Shows
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaTea Trade - The history of an everyday intoxicant. Guests: Hanna Hodacs & Annika Windahl PonténTea series
Find all Flora and Friends episodes on our blog.
Learn more about my guests Hanna Hodacs and Annika Windahl Pontén at the Uppsala university website.
Find Hanna's book Silk and Tea in the North
Discover the Intoxicating Spaces project.
Visit the Linné museum or Linné Hammarby in Uppsala
Take a dive into the old trade catalogues that Hanna recommended.
2022-03-161h 00
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaBioArt - Fine Art Meets Biology - Guest: Amanda SelinderHave you ever heard about bioart? Did you know that microbial biofilms and fungal cultures on Petri dishes can become pieces of art?
All this and much more you can discover in my interview with Uppsala based artist Amanda Selinder.
In her work Amanda fuses her background in fine art and her passion for textiles and natural pigments with her curiosity for biological processes. The latest outcome were fascinating pieces of artwork that give a glimpse into the life and biology of endophytic fungi isolated from leaves.
In this podcast interview we talked about
- How her interest for fine...
2022-02-0240 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaThe Flora and Friends Christmassy Mystery Plant RevelationDuring the last two episodes we have shared clues with you about the Christmassy mystery plant and here we reveal which plant it was and what the clues were referring to. With me in this podcast today are Melissa and Delphine, my friends and partners at Flora-L Design.
2021-12-2223 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaThe Flora and Friends Christmassy Mystery Plant Challenge - more cluesListen, guess and win fantastic prizes!
Join the challenge and submit your guess what our mystery plant is before the end of the challenge on December 20th 23:59 CET. Submit your answer here
Common names in Swedish/English/French or German or even latin names all count in our challenge!
Among all right answers we will draw three winners: one for an apron, one for a cushion cover and one for a Flora-L totebag. You pick among the plant microscopy design available in our webshop if you win.
Good luck!
2021-12-1505 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaThe Flora and Friends Christmassy Mystery Plant ChallengeListen, guess and win fantastic prizes!
Join the challenge and submit your answer before the end of the challenge on December 20th. In our last episode for this year which will be released on December 22nd we’ll draw three winners: one for an apron, one for a cushion cover and one for a Flora-L totebag. Check our web shop so you can prepare your design wish if you are the lucky one to win (designs are subject to availability)!
Submit your answer here
Common names in Swedish/English/French or German or even latin names all co...
2021-12-0805 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaA journey into the woods - Fungi in focus - part 2. Guests: Stephen Axford & Catherine MarciniakMushroom photography and filmmaking
See Stephen's photographs.
Watch their movie Planet Fungi.
Watch mushroom timelapse videos and interview with Stephen on the Planet Fungi youtube channel.
Find Planet fungi on Instagram.
Their book recommendation by M. Sheldrake Entangled life.
Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on future episodes.
2021-11-2441 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaA journey into the woods - Fungi in focus - part 1. Guests: Stephen Axford & Catherine MarciniakIn this episode you listen to my interview with Stephen Axford and Catherine Marciniak who are absolutely passionate about fungi, photography and film-making. Stephen and Catherine have been travelling their home country Australia and the world in the past 10 years to document mushrooms in pictures and their growth in time-lapse movies. In this first of 2 parts of the interview you will learn
- How they fell in love with fungi
- How they developed their documentation of fungi in photographs and in motion
- What led them to collaborate with researchers
- Why fungal documentation can be an important resource...
2021-11-1042 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaA journey into the woods - Fascinating lichens. Guest: Janolof Hermansson (Swedish language)What they are and why they are important.
For non Swedish-speaking listeners I recommend the English recent lichen episode on the FloraFunga podcast in which hostess Kaitlyn interviews Steven Leavitt and Lili from the Lichenology Lab at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, USA about their research on lichens.
Resources in Swedish recommended by Janolof:
Janolof Hermansson with Lennart Bratt, Bengt Oldhammer, Tomas Ljung, Rolf Lundqvist Hotade och sällsynta växter i Dalarna - Lavar och mossor
Svante Hultengren, Roland Moberg Lavar-en fältguide
Johan Nitare Skyddvärd skog: naturvårdsar...
2021-10-271h 02
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaA journey into the woods - The wood wide web - an ancient relationshipFungi form a large underground network in our forest soils that has important ecological functions for the growth and health of the forest ecosystem. In this solo-episode with Judith Lundberg-Felten, we take a deep dive underground and explore
- How old beneficial fungus-plant interactions, also called mycorrhiza, are.
- How trees and fungi can benefit from entering into a symbiotic (beneficial) relationship.
- Why they matter for the forest even today.
- What the risk of deforestation is for the forest ecosystem.
2021-10-1333 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaA journey into the woods - Phoenix from the Ashes. Guest: Julia CarlssonMy guest Julia Carlsson is one of the project leaders for the EU project Life taiga, that reunites 14 county administrative boards in their mission to enhance forest values and biodiversity through controlled forest burning. In this interview Julia shares
- what the benefits of controlled forest burning are
- how it is done
- how controlled burning is used in other areas of the world
- where you can visit sites of controlled burning
2021-09-2938 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaA journey into the woods - The virtue of forest bathing - Guest: Cornelia LohfForest series episode
Find our blogpost associated to this podcast for an English transcript of the interview and our favourite forest associated microscopy designs.
Read more about Cornelia and book a forest bathing tour with her here
Cornelia recommended two books for those who want to read more about trees and the forest:
D. G. Haskell's The Songs of Trees
P. Wohlleben's The Hidden Life of Trees
Y. Miyazaki's Shinrin Yoku
The latter book was also discussed in the plant book club. If you want to hear our critical and appreciative voices about...
2021-09-1542 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaA journey into the woods - Introduction to the upcoming seriesForest series - Introductory episode
Would you like to ask questions to our podcast interview guests? Reach out to us through our contact form to let us know which questions related to our forests burn on your heart.
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook and watch out for the post where we announce new interviews guest and ask your questions there.
Every podcast episode is accompanied by a blog-post that you find here.
2021-08-3106 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaPlant microscopy love - A Flora-L story. Guests: Melissa and Delphine, Flora-L DesignFlora-L Design creates print patterns from images of plants under the microscope. The three scientists behind the startup, Delphine, Melissa and podcast hostess Judith got to know each other as postdocs in Umeå, Sweden more than 10 years ago. They bonded over their love to plants, microscopy and textiles and founded Flora-L Design in 2019.
In this podcast episode the three plant-biologists share
- what their first contacts with plants were like as kids
- from where their desire to study plants grew
- what brought them to appreciate microscopy
- how they see the process of making patterns from microscopy images
...
2021-06-2354 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaFritillaria Icones - Bridging Science and Art - Part 2, Guest: Laurence HillIn this second part of my interview with botanical photographer Laurence Hill on fritillaria, we discuss
- Which hurdles and opportunities non-formal scientists can face when wanting to publish scientific contributions
- Why it is important to read more scientific literature than what one thinks may be important.
- What we can learn about human history by looking at plants and their cultivation
- How botanical art can be used to convey societal and philosophical thoughts
- How to find inspiration and tell your story using plants.
This interview is the 2nd part of my interview with Laurence Hill. In...
2021-06-0951 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaFritillaria Icones - Bridging Science and Art, Guest: Laurence HillLaurence Hill has dedicated the past nineteen years of his freetime to document fritillaria plants in detail using his photographic skills. He has made this extensive and marvellous collection of botanical photographs on fritillaria available on his webpage "Fritillaria Icones" where scientists and people with botanical interest can freely use his resources. Laurence has also used his photographs for creating pieces of composite art for various exhibits in the UK and Poland. In this first (of two) part of my interview with Laurence he shared
- how his botanical photography journey started with a garlic plant by the road in...
2021-06-0246 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaMountains of Fritillaria - Guest: Bob Wallis, The Fritillaria GroupBob Wallis is the chairman of The Fritillaria Group in the UK. He has, together with his wife, grown and travelled the world to see fritillaria for over 50 years. In my interview with him he shared
- how he first discovered his passion for fritillaries
- how he learned about growing them and about their native habitats
- how his holiday planing develops into research projects
- stories from places around the Northern hemisphere he has travelled to
- tips for those who want to travel to remote locations to find their favourite plants
- how books written 100 years ago...
2021-05-2642 min
Flora Funga PodcastEpisode 12: Plant Microscopy with Judith Lundberg-Felten CEO of Flora L. DesignAsk Flora Funga Podcast anything OR Leave a ReviewHello my scientists, I'm Kaitlyn Kuehn a plant biologist with a thirst for mycology. Today we talk with Judith Felten a researcher at the Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Center in Sweden. Her research interests are pertaining to the development of ectomycorrhzial symbioses. Her research aims on understanding the molecular mechanism required for ectomycorrhiza establishment. She is also the CEO of Flora L. Design where she:1. Takes samples from flora2. Takes microscope images (microscopy)3. Turns those images of the inside of...
2021-05-191h 30
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaFritillaria - A feast for bumblebees - Guest: Katarzyna Roguz, University of Warsaw Botanic GardenKatarzyna Roguz, researcher at the University of Warsaw Botanic Garden has studied Fritillaria meleagris since she started doing research during her Bachelor thesis and through her Masters and PhD theses at the University of Warsaw and her recent postdoc at Tel Aviv University, Israel. She has dedicated her research to the pollination biology of Fritillaria meleagris, F. persica and recently F. imperialis. I had the pleasure to have Katarzyna as my podcast guest and we talked about
- Why F. meleagris is so important for bumblebees
- How pollination biology studies are carried out
- Why plants may adjust self...
2021-05-1944 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaFritillaria - Serendipity on the King's meadow - Guest: Håkan Rydin, Uppsala UniversityFritillaria series - Episode 1
More about Håkan Rydin's research can be found here.
Håkan's tips for learning more:
The virtual flora established by the The Swedish Museum of Natural History.
Artportalen for finding a place where Fritillaria meleagris or other plants have been discovered close to your location (if in Sweden)
Judith's tips for a Fritilaria visit when you are at the West coast of Sweden is the botanical garden of Gothenburg.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or through our newsletter to discover Fritillaria meleagris under the microscope and the patterns th...
2021-05-1234 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaFritillaria series introductionWelcome to our introductory episode on our upcoming series on the plant genus Fritillaria. A very common species in this genus is Fritillaria meleagris, also known as snake’s head’s fritillary or chess flower in English, Kungsängslilja in Swedish, Schachblume in German or Fritillaire pintade in French. Do you recognize any of them?
In the upcoming episodes we will meet scientists and fritillaria enthusiasts from Sweden, UK and Poland. We will travel through interviews with these guests to different locations to understand why this genus is so interesting, what it takes to grow it and how research is done...
2021-05-0505 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaPelargonium - Rose Geranium Oil - Luxurious chemistry - Guest: Karen Swanepoel, SAEOPAMy interview guest for this episode is Karen Swanepoel, executive director of the South African Essential Oil Producers Association, botanist, lecturer, researcher and expert on essential oils and vegetable oils in South Africa.
In this interview we discuss:
- How the three Pelargonium species P. graveolens, P. capitatum and P. radens give traits to the P. var rosé hybrid for essential oil production
- Why none of the species alone would be able to provide the essential oil
- Which factors influence the chemical composition of the oil in the plant
- For what purpose the plant produces the oil
...
2021-04-2845 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaPelargonium - Visiting their many habitats (part 2) - Guest: Matija Strlic, IGGPelargonium series episode 5
In the first part of my interview with Matija, released in the last episode, he took us on an exciting journey to different places, many but not all in South Africa, and shares how geology, surface topology and the oceans around the Cape of South Africa shape an enormous diversity of Pelargonium habitats.
The place that Matija recommends for seeing Pelargoniums in South Africa is Pakhuis Pass near Clanwilliam
Learn more about the International Geraniaceae Group.
Matija's Pelargonium webpage for those who want to enjoy a digital visit of the...
2021-04-2133 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaPelargonium - Visiting their many habitats (part 1) - Guest: Matija Strlic, IGGMy interview guest for this episode is Matija Strlic, chairman of the International Geraniacea Group. Matija has collected Pelargoniums for more than 25 years and has travelled the world to observe them in their natural habitat. This is the first part (of two) of my interview with Matija.
In this interview you will discover
- What winter and summer growing Pelargoniums are and what you need to know to grow them at home
- That there are a few varieties of Pelargoniums native from Anatolia that can resist cold winters with frost and snow
- Into which sections the genus Pelargonium...
2021-04-1429 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaPelargonium - Breeding for Flower Power! Guest: Lennart Johnsen, Syngenta FlowersMy interview guest today is Lennart Johnsen from Syngenta flowers.
Lennart has over 40 years of experience working with ornamental plants, and all these years he has been dealing also with Pelargoniums. Today he is technical lead at Syngenta flowers, taking care of plant testing and production following Syngenta’s breeding programs of ornamental plants. Syngenta flowers provides plants for about 20% of the European Pelargonium market and 30% of the Swedish Pelargonium markets.
In this interview I asked Lennart
- How breeding programs for Pelargonium are looking like today
- What traits (characteristics) the breeders are looking for to create
- How lo...
2021-04-0736 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaPelargonium - its medical use and science. Guest: Nox Makunga, Stellenbosch UniversityPelargonium series - Episode 2
Find Nox Makunga on Twitter and Instagram as well as at Stellenbosch university.
Tell Judith about your favourite plant that you would like to learn more about by writing a message to me.
Pelargonium podcast episodes fit wonderfully to the spring, and so does our freshly released spring linen textile collection with designs of dandelion, heather, twinflower, birch and maple. Have you seen it yet? Take a look.
2021-03-3136 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaPelargonium - Easy Peasy Pleasure (Interview in Swedish language)Pelargonium series - Episode 1
This episode contains an interview in Swedish language. If you are not Swedish-speaking the translation of the episode is available on our website for your to read.
For more information about the Swedish Pelargonium Society (Svenska Pelargon Sällskapet) click here.
Pelargoncollections to visit or places where to buy pelargoniums can be found here
Booktip from Veronica: Pelargoner - Kulturarv i Krukan by Karin Martinsson - available second hand or in libraries
Online event "Nordiska Trädgårdar" March 25-28th 2021 with material available about Pelargoniums that oth...
2021-03-2435 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaIntroducing our series of Pelargonium episodesIn the next series of episodes, launching on March 24th, your hostess Judith takes you on a journey from your windowsill all the way to South Africa to learn about Pelargoniums.
You can look forward to discover
- The journey of Pelargoniums from South Africa to Europe in the 17th century
- Tips on growing pelargoniums at home and using them in the kitchen
- Their role for their native habitat in South Africa
- Their medical use and how modern science supports their conservation in native habitats
- Breeding technologies used for Pelargonium today in large scale industries
Meet...
2021-03-1702 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaNasturtium - Meals, Molecules and MedicineIn this episode you will learn
- how you can easily grow nasturtium in your garden
- how nasturtium can be used in the kitchen
- which molecules nasturtium contains that can have a beneficial health effect
- how nasturtium can be used as a medicinal plant
In this episode I discuss some tips about nasturtium for your garden and kitchen with Mona Prestele, owner of Prestele's Trädgårdscafé in Northern Sweden.
2021-03-1022 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaNasturtium - A seed by any other name...In this second episode about the plant nasturtium you will discover
- Why nasturtium has nothing to do with nasturtium officinale
- Why nasturtium makes your nose twist
- How nasturtium got its Latin name tropaeolum majus
- How plants develop from an embryo in the seed.
- What the endosperm in a seed is and why it’s important for plants and as a food source for humans.
- How we look inside a plant using sections and what one can see there.
My interview guest is botanist Melissa Roach from Canada, one of my partners at Flora-L Design.
2021-03-0323 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaThe mystery of the flickering nasturtiumNasturtium Episode 1
Find out more about your Flora&Friends hostess Judith via the Flora-L website.
The original publication by Elisabeth Christina Linné in the Transactions of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Annika Windahl Ponténs PhD thesis about the Identity and materiality in the household of Linné
Other resources about the Linné family:
Biography: Gunnar Brobergs "Mannen som ordnade naturen. En biografi över Carl von Linné", Natur&Kultur, 2019.
Fiction: Christina Wahldéns "Den som jag trodde skulle göra mig lycklig"
And for visiting Linné Hammarby and the Linnean g...
2021-02-2424 min
Flora and Friends - Your botanical cup of teaAbout the Flora and Friends podcastIntroductory episode
For reminders about new episodes, sign up for our newsletter at www.flora-l.com
2021-02-2108 min