Why Women Grow

Cynthia Fan on how plants work

Cynthia Fan was undertaking a pHD in plant molecular biology when her colleagues at the Edinburgh Botanics noticed how much she loved being in the greenhouses - and how s

Mary Keen on a lifetime of gardening

Mary Keen has worked in, documented and designed gardens all over the world for decades. But it’s the garden she’s made at home, during her ninth decade, that she writes

Yazmin Lacey on gardening as muse

When singer-songwriter Yazmin Lacey found herself adrift after the release of her first album, Voice Notes, she discovered an unlikely muse in the earth. And she decided

Maggie O'Farrell on gardening for stories

I’ve long been fascinated by roots - and the crossover between our families and the land that we are raised on. And it seems I’m not alone: Maggie O’Farrell was drawn to

Season 7: summer trailer

The sun is high, the ground is warm, and we’re inviting you to take a moment to pause this summer with the Why Women Grow podcast. This season, we’re speaking to women wh

Olia Hercules on gardening for survival

For many around the world right now, the green spaces that hold so many memories are caught in conflict.  This is the case for the activist, writer and chef Olia Hercule

Pollyanna Wilkinson on designing a life-proof garden

With a clutch of medals from RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court flower shows, a bestselling garden design book and more than half a million social media followers, Pollyanna W

Milli Proust on building a garden

When you become known for your garden - and what you grow there - what does it mean to up peasticks and move? ⁠Milli Proust⁠ is a gardener, writer and floral designer bas

India Knight on making home in a garden

There’s a school of thought that believes the garden to be an extra room of the house - albeit, outside. If that’s the case, then India Knight is a masterful host. The au

Season 7: trailer

It's been a bleak old winter, but spring is upon us and with it comes a brand new season of the Why Women Grow podcast. This Spring, we’re exploring what it means to leav

Daisy Johnson on how landscape shapes us

Daisy Johnson made headlines when she became the youngest person ever shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2018, when she was 27. But, as she tells us in this episode, her

Isabella Tree on rewilding a garden

Today we are at the Knepp Estate - a huge rewilding project across 3500 acres of land, undertaken by the writer and conservationist Isabella Tree and her family. As she

Michelle Ogundehin on finding home

What is it that makes a home? Interior design may not seem the first port of call to consider when we think about our gardens, but Michelle Ogundehin’s approach to how ou

Beyond the Garden: new season trailer

Leaves are falling, the sunsets are glowing, and we’re taking every moment we can to reflect here on the Why Women Grow podcast. This autumn, we’re exploring beyond the g

Jeany Cronk on ripping up the rule book

When Jeany Cronk moved her young family from London to the south of France, she did so on a mission to not only make delicious wine, but shake up the whole rose tradition

Louise Pascal on gardening in a time of crisis

What does it mean to be split between two places? Where we come from, and where we work? For actor Louise Pascal, putting on a character is part and parcel of her daily l

Jamie Beck on starting a new life in Provence

It’s easy to dream of building a whole new life, but it’s quite another to actually do it. Jamie Beck is a woman who knows - the American artist, photographer and author

The French Life: new season trailer

Summer is upon us - and the Why Women Grow podcast has gone on tour in Provence. Among the lavender fields, chateaux, rose gardens and town squares of Southern France, we

Jo Thompson and Kali Hamerton-Stove on strong beauty

Few Chelsea Flower Show gardens are designed by women. Fewer Chelsea Flower Show show gardens are created by the people they are intended for. And there has never before

Ula Maria on making space for loss

Some people move house for the location, some people move for the fireplaces: for Ula Maria, it was a neglected, overgrown garden in South London that confirmed her futur