I wanted to share this news here first because many of you, who read the blog, have been on this podcast journey from the start.  In fact quite a few of you have featured in the podcast! 

I opened an email this week to find that Our Plant Stories was a finalist in the Independent podcast awards. Since this blog was always meant to offer a behind the scenes look at making a podcast, I thought I could share some observations about awards from an entrant perspective. There seem to be  many podcast awards (British podcast awards, the Webby Awards, the Ambies…) and fees to enter vary. 

The Independent Podcast awards bill themselves as: these awards were launched for those podcasts that are truly free of corporate ties. We’re taking things back to those who create their content in their backrooms, in their spare time and without the pressures of upsetting their sponsors along the way. If you create a podcast but don’t think you have a chance of winning an award against some of the bigger players out there, then this is the place for you and your show.

I think we can safely say that the Coffee Crew and a big THANK YOU to all of you who are part of it, do not equate to ‘corporate ties’. When entering an award, unless it’s obvious where your work will fit, eg the Garden Media Awards - ‘Radio broadcast or podcast of the year’, you have to search.  For some subject areas it is very easy; every award has a true crime category!   But for plants it’s a bit trickier, though there must be a poisonous plant story we could link to true crime? 

For the Independent podcast awards I chose educational, after all we do all leave the episode having learned how to grow the plant.  It seems that many podcasters also unable to find a perfect match chose this category and there were so many entries that the organisers have split educational into four and we are one of 6 finalists in ‘Educational: Environmental & Natural World’.

Can you vote - no.  The judges have made their decision and it will be announced in a ceremony on the 23rd Oct.  It will be very exciting to be in a room full of audio people.  I’ll link to the list of all finalists here - I have started to listen to some already as I think it will make the evening more fun if I have favourites in some of the other categories- seeing if I agree with the judges!

There was a wonderful moment of serendipity yesterday and regular readers will know that I love a bit of serendipity! I learned about Hill Close Gardens from a listener Janet. (Janet also features in an episode Janet’s London Pride.) After recording at Hill Close in Warwick back in the Summer, I thought it would be a great place for a Garden Media Guild visit and yesterday people came from Cheshire and London and Devon, amongst others, to see Hill Close and the Mill garden. The latter is in the shadow of Warwick Castle and was begun in 1938 by the present owner’s father.

My journey was a little challenged due to an absence of trains at Marylebone station but a reconfiguration, a tube to Euston and a train heading to Edinburgh and 2 changes later, I was there but a little late. I was chatting to the lady on the desk, about to head out to find the rest of the crew, when another visitor recognised me. Well Sophie didn’t exactly recognise me, she recognised my voice! She listens to the podcast and had come to Hill Close because of the Hill Close episode. It was so special to meet a listener and perhaps you won’t be surprised to learn that we both bought a plant!

Yesterday on the visit, I also met a garden writer, who some years ago had a wonderful garden connected idea, which she has turned into a charity. The afternoon ended with Liz and I sitting on a bench in Hill Close recording an interview that I will share with you soon. I always hoped that charity stories connected with plants and gardens would find their way into this podcast and it seems they have.

Have a lovely weekend

Sally x