What does it really take to run a small, sustainable nursery? This week on Roots and All, I'm joined by nurseryman and designer Ben Preston of Cliff Bank Nursery for an honest conversation about the realities of the job—from growing in sand and selling bare root plants to why local nurseries matter more than ever, and why it's truly a labour of love.

Benny's Insect of the Week: The Orange Ladybird

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Links

Cliff Bank Nursery

Instagram: @cliff_bank_nursery

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If you liked this week's episode with Ben, you might also enjoy this episode from the archives:

Episode 284: The Organic Nursery
In this episode, Sarah speaks with Sam Frings about building and running an organic nursery, exploring the challenges of growing plants sustainably, maintaining ethical practices, and creating a resilient small business — making it a perfect companion to today's discussion on the realities of nursery life.

Episode 175: Seeking Rare Plants
Nick Macer of Pan Global Plants joins Sarah to share his passion for unusual and hard-to-find plants, discussing plant sourcing, selection, and what it takes to run a specialist nursery — an ideal follow-on from today's conversation about plant choice, diversity, and the role of small growers.

What if Britain's fields were hiding a secret psychedelic past in plain sight? In this episode of Roots and All, I'm joined by historian and publisher Robert Dickins to explore the surprising story of our native mushrooms—from how they grow to the cultural and legal forces that have shaped our relationship with them. It's a fascinating glimpse into a little-known side of Britain's natural and social history.

Benny's Insect of the Week: The Orange Ladybird

Please support our sponsors - roastinghouse.co.uk and get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout.

Links

Psilocybe Pickers by Robert Dickins - Psychedelic Press, 2025

About: Robert Dickins, PhD, is a historian and publisher, whose works examines the social and literary history of psychoactive substances and altered states of experience. He is the author of Cobweb of Trips: A Literary History of Psychedelics (2024) and Psilocybe Pickers: A Short History of Bemushroomed Britons (2025), and is currently researching the connection between tripping and gardens for a forthcoming project. He is on the steering committee for Breaking Convention, Europe's largest psychedelic conference, and has been publishing in the psychedelic space for almost 20 years. He lives in the Vale of Pewsey, Wiltshire.

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If you liked this week's episode with Robert, you might also enjoy this episode from the archives:

Episode 371: Wild Edibles
In this episode, Sarah explores the world of foraging and our relationship with wild food — from what's safe and sustainable to pick, to the deeper cultural connections we have with the plants and fungi around us, making it a perfect companion to today's discussion of Britain's overlooked natural history.

Episode 136: In Search of Mycotopia with Doug Bierend
Doug Bierend joins Sarah to delve into the rich cultural and historical world of fungi, exploring how mushrooms have shaped human societies and imaginations — an ideal follow-on from today's episode on the hidden stories and significance of psychedelic species.

Small spaces, big wildlife. Writer James Canton joins me to discuss his book Renaturing and his two-acre North Essex project, showing how subtle, thoughtful interventions can revive biodiversity — a great companion episode to Randal Plunkett's conversation about large-scale "V-wilding."

Benny's Insect of the Week: European Orchard Bee

Links

www.essex.ac.uk

Renaturing: Small Ways to Wild the World by James Canton

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If you liked this week's episode with James, you might also enjoy this episode from the archives:

Episode 373: V‑Wilding with Randal Plunkett
Randal Plunkett joins Sarah to explore his large‑scale "V‑wilding" project at Dunsany Nature Reserve, where a hands‑off approach lets ecosystems recover and challenges mainstream ideas about restoration — a great complement to today's discussion on working with nature at different scales.

Episode 322: Garden Wildlife Ponds with Pete Case
Freshwater Habitats Trust expert Pete Case dives into the world of garden ponds — why they matter for wildlife, how to create and maintain them, and how even modest water features can support biodiversity, making this a practical and inspiring complement to today's episode about working with the land you have.

https://rootsandall.co.uk/podcast/episode‑193‑growing‑under‑protection/In this episode, I'm joined by Beth Gregg, founder of Claverton Cloches, who's on a mission to revive the beauty and practicality of Victorian cloche gardening. We talk about cloches of all shapes, sizes, and materials, how they can extend the growing season and protect crops, and explore the history, design, and sustainability behind them — and why sometimes the smallest structures can make the biggest difference in the garden.

Benny's Insect of the Week: Daffodil Dung Fly

About

Beth Gregg is a passionate advocate of cloche gardening and the founder of Claverton Cloches. Her love affair with the romance of the English garden, particularly the ingenuity of historic kitchen gardens, led her to explore the power of the humble cloche as both a practical and beautiful growing tool.

In her own garden, Beth uses cloches extensively to extend the seasons and create microclimates. She ripens chillies and tender crops outdoors in lieu of a greenhouse, overwinters flowers for early cutting in late spring, and protects delicate young plants from frost, wind and hungry garden visitors. For her, cloches are not ornamental extras, but transformative tools - simple structures that can dramatically improve yield, resilience and timing in the garden.

Inspired by antique Victorian designs, she went on to found Claverton Cloches in 2020, reviving traditional cast-iron and glass forms for modern gardeners who value both beauty and productivity. Her work celebrates the quiet practicality of historic garden craft, and the idea that functional objects in the garden can, and should, be deeply beautiful.

You can explore Claverton Cloches at www.clavertoncloches.com

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If you liked this week's episode with Beth you might also enjoy this episode from the archives:

Episode 142: Growing Under Cover with Niki Jabbour
Canadian gardener and author Niki Jabbour joins Sarah to share her deep‑dive wisdom on using crop covers, season‑extending techniques and protected structures to grow productive, weather‑resilient vegetable gardens — even in challenging climates. From practical crop‑cover strategies to prolonging your growing year, this episode is full of hands‑on insight for gardeners looking to get more from their space.

Episode 193: Growing Under Protection
Horticultural expert Guy Deakins joins Sarah to explore what "protected growing" really means — how to create successful micro‑climates in the garden, the benefits and pitfalls of sheltered environments, and how protection can boost plant health and productivity. It's a thoughtful complement to our discussion about cloches and ways of supporting plants through design and environment.

Tomatoes might be the gateway drug to vegetable gardening — but are we making life harder than it needs to be?

In this episode of Roots and All, I'm joined by Frank Hyman to talk about the origins of the tomato, why it struggles in our wet climates, and how small shifts in the way we grow can make a huge difference. From myth-busting pruning advice to clever ways of keeping plants dry and productive, this is a practical, good-humoured deep dive into growing better tomatoes.

Benny's Insect of the Week: Hairy-footed Flower Bee

Links

Ripe Tomato Revolution: Planting and Growing Every Type of Tomato - Beefsteaks, Cherries, Plums, Dwarfs, and Heirlooms by Frank Hyman

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If you liked this week's episode with Frank you might also enjoy this episode from the archives:

Episode 142: Growing Under Cover with Niki Jabbour
Canadian gardener and author Niki Jabbour joins Sarah to share her deep‑dive wisdom on using crop covers, season‑extending techniques and protected structures to grow productive, weather‑resilient vegetable gardens — even in challenging climates. From practical crop‑cover strategies to prolonging your growing year, this episode is full of hands‑on insight for gardeners looking to get more from their space.

Episode 324: Kitchen Garden Living with Bailey Van Tassel
Bailey Van Tassel joins Sarah to discuss cultivating a thriving kitchen garden, exploring seasonal growing practices, companion planting and strategies for turning a small space into a productive, food-focused garden. This conversation complements Frank's tomato insights, offering practical tips and inspiration for anyone looking to grow vegetables beautifully and successfully.

What happens when a thousand-year-old estate stops farming and lets nature take the lead? I'm joined by Randal Plunkett, who transformed his ancestral home at Dunsany Nature Reserve into a bold rewilding experiment — removing livestock and embracing a hands-off, vegan approach to restoration. We explore how his model challenges mainstream ideas about deer, biodiversity, woodland succession and the economics of conservation in a time of climate crisis.

Benny's Insect of the Week: The Spotted Thintail

Links

Dunsany Estate

Wild Thing: Finding hope and a home in the natural world by Randal Plunkett

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If you liked this week's episode you might also enjoy these episodes from the archives:

Episode 334: Food Farming Revolutionary

Grower Joshua Sparkes joins Sarah to discuss regenerative, soil-centred farming and how rethinking our approach to food production can restore ecosystems rather than deplete them. From building soil health to designing resilient growing systems, this episode explores practical ways to work with natural processes instead of against them. A companion to Randal's conversation about stepping back, restoring balance, and redefining our role within the landscape.

Episode 355: Turn Up The Wild

Dr Linda Birkin joins Sarah to champion wildlife-friendly gardening and the science behind creating spaces that genuinely support insects, birds and wider biodiversity. Sharing research-led insights and practical action, this episode focuses on building ecological richness from the ground up. It complements the Dunsany discussion, reinforcing the idea that restoring balance — whether in gardens or entire estates — begins with allowing nature's systems to function fully.

Can modular planting reshape our cities?

In this episode, the Upper Bloom team explores how modular, plant-filled containers are bringing greenery to dense urban streets, terraces, and retail frontages. A natural follow-up to our Sloane Street episode, we discuss whether these systems enhance biodiversity, serve aesthetic goals, or simply make challenging urban spaces greener, while also diving into sustainability, plant choices, and the practical realities of keeping cities green.

Benny's Bug of the Week: Green fanged tube web spider - sponsored by Cerddwr's Herbs go to www.cerddwrshb.com and use the code BUGPODS for a listener's discount.

Cerddwr's Herbs on Facebook

Cerddwr's Herbs

Links

Upper Bloom

Please support the podcast on Patreon

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If you liked this week's episode you might also enjoy these episodes from the archives:

Episode 363: The High Line
I explore the story behind New York's iconic elevated park, examining how an abandoned rail line was transformed into a richly planted public space that balances design, biodiversity and heavy footfall. A compelling companion to this modular greening conversation, it highlights what's possible when ambitious planting schemes reshape dense urban environments.

Episode 369: Retail Meets Urban Nature
This episode looks at the greening of London's Sloane Street, exploring how large-scale streetscape redesign can integrate trees, planting and infrastructure to soften the urban realm. It pairs perfectly with today's discussion, offering a broader civic-scale perspective on how cities can weave nature back into commercial spaces.

What if the future of our food system is already growing wild beneath our feet? Wendy Russell and Freda Farquharson explore the power of wild edibles — from sorrel seeds and citizen science to health, biodiversity, and climate-friendly farming — and how these overlooked plants could help shape a more resilient future for people, nature, and the land.

Benny's Insect of the Week: The Australian Orange Tip Moth - sponsored by Cerddwr's Herbs go to www.cerddwrshb.com and use the code BUGPODS for a listener's discount.

Cerddwr's Herbs on Facebook

Cerddwr's Herbs

Links

The website link for becoming participants of the project

The Wild Edibles logo was designed by Gabrielle Reith

Gabrielle Reith is an artist, illustrator and maker based in Scotland – small-stories

Milestones since the project's launch on 1st May 2025:

1st seeds sent out on 7th May 2025

Over 300 packets of seeds sent or delivered by hand so that's over 15 000 seeds sent out so far!

Furthest south sent - Kent

Furthest North sent - Shetland

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If you liked this week's episode with Brigit you might also enjoy these episodes from the archives:

Episode 155: Wild Food with Marlow Renton
Foraging expert Marlow Renton joins Sarah to explore the delights and responsibilities of harvesting wild food, from deepening our relationship with the land to understanding seasonal abundance and ethical foraging. A perfect companion to Wendy and Freda's conversation about wild edibles, knowledge-sharing, and reconnecting with overlooked plants in our landscapes.

Episode 349: Foraging Feasts with Flavour Fred
Chef and forager Flavour Fred shares his passion for turning wild ingredients into vibrant, accessible food, celebrating flavour, creativity, and sustainability. This episode beautifully complements the Wild Edibles project, bringing the journey full circle from growing and foraging to cooking, eating, and valuing wild food as part of everyday life.