my garden, my life Sarah Layton at Growthfully

In which I chat with Fiona Duncan, who travels the length and breadth of the UK, visiting and writing about hotels and B & Bs for her regular column in the Telegraph.

Although she's always enjoyed visiting gardens, and felt inspired by them, the garden attached to the thatched cottage where her husband grew up, and in which she now lives after a recent move from London, was a source of dismay and disapppointment.

As is the case for many garden owners it felt intimidating and she just didn’t know how to start. Enter a wonderful intuitive gardener called Ruth Farley who agreed to work on her garden if Fiona did so too.

This has turned into a wonderful collaboration and Fiona credits Ruth with supporting her to turn her relationship to the garden around and enhance her day to day wellbeing.

Towards the end of our conversation Fiona Kindly shares some of her favourite places to stay with gorgeous gardens attached, in varying price brackets, and I can’t wait to visit the ones I haven’t already visited.

A lovely conversation which I hope you really enjoy…

Jane Perrone, is the host of the popular ‘On the Ledge’ podcast about houseplants. She is also a journalist, a member of the RHS Advisory Board for House Plants and Cut Flowers and grower of weird, mainly perennial veg.

Our conversation ranged from compost, the fleeting nature of life, through houseplants and perennial veg to asking her family to compost her at the end. Well worth a listen!

Today my guest is Emily Wheeler who is passionate about harnessing the power of Biophilia, the innate human instinct to connect with nature and natural processes, for enhancing wellbeing in our homes and workplaces by designing beautiful comfortable spaces. 

She is a Social Worker and Interiors Stylist and Founder of Furnishing Futures, a social enterprise through which she creates homes for women and children in social housing that is otherwise provided completely empty of homely comfort.

We began by discussing the philsophy of Biophilia, what it is, how to use it and it can support us, before moving on to exploring how Emily became inspired to do the work she does, how Furnishing Futures came about and what she needs next to help her move forwards.

It is a heartwarming and inspiring conversation and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Simon Lycett is known for his sensational floral designs having spent his career designing floral installations ranging from the flowers for the film, Four Weddings and a Funeral, to displays at royal weddings and other high-profile events.  

Simon joined me soon after the worst of Lockdown was over, for what became a very moving conversation, from Lycett Towers, his headquarters underneath the arches in South London.

I chatted with Sue earlier in the year just after the opening of the new RHS Bridgewater garden in Salford which she was, understandably, very excited about - especially the impact it is having on the local community.

Our conversation covered so much - everything from Sue’s relationship with her own garden and the ways it has supported her at the most difficult times in her life, to her role at the RHS and how she has developed her ability to run such a large organisation.

In which I chat with Laetitia Maklouf, writer, journalist, mother and gardener who writes about managing her garden in 5 minute chunks whilst being a Mum. I find her writing moving, funny and very inspiring, full of useful gardening tips and ideas and I love the way she tells it as it is.

Our conversation, which took place, in early September, was wide-ranging across the subjects of Lockdown parenting, finding time for yourself (she was getting up at 5.30am to get things done before the family woke up - I wonder if she still is, ) gardening in 5 minutes a day. Oh, and mental health.