A chat with the President

Alan’s down-to-earth world of gardeningPeter Brown and Chris Day chat with horticultural supremo Alan Down in this latest Dig It podcast.Alan has been incredibly active in the gardening trade from early days in commercial growing inGermany, developing skills in germinating tree seeds and in Somerset to setting up a very successfulgarden centre and most recently taking on a new role - President of the Horticultural TradesAssociation. Alan is an accomplished gardening writer and broadcaster, who also enjoys worldwidetravel, photography and even deer management!Plant mentions Wildflowers, pot chrysanthemums, spray chrysanthemum, tomato, bedding plants,Japanese maples, hellebores, hardy ferns, ornamental grasses, and native trees.Alan’s desert island plant: Apple tree or a citrus lemon or lime if the island was in the tropics.Product mentions and useful linksTwo recommended peat-free composts Melcourt SylvaGrow Compost, Westland New HorizonCompostThe popular gift vouchers from the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) available from all GardenCentres and Nurseries who are HTA members.Hilliers Nurseries (container growing unit)Edible Bus Stop GroupCannington CollegePershore CollegeRoyal Horticultural Society educationBritish Deer SocietyInternational Plant Propagator’s SocietyLuminaries: Sir Harold Hillier, Roy Lancaster, Stewart Chambers and Stewart Brookfield, head ofhorticulture at Somerset College of Agriculture and Horticulture in the 1970s.HTA toxic plants list https://hta.org.uk/potentiallyharmfulplantsYou can follow Alan on these platformsYou can read Alan’s Blogs on gardening and travel on his website www.down-to-earth.co.ukGardening Candid appAlan on Instagram @alanedown Twitter @AlanEDown Candide UK: @AlanGardenMasterOur thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.