episode 191 | show notes & advice
episode description
Garden design is certainly a creative affair, and while Hazel Gardiner’s background was once in fashion, her floristry studio exudes inspiration from which we can all learn.
This episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ explores Hazel’s journey from fashion to floristry, the thought process behind her own garden, and her absolute favourite plants for the garden and as cut flowers.
In this episode, discover
- How Hazel’s background in fashion and events gives her such a wonderful eye in the garden
- The inspiration behind Hazel’s zoned, structured garden in Stoke Newington
- Evergreen plants perfect for those wanting gorgeous impact all year round
- Hazel’s must-have plants in the garden and for cut flowers, from grasses like Hakonechloa to dinner plate dahlias like ‘Cafe au Lait’
links and references
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Pots
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Veg
Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook | Sarah Raven
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Episode 191 advice sheet
Hazel’s background giving her an eye for design (1:45)
To understand how Hazel turned so wonderfully to floral design, we first touch on her past aspirations in fashion - she secured one of only 27 places on a course at the London College of Fashion, and went on to work in broadcasting on remarkable live events like the MTV Awards and the Super Bowl.
The transition into gardening and floristry (3:30)
Shock news of a cancer diagnosis prompted Hazel to reassess her priorities, and during her treatment there was a solace that her garden in Walthamstow provided.
Hazel speaks to the joy and power that can be derived from nature, and why that led her to retrain in floristry.
Standouts from Hazel’s garden in Stoke Newington (11:20)
The approach that Hazel takes to her garden is nicely structured, and given the limited time that she’s actually able to garden, Hazel talks us through evergreens which reward her year-round.
Highlights among those evergreens include grasses like Stipa gigantea, whose natural structure also brings a warm tone to the garden, and the uniquely statuesque Cynara cardunculus, or Cardoon.
Hazel’s favourite garden plants and cut flowers (17:00)
To finish the episode, we hear Hazel’s favourite selections of flowers for the garden and as cut flowers, with inspiration for your own spaces.
For the garden, Hazel chooses things like Hakonechloa macra and Rhubarb, sharing her appreciation for certain plants with a prehistoric look to them. As for cut flowers, Cosmos ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Apricotta’ are perfect for vases, and Hazel lauds the extravagance of dinner plate dahlias like ‘Cafe au Lait’.
