The Garden Log

A fond farewell from Ben and directions to the new podcast Dear Gardener, where the Garden Log lives on in spirit. I'm going to keep the Garden Log online for those who want to relisten or are finding it for the first time. I'm think ready to start again from the beginning! Dear Gardener can be found on apple here: https://linktr.ee/deargardener If you have enjoyed the Garden Log over the past 4 years or would like to contribute to its ongoing hosting fees consider buying me a digital coffee at https://ko-fi.com/bendark

In this excellent episode Ben finds roses like cats, lawns like dunes and flowers like clothes pegs. Also featuring a few simple tricks to stop things dying.

Its a sultry spring day on the Garden Log. We muse on the kindness of strangers, advise on planting for a rubble-strewn drive and yearn for romance. https://ko-fi.com/bendark linktr.ee/bendark

In this recreation of a lost walk Ben visits the garden of G. N Brandt (deceased) who brought the arts and crafts movement to Denmark and whose modest orchard-watergarden-woodland survives in the suburbs north of Copenhagen. https://ko-fi.com/bendark

Its spring and Ben is gardening hard. In a special dispatch from the flowerbeds he reports on sparrows, cosmos and creeping jenny. Also featuring a trip to the fairground, tabloid libel and a woman named X

Ben discusses Ornithogolum, irises, poppies and golden fleece. Also featuring a trip to the Boboli gardens in Florence and a reading from The Grove: A Nature Odyssey in 19 1/2 Front Gardens - recently described by The Daily Telegraph as ‘the best gardening book of 2022’ and available to order from everywhere here: linktr.ee/bendark https://ko-fi.com/bendark

In this special episode of The Garden Log Ben walks out one mid-spring morning in search of beauty and blossom. The pavements brings him plants, thoughts, birdsong and some sort of helicopter, all of which are lovingly reported on. For more of this sort of thing try The Grove: Available to order now: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-grove/ben-dark/9781784727383

The garden log comes out in favour of seed heads, weeds some beds, throws some droops, sees some shoots - you know, gardening stuff! For events tickets go here - https://linktr.ee/bendark

What’s more tangled: a neglected climber or or human morality? The Garden Log sticks its head into thorns and finds out. https://ko-fi.com/bendark http://linktr.ee/bendark

Ben takes to the seed compost, hunts cactus through the snow and talks about his new book, which, by the way, is available to buy here! https://linktr.ee/bendark

Celebrate the return of the Garden Log with some of your favourite shrubs! Plus mulch shovelling, cotinus and some dodgey but lovable carex

In this starling-squalled episode of the Garden Log Ben is turned away from the botanic garden and makes his way to the mountains of Italy to talk about vegetables, olives and the Villa Cimbrone https://ko-fi.com/bendark

Ben tours the fruit trees of Bernstorff Slotshave, discovers a nuttery and uses it to muse on pruning, ivy, bees, wasps, dogs, figs, cliffs and trees. https://ko-fi.com/bendark

In Ben's first ever outdoor recording for the Garden Log he is driven from a historic kitchen garden to wander in search of euonymus, yew trees and friendly dogs. https://ko-fi.com/bendark

In this northerly episode of The Garden Log Ben discusses lime trees, hollyhocks, hedge heights and salsify and is refreshed by the Scandinavian approach to Japanese Knotweed.

In the last episode of the Garden Log’s three-and-half-year ‘season 1’ Ben reflects on the garden and looks forward a new chapter… www.ko-fi.com/bendark

Spring breezes blow the daffodils as Ben reports on the damage that winter hath wrought and the beauty of new growth www.ko-fi.com/bendark

In this midwinter episode of the Garden Log Ben plays dice with the Gods of Winter, prunes ground cover roses and discusses the newty beauty of psuedopanax www.ko-fi.com/bendark

Ben discusses snowdrop planting, creates a forget-me-not dream screen and warns of the dangers of the plum bun. www.ko-fi.com/bendark

www.ko-fi.com/bendark Hello! Ben here. It’s wet. The garden is half-flooded and really only good for eels and starfish. But never mind! We’re planting bright yellow achillea to cheer everybody up. All aboard for another voyage on H.M.S Horticulture.