East Ruston Old Vicarage September Special (Talking Dirty Podcast)

Alan Gray and Thordis look back at East Ruston Old Vicarage's starring role on BBC show Gardeners' World, plus container planting, greenhouse overhauling and Hedychiums.
PLANT LIST
Manihot grahamii
Ptilotus exaltatus
Begonia fuchsioides
Tradescantia 'Maiden's Blush'
Salvia involucrata 'Bethellii'
Ageratum petiolatum
Phlox drummondii grandiflora 'Sugar Stars'
Coleus argentatus syn Plectranthus argentatu
Coleus argentatus 'Hill House'
Helichrysum petiolare
Osteospermum
Ricinus communis 'Carmencita'
Dahlia 'Jomanda'
Hedychium deceptum
Canna brasiliensis
Dahlia 'Ken's Rarity'
Dahlia 'Magenta Star'
Dahlia coccinea var. palmeri

[@anitaswart.]

Lovely to see you two again. My favourite podcast. I'm South African, living in Cambridge for the last 19 years. Came over for my British born husband's health. I visited my daughter in SA for three months, over last Christmas. Luckily it really isn't a big thing there, specially if you are Afrikaans. We used to be outside having a barbecue and swimming. My daughter moved out of Johannesburg to Kwazulu Natal, which is close to the Indian Ocean and sub tropical. I thought I knew SA, but this place was completely strange to me. When you showed the canna I was amazed because this canna grows wild there. Another flower I had never seen, was a yellow straw flower, white arum lilies and orangy gladioli, all wild growing in masses along the roads. In April Cosmos also grows along the roads in masses, I used to get travel sick and at the age of four used to walk a bit to feel better and I remember all the colours of Cosmos. When I had my own place I used to drive a few miles outside Johannesburg and go and pick a bunch and when I got home they looked very sad, but plonk them in a bucket of water and beautiful. When I started my tiny garden here I needed a dahlia called Gerrie Hoek, because I grew up with Gerrie Hoek and was very excited and it grew and flowered, but then it was demolished and if plants are not insect and slug proof I just don't bother. Gerrie Hoek is sold by Ashridge nursery. And it is amazing how many plants there are...... I also always had a Peace rose, because I always knew it in my life, but in the UK it is just one black spot, nothing in SA. When I was five years old, we moved into a house with a garden that mainly existing out of cannas, red with dark leaves, like the modern ones. My mother paid us three to pick the seeds, blackish the size of a pea. And I always thought Cannas were weeds. On KZbin someone said you need to scrape the seeds for easier germination. Gardening has been uphill for me, but I have gained so much knowledge. If only I knew that I actually needed an allotment, something also foreign, but really clever. Growing up in Johannesburg, we had so many immigrants after the second world war. Portuguese who knew how to grow vegetables. Dutch, masters with flowers. Germans with butchers. It was a wonderful place to grow up and live. My mother's garden was a natural child friendly place and we had a bore hole, so we had water. Every Saturday afternoon we would spend making little paths for the water and so watered the garden. Moss growing under the fig trees and I made little gardens in tins. So free and creative. Once again thank you for knowledge and laughter.

[@christopherhills1609]

Yes, fascinating on GW. Would be nice to get more of East Rushton on the tv Enjoyable horticultural discussion Any chance of having an expert on Sidalceas soon?

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Lovely to see Alan and the garden on GW