Show Notes
Gardens, weeds and words podcast, S03.5 E04 show notes A blend of slow radio, gardening advice and conversation, and readings from the best garden and wildlife writing. These notes may contain affiliate links.
Garden soundtrack 00:40 spring settling in, and it's been a warm, dry start 02:34 what your garden wants from you, the last in my series of readings on how to find yourself in a state of harmony with your garden
reading 08:00 'Cow Parsley' from Jack Wallington's Wild About Weeds, read by Milli Proust
interview 10:52 Jack joins us to talk about the impact of his book five (now six!) years on, how practical it really is to incorporate weeds purposefully into our gardens, and whether a gentler, more natural approach to planting has any cut through beyond the garden media. 12:08 Did Jack's pro-weed stance feel like a lonely position to be adopting back in 2019? 13:28 The effect on Jack's garden design practice 13:54 The manifesto approach to writing your first book 14:42 Has there been a noticeable change in the attitude of gardeners towards weeds since the publication of the book? 17:50 Has there been any trickle down to the general public from a wilder look embraced by top garden designers at shows like Chelsea? 22:54 A plant in the wrong place? Weren't they here first? But gardening is largely about declaring what we want to grow and where. How does Jack find a middle ground? 25:25 Managing a weedy population – regular culling 26:22 Jack's wildflower meadow and help with weeding 27:15 Practical steps with embracing weeds – where do you start with becoming wild about weeds? 29:22 A weedy through-line – how weeds flow through all of Jack's work *** Thank you to Milli Proust for her delightful reading from Jack's book, Wild About Weeds, published by Lawrence King in 2019. My own book, To Stand and Stare; how to garden by doing next to nothing, is published by DK Life, and is available here I'm ever appreciative of all my listeners for your continued support and reviews, I really do appreciate them. You can support the podcast by buying its producer a virtual cup of coffee for three quid, at https://ko-fi.com/andrewtimothyOB. Proceeds will go towards equipment, software and the monthly podcast hosting fees.
substack: Bramble & Briar website: www.andrewtimothyobrien.com email: [email protected] instagram: instagram.com/AndrewTimothyOB
More from Gardens, weeds and words
Episode Summary: In the Season 4 premiere of Gardens, Weeds & Words, Andrew Timothy O'Brien explores the fluid boundaries where gardens refuse to stay contained – bleeding into thoughts, literature, and everyday conversation.
Gardens, weeds and words podcast, S03.5 E03 show notes A blend of slow radio, gardening advice and conversation, and readings from the best garden and wildlife writing. These notes may contain affiliate links.
Gardens, weeds and words podcast, S03.5 E02 show notes A blend of slow radio, gardening advice and conversation, and readings from the best garden and wildlife writing. These notes may contain affiliate links. Autumn is settling in and, if we're honest, we start to spend less time actively gardening. More time for the soil to grow what it really wants, more time for us to start dreaming next year's garden into being. In this episode, we hear how weeds have evolved to depend upon us making room for them to exploit, with another reading form Jack Wallington's Wild About Weeds. And I bring you the second instalment of my series on easing into harmony with your garden.
Gardens, weeds and words podcast, S03.5 E01 show notes A blend of slow radio, gardening advice and conversation, and readings from the best garden and wildlife writing. These notes may contain affiliate links. Garden soundtrack Shamelessly pinching the title from Jack Wallington's fabulous 2019 book for this episode – which is only fair, as it's the jumping off point for this whole mini season. We're looking at how we can understand our gardens – even enter into a state of harmony with this space around our homes – but I don't think we can even begin without getting to grips with the whole subject of weeds, what they're trying to tell us about our soil, and how we can learn from them. We salute summer as it reaches its peak and, just as quickly, begins to pass the baton on to the next season, and enjoy a reading from the introduction to Jack's book.
This is a little bit of a teaser. Series 4 of the Gardens, Weeds & Words podcast is starting to come together, but you know how long it takes for things to assemble inside my head. And, from there, to make the journey through all the twigs, and moss, and soil and stuff, into the editing software and out into the real world in a state I can share it with you. So I thought, while I'm working away on that, I'd put a little something out in the meantime. So here comes season three and a half, a short series on the subject of weeds, what they're trying to tell us, and how they can lead us to a beter understanding of our gardens. Listen to the trailer for an idea of what's in store...