gardenerguru.co.uk

Phil Wright: www.wrightobara.com

Sally Nex is a horticulturalist, journalist and environmental campaigner with the Peat-free Partnership, we caught up with her to learn more about the mission of this organisation. Despite the widely recognised environmental damage caused by the use of peat in horticulture, the trade in peat is still ongoing. The Peat-Free Partnership brings together the RHS, the Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB, the National Trust, Garden Organic, Plantlife and many others forming a broad coalition to persuade the industry to adopt peat alternatives.

Peat-free Partnership: https://peatfreepartnership.org.uk

Plantlife: https://www.plantlife.org.uk

Discover more about our hosts:

Kate Turner: www.gardenerguru.co.ukPhil Wright: www.wrightobara.com

A good lawn is a staple for most gardens, but have you ever considered the R&D that goes into creating the latest generation of lawn seed? Guy Jenkins has been working with DLF seeds, the company behind Johnsons lawn seed, for 28 years, so he knows a thing or two about what goes into the perfect lawn. DLF supply grass seeds for a host of prestigious sports pitches, and it's this know-how that's distilled into their consumer products.

Johnsons Lawn Seed: http://johnsonslawnseed.com

DLF Seeds: https://www.dlf.co.uk

GIMA: http://gima.org.uk

Discover more about our hosts:

Kate Turner: www.gardenerguru.co.uk

Phil Wright: www.wrightobara.com

The Responsible Sourcing Scheme has been developed to assess the impact of each raw material ingredient that goes into a bag of Peat Free compost. We caught up with Steve Harper, the chairman of the RSS and also CEO of Southern Trident, to understand the scope of the RSS, how it works, and what difference it will make to retailers and consumers. We also discuss the environmental impact of one of the more contentious ingredients too.

Responsible Sourcing Scheme: 

https://www.responsiblesourcing.org.uk

Southern Trident: 

https://southerntrident.com

Discover more about our hosts:

Kate Turner: www.gardenerguru.co.uk

Phil Wright: www.wrightobara.com

Scott Smith is a trained horticulturist and has been consistently recognised by HortWeek as one of the nation's Top Head Gardeners since 2022. Until recently Scott was the Head Gardener and presenter on Beechgrove Garden for the BBC. He's also an advocate for mental health awareness within the industry.

Discover more about our hosts:

Kate Turner: www.gardenerguru.co.uk

Phil Wright: www.wrightobara.com

Elaine Gotts has been researching alternative growing-media ingredients for over 20 years. To say that she's an expert in the subject would be an understatement. That's why we were intrigued to discover more about the science behind the latest generation of peat-free composts.

Levington Research Station: 

https://www.lovethegarden.com/uk-en/article/evergreen-research-station-where-miracles-are-born

Discover more about our hosts:

Kate Turner: www.gardenerguru.co.ukPhil Wright: www.wrightobara.com

Boyd Douglas-Davies needs little introduction, previously the CEO of Hillview Garden Centres, a Director at British Garden Centres and a past President of the HTA, he now runs his own consulting business The Boyd Partnership, while also being an Ambassador for the YPHA and Greenfingers Charity. We caught up with Boyd to discuss the challenges and opportunities for Garden Centres and so much more!

The Boyd Partnership: http://theboydpartnership.co.uk

YPHA: http://ypha.org.uk/

Greenfingers Charity: http://greenfingerscharity.org.uk/

Discover more about our hosts:

Kate Turner: www.gardenerguru.co.uk

Phil Wright: www.wrightobara.com

On this week's episode we sit down with Fran Barnes, the CEO of the HTA to discuss the role and importance of the association. We discuss challenges, opportunities and the government's attitude towards the horticultural industry.

HTA: https://hta.org.uk

Discover more about our hosts:

Kate Turner: www.gardenerguru.co.uk

Phil Wright: www.wrightobara.com