I am really excited about tracking plants as they travel around the world, so despite the 9 hour time difference which has made for some late night recording, it’s been amazing to talk to a horticulturalist in Australia. People do ask where the stories come from and sometimes they have a very long lead time. I first came across Marion Whitehead in Sarah Wilson’s podcast Roots and All. Do take a listen it’s a great show and Sarah has done over 200 episodes.

I have just looked and Episode 161 with Marion called Plants and People, went out on the 6th June 2022 - almost exactly a year ago! Marion said she was interested in “people’s personal stories behind plants” and of course my ears pricked up and when I started this podcast I asked Sarah to put me in touch with Marion.

As soon as we started to talk I felt Marion completely understood the idea of the podcast and told me that in 2023 it would be the 200th anniversary of the first Camellia arriving at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney. It had come from England. She was also about to embark on breaking ground for a new Camellia garden at the Blue Mountain Botanic Gardens on Mount Tomah. She was so clearly passionate about the once in a lifetime chance to do this, to plant a garden that will live on long beyond those who build it.

The radio producer bit of me loves any chance to use sound to transport us to a different place and we always say that the ‘pictures are better on the radio’! So imagine my joy when I suggested to Marion that she might record a bit of audio for me from the site of the new garden and she said yes! So if you listen to this week’s episode you will hear her describing what is around her, so beautifully, as she sits there in the early morning light.

As I write this blog I am about to record the conversation part of this podcast putting Marion together with Geraldine King who looked after the Camellia collection at Chiswick for 8 years. She is also passionate about Camellias. She is now the Head Gardener at RHS Rosemore. I am excited to hear them connect over this beautiful plant.

I also want to give a shout out to Jeremy Wilson who runs a nursery called Strete Gate Camellias, overlooking the sea, in South Devon. We met at the Malvern show where he had just won a Gold medal and he patiently explained to me more about the plant and its history. As a grower he feels that Camellias are having a bit of a hard time. People think they are too big, too difficult, flower for too short a time and then the flowers go mushy in the Spring rain. So let’s hope that this plant story can start in its own small way to be a shout out for Camellias because I think the passion of people like Marion and Geraldine and Jeremy can be infectious.