Bunny in the Garden with... (Bunny Guinness)

In this episode Bunny is in the Garden with Eric Dier. 

Hear about his the avenue of trees that lines up with his kitchen sink, his addiction to his sauna, that helps ease aches and pains from football (and gardening), and much more…

For those that don’t know, Eric is a professional footballer who has 49 caps for England, and who at the time of writing/uploading plays for the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, having come through the youth ranks at Sporting CP (aka Sporting Lisbon). Aside from football, Eric also co founded tech app Spotlas, with his younger brother Patrick, and friend Zoe Connick. Think of it as instagram meets TripAdvisor. 

In this episode Bunny is in the garden with Jim Carter.

For Downtown Abbey fans, Jim is instantly recognisable as the butler Carson. Aside from being Carson he has starred in many tv series and films including ‘Shakespeare in Love’, ‘The Golden Compass’, ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’,  and ‘The Good Liar’.  Most recently he starred as Abacus Crunch, in the 2023 film Wonka. 

Hear about how gardening is a brilliant hobby for actors to have, as it fits in well with down time between acting commitments, so much so that it united the actors on the set of Downton Abbey. Listen how Jim exploits his front garden, sitting in it and enjoy it, as well as this back garden. In England this is rare, as most front gardens have a street frontage and are lacking in the all important privacy. Hear Bunny’s envy on seeing Jim’s man cave, the most beautiful arranged shed, the envy of any gardener. And discover how Jim is trying to get gardening on the curriculum. 

In this episode Bunny is in the garden with the famous illustrator Matthew Rice, who previously ran Emma Bridgewater with his ex wife (Emma Bridgewater) and whose iconic illustrations adorn many of the mugs, plates, teapots and more. Matthews illustrations come to life in his garden (on the site of a medieval castle) which he has developed over the last ten years from scratch. 

Hear how he gardens, pick up some tips and hear how he developed his career since leaving Chelsea Central Schools of Art and setting up a furniture company, David Linley Furniture, with his old school friend.

In this episode Bunny is in the garden with Mary Berry. Having been famous for her cookbooks for many years Mary shot to new heights of fame when she appeared as one of the judges during the first 7 series of The Great British Bake Off, and subsequently The Great American Baking Show. 

Hear how she enjoys her garden with the help of Kevin, her trusty gardener, and how she has developed her career since leaving Bath High School with few prospects. 

In this episode Bunny is in the garden with the renowned broadcaster John Humphrys. John has had many notable jobs including being a foreign correspondent and a  diplomatic correspondent for the BBC, presenting the Nine O’Clock News, The Today Programme and Mastermind to name but a few. At present you can find him hosting the Sunday evening Classical Music Show (4-7pm GMT) on Classic FM. 

Hear how his garden is chockablock with plants from friends, how the places that he has lived have shaped the way he lives and gardens, hear him eulogise about his homemade compost, and  how he ‘stole’ fallen leaves bagged up by the local council. 

In this episode Bunny is in the garden with Angus Thirlwell. Angus, a real life Willy Wonka, is one of the 2 founding partners behind the much loved Hotel Chocolat. 

Listen to how ‘Mr Whippy’ played a part in Angus’s childhood, how cocoa beans are grown and traded, mentally transport yourself to The Rabot Hotel - the Hotel Chocolat hotel in St Lucia, and hear what is in store for Hotel Chocolat in the coming years. 

In this episode Bunny chats to Dr Olivia Chapple MRCGP, the co – founder of the Horatio’s Garden Charity.

It was Olivia’s son Horatio that had the initial idea to create a garden for the spinal unit at Salisbury hospital. At the age of 16 he had started the fund raising, got permission from the hospital and earmarked the space having carried out a survey with the patients on how their lives, post a life changing injury, could be improved. 

Tragically Horatio was killed by a polar bear aged 17. Olivia took on the challenge and now seven of the gardens are established and they are aiming to create gardens for the remaining 4 spinal units too. 

See the YouTube video ‘Bunny Chats to Olivia Chapple of Horatio’s Garden’, on Bunny's YouTube channel.  

In this episode Bunny chats to Craig Sams and Jo Fairley in their town garden. 

Craig and Jo have set up several successful businesses both together and separately, including The Beauty Bible, Whole Earth Foods, Green & Black’s, Carbon Gold and The Perfume Society. Craig has been chairman and held other positions for the Soil Association too. 

Both are keen organic gardeners and foodies. They have an old walled garden in Hastings that looks out to the sea. Jo successfully uses strong contrasting colours – reminiscent of their Green & Black’s packaging, in their house and garden. They have a huge lemon verbena ( Aloysia citrodora) tree, around 3m high and wide with a mature woody trunk, a stunning olive tree which Jo used to woo Sam, and which moved house with them from London. There are also Echiums, Pittosporums and other more tender plants. 

In this episode Bunny chats to Cath Kidston Padgham in her garden, and magnificent greenhouse. 

Most famous for her home furnishing company, Cath Kidston, that she set up in the 1990s, that produced wall papers, fabrics, clothes and bags all featuring her iconic prints. Cath has since gone on to set up 2 more brands, Joy of Print, a creative design studio, and C.Atherley, a natural body care brand inspired by rubbing geranium leaves. 

Listen and learn from Cath about setting up her businesses, how to grow geraniums, how to make spaces work from you, and hear about the iconic drum beat in ’In The Air Tonight’ by Phil Collins.  

In this episode Bunny chats to Sophie Conran, in her garden, which she has created lovingly over the last 10 years Sophie.
  
Like her Conran design dynasty family, Sophie is also a designer, retailer, author and cook. 

Having cut her teeth with Stephen Jones, Jasper Conran and the Conran shop to name but a few, Sophie then went on to launch her own store Wong Singh Jones and now she has her hugely successful Sophie Conran shop online where you can buy fantastic things for your home. From sofas to porcelain to bedding and more … Listen to the podcast to hear how she created her range for Portmeirion, and how she mediated her parents divorce. 

#sophieconran  #china 

In this episode Bunny chats to Jacqueline Knox in her studio, Jackie is a top physiotherapist and Pilates instructor who runs her clinic in Tallington, England. 

Jackie served as a physiotherapist to the British Rowing Squad, who won a gold at the Athens Olympics. She also co authored ‘The Official Body Control Pilates Manual’. Jackie is a keen gardener and co authored ‘Garden Your Way to Health and Fitness’ with Bunny. 

Gardening has huge potential to keep you fit and healthy, but if you over do it you can become unstuck! 

In this podcast Jackie explains the importance of various exercises, how you can garden to prevent injury, how to stimulate your Vagus nerve and what her perfect garden would include.

#motionislotion #olympics 

In this episode Bunny chats to top florist Shane Connolly. 

Shane is a top international florist and has a clutch of Royal Warrants having done the flowers for The King and Queen’s wedding, The (current) Prince and Princess of Wales’s wedding, and King Charles’s coronation. 

Shane shares his views on his approach to arranging, choosing and conditioning flowers, how he is anti trends, how possibly his psychology degree helps him deal with over anxious brides as well as his love of gardens and plants. 

See Shane's studio and adjacent small growing space and get more hints on Bunny's YouTube video.

#shaneconnolly #flowers 

Listen to Bunny’s chat to Clare Bailey, wife of Dr Michael Mosley, who has just got back from doing a theatre tour with her husband called Eat (well), Sleep (well), Live (Longer). It was such a success they are now planning one in Australia where their influence has really gathered momentum. They are used to travel, Clare was two weeks down the Amazon working in a remote spot when Michael surprised her by tracking her down and proposed to her.

Clare gives great tips for healthy eating, and explains why fast diets and loosing weight quickly is -  contra to popular belief - a great way to shed excess rapidly AND keep it off. The faster you loose way the more likely you are to keep it off. Clare explains how game changing fasting can be to help cure over weight patients to cure diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, inflammation, fatty liver, protect joints and other chronic diseases which were thought to be incurable.

Clare explains why Ultra processed food leaves people hungry and so we eat more and why high protein diets are good to make you feel full for longer.

Bunny and Clare chat about the lesser known benefits of gardening. Gardening makes you produce a hormone, BDNF,  which makes your neurons function more efficiently and also a chemical called VEGF, boosts the blood supply to brain cells.

Clare is a keen gardener, she loves mixing veg in her borders and grows lots of herbs too. She is just about to launch a new book including recipes for family favourites such as brownies, cheesecakes and crumbles to healthy cupcakes, scones and bite-size muffins, The Fast 800 Treats Recipe Book includes sweet treats and savoury snacks that won't send your blood sugars soaring.


#clarebailey #fastdiet 

n this episode Bunny is in the garden with Chris Baines. 

Chris made the first wildlife garden at Chelsea in 1985 and was one of the first Countryfile presenters. His best seller, ‘How to Make a Wildlife Garden’ came out in 1985, and has been in print continually since then. Bunny first met Chris when he interviewed her for the Landscape Architecture post grad diploma, and he made a big impression on her. 

Chris explains his environmental work which includes consulting on many huge projects such as being chair of the independent advisory group for National Grid New Electricity Infrastructure program and he is on Thames Tideway Tunnel ecological advisory panel plus numerous other roles. 

Chris was one of the first Landscape Architects to highlight the importance of creating areas in domestic gardens as habitats for wildlife.

#wildlife #squirrel

Robert Pavlis is a chemist and biochemist by training but in his ‘semi-retirement’ he has researched many garden topics approaching them from a scientific point of view and as a result has written two books on ‘Garden Myths’ where he debunks common misconceptions that gardeners adopt.  

He lives in Guelph, Ontario, and gardens at his six-acre home called Aspen Grove Gardens. 

He has published a handful of books and maintains two websites, gardenmyths.com and gardenfundamentals.com. 

His latest book comes out in Autumn (Fall) 2024 ‘Food science for Gardeners - Grow Harvest and Prepare Nutrient Dense Food’, the first book on this subject. Bunny chats to Robert about his garden, how he researches for his books and the exciting new information he has found for his new book. 

Robert is an award winning author of several books, Building Natural Ponds, Soil Science for Gardeners, Plant Science for Gardeners, Compost Science for Gardeners, Microbe Science for Gardeners and Garden Myths and publishes the popular gardening blog; GardenMyths.com and a YouTube Channel; Garden Fundamentals. 

Julia is a well known psychotherapist, author of the best seller ‘Grief Works’, and she has a podcast ‘Therapy Works’.  She is Godmother to Prince George, and was a close friend of the Late Princess Diana. Julia discusses her upbringing and how she got into psychotherapy via Interior Design.

In this episode Julia discusses her upbringing and how she got into psychotherapy via Interior Design.  She talks about her garden, which was originally laid out by Lutyens and Jekyll, and how she enjoys it at every season of the year. Additionally, she explains the importance of outside spaces especially when you are affected by trauma and grief. 

Bunny took Julia a gift box of beautiful products from Bertioli by Thyme, containing their hand & body lotion, hand & body wash, their 3-in-1 shampoo bar, a large double wick candle, and best of all their breathing balm. All of which are in their comforting Water Meadow fragrance, inspired by their water meadows at home in Southrop. Bertioli.co.uk.

In this episode Bunny Guinness is chatting to Nicky Haslam, the celebrated interior designer, in his garden.

Nicky has led a rich life from breeding and showing Arabian horses in Arizona,  to being a photographer, gossip columnist, author and a contributor to Tatler and working on British Vogue. He also ran his Nicholas Haslam shop in London. The ‘Nicky Haslam Tea towel’, which he regularly produces lists things Nicky finds ‘common’ and always causes a stir! 

Nicky has also collaborated on many garden designs and describes his approach to garden design and where he sources items and how he adores making things for his designs. 

Today Bunny Guinness is in the garden with Jimmy and Michaela Doherty, who set up Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, some 20 years ago. 

Jimmy and Michaela took on an almost derelict farm that had laid empty for 50 years, and it is now a humming, go to place with an ever increasing range of animals from Polar bears (in the worlds largest polar bear enclosure), to wolves, and rare breed pigs, cattle and sheep. 

Michaela’s grandmother was one of the first female students at Wisley. Her father was in the Ghurkas, and made beautiful gardens where ever he was sent. These influences are entrenched in Michaela’s DNA. She has created gorgeous gardens, and a beautiful natural looking landscape that surround and shelter the old Suffolk farm, bedding in the animals and buildings to the countryside in an idyllic fashion.

Bunny took Michaela and Jimmy a huge decorative outdoor thermometer - from The Worm that Turned - that is a thoroughly useful guide for any gardener.  https://www.worm.co.uk

Today Bunny Guinness is in the gardens of Badminton House, with Her Grace, The Duchess of Beaufort. In this episode Bunny talks to Georgia, Duchess of Beaufort, about the gardens. Hear about the stunning tulip planting Georgia has been in charge of, to give the garden more spring appeal.

Georgia Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort, married Henry Somerset, 12th Duke of Beaufort in 2018. Georgia is the grand daughter of the novelist Anthony Powell, she studied classics at Oxford University, before becoming a columnist and obituarist for The Daily Telegraph. 

Georgia, a keen gardener, is cataloguing the plants in the amazing gardens of Badminton House. There are many as Mary, Duchess of Beaufort, was one of Britain’s earliest distinguished women gardeners. Mary got into horticulture as she was trying to find a plant to ease her melancholy. She then began seriously collecting plants from many countries in the 1690’s, introducing more than 1500 plants, including Pelargonium zonale. Mary Somerset commissioned Everad Kickius to illustrate her choice exotics, and these are in her two volume florilegium which is still in the library at Badminton. Georgia is arranging for high quality prints to be made of a selection of these, so that they can be more widely appreciated. 

These fine gardens have been enhanced by a range of designers, including Charles Bridgeman, Capability Brown, Russell Page, and François Goffinet. Georgia’s husband’s mother, Caroline, was a keen and knowledgeable gardener, as is his step mother, Miranda, both who have put their stamp on the stunning gardens. 

In addition, the Badminton Estate are now working with the Royal Horticultural Society to create a new flower show in the historic grounds of the house in 2026, alternating with RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival which will become a biennial event in two years. 

To see what the garden looks like, Bunny Guinness’s YouTube ‘How the new Duchess of Beaufort is shining a light on the gardens of Badminton House.’ Is up now… 

For more episodes like this please subscribe. 

This week Bunny chats to Plum Sykes in her garden, in Gloucestershire. 

Christened Victoria but nicknamed Plum, she grew up with parents who had an extravagant lifestyle, mixing in high society circles, but with little money. Graduating from Oxford, Plum went to work for Vogue in the States. 

A successful novelist Plum is about to launch her latest book ‘Wives Like Us’ a satire based on the Chipping Norton set. Even before the release of the book, locals are guessing who exactly the main characters portrayed are based on! The hugely popular character, Shelby Fairfax is a Landscape Architect and Plum explains why she made this choice. 

Plum’s own garden is stylishly simple, and she talks about why it suits her, her favourite plants, whether she is a socialite and how she developed her fashion style on arriving in the Vogue offices.

In this episode Bunny chats to Guy Singh-Watson, who set up Riverford. 

Guy graduated from Oxford with a first class degree in Agriculture and Forestry despite being severely dyslexic, following a brief period working in New York as a management consultant he returned to his Devon roots and started growing veg on a 3 acre plot with a wheel barrow and tractor. He built this into a business with an £11million pound turnover in 2022. 

He is now starting to create a garden adjacent to the sea – Derek Jarmen style but with a few raised beds to grow -you’ve guessed it- veg. 

Guy gives advice about growing veg, and tells Bunny about his extraordinary life.

In this weeks episode Bunny talks to Bella Hoare in her magnificent garden next to Stourhead, the world famous 18th Century landscape garden created by Henry Hoare (Henry the Magnificent) . Bella is a direct descendant from Henry, and like him she is a banker and gardener but is also an artist. 

Her exhibition ‘A Different Green’  takes place at The Oxo Tower on London’s South Bank between 22nd May and 2nd June 2024.  

Bella has lived and worked in Russia, opens her garden under the NGS and is passionate about colour. 

See the video featuring the Bella’s garden, and Bunny and Bella, on Bunny’s YouTube Channel.

#bellahoare #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

This week Bunny chats to Max Cotton. Max was a political reporter in Westminster for the BBC from 1995. He left politics in 2012. 

Max decided he would live for twelve months from his small holding near Glastonbury of 5 acres only allowing himself to buy salt. As Max put it ‘I wanted a plain pastoral existence, that a chap in Saxon England would recognise, for its stoic simplicity of purpose.’

Bunny chats to Max about the politics involved in farming, William Cobbett who in the 18th Century reckon a quarter of an acre could feed a family, and how he grew 2500 calories a day to feed himself for 365 days. 

#bunnyguinnesspodcast #maxgrowingsolo 

Today Bunny is in the garden with Nick Mason and his wife, Annette Lynton Mason. Nick is a  founder member of Pink Floyd, and his wife, Annette, an actress and sculptress well known for her roles in big hits such as New Avengers, Cross Roads, Casualty, Treasure Hunt and more…

They bought their house in Corsham, Wiltshire from the Parker Bowles, after Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles divorced in 1995. 

Their garden is open on the 8th and 9th June 2024 for charity. Visitors can admire some of Nick’s car collection as well as their garden complete with pigs, sheep, cattle and sheep. 

Nick talks about life with the Pink Floyd, and his new band Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, the meteoric rise of Pink Floyd, and what sort of architect he would have been if he had continued his architecture studies. 

Annette explains how she makes sculptures for the garden, and life as an actress.

#bunnyguinnesspodcast #middlewickhouse 

his week Bunny is in the garden with Tim Hart.

Tim switched from a nine year long banking career to starting a hotel in 1979. Now his world famous hotel, Hambleton Hall in Rutland,  is renown  for its superb cuisine – it has held a Michelin star since 1982, for 44 years, the longest of any restaurant in the UK. Tim gained this just 3 years after opening, while AA Gill’s brother, Nick Gill, was head chef. 

The gardens Tim has created, which overlook Rutland Water, are also exceptional. Tim explains how they altered them to give them year round appeal and how he prunes his stunning cloud pruned cork oak, climbing the trees himself in order to do it. 

See the video ‘Fabulous Food, Fabulous Garden’ on Bunny’s YouTube channel where she chats to Tim and the Head Gardener Rob.

www.hambletonhall.com 

#hambletonhall #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

Bunny chats to Nina Campbell in her London Garden. Nina is the  Doyenne of Interiors and  is an   internationally renown Interior Designer. Nina  won the American Fashion award for ‘the Women who has most influenced style Internationally’ and works for many celebs such as Ringo Star and the royals. Nina is Godmother to Geri Halliwell’s daughter. 
She was born on the day after World War II ended.

Nina talks about her life and how she got into interior design. Nina she still enjoys running her business despite being 79 years old . Her wide business interests include having a  shop and designing fabric collections.  Nina has no intention of having an exit strategy,  but enjoys working with young designers and creating new ranges for a wide range of price points. Nina talks about her design strategies and how she plays with scale and  colour. In her tiny  London garden she has played with paving sizes to create false perspective, has used mirrors and narrow but high containers to  make the space look  bigger but also softer.  The palette of plants, the louvred fencing and the furniture are chosen with great attention to detail and together create stunning relaxing  spaces from what was a narrow, dusty, roadside  strip with no privacy from the public.

For Nina’s present, Bunny takes Nina a plant, Dianthus barbatus ‘Sooty’ , a short lived perennial with beautifully deep maroon flower heads that last for months. It also has an exceptionally long vase life. This plant self seeds (and is true from seed) so although technically a short lived perennial, in affect it rarely  needs replacing. To see Nina’s gardensee Bunny’s YouTube ‘Bunny chats to Nina Campbell in her London Garden’.

#ninacampbell #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

Bunny is in the seaside garden of Anna Pasternak. Anna is well known as a journalist and author. 

Anna had the privilege of growing up in a Gertrude Jekyll garden as a child, and loves gardens with different spaces or rooms within them. 

One of Anna’s favourite plants is lilac, as they were her great uncle, Boris Pasternak’s favourite. Boris Pasternak won a Noble Prize for his book ‘Dr Zhivago’.  Anna wrote a book ‘Lara: The Untold Love Story that Inspired Doctor Zhivago”, the book revealed for the first time the critical role played by Olga Ivinskaya (Boris’s mistress) in his life, and argues that without Olga it is likely that Doctor Zhivago would never have been completed or published.

Anna has also authored “Princess in Love” (about Diana and James Hewitt) and ‘Untitled:The Real Wallis Simpson’. Her mission is to write books that rehabilitate women whom history has treated unfairly.  

For her present, Bunny took Anna a little known plant, Aloysia polystachya, which can be used to make a delicious herbal tea that  has been proven to help relieve anxiety.

Bunny chats to David Austin Junior in his Shropshire garden. David Austin Junior is the son of the world-famous rose breeder, David Austin OBE who died in 2018. 

David (who is Bunny’s cousin) joined his father in the family business, after running a jewellery business for eight years with his first wife.  David has always had a keen interest in business, which he combines with a passion for roses. 

David talks about how he grew up with the rose business as a child, how he realised that his father’s business was going to be massive, and how he helped develop the strategy including the licensing to many countries, developing the wholesale side and working with the garden centres. 

David’s own garden is full of roses grown in many different ways.  He gives a fascinating insight into the business, the way roses perform and how to get the best out of them. 

To see David’s garden see Bunny’s Youtube video ‘David Austin junior’s Fantastic Garden with Great tips on roses’.

#davidaustinroses #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

Caroline Haughey OBE KC talks to Bunny in her idyllic garden (with its own cricket pitch) about the problems of modern slavery, how she works with the police and crime writers for TV dramas,  and her love of boots!

Caroline uses her outdoor spaces as a counterpoint to her frenetic life. Despite having a life time phobia of soil, she still loves gardening.  

Her  mother (who also ran her own legal practice) is an amazing gardener, and together with Caroline’s her late father, Baron Ballyedmond,  who was also was passionate about restoring and bringing to life houses and gardens, they did extensive work to Ballyedmond Castle, where Caroline spent some of her years growing up in a remarkable garden.

#antislavery #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

Bunny is talking to Emma Bridgewater in her seaside garden. 

Emma tells Bunny about starting up her business at the tender age of 23  - it now has a turnover of £30,000,000 - and how her stepfather’s accountant ‘begged her to desist’, not realising her determination, and how she wanted to help revive and preserve the pottery tradition at the potteries at Stoke-on-Trent. The days the factory not only produces thousands of pieces of pottery each week, but also has a factory garden, where she holds a literary festival most years. Emma was president of the CPRE (Council for Protection for Rural England), which highlights her passion for all things rural.

Emma talks about how she developed rheumatoid arthritis due to her frenetic lifestyle, and how she has managed to overcome it with help from outdoor spaces, her garden and learning how ‘to walk back to herself’.

Emma’s appreciation of gardens comes originally from her two grannies who were both keen but very different gardeners. Emma’s garden contains two verandas, important covered spaces for enjoying the fresh air in all weathers.  She talks about how she designed the verandas, her treatment of her pelargoniums, her love of herbs and her meadow. Plus how she added her amazing look out point with sea views created from a reclaimed metal staircase. Emma chats about her proposal to make a greenhouse from reclaimed windows that she is just about to embark on. 

To see Emma’s garden and kitchen see Bunny’s YouTube video ‘Emma Bridgewater’s kitchen, garden, veranda and lookouts’.

#emmabridgewater #autoimmune 

Bunny chats to Her Grace, The Duchess of Rutland, Emma, in her gardens at Belvoir Castle. 

Emma talks about her life and gardens, including how she won a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music to study opera singing, before changing direction and training as a land agent.  

Emma has completed many ambitious projects at Belvoir, including recreating the Capability Brown scheme for Belvoir Castle which was Brown’s final scheme, plus creating The Engine Yard, a retail village next to the castle, complete with a small hotel. Emma also explains how she has managed to bounce  back from her breakdown, which was triggered by the break-up of her marriage.

Emma also talks about the hugely successful podcast ‘The Duchess’, that she started, where she would chat to other chatelaines of English country houses.

#theduchess #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

This week Bunny is in best selling author Caitlin Moran’s garden.  

Caitlin is a best selling author, was the youngest broadsheet columnist for years and wrote her first book at 13. Bunny regards her as the nation’s psychotherapist as she takes problems we all have, makes them hilarious but gives us the tools to sort them. You always feel better informed having read her advice but will also have split your sides and will be empowered to embrace your conundrums with a lighter heart.

Caitlin uses her garden to help set her body clock, calm her frenetic mind and sort out her brain jams. Her garden design is like her writing, uplifting, full of chutzpah and cohesive. Her husband tells her to write a gardening book, her passion and skill is obvious. Her quick wit and knowledge would help make the nations gardeners more relaxed, upbeat and foreword looking.

Bunny ‘auditions’ Caitlin for Gardeners’ Question Time Her answers, are witty, not predictable but at the same time give knowledgeable, sage advice.  

To see Caitlin’s garden see Bunny’s YouTube ‘Caitlin’s Calming Garden’.

#caitlinmoran #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

Today Bunny is in the garden with the star of BBC’s hit series ‘Normal for Norfolk’ Desmond MacCarthy.  

Desmond talks about his beloved home, the Dutch gabled Jacobean, flint faced Wiveton Hall and how he has spent his life putting his energies into his family home with just a 250 acre farm to support it. 

The series was the precursor to Clarkson’s Farm, showing just how difficult it is today to raise enough income from farming. Desmond boosted the profile of the house through the tv series and has a café, shop, cottages to let, garden and house tours plus other ventures. Desmond was an engaging star of the tv series, an aristocratic gentleman with certain idiosyncratic tendencies, and hugely characterful eyebrows, and he has the audience on side throughout. 

To see Desmond’s house and garden see Bunny’s YouTube ‘WIVETON HALL - NORMAL FOR NORFOLKS GARDEN.’

#bunnyguinnesspodcast #normalfornorfolk

In this episode Bunny chats to Tony Kirkham MBE in his South London garden.

Tony Kirkham talks about his life growing with trees. 

He was voted one of the most influential Londoners in 2016 but in fact he has a huge influence world-wide. He is extremely pleased The BBC Radio 4 program ‘The Archers’  is now highlighting tree surgeons, but is concerned that vast quantities of trees are being planted in a way that ends up with poor specimens or dead trees and points out that in 50 years time the UK may well have the climate of Barcelona, and so we need to consider carefully what to plant. 

When Tony was asked out to dinner at Chateau Lafite, by the Rothschilds, surprisingly he took them trees not wine! 

Bunny took Tony a great ground cover plant perfect for growing in dry shade Mellitis  melissiphyllum, or Bastard Balm, which grows to 60cm high and has pink flowers, perfect, hopefully for under his trees.

To see Tony Kirkham in his garden talking about his passion see Bunny’s YouTube video ‘Trees: Tony Kirkham with Top Advice’.

#bunnyguinnesspodcast #tonykirkham 

In this episode Bunny talks to Bob  Flowerdew in his Norfolk garden. 

They talk about his previous work before he started gardening professionally which include chicken giblet washer (advancing to chicken box counter), council care-home cleaner, dog impersonator, glass fibre laminator, houseboy & cook in house of ill repute, festival security lighting engineer, marine engineer, museum attendant, nude model, Parisian guide, theatrical gofer, vitreous enamel applicator, arcade mechanic & pinball wizard. 

Bob though, is most at home performing.  He approached the producer of BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time some 28 years ago, where he had been in the audience and said he could do a better job, and was subsequently taken on by the producer. On the program, with its 2 million listeners a week, Bob has consistently promoted organic gardening  and had a big influence on the way people garden. 

Hear why he was booed off stage at Glastonbury , why he is not a big fan of hedgehogs in his garden and why he disagrees with George Monbiot about growing pineapples in the UK. He also has boycotted Tesco’s over their ‘Bags for Life’.

For his present Bunny took him a fig, ‘Desert King’ which is extremely cold tolerant with beautiful, large, melt in the mouth fruit. Not widely grown, but in Bunny’s opinion superior to ‘Brown Turkey’.

To see Bob in his garden watch Bunny’s YouTube video ‘Bunny and Bob Flowerdew bicker in Bob’s Norfolk Garden’. 

In the first of these two episodes top football correspondent, Henry Winter talks to Bunny in his Rutland garden about the importance of football to the economics of the country (somewhat larger than horticulture) and how footballers can have a huge influence  on excellent causes such as school dinners, autism and planting trees.

His brother Tim (aka Abdal Hakim Murad), says of Henry "I was always the clever, successful one. Henry just wanted to play football with his mates. I used to tell him, ‘I'm going to make loads of money, and you'll still be playing football with your mates.' Now he’s living in a house with 10 bedrooms and married to a Bond girl."

Henry proudly shows off his topiary yew avenue, modelled on Alice in Wonderland, his Lord’s bench and his garden lock down project. His father, John Winter, was a famous Architect and his mother was a garden designer, who worked with Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe and John Brookes amongst others. Hear how these influences have rubbed off on Henry! 

Henry read English at Edinburgh and in his small class of around ten were two now eminent gardeners - Sarah Raven and Isobel Bannerman. 

As a present, Bunny took Henry a French tarragon plant, great for soothing stomachs – when Henry is (very occasionally) scooped, a tea from this plant is brilliant for turbulent stomachs.

To see Henry in his garden watch Bunny's YouTube video ‘HENRY WINTER in his garden talking about gardening and football. The nations greatest passions!’

In the second of these two episodes top football correspondent, Henry Winter talks to Bunny in his Rutland garden about the importance of football to the economics of the country (somewhat larger than horticulture) and how footballers can have a huge influence  on excellent causes such as school dinners, autism and planting trees.

His brother Tim (aka Abdal Hakim Murad), says of Henry "I was always the clever, successful one. Henry just wanted to play football with his mates. I used to tell him, ‘I'm going to make loads of money, and you'll still be playing football with your mates.' Now he’s living in a house with 10 bedrooms and married to a Bond girl."

Henry proudly shows off his topiary yew avenue, modelled on Alice in Wonderland, his Lord’s bench and his garden lock down project. His father, John Winter, was a famous Architect and his mother was a garden designer, who worked with Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe and John Brookes amongst others. Hear how these influences have rubbed off on Henry! 

Henry read English at Edinburgh and in his small class of around ten were two now eminent gardeners - Sarah Raven and Isobel Bannerman. 

As a present, Bunny took Henry a French tarragon plant, great for soothing stomachs – when Henry is (very occasionally) scooped, a tea from this plant is brilliant for turbulent stomachs.

To see Henry in his garden watch Bunny YouTube video ‘HENRY WINTER in his garden talking about gardening and football. The nations greatest passions!’

#henrywinter

Today Bunny is in Isabella Tree’s ground breaking Walled Garden at the Knepp Estate. 

They start off in the more private garden by the stunning Knepp Castle before going into the Walled Garden that has been totally reworked creating hills and hollows to replace a flat croquet lawn and Traditional Kitchen garden. Lots of sand and crushed concrete have been added and the various aspects of the newly created slopes have been exploited to create a greater range of plant habitats to produce a greater biodiversity. 

The new garden around the restaurant is a most used area and even a dog wash has been added for those that have visited the rewilded estate. 

The present Bunny bought Isabella was an attractive  dark green hose with brass fittings from Claverton Cloches – something you don’t have to hide!  

To see Bunny chatting to Isabella in the gardens see Bunny’s YouTube  ‘Bunny Chats to Isabella Tree in her ground breaking gardens at Knepp Castle.

#knepp #rewilding

I must come clean, Rachel is not green fingered, but she has had an eventful life and talks about visiting her high achieving brothers garden at Chequers while he was PM. 

We are later joined by her husband Ivo Dawney, who is a keen gardener, and was a director and consultant to the National Trust. He tells us about visiting Chevening House, which was the home of Boris while he was foreign secretary, and about how he persuaded the National Trust to open up the Big Brother House and garden to get more National Trust members visiting London properties.

#bigbrother #nationaltrust 

Bunny is with the world famous fashion and textile designer Dame Zandra Rhodes in her zany 9th Floor flat in London, which has tiny outdoor spaces that face south, north and west. 

Despite Zandra having designed clothes for numerous super stars such as Freddie Mercury, Princess Diana and Princess Anne, Zandra has a very down to earth side being passionate about making her own bread, listening to the Archers and Gardeners’ Question Time and of course creating her spectacular garden.

Her home is filled with mementoes that she has collected throughout her action packed, extraordinarily  successful career that spans well over 60 years. Zandra entertains her eclectic and wide circle of friends regularly, cooking her famous salmon with mango salsa for them - though has been known to fall asleep at the table due to her punishing work schedule. 

Her pink hair is always a talking point but she explains the unexpected affect it has had on her illustrious career. 

To see Zandra’s  fabulous flat and gardens see Bunny’s YouTube video ‘Zandra Rhodes, in her plot with its fantastic plants, patterns and paints’. 

#zandrarhodes #fashionandtextilemuseum 

Bunny is in Edward Bulmer’s beautiful, renovated Queen Anne house in rural Herefordshire. 

Edwards family started the Cider firm, but Edward, having done a history of Art degree found that working in design was what really fascinated him. 

Apart from being a prominent interior designer, he has his design shop in London, and has founded his natural paint firm, Edward Bulmer Natural Paints. 

Edward is really a frustrated Landscape Architect, and in his own garden has restored a historic water garden, created vistas and amphitheatres, made a beautiful tented outdoor ‘room’ and a lock down water feature from old coppers, mash tuns, buckets and barrels. 

For his present Bunny gave him The Good Slug Guide by Jo Kirby for £12.95

To see Edward’s amazing gardens see Bunny’s YouTube video ‘Edward Bulmer in his Brilliant Garden.’

#paint #edwardbulmer 

Today, Bunny chats to George Monbiot, sadly not in his garden as it is a building site, but we hear all about his plans for the garden, which he is working on with his partner, Rebecca Wriggly. Rebecca is Chief Executive of Rewilding Britain. 

Bunny and George  chat about why  George had an unhappy time at Oxford difficult, (he had an open scholarship) though enjoyed his course, his several near death experiences, his thoughts on whether Bunny should change her diesel car to electric and where he buys his clothes. Plus ideas, of course, on how we can hopefully save the planet.

Bunny gives him a present of a Cambridge Gage tree from Frank Matthews. They are one of the largest tree growers in the UK with an extensive range of fruit and ornamental trees. Available as container grown or bare root in the winter, trees can be delivered to anywhere in the UK or you can visit their Tree Shop in Worcestershire. The delicious fruit have a  very short shelf life, so you can only enjoy them by growing your own.

#equality #wildlife 

Today Bunny is chatting to Melanie Reid MBE, about her garden in Scotland.

Melaine Reid is best known for her weekly ‘Spinal Column’ in The Times magazine, which discusses disability and her life as a tetraplegic, following a serious riding accident. 

Bunny and Melanie, chat about how she got into riding, the accident, dark humour in hospitals and aftercare. They talk about how gardening is good at reducing pain, and the positive effects the Horatio’s Gardens have had on spinal wards. 

For Melanies Bunny gives her 3 handmade wrought iron hares from Forge & Folie.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1648348342/add-a-unique-touch-to-your-garden-with

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557270892108

#disability #bunnyinthegardenwith 

Carole Boyd has been in the Archers since the mid 80’s. Following her training at the City of Birmingham University she then won BBC’s Carlton Hobbs award which involved a 6 month contract with  BBC Radio Drama Company.  But she started acting age 3, when, whilst being bored in long cinema queues, she used to sing and dance to entertain the other queue members. 

Carole voices all the female voices on ‘Postman Pat’, fell in love with Laurence Olivier in her early teens, and looked after her husband for twenty years after he had a stroke which removed half his brain. Though remarkably Patrick retained his speech and sense of humour. 

Carole talks about techniques to manipulate your voice and use it to be as expressive as your face. 

Bunny first met Carole when they were on the same team for University Challenge, and she describes her favourite colourful plants which she likens to ‘NewBerry Fruit Jewels’ a jelly type of sweet. 

#thearchers #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

Bunny is in the garden with David Haig MBE an extremely keen gardener though his famous face is familiar to many as Bernard in ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, Jim Hacker in the film of ‘Yes Minister’ and has appeared in ‘Killing Eve’, and the Downton Abbey film too.  

He is also a celebrated playwright, he wrote  ‘My Boy Jack’  where he not only penned  the play but also played Rudyard Kipling with Daniel Radcliffe as his son. 

David loves the rain and understands a fair bit about our climate having written the drama ‘The Challenge’ about the meteorologist James Stagg, who helped changed the outcome of the war by predicting the weather for the proposed date of D Day. 

See David in his garden in Bunny’s YouTube video ‘David Haig in  his Generous Garden talking about gardening, Acting and Playwriting’

#davidhaig #actor

Today Bunny is in the garden with Lulu Guinness OBE. Lulu talks about her approach to design, how she loves creating original designs whether for handbags, interior design, gardens or clothing. 

Several of her iconic handbags are in the V and A museum. Before setting up her business, Lulu was a model (probably the smallest one then in the world) a backing singer in Valentine Guinness’s band, and she made corporate videos. 

Lulu and Bunny discuss what its like becoming a Guinness!

#luluguinness #houseofguinness

Today Bunny is in the Garden with Sir Roderick Victor Llewelyn. Better known as Roddy. 

Roddy is a gardening journalist, author and garden designer. He had a weekly column in the Sunday Mail for 12 years. 

His father, the legendary Sir Harry Llewelyn, was the David Beckham of the day, an Olympic gold medallist in Show Jumping, and came second in the Grand National. His horse Foxhunter had a chain of cafes named after him.

As a present Bunny gave Roddy a Hand Widger from KENT and Stowe Westland, which is brilliant for weeding in awkward crevices, such as between paving slabs. 

To see Roddy's garden, watch Bunny's latest YouTube video 'RODDY LLEWELYN in his Garden!'

#roddyllewellyn #royalfamily

Today Bunny is in the garden with of Caryn Hibbert, founder and director of Thyme and the Bertiolli  Brand. 

Caryn started life as a medic, an obstetrician and gynaecologist  whilst having  and bringing up 3 children.  Then in the early 2000 Caryn changed tack and started developing her own business.  

Hear about the problems of combining medicine and a family, her brilliant father’s invention and her amazing water meadows with their extraordinary bird and wild flower populations plus golden moles!   

See Caryn’s Garden in Bunny’s  accompanying YouTube video ‘Caryn Hibbert in her Gloucestershire Garden’ 

#takethyme #cotswolds 

This week Bunny is in the garden with nursery women Claire Austin. 

Claire is the daughter of rose breeder David Austin (Senior) and worked with him following leaving Art College. Claire admits being more influenced by her mother, who also went to art college and was the gardener in their family.  Although when Pat died, her father, David took it over and radically altered it.  

Claire set up her own nursery growing perennials, irises and peonies and admits to really not liking roses as garden plants. 

She has written several books and is now on the council of the Royal Horticultural Society. 

#davidaustin #royalhorticulturalsociety

This week is the last episode in this series. 

The tables are turned and, Unity, Bunny’s daughter, as well as being the sound engineer, quizzes Bunny on her life, career and her garden. 

There is an accompanying YouTube video on Bunny’s YouTube channel ‘The Guinness Girls gossip about Life and Gardening‘ which illustrates various aspect of Bunny’s life they chat about. This will go up on or just before, Friday 20th December.

Happy Christmas and we hope you have enjoyed this series.

#family #guinness