Growing Greener: Harnessing the power of plants

Marigolds growing with cornflowers and ox-eye daisy

Diversity is a hot topic for us all right now – as we figure out how to create a more diverse society for 21st century living. And it’s clear, says today’s guest, that diversity also holds the key to how we should garden in the future – because diversity lies at the heart of the healthiest plant communities.

Professor Nigel Dunnett has been studying plants and creating landscapes for decades and is convinced that the future of gardening is not just about us working with nature, rather than against it, but that observation of the plant world points the way.

Listen now to this fascinating discussion between Arit Anderson and Professor Nigel Dunnett:


About our guest

Professor Nigel Dunnett is a Chelsea Flower Show medal-winner and best-known for creating public spaces that incorporate wildflowers and native plants – including the Tower of London’s Platinum Jubilee Superbloom, the Queen Elizabeth London Olympic Park (with Dr James Hitchmough) and London’s Barbican Centre.

He’s a plantsman, designer and pioneer of the new ecological approach, based on decades of experimental research, and is Professor of Planting Design and Urban Horticulture at the University of Sheffield. In 2016 Nigel was appointed as an Ambassador for the Royal Horticultural Society.


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