Sally Flatman Talks ‘Our Plant Stories’ And The Importance Of Community Through Gardening
Contributions From SALLY FLATMAN
Sally Flatman is the host and creator of the 'Our Plant Stories' podcast. She is a former BBC Radio producer and has received an RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture from Capel Manor College.
Sally Flatman is the creator and host of Our Plant Stories, a podcast that tells the extraordinary stories of ordinary plants.
Sally combines her love of audio and production (she worked at the BBC for over 34 years) with her passion for gardening – having achieved her RHS Level 2 Qualification in 2016.
Learn all about Sally and the Our Plant Stories podcast in this interview.
Please note that the imagery featured in this article is provided courtesy of Sally Flatman.
How And When Did You Start Gardening?
“I got into gardening because my parents were gardeners,” says Sally. “My Mum and Dad were always in our garden, which wasn’t very big. I can remember being out there with them and I started to pick things up.
“The first time I think I really did it by myself was when I had just started my first job, working for BBC Radio Merseyside. I had an absolutely tiny balcony in my flat in Liverpool that I filled with pots and I loved it.
“Once I had filled it with pots, you couldn’t really stand on it. It was my happy space. I haven’t stopped gathering plants since.
“When I first moved to London, I ended up gardening outside the flat beneath me, as the couple who lived there generously let me keep my pots next to their bedroom window.
“It took me a little while to move from growing plants in pots to the ground because I was so comfortable with container growing.
“Eventually, I got my first garden and now I do both.”
What Does Gardening Mean To You?
“Gardening is my happy place,” Sally says.
“I love the cyclical nature of it. The great thing about gardening is if something wasn’t quite right this year, you can try again next year. It starts again so you can adapt your process.
“My garden is a place where I feel relaxed and I enjoy the creativity of what I can do in that space.”
You Have A Podcast Called Our Plant Stories. How Did The Idea For This Come About?
“I am a Radio Producer and I worked for the BBC for 34 years in features and documentaries. I loved recording and editing.
“However, I moved away from this by the end of my time at the BBC and ended up working in a completely different department.
“At the same time, in 2016, I began to do my RHS Level 2 qualification and I really loved learning about plants.
“During lockdown, I shared an office with my daughter who was working for a charity that had asked her to make a podcast. I helped her with editing this and it made me realise that I had forgotten how much I love editing.
“Our Plant Stories brings together two passions of mine: a passion for audio and a passion for plants.
“After I left the BBC in 2021, I spent quite a few months working out what a podcast might sound like for me and this gradually evolved into the structure I now have.
“My episodes always begin with a story about a particular plant, which is then followed by a conversation with people who share the passion. They always end with learning about how to grow the plant.”
“It’s storytelling through plants.”
Do You Have A Favourite Episode From The Show?
“That’s like asking me to choose my favourite child!” Sally laughs.
“What struck me is that all of the stories are so varied. I love that for each episode, a conversation about a plant can end up being a discussion about something completely different.
So no, I don’t have a favourite, but I love them all for different reasons.”
Gardening Can Be A Lonely Hobby. How Important Is Formulating A Community Through Gardening?
“I think it’s very important.
“When I first did my qualification, I finally found a community of people that didn’t start to glaze over when I’d talk about seeds,” she jokes.
“For me, my podcast is about finding this community worldwide. So many people share a passion for individual plants and I’ve come to realise that you can build great relationships from this.
“I hope that the podcast brings people together and enables them to have these conversations.”
Do You Have Any Words Of Wisdom For Aspiring Gardeners?
“Go for it – you never know where it may lead.
“Nurturing something is such a fun thing to do. Nobody gets it right the first time, so just learn from it and have a go.”
What’s Next For You And The Podcast?
“We’ve done 12 plant stories so far,” she explains. “Once a month, we’re releasing the offshoot episodes that delve a little deeper into the individual episodes.
“I am also starting to research for season 2. I want to find as many stories as possible that we could follow up on and see where it takes us.”
If you have a plant story that you’d like to share, please get in touch with Sally via her website or email her at sally@ourplantstories.com.
