Podcasts about fergus garrett

Tom Coward is headline speaker at Laois Garden Festival on Sunday 8th June 2025 celebrating the work of legendary Laois native and garden revolutionary William Robinson. What if the current trend for wild-looking, naturalistic gardens isn't just aesthetic preference, but actually a profound reaction to our technology-saturated lives? Tom Coward, head gardener at the world-renowned Gravetye Manor, draws fascinating parallels between William Robinson's revolutionary "wild garden" concept from the 1870s and today's gardening renaissance.With 15 years restoring Robinson's only surviving garden, Coward offers rare insights into balancing historic significance with contemporary needs. "It's been a love affair," he reflects, describing the challenge of reviving neglected infrastructure while honoring Robinson's principles. His approach to the garden's famous flower borders reveals thoughtful compromise—while Robinson insisted on never repeating plant groups, Coward occasionally introduces repetition to guide one-time visitors through the 30-acre landscape.The conversation travels through Gravetye's diverse spaces, from woodland gardens punctuated with 70,000 naturalized daffodils to intensively managed productive areas supplying the hotel's restaurant. Particularly fascinating are Coward's techniques for maximizing seasonal interest, like coppicing flowering cherries after bloom to provide textural contrast, autumn color, and winter structure from a single plant.Having worked at Great Dixter under Fergus Garrett, Coward brings exceptional knowledge to debates around native versus non-native plantings, emphasizing that diversity often supports more wildlife than purist approaches. His observations on climate extremes—longer droughts, heavier downpours, and increasingly powerful winds—highlight practical challenges facing modern gardeners.Discover why Robinson's legacy deserves greater recognition and how his revolutionary ideas continue shaping gardens worldwide. Whether you're creating your own wild garden oasis or simply appreciate horticultural innovation, Coward's expertise offers valuable inspiration for balancing beauty, biodiversity, and practicality in any growing space.Tom's talk at Laois Garden festival is one not to be missed. Other great talks on the day from Colin Jones Salterbridge gardens on growing your own cut flowers and Garden to Fork with your truly John Jones Master My Garden. You can get your tickets here:https://laoisgardenfestival.comSupport the showIf there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know. Email: info@mastermygarden.com Master My Garden Courses: https://mastermygarden.com/courses/Check out Master My Garden on the following channels Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/ Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/ Until next week Happy gardening John

At the Festival of Gardens and Nature in County Laois, David Maxwell chats to actor Dominic West, food writer and broadcaster Nigel Slater and world renowned head gardener at Great Dixter, Fergus Garrett. Ahead of the 40th birthday of Gardeners' Corner, a new daffodil is named for the programme. Internationally recognised breeder, Brian Duncan joins David in studio to reveal how Narcissus ‘Gardeners' Corner' was created over many years in his Omagh garden. At Burtown House in County Kildare, artist Lesley Fennell chats to David about how she freezes precious moments in the garden with her paint brush. Also on the programme, Juliet Sargeant on her new book ‘Start with Soil' and Mary Doris joins David in studio with a selection of top performing plants for summer and some health boosting food made from weeds. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

JACK MCCOY BIOJack McCoy designs residential and commercial landscapes in Knoxville, the Southeast United States, and beyond through his practice, Jack McCoy Garden Design Company. His work reflects a deep understanding of plants, shaped by global experiences in some of the world's most renowned gardens.Jack's horticultural journey began in landscape construction as a teenager, followed by earning an Undergraduate Degree in landscape design and construction from The University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 2012. He furthered his design education at Inchbald School of Design in London, UK, where he received a Postgraduate Garden Design Degree.In 2016, Jack volunteered at Great Dixter, the iconic garden of Christopher Lloyd and then returned as the Christopher Lloyd North American Scholar which is supported by Chanticleer Garden in Pennsylvania to train under head gardener Fergus Garrett. This marked the start of a transformative time at both Great Dixter and Chanticleer where he refined his design skills and plant knowledge.Jack then received a fellowship at The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, managing Israel's rare and endangered plant species. He credits this experience with deepening his understanding of plant ecology and survival. To expand his propagation expertise, Jack worked at Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina, known for its rare and unique perennials.In 2022, Jack returned to Knoxville to focus on garden and landscape design, drawing from his diverse experiences to create gardens that are both beautiful and enduring.You can learn more about Jack on Instagram at @jackmccoygardendesign, where he shares updates on his projects.THE PLANTASTIC PODCASTThe Plantastic Podcast is a monthly podcast created by Dr. Jared Barnes.  He's been gardening since he was five years old and now is an award-winning professor of horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX.  To say hi and find the show notes, visit theplantasticpodcast.com.You can learn more about how Dr. Jared cultivates plants, minds, and life at meristemhorticulture.com.  He also shares thoughts and cutting-edge plant research each week in his newsletter plant•ed, and you can sign up at meristemhorticulture.com/subscribe.  Until next time, #keepgrowing!

In this special programme, Gardeners' Corner celebrates those who have passed on their passion for plants: from the parent with cuttings on the windowsill, to the high profile gardeners who have inspired through writing and broadcasting. David Maxwell hears touching listeners' stories and heads to two gardens that have inspired millions. Firstly, to the garden of the late Christopher Lloyd at Great Dixter where he meets head gardener Fergus Garrett who continues to inspire the next generation of gardeners, and then to Barnsdale which was the home of the late Geoff Hamilton and played host to the BBC Gardeners' World cameras for 17 years. Geoff's son Nick reveals how well his dad's gardens have fared three decades on and how they are still used today to teach and inspire.

In 1993, Christopher Lloyd hired Fergus Garrett as his head gardener and together they turned the traditional 80-year-old rose garden into an exotic tropical area. Christo was amused by the consequent criticism from traditionalists.

Where's the best place to ripen tomatoes? How do I get my cosmos plant to flower? What's the best way to ripen harvested seeds? Kathy Clugston and the GQT panellists have taken a trip to one of the UK's most loved gardens, the breath-taking Great Dixter Gardens in East Sussex, to answer pressing horticultural queries sent in by our listeners. Ready and waiting with tips and tricks are garden designer Juliet Sargeant, expert plantsman Matt Biggs and curator of RHS Wisley, Matthew Pottage. Treating the team to a tour is the estate is head gardener, Fergus Garrett. Producer: Dom Tyerman Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Hannah Newton A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener of Great Dixter launches the series with a discussion of how you can garden for good: how you can use both environmentally sound gardening techniques and have a stunning garden. You don't have to choose one or the other! The Dixter team has created a beautiful oasis of biodiversity with a low carbon footprint. Great Dixter is a garden that not only respects the nature that surrounds it, but, in an unexpected reversal, actually preserves and replenishes plants and insects that have died out in the natural areas of Sussex that surround it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The gardens at Great Dixter are famed across the globe for their exuberance, colour and intimacy. Driven by a sense of adventure and a mission to help others get involved in horticulture, Fergus Garrett has built on the legacy of his friend and mentor, Christopher Lloyd, never allowing Dixter to stand still and delighting thousands of visitors every season.In mid-August 2023, Julia and I were lucky enough to grab half an hour with Fergus to get his tips on late summer colour, discover his desert island plants and understand what he looks for in a plant when choosing what to grow. We cover a lot of ground, and Fergus is as generous with his knowledge as his time. Make sure you listen right to the very end, as there are gems throughout!If you enjoy this episode, be sure to follow us on your favourite podcast platform and leave us a rating and review. We'll be back in September with a brand-new series!https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/https://www.dancoopergarden.com/https://www.parkers-patch.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Entwisle talks to Fergus Garrett, world renown garden designer, about the rewilding of Great Dixter.

In this episode, head gardener Fergus Garrett talks about his fantasy garden, from the borders of Great Dixter, where he has worked since 1992, and the spirit of its creator Christopher Lloyd, to the wild landscapes of Turkey. Fergus picks interesting people and places from all over the world to be a part of his dream space, and talks about who might take on running Dixter after him. Find out why he couldn't live without features such as a hunk of rock, and why he would have to have a magic portal, a meadow and a sneaky cocktail - but would bar the garden gate to snobbery and a no-can-do attitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode sponsored by Genus gardenwear Joff Elphick talks to Barbara Segall about her new book GARDENS of the SOUTH-EAST published by Frances Lincoln. Within its 144 pages are  20 gardens many of which often remain overlooked but all of which display the passion of the owners or gardeners that look after them. It's a fascinating talk with not just the gardens, but many names of people involved in horticulture scattered throughout the episode for one reason or another. Jane perrone, Alys Fowler, Peter Donegan, Rocky Coles, Marcus Harper, Fergus Garrett, Clive Boursnell,Beth Chatto, Christopher LLoyd, Tom Coward,William Robinson, John Brookes,  and Gertrude Jekyll all get a mention. The publisher says: A tour of some of the UK's most beguiling gardens in the counties of Kent, Sussex and Surrey, the counties that exemplify 'the garden of England'. In these three counties a wealth of history and horticulture has combined with geography in the shape of rolling landscapes, wooded valleys and meandering waterways, to provide an attractive and fascinating collection. They are in villages and towns, as well as in deep countryside, and all are privately owned. Some have been in the possession of the same family for many generations, while others have recently been transformed by new owners. Some open for the National Garden Scheme, while others are open privately and in some cases for just the occasional day for charity. The stunning gardens explored in this visually rich guide include: Arundel Castle, Denmans, Gravetye Manor, Munstead Wood and Sussex Prairie Garden. The book also includes a gazetteer of other important gardens in the area with location advice, to enable readers to plan a more elaborate tour of this fertile garden area. Filled with stunning, specially commissioned photographs by Clive Boursnell, Secret Gardens of the South East is a unique guide that opens the gates to the most intriguing gardens in this part of England.

It's been an unusually hot summer for everyone, hallucinating chickens, we all have to look after each other, that's a great big hunk of humanity, life outweighs getting to the next showing on time, getting a little bit chillier in mid to late September, rip up your tomato plants and hang them in the garage, and why would I do that?, get over the guilt of not starting earlier, Forrest is freaking out that the house is becoming less house and more jungle, we need to talk about gardening husbandry, give your partner at little piece of the garden, we're getting some major rain outside, geraniums, citronella geraniums, we're buggy, brilliant, octagon slab garden, lemongrass, oh oh oh, Rose of Sharon, strawberry flower bed, this is me being exactly what not to do, I have no idea what they are, when you take a plant out of the ground you should cut it back a bit, as above so below, I love your enthusiasm and your willingness to experiment, there's always next year, I would keep more notes, Christopher Lloyd, Great Dixter, Fergus Garrett, “once you've got your garden in, most of gardening is editing”, working with nature, name your beds, it's amazing, a busy winter planning everything I want to put in, how did I not know that?, boxwood, as you try something all your intelligence and awareness kicks in, calendar reminders, don't cut perennials anymore, don't dead head roses now, cleaning up garden, onions, carrots, flowerbeds, good bugs & animals need cover, one of the things I did right…, fat ground hog hangs out with the chickens, rotate your crops, bad bugs know here to find your tomatoes if you keep planting them in the same spot, nightshade plants, cold crops, what! That's insane, walls of water, bugs outnumber us 10,000 to 1, you get depressed, Seven, good bugs need to keep alive, ants & peonies, manure and mulch, worms love cardboard, Bob's your uncle, poppies, cornstarch will stop seeds reseeding, I love a mossy crosswalk, best thing about your garden?, crocuses, peas, clematis, wisteria, Chester the dog, you can't beat a list, give your insects a place to hibernate under your flower leaves, winter web research strategies, dream bigger than what you see around you, persicaria, filipendula, now is the time for dreaming, English Garden magazine, give yourself the gift of what's coming next, shredded pork with garlic sauce, love you whole bunches.

Possibly the very first plant that Marianne Wilbur and I drooled over when we first got to Great Dixter for the May Symposium was the Persicaria 'Purple Fantasy' so it is appropriate that Persicaria is our Plant of the Week. Marianne and I chat about our week together with Fergus Garrett and the gang at Great Dixter, and why immersing ourselves into the experience was so good for our gardens and for our souls. I also touch on two other garden enhancements that we learned about that week and they are coppicing and meadows. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/intothegarden/support

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. Garden People podcast, from https://www.instagram.com/violetear_studio/ (@violetear_studio) L I S T E N https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garden-people/id1595934172 (iTunes) https://open.spotify.com/show/7qlYq5yVrLEgfCuZOtrPcn (Spotify) https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/garden-people (Stitcher) S H O W N O T E S https://www.instagram.com/damsonfarm/ (Alison Jenkins), https://www.alisonjenkins.co.uk (Damson Farm) https://www.rhs.org.uk (Royal Horticultural Society) https://www.englishgardeningschool.co.uk (The English Gardening School) at the https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk (Chelsea Physic Garden) https://www.gardensillustrated.com/gardens/country/alison-jenkins-cotswold-garden-sustainable/ (Gardens Illustrated profile of Damson Farm) http://wwoofinternational.org (WWOOF International) https://www.instagram.com/fergusmustafasabrigarrett/ (Fergus Garrett), https://www.greatdixter.co.uk (Great Dixter House & Garden) https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/32424/robert-macfarlane.html (Robert McFarlane) (some of my favorites arehttps://amzn.to/3tpWy5x ( The Lost Words) and https://amzn.to/3HC8w11 (Underland)) https://amzn.to/3syl1Gx (Braiding Sweetgrass) – https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com (Robin Wall Kimmerer) https://www.permaculturenews.org/what-is-permaculture/ (Permaculture) https://orfc.org.uk (Oxford Real Farming Conference) Amelanchier essay by Robin Wald Kimmerer: https://emergencemagazine.org/essay/the-serviceberry/ (The Serviceberry, An Economy of Abundance) https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/hsl (Heritage Seed Library) P L A N T L I S T Lemon cucumbers or cucumber melons? Amalanchier Damson https://www.thespruce.com/growing-dog-roses-rosa-canina-5097564 (Dog Rose), Rosa canina https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/wild-plum/ (Wild Plum), Prunus Americana https://www.gardensillustrated.com/plants/trees/the-best-crab-apple-trees-for-colour-and-form/ (Crab Apples) Malus https://www.burpee.com/fruit/currant/ (Currants) (black currant, Ribes nigrum; red currant, Ribes rubrum) https://futureforests.ie/products/worcesterberry (Worcesterberry) Ribes divaricatum Edible honey suckle Lonicera caerulea Perennial Sorrel Rumex acetosa Alpine strawberries Fragaria vesca https://www.johnnyseeds.com/flowers/atriplex/red-plume-atriplex-seed-3702.11.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAyPyQBhB6EiwAFUuakklNPXCp9m-2iU881QQfJxnMjNFzcCXxEiijiO4Av8WxYzIsqeNPjhoC1rwQAvD_BwE (Purple orach/atriplex)

Fergus Garrett trained in horticulture at Wye College, London University. He worked in Kent for Rosemary Alexander of the English Gardening School, for Beth Chatto at the Unusual Plants Nursery in Essex and then for the Sackler family at Cap d'Antibes and Gstaad. In 1992 he became head gardener at Great Dixter, working closely with Christopher Lloyd until Christopher's death in 2006. Since then he has become Chief Executive of the Great Dixter Charitable Trust. Fergus works full-time, hands-on in the garden, as well as writing and lecturing extensively across the world. Here is the link to the Great Dixter Biodiversity audit-https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/house-and-estate/biodiversity/biodiversity-audit/

How do you create a wildlife garden? Fergus Garrett takes me on a walk around Great Dixter, where we discuss the habitats he and his team have created to help wild species.As we walk around the gardens he points out various habitats that work for different species, including the pond in the Barn Garden where great crested live, the wonderful meadows home to rare orchids and even rarer long-horned bees, and the giant piles of garden waste that serve as nesting and hibernation habitats for all sorts of species, from birds to hedgehogs to snakes.We discuss the trials and tribulations of wildlife gardening, what it means as a wildlife gardener to open your garden to the public, and how we can all take a piece of Great Dixter home with us, and recreate these habitats in our own spaces. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Peter speaks to Fergus Garrett head gardener at Great Dixter. We get some insight into some of the problems suffered by gardens during this pandemic and how they’re coping. Fergus also gives tips on how prospective gardeners might get started. Elsewhere Peter gives us the news and some suggestions for plants to try. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Over the past four or so years, experts from many fields have come together to record the biodiversity at Great Dixter and the results have been fascinating. Fergus shares some of the results of this biodiversity audit and talks about how important it is to establish a coherent network of habitats in both public and private spaces across the UK.  About Fergus Garrett: Fergus trained in horticulture at Wye College. He worked for Rosemary Alexander and for Beth Chatto before becoming Head Gardener at Great Dixter in 1992. Fergus worked closely with Christopher Lloyd until Christopher’s death in 2006. Since then he has become Chief Executive of the Great Dixter Charitable Trust. Fergus continues to work full-time in the garden alongside a dynamic team of gardeners and students. He also writes for many publications and lectures extensively across the world. In 2019, he was awarded the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour.  What we talk about: The decision to commission the Biodiversity Audit of Great Dixter The findings of the audit Biodiversity hotspots  How the ornamental areas compare to wilder areas such as the meadows and woodland Thoughts about how the research that’s underway at Great Dixter can be developed and how it can beneficially inform the way we all garden The importance of preserving historic houses and gardens from a biodiversity perspective Links: Great Dixter House & Gardens www.greatdixter.co.uk Great Dixter Biodiversity Report Get in touch: Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod Patreon Link: Help me keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall     

Today we celebrate the German botanist who’s 1542 book is one of the most historically significant works of all time and the birthday of a man who discovered the rutabaga. We'll learn about the man known as “The Father of English Botany” and the man known as the “Father of American Horticulture.” Today’s Unearthed Words celebrate the sleeping winter landscape. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us create a spa experience in our own homes using herbs from the garden. I'll talk about a garden item that can turn your plants into wall art, and then we’ll wrap things up with the story of a man who came up with the idea for a magazine for gardeners who read and readers who garden. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   Curated Articles Great Dixter's Head Gardner, Fergus Garrett, On Conifers | House & Garden Great post from @_houseandgarden about "Why the Conifer is Having a Comeback." "Conifers do not have to be plonked in island beds with gaudy heathers, or peppered around Seventies-style rockeries like missiles... Their range is mouth-watering, adding form and texture with a twist."   Best Plants To Paint For Beginners | Kew Pick up your brushes - Here's Kew’s list of the best plants to paint for beginners | @kewgardens   Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in The Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There’s no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events 1501 Today is the birthday of the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs. Leonard and his wife had ten children. The genus Fuchsia is named after Fuchs. Leonhart published the first drawing of a corn plant. He also drew one of the first illustrations of the pumpkin plant. It took Leonard 31 years to write his herbal masterpiece called Historia Stirpium. In the book, he describes 497 plants and 500 illustrations. In 1542, the book was published, and the medicinal uses for each plant were included in the descriptions. His goal was to make the knowledge of herbs accessible to the people. The fact that his book contained so many illustrations definitely helped him achieve his goal. Leonard’s book described over a hundred plants that had never been written about - like Pumpkins, Chili Peppers, Corn, and Squash. Leonard's Historia Stirpium is regarded as one of the most historically valuable and significant books of all time. Now, I wanted to share that the cover of the book - which is beautiful - was a bit of a mystery to me. It shows a tree with a coffin in its branches. It turns out it was a printer mark of the printer, Michael Isingrin, who was the printer of Historia Stirpium. The image of the coffin in a tree forms a Christian cross, and the tree holding the coffin was a holly tree. The inscription "Palma Ising" (i.e., by the hand of Isingrin) is the mark that identifies Michael Isingrin, the printer. " The depiction of a holly tree (Ilex spp. ) was deliberate. Holly is a symbol of eternal life. So essentially, the image represents life and death - the coffin in the tree. Incidentally, the holly tree is regarded as the evergreen twin of the oak.   1560 Today is the 460th birthday of the Swiss botanist Gaspard Bauhin. Gaspard spent his life classifying plants, and he ordered plants in a way that's familiar to us today - using binomial names, one name for the genus, and one name for the species. Gaspard was also the first to document a vegetable he named the napobrassica, the vegetable we know today as the rutabaga. Gaspard’s name for the rutabaga was prophetic because DNA testing has proven that the rutabaga is the result of a turnip crossing with a cabbage. Gaspard mentioned in his work that the rutabaga was grown in the northern fields of Bohemia, where the people simply called it “root.” Can you survive on rutabaga’s or Swedish turnips, as they are sometimes called? Yes. Yes, you can. Rutabagas can grow to be as big or bigger than a bowling ball. Almost a year ago, Helen Rosner wrote an article called, “What Rutabaga Does Better Than Anything Else.” It turns out; the rutagaba is perfect for making neutral-tasting, nicely-textured vegetable noodles. Use turnips and the noodles are too spicy. Use zucchini, and the noodles are meh. Use carrots, the noodles are too sweet. But, rutabaga noodles are just right. Rosner’s favorite restaurant in Brooklyn makes rutabaga noodles using a Japanese slicer resulting in perfect paper ribbons of rutabaga. If you look at the finished dish, you’d never know they weren’t real pasta. Gaspard wrote, “Pinax Theatri Botanici” (“An Illustrated Exposition of Plants”). In his book, he described thousands of plants, and he classified them using binomial nomenclature. Naturally, his work is considered a forerunner to that of Carl Linnaeus.   1705 Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist and theologian John Ray. Ray is regarded as the most distinguished British naturalist of the seventeenth century and “The Father of English Botany.” Ray was born to a blacksmith, and his mother was an herbalist. He was ordained as a minister but then turned his attention to zoology and botany after the King of England ordered the clergy to condemn their covenant with the church. In 1650, twenty-five years before the first maps of Europe were written for the masses; Ray went on a quest. He traveled around Europe for three years - with two friends - and he observed flora and fauna. Ray coined the botanical terms ‘petal’ and ‘pollen.’ His book, Historia Plantarum, was the first textbook of modern botany. The naturalist Gilbert White wrote, ”Our countryman, the excellent Mr. Ray, is the only describer [of plants and animals] who conveys some precise idea in every term or word, maintaining his superiority over his followers and imitators.” The sculptor, Faith Winter, created a distinguished-looking statue of John Ray. It was unveiled by the botanist David Bellamy on October 11, 1986.   1890 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Scottish-American plantsman Peter Henderson. Known as “The Father of America Horticulture,” he published "Gardening for Profit" in 1866, followed by "Gardening for Pleasure." "Gardening for Profit" was the first to book ever written about market gardening in the United States. When Peter arrived in the US, he worked for a time for the nurserymen George Thorburn and Robert Buist. After years of refining his growing systems and practices, he established his seed company on his 49th birthday. Peter ran the company - alongside his two sons, Alfred and Charles. In Peter’s biography written by his son, Alfred, it said: “His long experience as a market gardener probably made him realize more than most seedsmen, the necessity of testing seeds before offering them for sale, but whatever the cause, the fact remains, that he was the first in this country to initiate the true and natural way of proving the vitality of seeds—that is, by sowing them in the soil, the seedman's usual plan being to germinate them in moist cotton or flannel—nearly always a misleading method.” Peter lived nearly his whole life in Jersey City. He began of friendship with Andrew Carnegie after reading his book called Triumphant Democracy. He also became friends with the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher; they shared a giddy love for flowers. Mr. William R. Smith, the superintendent of the Botanic Gardens at Washington,  paid Peter the highest possible tribute in calling him "The Great Horticultural Missionary."   Unearthed Words Here are some poems that use a sleeping metaphor to describe the Landscape in Winter.   The hiss was now becoming a roar -  the whole world was a vast moving screen of snow -  but even now it said peace, it said remoteness,  it said cold,  it said sleep. — Conrad Aiken, American Writer   I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields,  that it kisses them so gently?  And then it covers them up snug,  you know, with a white quilt;  and perhaps it says “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.” — Lewis Carroll, English Writer   The cold earth slept below; Above the cold sky shone; And all around, With a chilling sound, From caves of ice and fields of snow The breath of night like death did flow Beneath the sinking moon. — The moon made thy lips pale, beloved; The wind made thy bosom chill; The night did shed On thy dear head Its frozen dew, and thou didst lie Where the bitter breath of the naked sky Might visit thee at will. — Percy Bysshe Shelley, English Romantic Poet, The cold earth slept below   When against earth a wooden heel Clicks as loud as stone on steel, When stone turns flour instead of flakes, And frost bakes clay as fire bakes, When the hard-bitten fields at last Crack like iron flawed in the cast, When the world is wicked and cross and old, I long to be quit of the cruel cold. Little birds like bubbles of glass Fly to other Americas, Birds as bright as sparkles of wine Fly in the nite to the Argentine, Birds of azure and flame-birds go To the tropical Gulf of Mexico: They chase the sun; they follow the heat, It is sweet in their bones, O sweet, sweet, sweet! It's not with them that I'd love to be, But under the roots of the balsam tree. Just as the spiniest chestnut-burr Is lined within with the finest fur, So the stoney-walled, snow-roofed house Of every squirrel and mole and mouse Is lined with thistledown, sea-gull's feather, Velvet mullein-leaf heaped together With balsam and juniper, dry and curled, Sweeter than anything else in the world. O what a warm and darksome nest Where the wildest things are hidden to rest! It's there that I'd love to lie and sleep, Soft, soft, soft, and deep, deep, deep! — Elinor Wylie, American Poet, Winter Sleep   Grow That Garden Library The Herb Lover's Spa Book by Sue Goetz This book came out in 2015, and the subtitle to this book is: Create a Luxury Spa Experience at Home with Fragrant Herbs from Your Garden. Sue shows us how easy it is to grow and prepare therapeutic herbs for a custom spa experience in the comfort of your own home. It will help you unplug, relax, and make the world go away. Sue was the perfect author for this book - an herb gardener, spa enthusiast, and award-winning garden designer - she gives simple steps for growing and preparing herbs for aromatherapy oils, lotions, tub teas, masks, scrubs, sachets, and more. You can get a used copy of The Herb Lover's Spa Book by Sue Goetz and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $3. Great deal!   Great Gifts for Gardeners Pack of 6 Glass Planters Wall Hanging Planters Round Glass Plant Pots $22.99 I had a friend who had these little glass globe planters on her walls, and she filled them all with succulents, and over the holidays, she added mini led lights with the warm color, and they are battery-operated, and it looked so great. She hung hers with screws. I’m planning to use my favorite moldable glue product -Sugru - to hang mine. Anyway, they look very cool on the wall with air plants or with pathos or what have you. It ends up looking like plant art for your walls. Perfect anywhere - mine will be going in the guest bathroom. The package includes six glass hanging planters with six nails. Size: 4.7-inch diameter for each glass ball air plant pot. The hole on the back of the glass planter allows you to hang it on the wall with the small white nail without doing any harm on your wall. The wall hanging planter is a perfect container for your air plants, water plants, and any other plant accessories.   Today’s Botanic Spark 1989 David Wheeler's gardening journal, Hortus, was started. Adrian Higgins wrote about David’s founding of Hortus in the Washington Post eight years ago saying: “A curious throwback to the analog age landed in my mailbox the other day: Hortus, a journal of garden writing. Almost everything about the quarterly periodical is wonderfully old-fashioned: It produces tactile and aesthetic pleasures once taken for granted ... Flop in a soft chair, thumb the pages and ponder that Hortus doesn’t exist in some electronic ether ... David Wheeler started Hortus 31 years ago, and he has a motto that Hortus “is for gardeners who read and readers who garden.” Thirty-one years later, the subscription list continues to stay modest. Subscriptions are about $75 a year, which includes airmail postage. Wheeler also writes for newspapers and other periodicals to supplement his income. He tells his friends that Hortus “pays for the tonic, but not the gin.” FYI: I just bought a subscription myself — Merry Christmas to me.

In this week's gardening programme, presenter David Maxwell tours the transformed gardens at Hillsborough Castle ahead of the public opening. The new garden manager Claire Woods and her predecessor Stephen Martelli show David the restored four-acre walled garden and the lost garden. Averil Milligan also joins David for the tour providing practical gardening tips on route. Also in the programme, David catches up with Fergus Garrett, head gardener at the world renowned Great Dixter.

As 2018 draws to a close, here's a look back at some of our favourite moments of the year. From the energy and dynamism of the Chelsea Flower Show, interviews with luminaries of the gardening world such as Fergus Garrett and Beth Chatto, to an exploration of the tranquil streamside plantings at Harlow Carr, join us on a leisurely stroll through the audio annals of 2018 - a year in gardening. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast

Chris talks to Fergus Garrett, head gardener at Great Dixter, about the incredible diversity of life that calls this world-famous garden home. The garden, created by the late plantsman and writer Christopher Lloyd (known affectionately as 'Christo') is well known as a treasure-trove of plants, but it has only recently become apparent that it's also fantastically rich in biodiversity. Meanwhile at Wisley, horticulturist and garden manager Emma Allen shares her favourite summer-flowering trees and offers advice on how to plant them now that the main tree planting season is fast approaching. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/thegardenpodcast

Great Dixter was the home of the late, great gardener Christopher Lloyd. Today under the guidance of head gardener Fergus Garrett it remains one of our finest gardens, renowned for its exciting and exemplary planting.

The Gardens Illustrated Talk 2014, held on the Tuesday of Chelsea Flower Show week, brought together Great Dixter’s head gardener Fergus Garrett and garden and landscape designer Dan Pearson – both internationally admired gardening greats. They were led by Anna Pavord in a conversion that revealed their gardening passions and inspirations.

The Gardens Illustrated Talk 2013, held during Chelsea Flower Show week, saw renowned Dutch plantsman Piet Oudolf and award-winning garden designer Jinny Blom chat about their work and give insights into how they approach planting and design.

Celebrating the life of the late Christopher Lloyd and the garden at Great Dixter. Fergus gardened alongside Christo for 20 years as his head gardener, while Anna was one of his many friends and a regular visitor to Great Dixter. The two recall an entertaining selection of anecdotes about the great man.

Fergus Garrett, head gardener at Great Dixter in Sussex talks about the dahlia trials at Wisley and comments on some of the findings and his favourites.

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.