Garden People

Can you name a garden dweller who is ecologically obsessed, a little punk rock, and creates spaces for plants, pollinators and people in equal measure? Why that would be the next guest on the Garden People podcast, Rebecca McMackin! Link to listen in the bio or find us wherever you catch your podcasts.

Rebecca @oroeoboeococoao is an ecological gardener, a Loeb Fellow with the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and former Director of Horticulture for Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP) in New York. She writes, lectures, and teaches on ecological landscape management and pollination ecology. In these spheres, she brings an infectious enthusiasm alongside an abiding commitment to ecological vitality and urban biodiversity.

As part of NYC Parks Rebecca was the head gardener at historic Washington Square Park, where she deftly maintained displays and occasionally was called on to coax a reveler down from an English Elm. At BBP, Rebecca managed 85 acres of diverse parkland organically, creating a habitat that was welcoming to New Yorkers, birds, butterflies, and soil microorganisms. She migrated to Cambridge after being awarded the Loeb Fellowship, where she currently studies ecological design and science communication.

Rebecca understands plants and their pollinators, but she also understands people and how we can best invite them into the garden. This is helped by her exceptional ability to synthesis and share important information about our world. Her newsletter is an indispensable part of my learning, a go-to for a roundup of important articles and ideas, all framed by her optimism, humor, and seriousness of purpose. This interview was recorded in the last weeks of her Directorship at BBP, and it was a pleasure to speak with her at this time of transition.

Thank you for listening!

S H O W N O T E S

Rebecca’s IG @oroeoboeococoao

Rebecca’s website

Rebecca’s newsletter

Douglas Tallamy

Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc

Margaret Roach lawn article

National Audubon Society

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center - Wildflower.org

US EPA Ecoregions

Robin Wall Kimmerer

Brooklyn Bridge Park Horticulture database

Monarch Butterfly Nectar Plant List

My guest is Lucy Hunter, a multi-hyphenate if there ever was one: creative director, garden designer, floral artist, stylist, photographer, teacher, author, botanical dyer…the list goes on. Based in North Wales in the UK, Lucy is, at root, a restless creative who is always adding to her list of projects and modes of expression.  She shows us how useless labels can be in a creative life, and how generous our output becomes when we do away with them.  Her book, The Flower Hunter: Seasonal Flowers Inspired by Nature and Gathered from the Garden, was published in November of 2021.   

I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop with Lucy, Gabriela Salazar, and Max Gill this past March, and saw first-hand her creative force at play. From design notes to photography demonstrations, her energy and engagement with attendees and their work was simply amazing. I’m so happy to welcome her here today.

Lucy will have another whirlwind tour of workshops in the coming months, including one in October with TJ McGrath in New Jersey. Next year, she will return to New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and New Orleans in March, and Provence in April. You can receive up-to-date information on dates and registration on her website and IG. Links in the show notes, below.

Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio

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S H O W N O T E S

Lucy Hunter

Lucy’s website

Lucy’s book: The Flower Hunter: Seasonal flowers inspired by nature and gathered from the garden

Carol’s Garden (Featured in Lucy’s book)

Great Dixter

Sissinghurst Castle Gardens

Kiftsgate Court Gardens

Jackdaws eating buxus caterpillars

Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Interiors: My Rooms, Treasures, and Trinkets

Gabriela Salazar La MUSA de las FLORES

Max Gill Max Gill Design

Wilding: Returning nature to our farm by Isabella Tree

The Hidden Life of Trees: What they Feel, How They Communicate - Discoveries from a Secret World, by Peter Wohlleben

From Seed to Bloom, Milli Proust

P L A N T L I S T

Roses

Daisies

Poppies

Rudbeckia

Buxus

My guest today is Jennifer Jewell, gardener, author, and the host of Cultivating Place, a co-production & podcast of North State Public Radio, which is syndicated across the United States and available as a podcast worldwide.  For listeners of a garden podcast in North America, much less one produced in Northern California on indigenous land, Jennifer probably needs no introduction.  In many ways she has shaped a corner of garden culture and literacy, introducing listeners to gardeners across the globe and the remarkable beings in their own backyard. 

Her interviews and writing are focused on the importance of the person and place in the garden -- considering the land, its history, and culture, and always moving toward a more sustainable, inclusive whole. I am always inspired by her unwavering faith in gardeners, and the belief that we can meet the incredible challenges of our current time with community, care, and an embrace of the interconnectedness of our natural world.   

Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio

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S H O W N O T E S

Seed Savers Exchange

Heronswood

John Whittlesey

Earth in Her Hands

Under Western Skies

Caitlin Atkinson

Arrabella Lennox Boyd (and her wonderful new book)

Anna Pavord, The Tulip (and her most recent: The Seasonal Gardener: Creative Planting Combinations)

Rowan White, Sierra Seeds

Vandana Shiva (two favorites: Who Really Feeds the World? and Stolen Harvest)

Leah Penniman, Soul Fire Farm

Claire Cooper Marcus (a favorite book: Therapeutic Landscapes)

Debra Prinzing, Slow Flower Society

Margaret Roach

P L A N T L I S T

Salvia

Manzanita - Arctostaphylos edmudsii Big Sur Manzanita

Nasturtium

Iceberg roses

Native Eryngium aristulatum

Buckwheats - Eriogonum

Geum – (local native is Eeum triflorum)

Marigold

Deer Grass - Muhlenbergia rigens

Purple sage - Salvia leucophylla

Today I welcome Amanda Luu and Mia Westphal of Studio Mondine, a floral design studio based in San Francisco, California, to the Garden People podcast.  Mondine’s work is multifaceted and always a reflection of the group’s deep appreciation of the natural world.  Whether it’s finding inspiration for a bridal bouquet in the weeds growing around the wedding venue or puzzling through ways to make travel to that venue the most environmentally sustainable, the team works with admirable care and infectious joy.  They lead by example and educate through beauty, and they might just invite you to eat the centerpiece. Listen in to hear them discuss sustainable floristry and seeking inspiration from nature.

Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio

S H O W N O T E S

@studiomondine

Studio Mondine

Ikebana

Ikebana Unbound (by Amanda and co-founder Ivanka Matsuba)

if i made course

Garden People episode with Hanna Brannan of Gather Flora

Azuma Makoto

Lauri Kranz, her book A Garden Can Be Anywhere: A Guide to Growing Bountiful, Beautiful, Edible Gardens

P L A N T L I S T

Jasmine

Tulips

Peonies

Mushrooms

Today I welcome floral artist and flower friend and mentor, Sarah Statham of Simply by Arrangement. Whether writing from her corner of Yorkshire, England, or gardens farther afield, she is forever seeking light and the perfect pebble, and always celebrating color, form, and seasonality.

Her role as an educator extends beyond the vase, providing invaluable business advice through one to one conversations with numerous flower fettlers, both seasoned and new.

As much as I rely on her rock steady advice, it is her humor, love of learning, and keen sense of observation that I admire most. Perhaps it is due to the many roles she has held in her own life, but her ability to see and share stories is one of her greatest gifts. And since most of you will know her way with a bowl and a tulip or two, you’ll agree there are few in the same league.

Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio

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Sarah Statham

Simply by Arrangement

Rachel, Yorkshire Flower Patch

Jill Shaddock

Miss Pickering, Stamford

Flowers from the Farm

Dove Cottage Nursery

Max Gill

Constance Spry

Beth Chatto

Christopher Lloyd

Sue Stuart Smith, The Well Gardened Mind: Restorative Power of Nature

Anna Pavord, The Tulip

Ian McEwan

The Business of Selling Flowers (Claire Brown, Paula Baxter, Carol Siddorn) - Scholarship Program

P L A N T L I S T

Grand Prix Roses

Clematis

Fritillary

My guest is Jane Scotter, a biodynamic farmer and author and the force behind Fern Verrow in Herefordshire in the West Midlands of England.  Jane has been a huge inspiration for me and countless growers and gardeners.  Her passion, drive, and love for her land are evident in each crate of castelfranco.  In addition to her cookbook, Jane’s relationship with Skye Gyngell and Spring restaurant shows the wonderful partnership between plot and plate, and the artistry involved in the growing and making of meals.  The gorgeous products of her work also make one of the most compelling arguments for how care for our earth and where our food comes from can be life affirming in addition to being life-saving.  

From favorite tulips to the best days for cultivation, you'll hear about Jane's dynamic relationship with the growing season, which is always imbued with beauty and a celebration of taste.    

Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio

S H O W N O T E S

Jane Scotter

Fern Verrow

Fern Verrow cookbook

Biodynamic gardening

Neal’s Yard Dairy

Skye Gyngell

Spring Restaurant London

Sarah Johnson

Randolph Hodgson

Maria Thun calendar / Thun app

Heckfield Place

Alan Chadwick

Alice Waters

Bob Cannard

Chez Panisse

P L A N T L I S T

Tulip Bown sugar

Tulip Red impression

Castelfranco

My guest is Marryn Mathis, a flower farmer and educator running a small family flower farm in Stanwood Washington.  A few years ago Marryn left her corporate job for a life of flowers and has never looked back.  To hear Marryn’s approach, it seems like she can always do more, whether that’s planting 13,000 sweet peas to 10,000 sunflowers.  This past spring she also fielded 46,000 online visitors to her dahlia tuber sale.  It speaks to her boundless energy and enthusiasm for what she does, and the joy she takes in sharing flowers with her community.  What I am struck by, though, is how thoughtful she is about what she spends her time on – she is constantly reconsidering and reshaping her work, which then allows her to put her whole heart into the farm and its many wonderful projects.  Whether it’s a wall of sweet peas or a rainbow row of dahlias, you’re sure to be inspired. 

Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio

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Marryn Mathis

Farmhouse Flower Farm

Floret

P L A N T L I S T

Chocolate lace flower

Sunflowers

Cress

Sweet peas:

Vicks

Blue shift

Emma

Windsor

Apricot queen

Old Times

Clementine kiss

Susan Burgess

Kings ransom

Betty White

Deborah Devonshire

My guest today is Bex Partridge, the floral artist and gardener Botanical Tales based in Devon, England. Bex creates sustainable designs, displays and installations using dried flowers, also known as everlastings.  Her work celebrates nature and the shifts of the seasons, drawing attention to flowers in each stage of their existence.  Her ethereal displays and designs create a sense of wonder in the observer, and bespeak certain magic.  Learning from her – whether through her workshops, books, or Patreon community – will change the way you see the garden.  Her most recent book, Flowers Forever, is available this month in the UK, and at the end of June in the USA. Please see the links below for order'/preorder information.

Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio

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Bex Partridge

Botanical Tales

Bex’s most recent book “Flowers Forever: Sustainable dried flowers, the artists way,” available early June in the UK and June 28 in the USA.

Also see: Everlastings: How to Grow, Harvest and Create with Dried Flowers

Biodynamic growing UK and USA

Biodynamic preparations

Charles Dowding no dig, No till from Love ‘n Fresh Flowers

Digging / double digging

Wormery

Egg shell fertilizer

Oudolf Field - Hauser and Wirth

P L A N T L I S T

Tulipa ssp.

Oxeye daisies Leucanthemum vulgare

Ranunculus

Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris

Forget-me-nots Myosotis ssp.

Strawflowers Xerochrysum bracteatum

Helichrysum ssp.

Statice Limonium sinuatum

Dahlias Dahlia pinnata

My guest today is the incredible Melissa Goldstein, a ceramic artist based in Brooklyn, New York.  Her work – hand thrown and painted with a cobalt stain and the occasional metallic splatter – is inspired by 17th century German and Japanese botanical illustration, and draws on numerical calligraphy, botanical drawings, and ornithology. 

Every piece is absolutely exquisite: from platter to vase, the flowers seem to grow, the birds careen midflight. The details speak to a life of close observation and deep immersion in art and the world as a garden.

My guest today is Melissa Goldstein, a ceramic artist I have long admired. Melissa is based in Brooklyn, New York.  Her work – hand thrown and painted with a cobalt stain and the occasional metallic splatter – is inspired by 17th century German and Japanese botanical illustration, and draws on numerical calligraphy, botanical drawings, and ornithology.  Her pieces are absolutely exquisite: from platter to vase, the flowers seem to grow, the birds captured midflight. They speak to a life of close observation and deep immersion in art and the world as a garden.

If you are in New York, please make your way to Fox Fodder Farm to see more of the vases we discuss. You can buy Melissa’s pieces in all their forms at the lovely E-E Home, or on her website, Mg by hand.

Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio

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Melissa Goldstein

Mg by hand

John Cage

E-E Home

Fox Fodder Farm

Ngoc Minh Ngo

P L A N T L I S T

Flowering quince - Chaenomeles speciosa

Lady tulip - Tulipa clusiana

Snake’s head fritillary, checkered fritillary - Fritillaria meleagris

Persian lily - Fritillaria persica

My guest is Cel Robertson, author and owner of Forever Green Flower Co. an artisan flower farm in North Norfolk, England, growing garden gathered blooms for sale to florists and flower lovers.  Cel’s commitment to sustainability and her steadfast conviction in the power of collective actions to create necessary change make her a persuasive champion of locally grown flowers.  As an educator she manages to twine the beauty of the field to the necessity of spreadsheets, ensuring that growing ventures can become stable businesses.  Her new book with Bloom Magazine is out now, a wonderful guide to growing cut flowers that is packed with Cel’s grace and wisdom. 

Garden People Podcast from @violetear_studio

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Cel Robertson

Forever Green Flower Company

Cel’s book, Cut Flowers

How to go peat free plus alternatives, UK resource list, US resource list

No Dig (Charles Dowding) / No Till Flower Farming (Love n’ Fresh Flowers)

Floret’s how-to on using horticultural fabric for weed suppression

Soil testing: USA lab services, UK RHS services, at home tests

P L A N T L I S T

Astrantia ideas

Fern ideas

Birch tree ideas

Helleborus ideas

Japanese MapleAcer japonica ideas

Rowan tree myth and lore, Rowan and Mountain Ash

Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Dark Desire'

It is a pleasure to welcome Lauren Elizabeth Palmer, Founder and Principal Designer at The Wild Mother Creative Studio.  Lauren, along with her sisters Leah and Callie, are based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where they offer incredible floral design as well as in-person and online education.  Their art is informed by their Afro-indigenous heritage, and reflects their reverence for the natural world, drawing together the threads of the past and present, beauty and activism, to tell the stories of today.  The care they take with their materials imbues their creations with passion and true joy.    

2022 is the second year of the “Send Flowers To” campaign, through which the Wild Mother creates floral art installments to honor, draw attention to, and heal intergenerational community trauma.  This year, the campaign highlights Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, or MMIW, and involves an installation at the First American’s Museum in Oklahoma City from May 7th to May 9th.  Please follow the links in the show notes or at thewildmother.com to learn more and contribute to this important cause.        

Garden People podcast, from @violetear_studio

S H O W N O T E S

Lauren and her sisters - The Wild Mother Creative Studio

The Wild Mother

#SendFlowersTo for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW)

Tulsa Greenwood Massacre - the subject of #SendFlowersTo for 2021

The First Thanksgiving

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

Story Pocahantas’ kidnapping

Ride on King Jesus

Edgar Degas

Robin Wall Kimmerer

bell hooks

Yo-Yo Ma

P L A N T L I S T

California Lilac, Ceanothus ssp. - Ceanothus thyrsiflorus‘Blueblossom’

Sweet grass, Hierochloe odorata,and some of its uses

Coneflower, Echinacea, as medicinal plant

Olive leaf, Nestronia umbellula Raf.

Sweetheart rose, Champagne

Helleborus, Lenten Rose

Tweedia, Oxypetalum coeruleum

Limelight Hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’

PeeGee Hydrangea, H. paniculata

My guest is Clare Foster, the Garden Editor at House & Garden magazine in the UK.  Clare is the author of numerous books, including the gorgeous Winter Gardens with photographer Andrew Montgomery. 

Clare’s writing is such a pleasure to read and she has brought me closer to some of my favorite plants and gardens. Join us to hear about Clare’s career as a garden writer and her development as a gardener, as well as some of the principles at play in her own garden, which is an inspiring example of low(ish) input, high reward design from a gardener who has access to some of the most beautiful spaces and guides in the world.

** The first printing of Winter Gardens sold out quickly and a reprint has been ordered, which Clare and Andrew hope to make available by late summer.  You can find links in the show notes to follow them for ordering information.**

Garden People podcast, from @violetear_studio

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Thames & Hudson

Gardens Illustrated

Rosie Atkins, book edited by Rosie on gardener profiles

House & Garden

Winter Gardens published with photographer Andrew Montgomery

Clare’s Compost book

Beth Chatto

Clare’s book The Flower Garden: How to Grow Flowers from Seed, in collaboration with photographer Sabina Rüber

Helen Dillon

Andrew Montgomery’s Petersham book

Piet Ouldof 

Ouldof’s Designing with Plants book

Dan Pearson

Ngoc Minh Ngo

Arne Maynard

P L A N T L I S T

Tulips

Myosotis perennial Forget-me-not

Lunaria annua - honesty ‘corfu blue’

Ammi majus - ‘False Queen Anne’s Lace’

Cosmos bipinnatus

CynoglossumChinese forget-me-not mystery lavender

Agastache aurantiaca, ‘Navajo Sunset’

Stipa gigantea

Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' 

Aster umbulatas- flat topped aster

Symphyotrichum turbinellum (smooth violet prairie aster)

Dusty pink Campanula lactiflora from Clare’s garden - Campanula Loddon Anna

Clare’s granny’s shrub Clerodendrum trichotomum

Teucrium fruticans

Phlomis russeliana

Echinacea

Penstemon ‘garnet’

My guest is Amanda Vidmar, floral artist of Amanda Vidmar Designs, and co-owner/designer at Francis & Frances in San Francisco, California. Amanda’s appreciation of place and the unique connection between a flower and its land are a through line in her arrangements, which draw from the stories of her clients and the surrounding environment. To hear her tell the story of her work, each step has, in retrospect, been the right one. As if the road has risen up to meet her, matching her own openness and generosity of spirit.

Garden People podcast, from @violetear_studio

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Amanda Frances Vidmar

Amanda Vidmar Designs

Frances & Francis (co-owned with Mikenzie Francis Salvucci)

UC Santa Cruz

Flowers Claire Marie

Joanna Letz, Bluma Farm

Hannah Brannan, Gather Flora

Kathleen Deery

William Eggleston –Flowers

Bernal Heights neighborhood in San Francisco

Mendocino County, CA

P L A N T L I S T

Clematis Clematis lanuginosa 'Candida'

Lilac Syringa vulgaris

Daphne Daphne

Dahlias

Heuchera Heuchera

Pee Gee Hydrangea - Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora'

Rain Tree - Koelreuteria paniculata

Paper whites - Narcissus papyraceus

Koko Loco Rose - floribunda

Queen Elizabeth Rose - floribunda

Double Delight Rose - hybrid tea

Rose geranium Pelargonium graveolens

My guest is Alison Jenkins of Damson Farm in Somerset, England.  Alison trained as a garden designer before making her small holding of Damson Farm into a resource for learning about the interrelationship of gardens and the natural world. The workshops that she offers at the farm focus on observing and supporting natural ecosystems, creating gardens which function ecologically and look beautiful, too. The garden is often a place of solace in difficult times. I think Alison’s work shows us the comfort that can be found working with nature, as well as a way forward in our efforts to bring peace and healing to the earth.

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Alison Jenkins, Damson Farm

Royal Horticultural Society

The English Gardening School at the Chelsea Physic Garden

Gardens Illustrated profile of Damson Farm

WWOOF International

Fergus Garrett, Great Dixter House & Garden

Robert McFarlane (some of my favorites are The Lost Words and Underland)

Braiding Sweetgrass – Robin Wall Kimmerer

Permaculture

Oxford Real Farming Conference

Amelanchier essay by Robin Wald Kimmerer: The Serviceberry, An Economy of Abundance

Heritage Seed Library

P L A N T L I S T

Lemon cucumbers or cucumber melons?

Amalanchier

Damson

Dog Rose, Rosa canina

Wild Plum, Prunus Americana

Crab Apples Malus

Currants (black currant, Ribes nigrum; red currant, Ribes rubrum)

Worcesterberry Ribes divaricatum

Edible honey suckle Lonicera caerulea

Perennial Sorrel Rumex acetosa

Alpine strawberries Fragaria vesca

Purple orach/atriplex

My guest this week is Joanna Game, a grower and floral artist based in Devon, England. Joanna’s arrangements have a sort of cultivated wildness, reflecting both her garden and her forages from the surrounding countryside. She discusses her development as an artist, her next steps after pulling back from wedding design, and how she blurs the boundary between nature and maker.

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** Tips on responsible foraging**

New Covent Garden

Sarah Raven

Black Shed Flower Farm

Amelia’s Flower Farm

Rakes Progress magazine

Dan Pearson, Dan Pearson Studio

Great Dixter House & Gardens

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Nicolette Camille

Sarah Ryhanen – Saipua, World’s End Farm

Sarah Winward

Fiona Pickles

Brigitte Girling, Moss and Stone

Bex Partridge, Botanical Tales

 P L A N T L I S T

Yellow rattle, Rhinanthus minor

Meadow buttercup, Ranunculus acris

Camassia, Camassia quamash

Campion Lychnis coronaria

Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris

Viburnum opulus

Spindle berry,Euonymus europaeus

This week I welcome Tiffany Jones of Blomma Flower Farm (@blommaflowerfarm) to the show. Tiffany is a grower in San Clemente, California and is building new farm in Nevada where she’ll be focusing on her passion, Zinnia breeding and seed development. We talk about her journey to flower farming, zinnia breeding, and her new book. A self-described plant nerd, Tiffany has poured her enviable energy and enthusiasm into researching and writing this publication, and I know you’ll join me in saying that I can’t wait for the finished product.

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Tiffany Jones, Blomma Flower Farm

Danielle, Rose Flower Farm

Erin Benzakein, Floret Flower Farm

Keyhole gardens

Rogers Gardens

Lasagna method

Biochar amendments

The problem with miracle grow

USDA zones

Garden.com

P L A N T L I S T

Gladiolus (Gladiolus hybridus)

Martha Washington Geranium (scented geranium) (Pelargonium x domesticum)

Ranunculus

Butterfly ranunculus

Anemones

Foxgloves, here

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus), Chantilly variety

Key lime (Citrus × aurantiifolia)

Blood orange (Citrus × sinensis 'Blood orange')

Tangelo (Citrus × tangelo)

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis)

Zinnias (Zinnia elegans) here, here, here

Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum x grandiflorum)

We welcome Emily Avenson of Fleuropean to the show!  Originally from California, Emily grew into her role as a floral artist and instructor after her move to Belgium, where she lives and works today.  Her arrangements are always exciting, with movement and use of color.  She grows all the flowers used in her on-site classes and online workshop, and the delight she takes in the growing process is visible in each stem. Enjoy! 

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Emily’s Flueropean insta

Fleuropean

Celebrating the Seasons Class

Susanne Hatwood, The Blue Carrot

Sarah Ryhanen, Saipua

Studio Choo  (Garden People’s favorite books: The Flower Recipe Book and Branches and Blooms)

Kings Mums

Chrysanthemums Direct

Dan Pearson: Studio, Create Academy Class (Garden People’s favorite books: Home Ground and Natural Selection)

Madison Hartley, Hart Floral Design

Kristen Albrecht, Santa Cruz Dahlias (Kristen’s Dahlia breeding book)

David Austin Roses

P L A N T  L I S T

Sweet peas Lathyrus odoratus(see here, here, here)

Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus (see here)

Nigella Nigella damascena (see here and here)

Café au lait dahlia (see here and here)

Bearded iris Iris germanica (see everything at Schreiners Iris)

Ranunculus Ranunculus asiaticus (see, e.g., Cafe here and Black here)

Scabiosa Scabiosa japonica, S. caucasica, S. columbaria(see here and here)

Zinnias Zinnia elegans (see here, here, and Blomma Farm for breeding)

Dahlias (see here and here)

Petunias Petunia × atkinsiana Surfinia Group (here, here)

Beech tree Fagus grandifolia

Bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum

Soloman’s seal Polygonatum odoratum(here)

Asters perennial Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (here) and annual Chinese Aster Callistephus chinensis (here)

Chrysanthemums Chrysanthemum spp. (here)

Snowdrops Galanthus nivalis, G. elwesii, G. woronii (here)

Helebores Helleborus orientalis, H. niger (here)

Tulips Tulipa gesneriana (here)

Fritillaries see Fritillaria meleagris, F. persica, F. thunbergii, F. imperialis (here, here)

Daffodils Narcissus (here, here)

Heuchera H. americana, H. sanguinela and x Heuchera (here)

Jowey Joshua Dahlia (here and here)

Akita Dahlia (here)

Pompon Dahlia (here)

Icelandic poppies Papaver nudicaule (here)

Lilies Lilium (here, here)

Oaxacan Green corn (seeds here)

Golden raspberries (find here)

White currants (find here)

Hybrid Tea Roses: created by cross-breeding hybrid perpetuals with tea roses, they are considered the oldest “modern” garden rose (see examples here and here)

Pansies (here and here)

This week we welcome Philippa Stewart, of Justdahlias, located in Cheshire, England.  Philippa’s passion for Dahlias is infectious.  She is an enthusiast first and foremost and turned her personal Dahlia obsession into a thriving business where she provides incredible blooms, both cut and dried, to florists and Dahlia lovers in the UK. Her commitment to supporting the natural ecosystems around her flowers is especially inspiring, producing gorgeous blooms in a way that is best for the bees and butterflies, too. Get ready for a dahlia masterclass.

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@justdahlias

Justdahlias

Flowers from the Farm

Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival

Liquid seaweed (example here)

Epsom salts (example here)

Rosemary, peppermint, marigold essential oil mix (examples products)

Cheshire Wildlife Trust

No dig - a method of soil cultivation designed for minimal disturbance of the soil. See, e.g., Charles Dowding and No-till Flowers

Kristine Albrecht, @santacruzdalias - Book: Dahlia Breeding for the Farmer-Florist and the Home Gardener

Erin Benzakein, @floretflowers - Book: Floret Farms Discovering Dahlias: A Guide to Growing and Arranging Magnificent Blooms

The National Dahlia Society (and the US version: The American Dahlia Society!)

Andrew Vernon Book: Plant Lover’s Guide to Dahlias

Richard, Withypitts Dahlias

David Hall, Halls of Heddon

Dragons Den

Gardener’s World - episodes

P L A N T L I S T

Dinnerplate Dahlias - a term describing any variety that produces large flowers measuring at least 8” across. See, e.g., Café au Lait and Belle of Barmera

Jean Fairs and Pink Gene Fairs

Small cactus varieties

Small mini pompoms

Collarette dahlias: Apple blossom, April Heather, Sunshine Girl

Mini-pompon: Gertla Twilight and Small world

Cornell Bronze

Coral Strand

Stevie D (similar: Peaches n Cream)

Waterlily type, e.g., Gerrie Hoek

Anemone type, e.g., Platinum Blonde

Verone’s obsidian

Josudi Mercury, Andromeda, and Hercules

Barbarry D’amour, Drum, Pip, Vulcun (also: Jester, Sultan)

Ryecroft series

Rossendale series (Luke, Peach, Natasha, Flamenco)

Today we welcome Hannah Brannan of Gather Flora in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Guided by the Slow Flower movement, Hannah created the Gather Flora web platform to connect local florists with regional growers. The site streamlines hundreds of orders between consumers and farmers, allowing for clear visibility into the seasonality, origins, and cultivations of each bloom. Her passion for flowers is the driving force behind the site, and her appreciation of the demands placed on farmers and florists is evident in everything Gather Flora does. Please contact them if you are interested in learning more about this kind of coordination in your region. I can’t wait to see how it grows!

@violetear_studio

@gatherflora

@gardenpeoplepodcast

L I S T E N

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

S H O W N O T E S

@gatherflora

Gatherflora.com

The Flower & the B (now closed) (insta)

Wildflower and Fern (insta)

Sarah Reyes (owner, Wildflower and Fern and Unfurled)

North Bay Flower Collective

San Francisco Flower Mart, manager Jeanne Bose, (read about the SFFM’s relocation)

Kelly Brown, Do Right Flower Farm (the Gather Flora Hub in Santa Cruz, CA)

Susan Kegley, Bees N Blooms Susan Kegley (the Gather Flora Hub in Petaluma, CA)

Seth Gowans, Side Kick Flowers

Sharla Flock, Sharla Flock Designs

Serenity Flower Farm

Heidi Herrmann, Strong Arm Farm

Erin Benzakein, Floret Flowers

Debra Prinzing, Slow Flower Society

Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG)

Code.org

Hack Reactor

Slow Food Movement

Bluma Farm

Pilar Zuniga, Gorgeous and Green

Studio Mondine

Annies Annuals & Perennials

Uprising Seeds (white cloud larkspur)

Eleanor, Borrowed Garden

Feral Flora Farm

Pucks Garden (insta)

Gaby Lee, Lunaria Flower Farm

Front Porch Farm (insta)

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

P L A N T L I S T

Lucospermum (Leucospermum spp.)

Button chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum morifolium)

Coral Amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus)

Caper Flower (Capparis spinosa)

Echium (Echium candicans)

Seaside Buckwheat (Eriogonum latifolium)

California Bush Anenome (Carpenteria californica)

California Lilacs (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus)

Lime Tree (Citrus aurantiifolia)

Bell Tree Dahlia (Dahlia imperialis)

Lunaria, honesty (Lunaria annua)

White Cloud Larkspur (Consolida regalis)

African Foxglove (Ceratotheca triloba)

Mallows (Malva ssp.)

Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)

Thistle (Cirsium ssp.)

Begonia (Begonia ssp.)

Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum ssp.)

Amaranth (Amaranthus ssp.)

Marigolds (Tagetes ssp.)

Statice (Limonium sinuatum)

Poppy pods (Papaver orientale)

Orach (Atriplex hortensis)

Larkspur (Delphinium consolida)

Craspedia, Billy balls (Craspedia globosa)

Xeranthemum (Xeranthemum annuum)

Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)

Elaeagnus (Elaeagnus pungens)

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus ssp.)

Olive tree (Olea europaea)

Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis)

Art: @altavistastudio

We speak with Jane Slattery of @thewildpotager about her garden world in Newcastle in the north of England. Jane shares her pictures and words — poems really — on Instagram. She discusses favorite flowers, the ways she extends her season, planning for the bees, and what the garden has meant to her. She also shares her exciting new project, offering some lovely potager-infused items in her online shop.

Photos: @thewildpotager

Art: @altavistastudio

L I S T E N

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

S H O W N O T E S

@thewildpotager

thewildpotager.com

Chelsea Flower Show

Gardener’s World

P L A N T L I S T

Dahlias

Chamomile

Lavender

Agastache

Hyssop

Woodruff

Pineapple sage

Giant white scabious

Helebores

Coreopsis

Lemon Verbena

Borage

Calendula

Delphinium

Poppy

Nigella

Magnolia

Buddleia

Rosemary

Foxglove

Tulips

Garden writer, lecturer, and designer, Page Dickey, joins us from Connecticut to discuss her gardens past and present, the place where her children could always find her, and what she looks for in a garden.

S H O W N O T E S:

@pagedickey

www.pagedickey.com

Uprooted: A Gardener Reflects on Beginning Again

The Garden Conservancy

Dumbarton Oaks

Louise Beebe Wilder

Beatrix Farrand

May Sarton Journey of a Solitude

Plant Dreaming Deep

Art: @altavistastudio

Welcome to Garden People, hosted by Jill Sowards of Violetear Studio.  Join us each season as we speak with your favorite garden people -- designers, florists, growers, naturalists, chefs, artists and more -- about how gardens have shaped their lives and inform their work today.  With seasonal tips, expert recommendations, and lots and lots of plants.

To learn more, go to our website at violetearstudio.com.  You’ll find episode information, our seasonal journal, class list, and seed offerings. Everything you need to start your own garden story.    

Find us online:

www.violetearstudio.com

@violetear_studio

Artwork: www.katiecorman.com