Podcasts about Kew Gardens

Sal Demain has her dream job and in this Offshoot episode she shares why she loves it so much.Working as the Supervisor of the Arboretum Nursery at Kew Gardens, she has many plants to look after though she does have her favourites!Her curiosity about how plants spread goes back to childhood. And she would love everyone to have a go at propagating. Just: "don't come after my job".In this episode we learn about the tree gang who go out collecting seeds and the landscape succession plan for trees we might be growing in the UK in 50 to 90 years time. And we learn the definition of 'naturally sourced material.' Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyEvery month I will make a plant story but stories often lead to more stories and I end up publishing Offshoot episodes. So if you 'Follow' the podcast on your podcast app you will never miss an episode.It also makes a real difference if you can spare the time to rate and/or review an episode after you have listened. Spotify and Apple look at these ratings and it helps to get the podcast promoted to other plant lovers. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

You might look at everyday items in a different light after this episode, as we hear best-selling author and Woodland Trust ambassador, Jonathan Drori CBE, reveal some of the fascinating things we make with plants. From the well-known coffee bean to the tree bark that's used in spacecraft, he shares some of the amazing relationships between familiar objects and the natural world as we meet beneath a beautiful beech tree on Parliament Hill in London.  These stories and more feature in Jonathan's latest book, The Stuff That Stuff Is Made Of, which aims to spark an interest in nature for younger readers. He explains how discovering the wonder of nature in a fun, exciting way as a child can inspire a lifelong connection, just as it did for him. We also discover why fruit is sweet, the value of the mandrake plant, how beech is thought to resist lightning and more. Don't forget to rate us and subscribe! Learn more about the Woodland Trust at woodlandtrust.org.uk Transcript You are listening to Woodland Walks, a podcast for the Woodland Trust, presented by Adam Shaw. We protect and plant trees for people to enjoy, to fight climate change and to help wildlife thrive.  Adam: Jonathan Drori CBE, is a man of many talents. He's a trustee of the Eden Project and of Kew Gardens, a member of the Royal Institution, a man who used to be a senior commissioning editor at the BBC, and he's also an ambassador for the Woodland Trust and a best-selling author of books such as Around the World in 80 Trees and his latest, The Stuff That Stuff Is Made Of, a book for younger people about the plants in their lives and the things they make which are all around them. And whereas these podcasts often take me on long journeys, this time, well, it's just a hop, skip and a jump away in London at Parliament Hill, where we met to talk about his book and the things we didn't know about the stuff around us all. Right, we are... it's a bit windy right here. It actually sounds windier than it is, but we are in Parliament Hill, or thereabouts, with Jonathan Drori, who has written the stuff that stuff is made of, and is also a big noise, essentially, in the Woodland Trust itself, of which we can talk lots about. But we're standing by a beech tree. So, Jonathan, why did you write this book?  Jonathan: I wanted to do something that would make kids kind of interested in the natural environment. Starting with the things they're interested in, which are kind of ice cream and chocolate and sport and dinosaurs and all that kind of thing. And use their own interests to sort of spark other interests in nature, in trees and plants, and also actually in history and folklore and culture, which are all sort of bound up with those things. One of the things I've tried to do with the book is to explain things from the plant's point of view as well as from a human point of view. So there are all these qualities that we desire plants for, whether that's sort of sweet things to eat or things to build with or things to make musical instruments out of. And they're all in the book and that's fine. But I've also tried to explain, you know, why has bamboo evolved in the way that it has? And why has a beech tree evolved the way it has? Why does chocolate have sweet mush around the seeds? You know, why do the grasses feed us? Why is sugar cane sweet? And why do we love it?  Adam: And so through this book, you're trying to attempt to do that by explaining stuff like tea and chocolate, indeed, where it comes from.  Jonathan: Yeah, I mean, there are 30 different species that I deal with in the book. And on the right-hand side of the page, there's a whole lot of information about the way that the plant grows, how it's cultivated, the relationships that it has with other plants, with the little critters that might pollinate it or disperse the seeds. And on the left-hand side, there's a whole lot of stories about the plant, all kinds of kind of fascinating facts and really about the human relationships with that plant.  Adam: Do you think we have lost that connection with the plants around us. So that this sort of stuff might have been really obvious a few generations ago or not.  Jonathan: *laughs* A leading question, m'lud! Yes, I mean, you know, with urban living and things being in packets at the supermarket, you know, we perhaps don't think very much about where the basic materials for our existence come from, whether it's things we eat or things we build with or things that we just sort of like looking at and playing with.  Adam: Is it important to know those connections? I mean, you as someone who likes nature, I can understand why you might feel that's important. But is it important for us all to rebuild that connection?  Jonathan: I think that my love and interest in nature came from my parents, actually, at the time, dragging me around Kew Gardens and Richmond Park and telling me stories about the trees and plants that were growing there. And they did that in such a way that I would be interested because they knew who I was and so they found the things that would sort of excite me. And I think I want to do the same for young people so that they grow up with a kind of interest and admiration and some sort of understanding of nature. But you can't sort of ram it down people's throats. It needs to be fun.  Adam: Yeah. But why is that important? I understand that's what you want to do, but why is it important?  Jonathan: Well, we've only got one planet. And if we don't look after it, then, you know, our lives and livelihoods are doomed. So that's the sort of very basic reason. And also we are part of nature, so just, not having an understanding or rejecting nature is kind of rejecting part of ourselves, I think.  Adam: So it's a soft environmental message here. And that's also seems to me important because, well, from my perspective anyway, it feels like a lot of environmental charities and environmentally minded people push a sort of narrative, the world could end, it's all a disaster. And actually, I worry that, although it's well-meaning, it might turn people off. Now that isn't what you're doing with this.  Jonathan: No, there's none of that in the book, none of it at all. What I've tried to do is to excite people about the stories of pollination, of the little critters that live in and around plants, the relationships that the plants have with other plants and so on in the environment, and make that sort of exciting and fun and interesting enough that people will just say, say to themselves, that's kind of something that's worth protecting. Maybe they won't think that for 10 or 15 years.  Adam: There's lots of interesting stories here. I think the one that really struck me, I think, was about vanilla. So vanilla, obviously, people use it in cooking, they might use essence of it or whatever. But am I right in saying, you think it's in the book, you actually go, there was a boy, and you name this boy... oh sorry is that a bird I can hear? *laughs* sorry!  Jonathan: It's the parakeets.  Adam: Oh it's the parakeets, I thought there was a squeaky wheel behind me! No no. All right, parakeets in the background. A named boy who taught the world how to pollinate vanilla. Tell me that story.  Jonathan: Yes, it was an amazing story actually about vanilla that in about the sort of 1840s, when they brought vanilla plants over from Mexico where they were native, to Africa where they wanted the plantations to grow and the little bee that pollinates vanilla didn't really travel. And so they had to find something else that would pollinate the vanilla plants so that the vanilla plants would propagate and grow. And sadly, they couldn't find any insect that would do that. No local insects would do this in Africa or outside Mexico. So all the vanilla plants had to be pollinated by hand. And it was a 12-year-old boy, Edmond Albius, who worked out how to do this. And by basically sort of cutting a bit of membrane and then squidging the two bits together and right to this present day, that's the way that vanilla is pollinated, by hand. And that's why it's so expensive.  Adam: It's amazing, isn't it? Apart from the vanilla story, do any others stand out in your mind? Is there ones your favourites?  Jonathan: Oh, it's like asking your favourite children, isn't it? I mean, there are all sorts of things in there that I notice when I talk to young people, to sort of eight, nine-year-olds, they sort of come alive. Those who've read the Hogwarts stories and Harry Potter, they're amazed to discover that mandrake is actually a real plant. And of course, mandrake used to be very, very valuable because it was one of the very few plants that could be used as an anaesthetic. And people used to, back in the Roman days, they used to mix it with wine and then sort of do minor operations and things. Don't try this at home! It's actually a real plant. It grows somewhat, I've seen this in this country, but it grows in Italy quite well and it has these rather sort of mind-altering attributes to it, which are a bit odd.  Adam: So it might be used by people who want that sort of druggy effect, but does it have any other purpose?  Jonathan: Well, not now, but it was an anaesthetic, and anaesthetics were so sort of unlikely, you know, if you think about it, you take something and it makes the pain go away, that people associated the plant with witchcraft, especially as it gave you the impression of flying. And so a plant that could alter your outlook and the way that you see the world so profoundly, and the way you perceive it so profoundly, was associated with witchcraft. And people made all sorts of stories about the mandrakes that they, that when you pulled it out of the ground, they said, that you could hear it scream because sometimes the roots look a bit like a person, especially with a bit of judicious whittling. And so people would say you've got to get a dog, tie the dog to the mandrake root and then kick the dog or throw it some food and it pulls it out. And the scream, they said, of a mandrake root could make you, could kill you.  Adam: And weren't they doing that to stop people, scaring people away from getting their valuable mandrake?  Jonathan: That's right. It was such a valuable plant that the ideal thing to do would be to put these superstitions around, these notions around, so people wouldn't pull them out, because it's very valuable.  Adam: Hippy dragon sort of thing. Well, look, we are here in London, a park in London, a beautiful park. But you've taken me to one of the few trees that actually appears in the book, because so many of the, well, I think almost all the trees really, you wouldn't find in the UK, is that right?  Jonathan: Well, you can certainly find eucalyptus. You can, you know, it's not a native, but you can find them here. And any other trees that are in there, you'd certainly find in botanic gardens. And there are fir trees, Christmas trees in there as well. But here we are by a lovely, lovely beech. And I mean, there are lots of reasons I love beech trees. In the book, one of the reasons that it's in there is because beech wood is made for, is used for veneer and it's used for making furniture and so on in a sustainable way, so it's a very pleasing wood.  Adam: And why is it good for furniture then?  Jonathan: It's stable, it doesn't shrink too much.   Adam: Is it bendable, is it one of those trees that you can...  Jonathan: Yeah and you can sort of use steam to bend it into the shapes that you want. And there are these fantastic machines that make veneer by sort of peeling off a kind of onion ring, rotating the trunk and then sort of peeling off the wood underneath to make veneer. As I say, using sustainable beech forests. But one of the things that I love about the beech is the link with superstition because in Germany, and actually in quite a few countries in Europe, there's this saying that lightning never strikes a beech tree. And in actual fact, lightning strikes beech trees just as often as any other trees that are of similar height. But beech trees seem to survive. And the reason they survive is because of this wonderfully smooth bark. The bark continually renews itself, unlike other trees. And so you've got a layer that is sloughing off all the time and leaving this very smooth bark. And that smoothness means that during wet weather, during a storm, the outside of the tree has a continuous film of water on it. It's wet all the way and that can act as a lightning conductor, whereas the craggy old oak, that has dry bits in it and so the electricity from a lightning strike is diverted through the middle of the tree and would blow it asunder. So the beech tree can survive.  Adam: Fantastic. Talking about the bark on the tree, one of the other things I spotted in your book was, I think it's cork trees and how the bark of that is special in the way we use it, but also in the way that the tree regenerates, just explain a bit about that.  Jonathan: Yes, I mean, most trees, if you sort of cut a whole ring around the tree, it'll die. But cork actually regenerates itself. So you can harvest the cork every 10, 12 years or so. And cork forests in the Iberian Peninsula, in Portugal and in Spain have a fantastic sort of ecosystem around them. The lynx and wild eagles and all sorts of wonderful things that live in and around. And also pigs go rooting for the for the acorns. And that ecosystem is a very important one. And it depends on us all using cork. So don't use plastic cork.  Adam: Right. Oh, I was going to say, unfortunately, a lot of wines now have plastic.  Jonathan: Try and go to the ones which are made out of proper traditional cork. And you're doing the planet a service by doing that. Another interesting thing about cork is that it's a fantastic insulator and it's actually used in the nose cones of spacecraft.  Adam: So why? That is, I did read that and that was extraordinary that something as advanced as a spacecraft would be using cork. It seems unbelievable.  Jonathan: Well, you know, millions of years of evolution have given the cork oak this way of resisting fire. So it's got tiny, tiny air pockets, minuscule microscopic air pockets in a non-flammable kind of medium. And that is an amazing insulator. And it's light, it chars on the outside and then flames just can't get through.  Adam: And it's soundproofing isn't it?  Jonathan: Yes, it's used in recording studios.  Adam: Yes. Well, when I was 17, I took a fancy to corking my whole bedroom in cork tiles, which looked terrible to be honest *laughs*. It took my father years to pry it off the wall again.   Jonathan: Was that in the seventies perhaps?  Adam: Yes exactly. It was trendy then for a short period.  Jonathan: Roman women used to wear cork-soled sandals, which you can still get, but so they didn't sort of walk in the poo and whatnot. But they're very good, very light, very insulating.  Adam: One of the ones I suppose we should talk about, interesting, is cotton, because it has an interesting background, a natural background, but also one, of course, deeply connected with slavery and everything.  Jonathan: So, you know, it was used in... South America among the Aztecs and so on to make armour actually. They made very, very thick cotton twill that they used as armour. And then it became fabulously valuable in the sort of 17th, 18th century especially, as a textile for our clothing. And unfortunately, as you say, it's got this link with slavery along with sugarcane and tobacco, these were the big crops that people grew, slave owners grew, in the Caribbean and in the southern states of North America, and then made the finished products in Britain that were then sold all over the world.  Adam: And I mean, you have some nice, lovely illustrations here of actually the cotton on the plant and it's a puffball. It doesn't look real, actually.   Jonathan: It's bonkers! It's an absolutely bonkers plant.   Adam: Yes but didn't people, when they first saw it, thought they were actually little sheep or something?  Jonathan: Yes *laughs* Well, the writers of the time, you know, they were all sort of knew that they would get a big audience if they made up some stuff so I'm not sure whether they really believed it. But certainly there was a textbook of the, I think it was the 17th century or early or late 16th century, where they sort of wrote, had diagrams of, because they thought it must be some kind of wool, they had diagrams showing little tiny sheep at the end of twigs on the plant *laughs* which supposedly would, you know, sort of the twigs would reach the ground in the evening and then the little sheep would, I don't know, wander off or something.   Adam: No one actually ever believed this, you're saying?   Jonathan: Well, I mean, no, well, I think it was created as a spin, but I think a lot of people did believe it, actually, in the same way that they believed in sea monsters and all those sort of naval stories that were brought back. And it was a very, yes, people believed all sorts of kind of nonsense and about where cotton came from. But the plant itself is very real and quite an odd one because you have these lovely sort of pale creamy flowers. It's sort of quite big, the size of a walnut kind of thing, you know. And then you get the seed pod which is absolutely bursting with all the fibre inside and the fibre's there to help the seeds carry on the wind. That's what the plant wants it for. But these burst open with this sort of great wodge of, I suppose, it looks like cotton wool. And it pretty much is cotton wool. And then the seeds are removed in a process called ginning. And the fibre that's left is then spun into thread.  Adam: Amazing story. The last one I suppose I really want to talk about is something you started with saying, you know, engaging younger people in things they know like chocolate. Chocolate doesn't come from Tesco or Sainsbury's, it comes from the cacao plant. Now, tell me a bit about that, but specifically what surprised me, if I remember this correctly, you said the chocolate we know was invented in England, is that right?  Jonathan: Well, the chocolate bar was invented by Fry back in the middle of the 19th century. And before that, people would have chocolate drinks, which were quite popular, especially at the time when coffee houses were very sort of blokey places.  Adam: This is about the 1800s, is it?   Jonathan: Yeah. Coffee houses were places where, you know, men would go.  Adam: Yeah, they were they were risky places, they were sort of like pubs almost, you know, like...  Jonathan: Yes, whereas families and women would go to chocolate houses. And some of those chocolate houses then became, you know, well-known clubs in London around Pall Mall and so on. They, but chocolate originally from Central America was a drink that would be taken quite bitter, mixed with maize, very, very nourishing, and was sometimes coloured with red dye, sort of symbolizing blood. And it was part of kind of rituals that they had where they, some of them were quite unpleasant rituals actually and then when it came, when chocolate came through the Spanish to Europe in the sort of 16th century, people immediately started adding sugar and milk and things to it, made it a lot more palatable.  Adam: Right. So it wasn't just the chocolate bar, so we really made it into the sweet drink that everyone knows. Maybe not England, but Europe.  Jonathan: Yes, and the and the chocolate bar was, that started in Britain. That was a British thing, with Fry and I think you can still get Frys chocolate?  Adam: Yeah, I was going to say, I do see it every now and then. It's not as popular as Cadbury's and all the others, but one does still see it.  Jonathan: You know, if you think about it from the plant's point of view, the reason that it's got this amazing fruit, which is about the size of a junior rugby ball, that grows very peculiarly on the stem of the plant, on the tree trunk, the reason it's got this amazing fruit is so that it can find something to be attracted to it that will disperse the seeds. That's why fruit is sweet. And the original thing that dispersed these fruit were probably sort of large, large mammals, which may not be around anymore. But the fruit is, the seeds are in this sort of sweet mush inside the cocoa pod. But your sort of big mammal would come along and gulp the whole thing down because it's lovely and sweet and then poo out the seeds somewhere else or spit them out because the seeds themselves are very bitter. And with coffee and chocolate and quite a few other things like apples even, the seeds are very bitter but the actual fruit is lovely and sweet. And the reason for that is so that something gobbles it but doesn't chew up the seeds. And then those get either spat out or pooed out together with a bit of fertiliser.  Adam: Right, amazing. And also, I mean, we've talked a bit about the social aspects of a lot of these plants. Chocolate itself had a huge social impact, wasn't it? It was seen as sort of an alternative, wasn't it, to alcohol and sort of bringing people into the fold of the righteous living and away from terrible drinks.  Jonathan: Yes, yeah, and it's a much gentler drink than coffee, which would have been quite a strong stimulant. Chocolate also has stimulants in it, but it's a bit more gentle. Yeah.  Adam: So it's an interesting book. I know this is part of something very important in your life about reconnecting with nature and spreading that message. Are you optimistic that things are looking up in that way, that people are engaging more?  Jonathan: I think, you know, I could make an argument for being pessimistic or optimistic, depending on the day, actually. But I do notice that young people have a kind of care for the environment that seems to be growing. And I think that's for obvious reasons, that they see it as their future. I'd say, essentially, I'm an optimist. And when you see plants growing and think about, the fact that they've been growing for zillions of years and will be growing for zillions of years, that is a sort of kind of optimistic thing. I think that young people are much more caring of the environment and sort of interested or I would say open to being interested. So if you kind of open their eyes to things, they're genuinely keen to know more and to do something. So all these schools projects that there are, all these things that the Woodland Trust actually does with schools are very, very valuable because I think with a lot of young people it just needs a little bit of a nudge and they're quite willing to go in a good direction.  Adam: That's a great note to end on and we've, I was worried this morning it looked like it would pour down but we've been spared that. So Jon, thank you very much.  Jonathan: Thank you.  Thank you for listening to the Woodland Trust Woodland Walks. Join us next month when Adam will be taking another walk in the company of Woodland Trust staff, partners and volunteers. And don't forget to subscribe to the series on iTunes or wherever you're listening to us and do give us a review and a rating. And why not send us a recording of your favourite woodland walk to be included in a future podcast? Keep it to a maximum of 5 minutes and please tell us what makes your woodland walk special. Or send us an e-mail with details of your favourite walk and what makes it special to you. Send any audio files to podcast@woodlandtrust.org.uk and we look forward to hearing from you. 

As biodiversity declines, locating and conserving the planet's plant life is becoming more important. The Millennium seed bank in Wakehurst, West Sussex, has been doing just that for 25 years, collecting and storing seeds and keeping them in trust for countries all over the world should they ever be needed. To mark the anniversary, Patrick Greenfield took a tour of the site. He tells Madeleine Finlay about the journey a seed takes from arrival to cold storage, and how some are already helping to return endangered plant species to the wild. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

A huge internet outage caused widespread global disruption on Monday, with a number of major websites and apps experiencing significant service issues.The issue was linked to a problem on cloud computing provider, Amazon Web Services (AWS). Major organisations such as HMRC, Lloyds Bank, Ring Doorbell, Snapchat, Slack, and Fortnite were among those affected, with outage monitoring website Downdetector reporting a massive spike in errors, 6.5 million in total worldwide.Tech & Science Daily spoke to Sir Keir Starmer's former Senior Digital Adviser, Antonio Weiss, who is now a senior partner at The Public Services Consultants.Also in this episode:-Why European astronauts are training to fly helicopters ahead of lunar missions…-Alongside Cate Blanchett, The King has hailed the work of Kew Gardens' Millennium Seed Bank 25 years after it opened-Birth of rare female eastern mountain bongo is a ‘significant milestone' for species Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Gemma and Aisling were invited to speak to some of the incredible people behind the new Carbon Garden at Kew Gardens in London which opened in July 2025. This is part 2, part 1 was released on the 27th of August 2025. This extraordinary new space explores the story of carbon and how important it is to life on Earth. More than just a beautiful garden, this project communicates the scale of the climate crisis while celebrating the remarkable power of plants and mycorrhizal fungi as our planet's natural allies. With 35 carefully selected trees and 6,500 beautiful plants, the Carbon Garden is one of Kew Gardens' most ambitious garden projects in recent years.The garden is filled with lots of brilliant features including a rain garden and a stunning central pavilion, which has been inspired by fungi and made with natural materials. Some of the planting also takes inspiration from the climate stripes, which were created by Professor Ed Hawkins at the University of Reading.This episode focus' on carbon storage and LiDAR measurement and what the team hope to learn and understand about carbon storage. Each of the guests were unique, fun and above all so passionate about what they do. It was lovely to hear their story in person.In part 2 we talk to Professor Justin Moat, Senior Research Leader and Spatial Analyst and to Dr. Phil Wilkes, Research Leader. You can find out more about the Carbon Garden at Kew here https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-in-the-gardens/carbon-garden And if you would like to know more about Professor Ed Hawkins Climate stripes - https://showyourstripes.info/. We recorded an episode with Professor Ed on June 18th 2025 https://rss.com/podcasts/for-the-love-of-weather/2078913/ or search Professor Ed Hawkins, for the love of weather podcast. We really hope you enjoy this episode and leave loving the weather a little bit more.If you want to hear a little more weather and climate chat - please hit subscribe, like and share with a friend.You can follow us here…Instagram - @fortheloveofweather - https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofweatherBlueSky @4loveofweather - https://bsky.app/profile/theloveofweather.bsky.socialSubscribe on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ForTheLoveOfWeather

In this episode of the UK Travel Planning Podcast, Tracy Collins is joined by her friend Karen for a deep dive into her favourite places in London. Drawing on years of living, working, and exploring the capital, Tracy shares the landmarks, gardens, markets, and quiet corners that she loves most.From must-see icons like the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and Hampton Court Palace to the vibrant streets of Notting Hill, the views (and pelicans) of St James's Park, the beauty of Kew Gardens, and hidden gems like Postman's Park, this episode showcases the places that make London truly special. Tracy and Karen also chat about museums, rooftop views, riverside walks, and a few quirky surprises along the way.Whether you're planning your very first trip to London or looking for fresh ideas, this episode is full of insider tips and inspiration to help you discover a few new favourite spots of your own.

George III's Great Pagoda in Kew Gardens is the tallest building Historic Royal Palaces looks after. With its Chinese-inspired design and fierce dragons, it is an eye-catching example of the Georgian fascination with architecture from around the world.  Welcome back to the new series of A Space I Love, the mini-series that transports you to history where it happened.  Join curator Lee Prosser on a dizzying climb to the top, and uncover the secrets that informed the restoration of this unique historic building.  Learn more about George III. Visit the Pagoda at Kew Gardens. 

Gardener's World presenter Frances Tophill chats to Mollie about how the garden has coped with the weather so far this year and also looks ahead to the fabulous GWL event at Kew Gardens on the 6th September. Darren profiles 5 things to do with basil, should you have a glut on your hands. We also meet the lovely Anna who is head gardener at Weston Park in Staffordshire. What a passionate lady! Your chance to win tickets to Weston Park and gardens too. Listen in to find out how!Follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We'd love to hear from you too! If you have suggestions for topics or features you'd like to hear, or any garden related questions you have, drop us a line at thehappygardenpodcast@gmail.com. It would be fab if you could rate us and leave a review too if you've got the time, many thanks! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gemma and Aisling were invited to speak to some of the incredible people behind the new Carbon Garden at Kew Gardens in London which opened in July 2025. This is part 1 with part 2 to follow in two weeks. This extraordinary new space explores the story of carbon and how important it is to life on Earth. More than just a beautiful garden, this project communicates the scale of the climate crisis while celebrating the remarkable power of plants and mycorrhizal fungi as our planet's natural allies. With 35 carefully selected trees and 6,500 beautiful plants, the Carbon Garden is one of Kew Gardens' most ambitious garden projects in recent years. The garden is filled with lots of brilliant features including a rain garden and a stunning central pavilion, which has been inspired by fungi and made with natural materials. Some of the planting also takes inspiration from the climate stripes, which were created by Professor Ed Hawkins at the University of Reading. Each of the guests were unique, fun and above all so passionate about what they do. It was lovely to hear their story in person. In part 1 we chat toRichard Wilford – Designer of the Carbon Garden and Head of garden design at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Kevin Martin – Head of Tree Collections at Royal Botanic Garden Kew Laura M. Suz – Senior research leader in mycology at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Resources:Kew Gardens - https://www.kew.org/kew-gardensKew Gardens Carbon Garden - https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-in-the-gardens/carbon-gardenClimate stripes - https://showyourstripes.info/We really hope you enjoy this episode and leave loving the weather a little bit more. If you want to hear a little more weather and climate chat - please hit subscribe, like and share with a friend. You can follow us here…Instagram - @fortheloveofweather - https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofweatherBlueSky @4loveofweather - https://bsky.app/profile/theloveofweather.bsky.socialSubscribe on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ForTheLoveOfWeather

En internationell ljunghedskonferens hålls för första gången i Sverige. Och på en nyinvigd slinga utanför Ystad fladdrar fjärilarna för fullt. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. I augusti färgas västkustens ljunghedar lila av den blommande ljungen. Och i år har de fått finbesök – forskare och naturvårdare från flera europeiska länder har den här veckan strosat runt på de blommande hedarna och diskuterat den hotade naturtypen på en internationell ljunghedskonferens. Vår fältreporter Jonatan Martinsson har besökt konferensen och träffat bland annat ljunghedsforskaren Elena Arrigoni från Kew Gardens i Storbritannien.Och vi sänder direkt från en av ljunghedarna, i Tjurpannans naturreservat i Bohuslän. Där finns Jonatan Martinsson tillsammans med Västkuststiftelsens naturvårdschef Mattias Lindholm, reservatsförvaltare Patrik Wingård och Emelie Cajsdotter vars hästar betar hedarna. Ljungheden är en naturtyp som kräver skötsel i form av bränning och bete men rätt skött är den en plats med rik biologisk mångfald. I programmet får vi höra mer om hur det skapas förutsättningar för arter som silversandbi. alkonblåvinge och ljungögontröst.När Nybrofältet utanför Ystad riskerade att bli camping bildade den lokala Naturskyddsföreningen en fjärilsgrupp. De har inventerat fältet och hittat nästan 50 olika dagfjärilsarter, en del riktigt ovanliga. Dessutom har de i sommar gjort i ordning en fjärilsslinga med skyltar till de fjärilar som kan dyka upp. Naturmorgons reporter följde med Maj Persson, Kerstin Svensson och Raija Lanjas på slingan, med förhoppning att få möta bland annat svartfläckig blåvinge.Augusti lider mot sitt slut, och vi frågar Naturmorgonlyssnarna vad de uppskattar mest i naturen på sensommaren. Fladdrande fjärilar, mognande bär och svalare luft är några av svaren. Vi ringer upp Boris Åström som i stället spanar ner i vattnet för att se om ålen börjat röra på sig.Varför strandar näbbvalar längs svenska västkusten? Vi ringer upp Anna Roos på Naturhistoriska riksmuseet för att få svar på mysteriet.Och vad är det för spindel som byggt en strut av stenar? Och varför? Det undrar Kalle Sahlin i Falun, och vi ber spindelexperten Monika Sunhede om ett svar.I veckans kråkvinkel funderar Karin Gyllenklev på varför sniglar inte är lika stora som vi. Och hur det skulle vara, om de var det ...Programledare är Joacim Lindwall.

In 2018 a team of intrepid explorers came in to the possession of a treasure map - one which would see them venture half way around the world to the Australian island of Tasmania.   Those explorers were a team of garden experts from across the UK and Ireland who were now on a historic mission to save and catalogue plants for the benefit of people and the planet. Following in the footsteps of the historic plant hunters, find out what was in store for the team of modern-day collectors and how natural history has helped to shape gardens around the world. Production Host: Rosie Holdsworth Producer: Jack Glover Sound Design: Jesus Gomez Contributors Charlie Bancroft and team BIBET Caroline Ikin Images courtesy and with thanks from the Royal Botanic Gardens of Tasmania. All Rights Reserved. Discover More Explore a garden lovers home at Nymans in West Sussex where some of the collected species are now flourishing  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/nymans Read Charlie's report here: https://merlin-trust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/718-Charlie-Bancroft-compressed.pdf Find out more about historic plant hunters from our friends at Kew Gardens https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/adventure-and-discovery-around-the-world-with-plant-hunters BIBET Botantic Gardens   Republic of Ireland https://www.botanicgardens.ie/kilmacurragh/ Northern Ireland https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland/mount-stewart Wales https://botanicgarden.wales/ Tasmania https://gardens.tas.gov.au/ If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

In this episode of the Eatweeds Podcast, Robin Harford is joined by Dr Sarah Edwards, ethnobotanist at the University of Oxford. Together they explore the 400-year history of Oxford Botanic Garden — Britain's oldest physic garden — and why ethnobotany is vital for preserving both cultural knowledge and biodiversity.Dr Edwards shares her remarkable journey from Kew Gardens to working alongside First Nations communities in Australia, documenting traditional plant use and wisdom.She reflects on the threats facing global plant diversity, the role of botanic gardens in conservation, and why re-establishing kinship with plants is essential for our future.About Dr Sarah Edwards Dr Sarah Edwards is the author of The Ethnobotanical (link) and co-author of Phytopharmacy (link). She teaches Ethnobiology and Biological Conservation at the University of Oxford and manages plant records at the Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum (link). Her work bridges science, culture, and art, from field collaborations with First Nations communities in Australia to recent projects with the Richmond Arts Service's Cultural Reforesting programme.

At least 30,000 of the 350,000 known plant species on our planet are edible, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, but only 170 species of plant are cultivated for food on a large scale. As climate change affects plant yields and disease threatens some of our most popular crops (bananas, we're looking at you), scientists say we need to explore so-called “forgotten foods” to diversify the crops we grow. But what are they — and what are some of the opportunities and challenges of growing them at scale?BBC Climate and Science correspondent Georgina Rannard explains why food security is such an important issue - and the solutions scientists are finding to tackle this. Kew Gardens ethnobotanist Philippa Ryan, from the UK, tells us about some examples of forgotten foods. And BBC Africa business correspondent Jewel Kiriungi explains why seed sharing - a practice to help preserve crop diversity - is banned in Kenya.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Chelsea Coates and Julia Ross-Roy Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

In this wonder-filled episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Wem speak with Dr Richard Buggs—geneticist at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Queen Mary University London—about ash dieback, DNA sequencing, and the unseen resilience of trees. With clarity and warmth, Richard explains how genome research is unlocking crucial answers about pest resistance, why ash trees are evolving faster than expected, and how broadleaf diversity might just be the secret weapon in the fight against invasive fungi. From the naming of Betula buggsii to Darwin's “abominable mystery,” this episode weaves together science, stewardship, and surprise. The conversation also highlights the vital role of biosecurity, the complex interplay between genetics and environment, and the hope offered by natural regeneration. It's a deeply grounding listen for educators, woodland stewards, and anyone curious about trees, time, and how we make sense of the mysteries still growing all around us.

Ash Dieback Disease has become a significant blight on the tree and is affecting supply for hurleys. However, research from Kew Gardens may give hope. Éanna speaks to Professor Richard Buggs, Senior Research Leader at Kew Gardens.

It’s time for another trip around the solar system on the BIGGER and BETTER Science Weekly! In this episode of the Fun Kids Science Weekly, we answer YOUR questions, have scientists battle it out to determine which science is the best, and this week we're learning all about the ocean! First up, scientists have discovered a brand-new species of flying reptile that lived more than 200 million years ago. Then, we take you to Indonesia, where a volcano has erupted, sending a towering ash cloud 11 miles into the sky. And finally, Dan chats with Richard Buggs from Queen Mary University of London and Kew Gardens to learn how Britain's ash trees are fighting back against a devastating fungal disease. Then, we answer your questions! Etta wants to know: What happens if you're stung by 100 bees and Dr. Emma Nicholls answers Jessica’s question: How do scientists know dinosaurs had feathers? In Dangerous Dan, we learn all about the Weever fish. And in Battle of the Sciences, oceanographer Alessandro Silvano explains the power of the seas What do we learn about? · A 200 million year old flying reptile species · How Britain's trees are fighting back against a fungi disease· How scientists know dinosaurs had feathers· The Weever fish· And in Battle of the Sciences... what lies beneath the ocean! All on this week's episode of Science Weekly!Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why have my magnolia leaves turned brown? How do I care for a tamarisk?  Why is growing poppies so difficult? Kathy Clugston and the panel are in South Staffordshire offering their top gardening tips. Joining Kathy to share their best horticultural advice is plantswoman Christine Walkden,  RHS Bridgewater curator, Marcus Chilton-Jones and gardener Matthew Biggs. Meanwhile James Wong visits the Carbon Garden at Kew Gardens to learn about the importance of carbon in our ecosystem, low emission gardening and carbon-resilient trees.A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

After sectarian clashes in southern Syria, Israel launches airstrikes on Syrian government targets, saying it needs to protect the Druze ethnic minority. We attempt to explain a complicated situation with defence expert Dr Robert Geist Pinfold, and hear from an eyewitness in the city of Sweida and an advisor to the Syrian foreign minister.Also in the programme: continuing controversy in the United States over the legacy of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein; the plight of hundreds of thousands of Afghans who have been abruptly deported from Iran; and a plan to breathe new life into the Victorian glasshouses at London's Kew Gardens.(Photo: Damaged vehicles outside the Syrian Ministry of Defence building following an Israeli airstrike in Damascus; Credit: MOHAMMED AL RIFAI/EPA/Shutterstock)

The iconic Grade I listed greenhouses at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew will experience a major renovation.The world-famous Palm House and Waterlily House date back to around 1848, and haven't been touched for over forty years.To hear more about the reasons behind the £60 million renovation project, and the innovative approaches to make these iconic greenhouses net zero, we spoke to Reuben Briggs, Head of Estate Projects at Kew.‘It's a really aggressive environment. The iron is starting to corrode. Some of the glass is coming loose, and we're getting lots of heat escaping.'Virtual eye clinics in shopping centres could significantly reduce waiting times, as well as support government policies ‘for a future ready NHS'.That's according to Siyabonga Ndwandwe from UCL's Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, who joined us to discuss their latest study in more detail.According to the Association of Optometrists, during the pandemic, waits for NHS eye appointments rose sharply, resulting in a backlog.Also in this episode:-Cyberpunk 2077 is launching for Mac on July 17th-Yoga, tai chi, walking and jogging could be some of the best ways to tackle insomnia-Why the influencer behind Sylvanian Drama TikTok is getting sued Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Garden Stories this week features Kerry woman Annette Dalton who has worked in senior roles in Britain's gardening establishment including the Royal Horticultural Society, Kew Gardens and the National Trust. She has since returned home to Ireland and joins Jonathan to tell us her story. All with thanks to Tirlán.

In this special episode, contemporary artist Amba Sayal-Bennett joins EMPIRE LINES live, to trace the migrations of rubber seeds between South America, London, and British colonies in South Asia in the 19th century, plus the role of soil in anticolonial resistance, through their digital drawing and sculpture, Kern (2024).Rubber is a commodity that was once so highly demanded that its value surpassed that of silver. In a mission facilitated by the British government, Henry Wickham stole and trafficked 70,000 rubber seeds from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil in 1876. Transported to Kew Gardens in London, they were then dispersed across Britain's colonies for cultivation. Its plural uses and potential for profit led to its proliferation across the globe - yet the soil in India, then known as the British Raj, refused to take the seeds, which the artist puts forward as a form of environmental resistance to the colonial project.Amba Sayal-Bennett's wall-based sculptures Kern (2024) and Phlo (2024) are part of their investigations into the migrations of forms, bodies, and knowledge across different sites. Presented in SEEDLINGS: Diasporic Imaginaries, currently touring Scotland with Travelling Gallery, we discuss this visual research into how colonial practices often decontextualise and appropriate forms. Amba delves botanical and anatomical drawings, and how these illustrations have been used to commodify and control plants, environments, and people. We consider through the construction and overlapping uses of terms like ‘native' and, ‘invasive', ‘indigenous', ‘naturalisation', and ‘dispersal', to challenge binaries between human and more-than-human beings, and consider ideas of home, identity, and belonging in the context of diasporas. Amba details her relationship with ornamentation, abstraction, and displacement, and how she translates her digital drawings into sculptural forms, rendered with biodegradable, but ‘unnatural', industrial plastics. Drawing on her site-specific works for Geometries of Difference (2022) at Somerset House, and Drawing Room Invites... in London, we also delve into Amba's critical engagement with sci-fi and modernist architecture, travelling to Le Corbusier's purpose-built city of Chandigarh in Punjab, the birthplace of her maternal grandparents, to explore tropical modernism.This episode was recorded live at Somerset House Studios in London, as part of the public programme for SEEDLINGS: Diasporic Imaginaries, curated by Jelena Sofronijevic with Travelling Gallery in Scotland. The group exhibition, featuring Emii Alrai, Iman Datoo, Radovan Kraguly, Zeljko Kujundzic, Remi Jabłecki, Leo Robinson, and Amba Sayal-Bennett, is touring across Scotland, culminating at Edinburgh Art Festival (EAF 2025) in August 2025.For more information, follow Travelling Gallery and EMPIRE LINES on social media, and visit: linktr.ee/SEEDLINGSTG2025Drawing Room Invites…: Anna Paterson, Alicia Reyes McNamara, Amba Sayal-Bennett is at the Drawing Room in London until 27 July 2025.For more about Between Hands and Metal (2024), a group exhibition featuring Amba Sayal-Bennett, Alia Hamaoui, and Raheel Khan at Palmer Gallery in London, read my article in gowithYamo:. gowithyamo.com/blog/palmer-gallery-maryleboneFor more science fiction and sci-fi films, hear Tanoa Sasraku on her series of Terratypes (2022-Now) at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) in Exeter: pod.link/1533637675/episode/3083096d6354376421721cfbb49d0ba7For more from Invasion Ecology (2024), co-curated by Jelena Sofronijevic for Radical Ecology, and Vashti Cassinelli at Southcombe Barn, an arts space and gardens on Dartmoor, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠radicalecology.earth/events/invasion-ecology-exhibition⁠⁠⁠⁠ and instagram.com/p/C7lYcigovSNPRODUCER: Jelena Sofronijevic.Follow EMPIRE LINES on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/empirelinespodcast⁠⁠⁠Support EMPIRE LINES on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/empirelines

本集節目由【樂事會】贊助播出 這個符合打勾~這個不符合打叉! 我們通常在找對象的時候 都會看看對方自我介紹上面列出的條件進行篩選 但各項研究與文章都顯示 若想要有一段穩定的長期關係 有許多隱性的特質幾乎都無法寫在自介上面 這些特質雖然很難說明但卻非常的重要 這一集就來好好討論這些 雖然寫不出來但卻無比重要的找對象特質 你在找另一半的時候也會參考這些項目嗎? 還是你有更特殊更在意的找對象特點呢? 歡迎來社群與我們討論 開頭的「哈拉新體驗」 可以一邊喝酒一邊錄音實在是太爽啦!!!! 樂事會是成立55年英國知名的葡萄酒品牌 在英國擁有百萬用戶信賴 更是IWC國際葡萄酒挑戰賽“年度最佳酒商”得主 樂事會擁有多位WSET證照葡萄酒顧問 透過品酒師的專業推薦 讓葡萄酒小白也能非常懂喝 在台灣也能享受免運送酒到府的服務了唷! 這次主持人出了三道考題來考考樂事會的品酒師 1.創造浪漫約會的約會把妹神酒!? L'Occhiolino Sparkling義大利紅粉氣泡酒雙入組 $999 關鍵字:攻擊性不強+好看清爽酒感輕+不知不覺多喝好幾杯 2.萬用百搭的餐點搭餐酒? Kew Gardens花系列白酒氣泡酒雙入組 $1099 關鍵字:清爽不搶戲+紅配紅&白配白+春夏搭餐解膩 3.老饕也能好好享受的專業高評價酒款? 蛇年限定版Cabalié Cuvée Vieilles 紅酒雙入組 $1299 關鍵字:60-100老藤釀製口味更濃郁+VIVINO高分酒+蛇年獨家酒標 填寫哈拉充能量專屬賣場表單連結，完成後會有專人與您聯繫 https://reurl.cc/OY3RqD 本次合作台灣本島享免運費宅配服務 哈拉充能量聽眾買一組再送一瓶187ML小瓶酒(兩組送2、三組送3…) 樂事會100%品質保證還享有不滿意保證退換貨的貼心服務 活動只到2025/07/10~把握這次的超殺合作優惠 送酒到府第一首選~樂事會~讚啦!! *未滿十八歲禁止飲酒，酒後不開車，安全有保障。 ------------------------------------- ➤Facebook/Instagram/社群平台 追蹤搜尋"哈拉充能量"獲得最新消息以及我們一起互動! https://www.instagram.com/hala_energy/ ➤有Apple Podcast 可以給我們「五顆星留言+訂閱」會在節目上回覆你們唷! https://reurl.cc/W3Kan7 ➤成為節目贊助者~就可以加入哈拉充能量智囊團群組! 詳細抖內贊助方法請點以下連結 https://reurl.cc/95WvQn -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

The World Health Organisation has agreed a treaty looking at tackling the issue of future pandemics. It's hoped it will help to avoid some of the disorganisation and competition for resources like vaccines and personal protective equipment that were seen during the Covid-19 outbreak. Victoria Gill speaks to global health journalist Andrew Green from the World Health Assembly in Geneva to ask if this will help to make the world a safer, fairer place.Marnie Chesterton visits Kew Gardens in London to speak to some of the artists and scientists behind a new installation that's digitally recreated one of the site's most famous trees.As it's announced the iconic American children's TV programme Sesame Street is moving to Netflix, Victoria speaks to the programme's scientific advisor and Associate Professor of Elementary and Environmental Education at the University of Rhode Island, Sara Sweetman, about exactly how the likes of Elmo, Big Bird and the Cookie Monster go about informing young people about science.And Caroline Steel joins Victoria in the studio to look through the most fascinating highlights from the world's scientific discoveries this week. Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Clare Salisbury, Jonathan Blackwell, Dan Welsh Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Have you heard of the Titan Arum? It's not only the largest inflorescence in the world, but it's also the smelliest plant in the world, unofficially! Michael popped into Kew Gardens to speak to Leif Starkey about this botanical phenomenon, which has just bloomed in the Palm House. Check Instagram for photos of its rather beautiful withered form!     Series 18 is sponsored by British Garden Centres. British Garden Centres are the largest family owned, and family run garden centre group in the UK, with over 70 garden centres. “We aim to provide you with great plants and gardening products at affordable prices, with a first-class service delivered by a passionate team.” – The Stubbs Family.  With garden centres offering plants, food  and gift areas, outdoor living, Christmas departments, restaurants, homeware and so much more. All garden centres are pet friendly, and many welcome coach parties. The business also boasts a variety of retail partners across the group inside each garden centre. www.britishgardencentres.com

(Original pub. date: 9/27/2018) Catherine Pelonero, author of "Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and its Private Consequences", is my guest. She walks us through the murder of Kitty Genovese in Kew Gardens, New York in 1964 and its aftermath. The horrific crime is especially infamous because no one called police or stepped in to help, despite being witnessed by dozens of people. The author's website: ⁠https://catherinepelonero.net/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 304 It seems the world is on heightened alert about the impact smartphones are having on our children's brains. But are we right to be worried? Jonathan Haidt's book the Anxious Generation has played a big role in this debate, with many researchers agreeing smartphones cause harm and action needs to be taken. But is there actually any scientific evidence to back all of these claims up? The “strongest evidence” for alien life was announced just a few weeks ago - but not everyone was happy with this discovery and it came under quite a lot of fire. The team that discovered this alien signal were analysing data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Now other researchers have looked at the same data and have come to different conclusions. But rather than proving critics right, it seems the evidence for aliens just got stronger. A digital oak tree is on display at Kew Gardens in London. Of the Oak is an immersive installation by art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast in collaboration with ecologists, biologists and researchers. The aim is to show the inner workings of the oak, to allow people to connect more deeply with it and to tune into “tree time”.  Chapters: (00:32) Are smartphones causing mental illness in teens? (05:58) More evidence for alien life (13:28) Of the Oak display at Kew Hosted by Timothy Revell and Madeleine Cuff, with guests Jacob Aron, Alex Wilkins, Rowan Hooper, Ersin Han Ersin and Ruth Mitchell.To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this packed royal roundup: King Charles and Queen Camilla lead a star-studded conservation gala in memory of Camilla's late brother, Mark Shand, at Kew Gardens. The King makes history by teaming up with legendary trainer Willie Mullins to send a royal racehorse to Ireland for the first time. Meanwhile, sobering new polling reveals growing generational disinterest in the monarchy — especially toward Queen Camilla. Plus: Canadian PM Mark Carney slams King Charles for staying silent amid Trump's “annex Canada” remarks, and insiders reveal the King's heartache over Prince Harry and his California-based grandchildren.Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app which seays UNINTERRUPTED LISTENING. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!  You also get 20+ other shows on the network ad-free!   

This week's episode is the story of Charles Budd Robinson - a botanist from Canada who went missing while on an expedition to an Indonesian island in December 1913 never to be seen again...So what happened? Does the answer lie in Kew Gardens? And would he have survived if he'd packed his phrase book?______An exclusive extended, ad-free version of this episode with 10 minutes of bonus extra chat can be found over at our Patreon!Extended episodes drop over there usually 3 days early and with zero ads so if you enjoy Mystery on the Rocks then please consider heading over there to support us, where there is already a huge backlog of exclusive extras such as extended episodes, bonus episodes, minisodes, outtakes, cocktail recipes and more!Hosted by Masud Milas, Chris Stokes, and Sooz Kempner Mystery on the Rocks is a high concept comedy and true crime/unexplained phenomena podcast set in a fictional mystery-solving bar with real cocktails!. The focus of the show is to attempt to crack a real, unsolved mystery from history – true crime and bizarre occurrences, all with a whodunnit or WTF happened question hanging over them.You can follow us on Bluesky, X and Instagram too! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode: 3241 Green with Immortality.  Today, we go green with immortality.

Jerry Spencer's mum worked at Kew Gardens. As a child he would go there to meet her at lunchtime. Leaving school he trained as a gardener. However a period of living on the streets after he lost his mum and his home, erased his gardening memories. This is a beautiful and very personal plant story of the journey back to Kew and one special tree that played an important role in that journey.Plants can trigger even the deepest most forgotten memories so join us as Jerry and I sit beneath the tree as he tells his plant story and then together we find out more about that tree from Simon Toomer Curator of Living Collections at Kew. I love that Simon as a forester has a totally different time scale to many of us, thinking in tree years is perhaps a skill we should all cultivate.Independent podcasts like Our Plant Stories depend on their listeners for help with the costs of making the podcast such as the hosting platform and the editing programme.Using the Buy Me A Coffee platform you can make a one off online donation of £5 and that money will go towards making more episodes. Everyone who buys a 'virtual coffee' will get a shout out on the podcast. The support of listeners means a lot to me. Buy Me A Coffee Every month I will make a plant story but stories often lead to more stories and I end up publishing Offshoot episodes. So if you 'Follow' the podcast on your podcast app you will never miss an episode.It also makes a real difference if you can spare the time to rate and/or review an episode after you have listened. Spotify and Apple look at these ratings and it helps to get the podcast promoted to other plant lovers. Can I share my plant story with you? YES PLEASE! I called this OUR Plant Stories for a reason and that is that I love to hear from listeners wherever you are in the world!You can email me Sally@ourplantstories.com and tell me your plant story. That's all you need to do - I'll do the rest. I'll work out who we can talk to. Can we find someone who shares your passion for the plant, they maybe in the same country as you or the other side of the world. Our Plant Stories is presented and produced by Sally FlatmanThe music is Fade to Black by Howard LevyMentioned in this episode:Buy Me A CoffeeThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Kaffepriset rusar. Torka och dåliga skördar. Hur påverkas rosterierna? Kommer arabica ersättas av andra arter? Och hur smakar kaffesurrogaten? Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. – Klimatförändringarna märks väldigt tydligt i länder där kaffe odlas, säger Anna Nordström, provsmakare på Löfbergs. Och man kan inte förutsäga vad som ska hända med torka, regn och skördar.Arabica är det absolut vanligaste kaffe i världen. Det odlas också mycket robusta. Båda hotas nu av både torka och för mycket regn.– Jag tänker på det ibland: Vad ska vi njuta av om arabican försvann? säger Johan Ekfeldt, som var med och grundade Sveriges första specialkafferosteri Johan & Nyström, och sen 2018 driver kafferosteriet Gringo.I sitt labb testar han kaffesubstitut gjorda på cikoria (som var vanligt under andra världskriget), på dadelkärnor, lupin, spelt, en blandning gjord på cikoria, vete, kornmalt, fikon och ekollon, och substitut gjort på maskrosrot. Dessutom har Johan rostat maskrosrötter själv.Som jämförelse smakar vi också på arabica, robusta och liberica, ett art som nämns som en möjlig ersättare om arabica och robusta inte längre går att odla.Dr Aaron Davis är botanist och forskar på kaffe och klimat vid den botaniska trädgården Kew Gardens i London. Han har ägnat en stor del av sitt liv åt att hitta ”nya” kaffearter. – Vi har hittat väldigt konstiga kaffen, säger Aaron Davis. En del smakar förfärligt, medan andra är mer angenäma. Och det finns möjliga ersättare till arabica och robusta.Varken Anna Nordström eller Johan Ekfeldt tror att kaffepriset kommer sjunka igen.– Det har varit för lågt pris, framför allt här i Sverige, säger Anna.Bönderna ser ingen framtid i kaffeodling. Det är inte lönsamt och inte förutsägbart. Det är svårt att hitta folk som vill jobba med kaffe.– Till ett kilo kaffe ska nån plocka mellan fyra till fem tusen kaffebär, säger Johan Ekfeldt. Som sen ska skalas, sorteras, torkas, skeppas, rostas och ut till handeln. Och så kostar det några kronor per kopp.

In this episode of This Old Tree, Doug presents the fourth edition of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, where guests get to tell their own tree stories! Salacious pepper trees, historic oaks, a tree named after a Marvel character, a beech tree's farewell at a college reunion, big tree hunters, an old-growth tulip poplar in Queens, a neighborhood ash tree in Amsterdam, and the largest tree at Kew Gardens - this episode has it all. Listen to what people have to say about the trees that inspire them.

Phil has been thinking a lot about the British Empire recently, and it is a major theme of his upcoming new book about 1945. And so he was delighted to speak with best-selling writer Sathnam Sanghera.Sathnam has written extensively on how the empire shaped modern Britain - and much of the ret of the world too, upending the conventional view of imperial history. For example, he tells Phil that the story of the humble rubber tyre is also the story of the British in Malaya - and Kew Gardens!You can buy Sathnam's book here, along with thousands of others, in our own online shop...https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/empireworld-how-british-imperialism-has-shaped-the-globe-sathnam-sanghera/7515065?aid=12054&ean=9780241997086&Please follow Sathnam here...https://x.com/SathnamAnd you can pre order Phil's new book here ...https://www.amazon.co.uk/1945-Reckoning-Empire-Struggle-World/dp/139971449X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=#***We now have a Thank You button (next to the 'three dots') for small donations that help support our work***Looking for the perfect gift for a special scandalous someone - or someone you'd like to get scandalous with? We're here to help...https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ScandalMongers*** If you enjoy our work please consider clicking the YouTube subscribe button, even if you listen to us on an audio app. It will help our brand to grow and our content to reach new ears.The Scandal Mongers...https://x.com/mongerspodcastPhil Craig...https://x.com/philmcraigTHE SCANDAL MONGERS PODCAST is also available to watch on YouTube...https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpiDbLiwypTLqMaKnNfxcTAYou can get in touch with the show via...team@podcastworld.org(place 'Scandal Mongers' in the heading) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I used to live in Kew, so I had a personal connection to the audio. Initially I was thinking of doing something factually-based with spoken word about botany, say, or the gardens' history. As time went on, I became more inspired by the possibilities of the actual sound of the water, so the piece became more about that, more abstract. I processed the original audio in various ways (stretch, granular etc), added some of my own field recordings (including some made in the River Severn by hydrophone) and various digital instruments. Water - essential to life, certainly, but it is now becoming more and more destructive as the planet changes. Can't live with it, can't live without it..." Kew Gardens reimagined by Nick St. George. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

In his most recent book, Human Rights in a Divided World: Catholicism as a Living Tradition (Georgetown UP, 2024), Jesuit scholar and Georgetown professor, Fr David Hollenbach explains the Judeo-Christian roots of our concept of human rights and the contributions of secular institutions like the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). He explains further when it is right for a country to intervene in the affairs of its neighbors, codified by the UN in 2005 as the Responsibility to Protect in answer to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide that gave lie to the world's promise of “never again” after the horrors of the Holocaust. He contrasts the doctrine of R2P with the tragic case of a homicide in Kew Gardens in 1964 where 38 witnesses, all law-abiding “good people,” failed to intervene because they assumed someone else would do it. “Am I my brother's keeper?” Cain asked God (Gen 4:9). “Who is my neighbor?” The lawyer asked Jesus (Lk 10:29), to which Our Lord told the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Perhaps these questions are a little more complicated between sovereign nations than they are between travelers on a dangerous road, but Fr. David guides us through the Catholic Church's moral teachings, the principles of proportionality and of just war, and the ability and desire to do something even when we can't do everything. Fr David's book: Human Rights in a Divided World. Fr David's faculty website at Georgetown. Responsibility to Protect, the R2P doctrine at the UN website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In his most recent book, Human Rights in a Divided World: Catholicism as a Living Tradition (Georgetown UP, 2024), Jesuit scholar and Georgetown professor, Fr David Hollenbach explains the Judeo-Christian roots of our concept of human rights and the contributions of secular institutions like the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). He explains further when it is right for a country to intervene in the affairs of its neighbors, codified by the UN in 2005 as the Responsibility to Protect in answer to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide that gave lie to the world's promise of “never again” after the horrors of the Holocaust. He contrasts the doctrine of R2P with the tragic case of a homicide in Kew Gardens in 1964 where 38 witnesses, all law-abiding “good people,” failed to intervene because they assumed someone else would do it. “Am I my brother's keeper?” Cain asked God (Gen 4:9). “Who is my neighbor?” The lawyer asked Jesus (Lk 10:29), to which Our Lord told the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Perhaps these questions are a little more complicated between sovereign nations than they are between travelers on a dangerous road, but Fr. David guides us through the Catholic Church's moral teachings, the principles of proportionality and of just war, and the ability and desire to do something even when we can't do everything. Fr David's book: Human Rights in a Divided World. Fr David's faculty website at Georgetown. Responsibility to Protect, the R2P doctrine at the UN website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his most recent book, Human Rights in a Divided World: Catholicism as a Living Tradition (Georgetown UP, 2024), Jesuit scholar and Georgetown professor, Fr David Hollenbach explains the Judeo-Christian roots of our concept of human rights and the contributions of secular institutions like the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). He explains further when it is right for a country to intervene in the affairs of its neighbors, codified by the UN in 2005 as the Responsibility to Protect in answer to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide that gave lie to the world's promise of “never again” after the horrors of the Holocaust. He contrasts the doctrine of R2P with the tragic case of a homicide in Kew Gardens in 1964 where 38 witnesses, all law-abiding “good people,” failed to intervene because they assumed someone else would do it. “Am I my brother's keeper?” Cain asked God (Gen 4:9). “Who is my neighbor?” The lawyer asked Jesus (Lk 10:29), to which Our Lord told the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Perhaps these questions are a little more complicated between sovereign nations than they are between travelers on a dangerous road, but Fr. David guides us through the Catholic Church's moral teachings, the principles of proportionality and of just war, and the ability and desire to do something even when we can't do everything. Fr David's book: Human Rights in a Divided World. Fr David's faculty website at Georgetown. Responsibility to Protect, the R2P doctrine at the UN website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

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Welcome to the fourth edition of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, where guests get to tell their own tree stories! Salacious pepper trees, historic oaks, a tree named after a Marvel character, a beech tree's farewell at a college reunion, big tree hunters, an old growth tulip poplar in Queens, a neighborhood ash tree in Amsterdam, and the largest tree at Kew Gardens - this episode has it all. Listen to what people have to say about the trees that inspire them.GuestsStephanie CarrieScreenwriter, Sketch Writer, ComedianLos Angeles, CATrees of LA @treesofla (Instagram)https://www.stephaniecarrie.me/Denise LewisMasters Student, Urban ForestryUMASS AmherstAmherst, MADevi LakhiaStudent, The Learning CenterGoa, IndiaFred BregliaExecutive Director, The Landis ArboretumAncient Forests and Champion Trees (Facebook)Big Tree Hunters (Instagram)Ellen CliggottFreelance Content Marketing Writer and EditorLinkedIn ProfileBarnstable, MAMagali DuzantArtist and WriterWebsiteA Tree Grows in QueensNadina GalleEcological Engineer, Technologist, Writer, SpeakerWebsiteThe Nature of Our CitiesThe Netherlands and CanadaMark JohnstonArborist, Urban Forester, Consultant, Professor, AuthorWebsitePlanting Ideas in the Urban Forest: Autobiography of a Tree ExpertBelfast, Northern Ireland, UKTheme MusicDiccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or Instagram We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone's voice memo app and email to:doug@thisoldtree.netThis episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

Bailey Van Tassel talks about the art of kitchen gardening. We explore Bailey's seasonal, intuitive approach to growing food at home and discuss insights from her book, Kitchen Garden Living. With a focus on simplicity and sustainability, Bailey shares her thoughts on cultivating a thriving kitchen garden. Links www.baileyvantassel.com Kitchen Garden Living: Seasonal Growing and Eating from a Beautiful, Bountiful Food Garden by Bailey Van Tassel Other episodes if you liked this one: If you liked this week's episode with Bailey van Tassel you might also enjoy this one from the archives: 188: Huw Richards on Veg Growing This week's guest is veg growing expert Huw Richards. Huw grows a vast range of plants in his garden in mid-West Wales and is always trialling and experimenting with new ways of growing. He has an enormously popular YouTube channel and has authored a number of books, the latest of which is ‘The Vegetable Grower's Handbook' which draws on his experience as very much a thoughtful and philosophical gardener. 171: Grow Easy with Anna Greenland This year's first guest is organic vegetable grower Anna Greenland. Anna has supplied produce to some of the UK's top chefs, including Raymond Blanc and Jamie Oliver, has created gardens at Soho Farmhouse, Kew Gardens and the Huntington Botanical Gardens in LA. She is currently establishing a market garden and gardening school in Suffolk and has just released a book called ‘Grow Easy'. Anna talks about working with the best chefs in the best kitchens and catering to their clientele, about producing pristine veg organically, about growing food in different climates and the fundamentals of veg garden success. Please support the podcast on Patreon

Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel's visionary work transformed the landscapes of India. From humble beginnings in Germany to an apprenticeship at Kew Gardens, Krumbiegel's journey led him to Baroda, where he became the trusted landscape architect of the Maharaja. Designing the iconic Brindavan Gardens, shaping Bangalore's reputation as the “Garden City,” and introducing innovative agricultural practices that supported local economies, Krumbiegel's influence shaped India's botanical future. Krumbiegel's work was not, however, purely focused on aesthetics. He revolutionised urban planning in India, introducing tree censuses, promoting sustainable irrigation systems, and blending traditional Indian gardening with European techniques. His deep respect for local environments and cultures allowed him to create green spaces that felt both timeless and transformative. Listen as William and Anita delve into the life of this unsung hero, whose passion for plants left an enduring imprint on India's landscapes. From royal palaces to public parks, Krumbiegel's story is a testament to how one man's vision can shape the natural and cultural heritage of an entire nation. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpodcasts.com Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Anouska Lewis Senior Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kew Gardens near London is one of the most famous botanical gardens in the world, welcoming countless visitors every year. But what many visitors may not know is that the history of Kew and that of the British Empire are intimately intertwined… At the height of the empire, Queen Victoria visited the iconic glass Palm House six times in the first few weeks it opened, and palm houseplants became a proud symbol because of her patronage. The botanical gardens also served as a laboratory that allowed imperial industries to boom. For example, seeds collected by Kew gardeners developed rubber plants that were shipped around the empire. The rubber plantations in British Malaya became so valuable that Britain fought a bloody war in 1948 to keep them. Listen as Anita and William are joined by Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireworld, to discuss how Kew was instrumental to the empire. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpodcasts.com Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Anouska Lewis Senior Producer: Callum Hill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How farmers and scientists in eastern India are using ancient rice seeds to fight flooding, increasing soil salinity and drought. The BBC's William Kremer tells Graihagh Jackson about his visit to the Sundarbans in West Bengal, where cyclones and rising sea levels have devastated crops, and meets the rice growers drawing on the skills of their forefathers, to feed their families. Graihagh also gets a global overview from Dr Rafal Gutaker, rice expert at Kew Gardens, London.And if you'd like to hear more about rice, the BBC World Service's Food Chain programme has just made a show about the climate impacts of the crop. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5xp0Reporter in India: William Kremer Production Team: Diane Richardson, Graihagh Jackson, Octavia Woodward Sound Mix: Neil Churchill and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon WattsIf you have a question for the team, email: TheClimateQuestion@BBC.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721

The All Local 4pm Update for Wednesday, January 15 2025

It's time for another trip around the solar system on the BIGGER and BETTER Science Weekly! In this episode of the Fun Kids Science Weekly, we continue our bigger and better podcast where we answer YOUR questions, have scientists battle it out for which science is the best & learn all about why flowers are so colourful! Dan starts with the latest science news, where we discover what made more electricity than ever last year, uncover the largest dinosaur footprint ever found in the UK, and Dr. Martin Cheek from Kew Gardens joins Dan to explain the new species discovered in 2024! We then answer your questions, Arthur wants to know if humans will ever run out of water and Beverley Glover from the University of Cambridge explains why flowers have colour. Dangerous Dan continues, and we learn all about Annapurna, a mountain in Nepal that stands at over 8,000m! And Battle of the Sciences is all about astrophysics as Anna Puglisi explains the secrets of the universe. What do we learn about? · What made more electricity than ever last year? · Will humans ever run out of water? · Why flowers have colour · One of the world’s deadliest mountains · And the secrets of the universe in Battle of the Sciences All on this week's episode of Science Weekly! Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for another trip around the solar system on the BIGGER and BETTER Science Weekly! This episode of the Fun Kids Science Weekly we continue our bigger and better podcast where we answer YOUR questions, have scientists battle it out for which science is the best & learn all about why we burp! Dan starts with the latest science news where we discover how much dinosaur fossils have recently sold for at auction, what our galaxy looked like when it was first formed and finally, Marie Weech from Kew Gardens joins Dan to explain their plans to digitise their dried plant and fungal specimens. We then answer your questions, Ned wants to know if blackholes are harmless and Daniel Sifrim from Queen’s Mary’s University answers why we burp. Dangerous Dan continues and we learn all about Kilauea volcano in the middle of the Pacific. And Battle of the Sciences is all about consumer psychology as Cathrine Jansson-Boyd explains why we buy things. What do we learn about? · What our galaxy looked like when it was formed. · Whether or not blackholes are harmless · Why we burp · An ancient and deadly volcano in the middle of the Pacific · Why we choose to buy things in Battle of the Sciences All on this week's episode of Science Weekly!Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I recently had the pleasure of hosting a panel of experts at London's Fortnum and Mason's Food & Drink Studio at their Piccadilly store to discuss the wonderful world of mushrooms with Tim Spector, Tom Baxter and Ester Gaya.We discussed a range of topics including, what nootropic effects we know about with specific mushrooms and what research underpins this understanding. The use of psychedelic mushrooms and their potential uses in mental health and trauma. As well as how culinary mushrooms can enhance our health.Tom Baxter, founder of The Bristol Fungarium, producing the UK's first organic certified medicinal mushrooms.Tim Spector is a Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King's College London, director of the Twins UK study and one of the world's leading researchers, trained in rheumatology and epidemiology.Ester Gaya, Senior Research Leader in Comparative Fungal Biology at Kew Gardens, who have a strong track record in fungal diversity research and are home to the largest fungarium in the world, holding over 1.25 million fungal specimens.