Welcome back Garden Gabbers!! Today we are wrapping up our English Gardens Summer Series with a proper treat... and our very first Garden Gab guest! The one, the only… DEAN CHARLTON!🇬🇧🌿

Pull up a chair (preferably with a mug of Yorkshire Tea) as we catch up with our dear friend Dean—gardener, printmaker, plant propagator, and all-around delight. Molly and Tessa first met Dean while working with him at the legendary Great Dixter, where Dean was a gardener for 6 years. Dean was Molly’s housemate and Tessa’s garden “handler”... and alongside Dean the girls learned everything from dividing perennials... to the sheer panic of accidentally over-pruning one of the most famous hollies  in England. 😅✂️

Dean now runs Hooton’s Walled Nursery in his hometown of Rotherham, England in Yorkshire with his dad, Glenn. In this episode we're chatting about what it really takes to grow a nursery from the ground up, why some of the best plants come with the best stories, and why the world could use a few more mad keen gardeners.

As the girls chat with Dean they wander through Great Dixter memories, British folklore, the yearly flow of nursery work, old-school growing techniques, the beauty of slowing down, and why gardening stubbornly demands time and attention in an instant gratification world.

Whether you have an interest in growing some plants yourself, or just want to be transported over the pond for a bit… pop the kettle on. This one's for you. 💚

Thanks for joining the Gab! Be sure to stay in the know on all things Garden Gab by subscribing to our show Substack HERE! 

SHOW NOTES

• Shout it from the rooftops… Tessa and Molly are planning their first Garden Gab field trip to MOTHER ENGLAND! If you are interested we would love for you to read through the FAQ and register your interest HERE!

• Check out more about the story of Hooton’s Walled Nursery and read all the press Dean has received for all the waves his nursery is making in the THE NORTH!!

• If all our chat about Dean’s art background perked up your ears, look no further than his lovely Etsy shop. You can join Molly and Tessa in collecting the complete Dean Charlton Garden collection!