With James & Joe away, we are diving into a topic AND questions episode, prepared in advance by your delightful hosts so you NEVER miss out on your weekly content... What starts with school detentions and gardening-as-punishment quickly escalates into chainsaws, harnesses, cowboy tree surgery, Viking arborists, and the strange satisfaction of watching branches fall into a chipper. James confesses to some deeply questionable early career decisions. Joe admits a lifelong obsession with people who climb trees for a living. Along the way they explore: – Why gardening should never be a punishment – The difference between tree surgeons and arboriculturalists – Why good tree surgeons are artists, athletes, and engineers – Tree Preservation Orders and why you can’t just “have a go” – Planting trees you later have to manage – the long game of gardening – Why trees matter more than ever as the climate heats up There’s storms outside the window, Olympic-level tree surgery fantasies, and a surprising amount of respect for people who willingly climb oaks in high winds. YOU too can put your questions to James and Joe in real time by subscribing to the Garden Collective for just £1. Follow, rate and subscribe on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.  This episode is sponsored by Kress, leaders in robotic lawnmowing and battery landscaping tools. Learn more here: https://www.kress.com/en-gb/  About our hosts James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular. Support James and Joe by becoming a member of The Garden Collective - a community for anyone who loves plants, gardens and sharing what they love - a place where experts and fellow gardeners all come together to inspire, entertain and keep us company whilst we’re weeding (or staring out of the window at the rain). You'll get access to articles written by some great gardeners, live Q&A sessions, livestreams, podcasts and loads more.It’s more than a platform - it’s a place where we can answer questions, offer biscuits and share our triumphs and disasters.⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe now⁠.⁠⁠⁠ Follow James & Joe on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠. Follow The Garden Collective on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠Contact us⁠.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices