Discutafel podcast on eco-friendly gardening & permaculture

196: Chinese Medicinal Herb Garden in Bristol

In this last episode of our short series about the University of Bristol Botanic Garden, Ivonne explores the Chinese Medicinal Herb Garden. She picks up valuable knowledge and insights along the way. This garden has the largest collection of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs in Europe. 
The herbs are arranged according to their traditional use. What does tea do in the human body? How about that Japanese knotweed in a container? Which plants calm the mind or help blood to move? How can we use herbs to tackle the problem of drug resistance? 
As always, you can find more information and links in the shownote. 

Remember to always consult a qualified doctor and/or other reliable sources before using herbs as a medicine. 
The same goes for using western drugs, of course.

 

195: Journey through land plant evolution

Look at the plants on your windowsill, or in your garden. Do you ever wonder which of them have a long history? Which have strong origins in nature, in evolution? And how did they evolve and survive? 
In the second episode of this short series about the University of Bristol Botanic Garden, Ivonne takes you on an impressive journey through time. 
As always, you'll find more information and links in the shownote. 

194: University of Bristol Botanic Garden tour

In the first episode of this short series about the University of Bristol Botanic Garden, Ivonne takes you to the pollination beds, a section about human introduced crops, the western herb garden, and ballast seed border. She’s impressed by the Avon Gorge display. Over 30 kinds of rare plants grow in the this gorge in Bristol. This makes it a top botanical site in the UK. 
As always, you'll find more info and links in the shownote. 

182: Being part of a green team

Gardening can be an individual experience and personal hobby. For many it is also a shared activity to help nature and communities. 
In this episode, Ivonne talks to exhibitors at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park about the way they support nature or people’s happiness. In the break, she has a hilarious chat with two actors at the show. 

As always, you'll find more information in the shownote. 

174: Garden Museum, history of green art and design

We revisit the Garden Museum in London. This time, we concentrate on the artistic side of gardening. Ivonne looks at paintings and shares some knowledge of the history of garden design. 
However, we start with a nice to know fact about a gardener from the past. We end this coverage with a surprise. 
As always, you'll find more information and links in the shownote. 

Listen also to part 1 of our visit to the Garden Museum.

171: Inspiration from Inverness Botanic Gardens

Listen to part 2 of the Discucoverage Ivonne recorded in Inverness Botanic Gardens. This time, she explores a few gardens that can be inspiring for gardeners in northern Great Britain. 

As it happens, the so-called 'quiet corner' is not so quiet after all, so Ivonne strolls around a medicinal garden. She investigates a big bug hotel and a multifunctional hedgerow. A weather talk is appropriate on this sunny spring day! 

As always, you'll find more information and hyperlinks in the shownote. 

169: The hottest spot in Scotland

Ivonne and her travel companion treated themselves to a couple of hours in Inverness Botanic Gardens. The tropical house there must be the hottest spot in Scotland! 
Listen to part 1 of the Discucoverage Ivonne recorded for you while her friend kindly explored the gardens on her own, letting your podcaster do her thing. 

Go and wander with Ivonne through the warm and humid tropical house. Be impressed by the small but astonishingly beautiful cactus house. And learn about the GROW Project. Outside, tulips are flowering. It is early May in Scotland. 

As always, you'll find more information in the shownote. 

 

164: Garden Museum: a journey through garden history

Let's delve into British gardening in former times! Ivonne visits the Garden Museum in London. The galleries here tell the story of gardens in Britain from the 1600s until today. Ivonne points out several nice to know facts. 

• What was the title of the first magazine designed specifically for the amateur gardener? 
• Which flowers did soldier George Moore collect in World War I for his fiancé, who was at home in Newcastle? 
• Who were the 'weeding women'? 

Remarkably, the museum's home is the church of John Tradescant (1580-1638) who is considered to have been the first great gardener in British history. 
As always, you'll find more information in the shownote. 

Listen also to part 2 of our visit to the Garden Museum. 

161: Kew Gardens: the Hive, good vibrations

Listen to part IV of Ivonne’s visit to Kew Gardens in London. Fifth and last stop on your tour is the enchanting Hive.
The Hive is a unique installation and experience about bees communications. It represents the different levels of vibrations recorded from within Kew’s beehives. 
Ivonne shares some knowledge about honeybees. She invites you to sit back, relax and enjoy the special sounds of the Hive … 

As always, you'll find more information and links in the shownote. 

 

December 2023 = Kew Gardens month! 
We release a four-part podcast series on the famous Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in December 2023. Learn about the highlights, listen to some very special sounds. 
To accompany the podcasts, we publish blogs about Kew Gardens, their history and importance for now and for our future. 
Visit content about Kew Gardens on Discutafel.nl. 

158: Kew Gardens: Princess of Wales Conservatory

Listen to part III of Ivonne's visit to Kew Gardens in London. Fourth stop on your tour is the magnificent Princess of Wales Conservatory. 
We learn about a recently identified plant species which was hiding at Kew for almost two centuries before it was recognized. And who was Minerva Hamilton Hoyt? Why is she being remembered as an early pioneer of the conservation movement? 
As always, you'll find more information in the shownote. 

 

December 2023 = Kew Gardens month! 
We release a four-part podcast series on the famous Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in December 2023. Learn about the highlights, listen to some very special sounds. 
To accompany the podcasts, we publish blogs about Kew Gardens, their history and importance for now and for our future. 
Visit content about Kew Gardens on Discutafel.nl.