episode 200| show notes & advice
episode description
Dominic Rose holds multiple roles; Chair of Sarah Raven, self-appointed ‘amateur gardener’, and leading advocate in bringing biodiversity to the residential gardens and back yards of Britain.
In our 200th episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Dominic unpacks his ambitions for ‘Britain’s Biggest Living Garden’ – a community action project in North London’s Hampstead Garden Suburb – and explains how it might inspire others to support biodiversity in their own gardens at home, including the next generation of aspiring gardeners who’ll tend our green spaces in the future.
In this episode, discover
- The catalyst for creating Britain’s Biggest Living Garden, and the ecologists, authors and volunteers who have guided its mission
- How the benefits to biodiversity are already being measured
- Dominic’s ambitions to inspire the next generation of gardeners, with biodiversity at the forefront
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
Britain’s Biggest Living Garden: https://www.britainsbiggestlivinggarden.org/
Wildlife Gardening Forum: https://www.wlgf.org/
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Episode 200 advice sheet
The inception of Britain's Biggest Living Garden with Steve Head (2:20)
Detailing the early concepts behind the project, Dominic describes his discussions with biodiversity expert Steve Head, whom many of you will remember from his fascinating prior appearance on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’. Steve’s advice sparked the idea to bring a community plan together, creating an area that could be regarded as one of the most biodiverse urban spaces in Britain.
How the impact of the movement is being measured (9:50)
As the project grows and makes its mark, it’s important for Dominic to measure the impact of this widespread community initiative by conducting comprehensive biodiversity surveys, the early findings of which are demonstrating the biodiversity benefits of hedges in domestic gardens - as we’ve recently mentioned in a hedge-focused episode of the podcast with Adam Nicolson.
Dominic cites the iNaturalist App as a great source of information and tool for the community, where the combination of high technology and access to experts is helping people to understand and document the evolution of their gardens.
The fantastic benefits of getting kids and schools involved (12:50)
At the heart of Dominic Rose's vision for Britain's Biggest Living Garden lies a desire to inspire children to cultivate their horticultural knowledge and love of native wildlife. He’s created the HGS Kids Gardening Club, with members as young as 6 months old, whom he hopes will take the lessons of biodiversity forward into their future. Dominic has also noticed how the kids’ passion for nature-friendly gardening has influenced local families and the wider community, spreading their new-found skills and knowledge far and wide.
