Salley Vickers on a life lived in gardens

Sally Vickers is a Jungian psychotherapist and the author of books such as Miss Garnet's Angel, The Other Side of You and, most recently, The Gardener. The daughter of two communists, Salley was a teacher before she retrained as a psychotherapist, and her writing delves into the stuff that makes us human. She is also a keen gardener, especially at her country home in Wiltshire. In the midst of the downpours that broke England’s heatwave last summer, we met Salley at Kew Gardens, a place that has held meaning for her from childhood, through raising her children and now, as a woman who fosters a close relationship with her grandchildren. Inside Kew’s steamy Temperate House, we reflected on memory, motherhood and places that make us.

This podcast is inspired by my book, Why Women Grow: Stories of Soil, Sisterhood and Survival, which is out on March 2nd and available to pre-order now.

The Why Women Grow podcast is produced by Holly Fisher, and the theme music is by Maria Chiara Argiro. This episode features additional music by Zion, Salmon Like the Fish. Thank you to our partners at Seedlip. We've also been photographing our guests and their gardens and you can see the beautiful images captured by Siobhan Watts on my Instagram account, @noughticulture.