This month we've a tour of the latest attraction at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, with head of arboriculture Tony Kirkham introducing the exciting new Rhizotron and Xstrata Treetop Walkway. We also talk to salad-growing expert Charles Dowding about his new book Salad Leaves for All Seasons. He gives us some tips plus selects the seeds we should be planting now for harvesting beyond the summer. And regular columnist Frank Ronan encourages us to savour 'growing' our gardens rather than buying them 'ready-made'.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2008 Podcast - Download Now
Gardens Illustrated editor Juliet Roberts spoke to three garden experts, Tim Richardson, Dan Pearson and Andrew Wilson, about this year's Chelsea Flower Show. They each give their opinions on the event picking up on current trends and must-have plants. Let us know what you thought of the show by going to our forum at www.gardensillustrated.com plus in the June issue of the magazine we have a special offer on some of the plants used in three of the gold award-winning gardens.
A busy month in the garden and in the podcast with our first outside broadcast from the new Shirley Sherwood Gallery at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with Dr Sherwood showing us round the gallery's display of botanical art. Then there's an interview with author Christopher Stocks about his latest book Forgotten Fruits, and Frank is mesmerised by the colour blue. Don't forget to visit our new forum and get involved in the various discussions.
Springtime favourites with ideas for seeing magnolias in bloom and spotting the delicate Fritillaria meleagris. Interviews include a chat with designer Helen Dooley, who is creating a Gardens Illustrated vegetable garden at the Gothenburg garden festival this summer. And then we hear from editor Juliet Roberts who picks her highlights from the Fête des Plantes Vivaces at Saint-Jean de Beauregard just outside Paris.
Inspiration for spring with co-owner of nursery Secret Seeds, John Langston, giving tips on successful seed sowing. And you can start with your salad seeds given free with the March issue. Then we talk to the head gardener at Hever Castle in Sussex to find out more about the garden's connection with the recent release of the film The Other Boleyn Girl. And our regular columnist Frank Ronan gives his own sound prediction for the weather this year.
A short podcast this month that follows up on our passion for snowdrops with a talk to gardens manager Dr John Grimshaw from Colesbourne gardens in Gloucestershire. He talks about the collection and the best times to visit. Juliet Robert enthuses about the Royal Horticultural Society's London flower shows and columnist Frank Ronan talks about the pleasures of weeding.
Highlights of the January issue plus tales from daring plant hunters.There's also an interview with author Tim Richardson, flagging up the series of discussions he is hosting together with Noël Kingsbury at the Museum of Garden History. He talks about the recent event with landscape designer Kim Wilkie and you can hear his talk by downloading the exclusive podcast below – see Exclusive Audio Content. Finally there's columnist Frank Ronan's comments on the glories of composting.
Florist Neil Honor of the Original Wreath Company takes us through making our own Christmas wreath using plants from the garden, plus he tells us about the exclusive wreath he has created for GARDENS ILLUSTRATED readers; and Matthew Wilson curator of the RHS garden at Harlow Carr gives advice on a more sustainable approach to gardening. Finally, regular GARDENS ILLUSTRATED columnist Frank Ronan reads his December column - delighting in those unexpected wisps of scent in the winter garden.
Forester Geoff Sinclair talks about the campaign to encourage the use of native-grown hazel poles in the garden, instead of bamboo from China; and in the wake of the publication of the late Christopher Lloyd’s last book Exotic Planting for Adventurous Gardeners, Great Dixter’s head gardener Fergus Garrett talks about the bold Exotic Garden they created together. Finally, regular GARDENS ILLUSTRATED columnist Frank Ronan reads his November column – a feisty response to the work of nomenclature experts.
EXCLUSIVE AUDIO CONTENT
VISTA LECTURE SERIES:
Authors Tim Richardson and Noël Kingsbury are currently hosting a series of monthly invitation-only debates at The Museum of Garden History in London.
The series is prompted by the pair’s recent publication Vista: The Culture and Politics of Gardens, and aims to consider the connection between gardening and the wider cultural world.
A selection of lectures are being recorded exclusively for Gardens Illustrated and released as podcasts.
With special thanks to The Museum of Garden History. For details regarding opening times and public events go to museumgardenhistory.org
Vista: The Culture and Politics of Gardens Edited by Tim Richardson and Noël Kingsbury. Frances Lincoln (ISBN 978-0711225756) £16.99. Available via the online bookshop
Writer and psychotherapist Rozsika Parker joins hosts Noel Kingsbury and Tim Richardson to consider if men and women garden differently. This is a lively
discussion with lots of contributions from the floor bringing up aspects of history, culture, genetics and economics both in terms of the amateur
and professional gardener alike.
Click here to download the talk as an MP3 file. (1 hour)
If you'd like to add your opinion to the debate, email us at gardens@bbcmagazinesbristol.com Rozsika has contributed an essay to
Vista: The Culture and Politics of Gardens and her book The Anxious Gardener is published by Frances Lincoln Publishers at £12.99 (ISBN 978-0711226630)
Available via the online bookshop
Considered something of an agent provocateur in the horticultural world,
William Martin has been described as 'an artist whose ideas find their best
expression in the garden'. In his talk he considers the complex
relationships between landscape, environment, culture and society as
revealed in his own garden Wigandia in southern Australia.
Click here to download the lecture as an MP3 file. (1 hour)
Find out more details of William Martin’s work at www.wigandia.com
Landscape architect Kim Wilkie, whose projects include the V&A Museum garden, talks about ‘The Uses and Abuses of History,
discussing the issues of authenticity and appropriateness when it comes to garden restoration. How do we interpret the past
and what are our responsibilities? Kim draws on his own experiences at Villa La Peitra in Florence, Heveningham Hall, Suffolk,
Boughton Park, Northamptonshire and a private house in Hampshire, leading a lively and interesting debate. Click here to download the lecture as an MP3 file. (1 hour 5 mins)
Find out more details of Kim Wilkie’s work at www.kimwilkie.com
MUSEUM OF GARDEN HISTORY Gardening with a Legacy
Sir Roy Strong, who created his garden The Laskett together with his late
wife, and Fergus Garrett, head gardener at Great Dixter in Sussex (home to
the late Christopher Lloyd) talk about their experiences of gardening with a
legacy. They consider whether a garden can be expected to live beyond the
life of its owner, and how to move a garden forward while respecting its
heritage. Click here to download.
This was a public event held at The Museum of Garden History in London. For
details of future events please go to www.museumgardenhistory.org
Sir Roy Strong's book The Laskett is currently being reprinted.
GARDENS ILLUSTRATED LECTURE 2006: Nature as Inspiration with world-renowned
gardener Beth Chatto in conversation with designer/plantsman Dan Pearson.
Chaired by broadcaster and Gardens Illustrated's Associate Editor, Anna
Pavord. The lecture was held at the Royal Geographical Society, London, on
23 May 2006 Click here to download.
The lecture is followed by a question and answer session Click here to download
GARDENS ILLUSTRATED LECTURE 2005: Successional Planting with legendary
plantsman Christopher Lloyd and Fergus Garrett, head gardener at
Christopher's garden, Great Dixter. The lecture was held at the Royal
Geographical Society, London, on 24 May 2005. Click here to download
VISTA LECTURE SERIES:
MUSEUM OF GARDEN HISTORY
