my garden, my life

Nov 23 2021 19 mins 14

my garden, my life Podcast artwork

Listen in as garden designer (and former psychotherapist), Sarah Layton enjoys fascinating conversations with inspiring women who enjoy a special relationship with their garden. We discuss gardens, plants and wellbeing, of course, but also travel to a world of unexpected subjects that matter including personal space, self-care, feminism, body image, perfectionism, nature, social history and more.

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Fiona Duncan, The Hotel Guru

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 sourc

Jane Perrone, Queen of Houseplants

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 wo

Emily Wheeler, Biophilia and Furnishing Futures

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

Simon Lycett, Florist Extraordinaire

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 und

Sue Biggs OBE, Director General of the RHS

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,

Laetitia Maklouf, Author, Gardener, Mother

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 o

Grace Alexander, Seed Merchant and Clinical Psychologist

A fascinating, rich and reflective conversation with Grace Alexander, a seed merchant and Consultant Clinical Psychologist working in Child Protection who lives, and grows, in Somerset. Grace and I met through Instagram and its been a joy getting to know her a little through our conversations.

Marchelle Farrell, Gardener, Psychotherapist & Psychiatrist

I first encountered Marchelle through Instagram (her handle is @afroliage) where I was struck by her poetic and expressive use of the garden/life metaphor and her Bio which read ‘Gardening as a subversive act. These are the things my garden told me.’We connected over a post in which she said she was ‘her ancestor’s wildest dream’ which particularly touched something in me

Sue Stuart-Smith, Author of The Well Gardened Mind

In this episode, recorded during Lockdown, Sue reads a chapter from her book, we discuss the concept of Garden Time, the extraordinary Arnap Rehabilitation Garden in Sweden and the amazing Microglial Cells, known as gardeners of the mind for the way in which they are able to prune and tidy debris in the mind whilst we sleep.

Bex Partridge, Author of Everlastings

In this epiosde, recorded in May, during Lockdown, i have a lovely conversation with Bex that journeyed through gardening, postatal depression and mothering, the importance of creating structure in our gardens, and how to use pressed flowers in a way that your granny wouldn’t recognise! If was a delight and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.