On this episode of Dear Gardener, Ben Dark takes us on a journey through the wooded Hampshire Hangers, discussing plants and history along the way. Passing cowslips, wild garlic, incongruous copper beech, and wildly inappropriate bamboo, Ben shares his love-hate relationship with these plants and how they fit in the changing English countryside. Our host also delves into the writing of William Cobbet and his critical commentary on the landscape while relating his own experiences with managing meadows and creating a space for both people and wildlife. Tune in to learn more about the beauty and challenges of gardening.

https://ko-fi.com/bendark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9cs657k9Q4

Episode breakdown:

[00:00:06] Podcast discusses the potential reason behind gardeners' dislike of the colour orange, possibly due to its association with plant blight.

[00:05:42] The English countryside is going through significant change as ash trees are being lost, allowing new plants and vistas to emerge. This is similar to the aftermath of the great storm of 87, which led to a boom in gardening as people were freed up to create something new.

[00:09:50] William Cobbet as inspiration for J. C. Louden. Weather and its importance to nature writers

[00:11:19] Forest floor covered in wild garlic due to deer agitating it in the dawn

[00:14:49] Trees grow conjoined with roots exposed.

[00:18:13] Dan Pearson's newsletter Dig Delve and artisanal tulip bulbs

[00:21:24] Eric Newby's wife and her drunken suitors.

[00:26:05] Description of a house with symmetrical plantings including a native white beam tree and a fantastically shaggy bamboo.