All The Dirt Gardening, Sustainability And Food

Digby Growns is Kings Park's Senior Plant Breeder. Digby, leads a small team of staff and volunteers involved in the plant breeding program. This week Deryn and Steve discuss the science behind plant breeding.

Louise Clark is a horticulturist at Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia in the US, and provides advice on growing green roofs, expands on her favourite trees and gives us an insiders look at the many outstanding gardens in the Philadelphia region.

Dr Josh Byrne, television gardening presenter with ABC's Gardening Australia, talks about how his love of nature and childhood spent in the garden developed into a career developing sustainable environments.

Bob Hunter, president of the Cactus and Succulent Society of WA, talks to Steve Wood and Deryn Thorpe about succulent and cactus varieties and shares the secrets of his potting mix and cactus shadehouses.

Horticultural therapy is using plants and gardening to promote healthy bodies and minds. Practitioners Glenice Batchelor and Jeanette Penklis talk with Steve Wood and Deryn Thorpe about how we can use our gardens to heal.

Scientists are beginning to understand that plants have abilities that we've only ever associated with animals. They can learn, have memory and decision making capabilities. Steve Wood and Deryn Thorpe discuss the latest research with scientist Monica Gagliano, a Research Associate Professor in Evolutionary Ecology and  Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia & Research Affiliate at the Sydney Environment Institute, University of Sydney.

Steve Wood and Deryn Thorpe discuss ways to save money in the garden like taking cuttings and making your own compost.

It's spring and Steve and Deryn discuss what should be planted in the veggie patch now. Listen in to find out tips for planting tomatoes, including their favourite varieties as well as how to get the most out of your, sweetcorn, zucchini, eggplant, Ceylon spinach, capsicum and chillies.

Our celebrity guest is Costa Georgiadis, a Greek-Australian landscape architect and the host of ABC's Gardening Australia. He is passionate about living a sustainable life and speaks to Deryn and Steve about connecting plants and people by showing them how simple it is to grow food on their verge. The wide-ranging conversation reveals Costa's rich cultural life which includes his crazy funk, disco, rock, cabaret band called the More Please Orchestra and his passion for umpiring rugby.

Natalie Woodman is a Nutritional Medicine and Gut Health Practitioner who works with clients online (internationally/nationally) and in Private Practice in her South Perth Clinic. Here she speaks to Steve and Deryn about how the Gut Microbiome impacts health. Natalie discusses how a diet that targets the gut microflora can improve health and conditions like digestive disorders, weight gain, depression, anxiety, eczema, psoriasis, acne, allergies, diabetes, high blood pressure and assist the management of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Parkinson's, MS and Alzheimer's.  Check out her recipe for delicious Kimchi a naturally fermented food that aids gut health which is easy to make at home. 

Dr Bob Longmore is a former pharmacy academic and herbal medicines writer who lives with wife Maggie on an 8 acre semi-rural garden in Nannup with extensive productive, native and ornamental gardens. Steve and Deryn talk to him about medicinal herbs, smoking feral fish and growing food.

Janine Mendel founder of CultivArt Landscape Design discusses how to make your small garden work. Janine believes that that 'at the end of the process, your house should look like it's been planted in the garden.'

Mark Tucek talks growing bush tucker plants in your backyard. The interest in Australian Bush Foods is being embraced by chefs all around the world. The unique flavours inspire culinary creativity and many of the varieties are easy to grow. 

James Talijancich 3rd generation wine grower from Western Australia's spectacular Swan Valley talks about the passion and art of producing their world acclaimed liqueurs, the value of using organic techniques in the vineyard and winning gold in London 3 years running in the worlds most prestigious fortified wine competition.

Tim Kershaw has worked in leading fine dining restaurants throughout Australia and the UK and shares what really goes on in the kitchens. He discusses his new found passion for growing his own organic produce and talks about the wonders of fermented foods.  

We talk with Alec and Jackie Hooper from one of Australia's most awarded Garden Centres Zanthorrea Nursery Australian Native Plant specialists.

Steve and Deryn talk with Waste Management Educator Peg Davies and discuss those important Winter tasks for the Garden 

Special guest John Colwill talks about his passion for sharing horticultural knowledge and discusses the history of Araluen Botanical Park famous for its Tulips, Camelias, Heritage Roses and Chili Festival.

Steve and Deryn talk Citrus for the home garden. We talk with Bill Davey about his work planting trees and shrubs in the wheat belt, the wonders of deep planting and the value of tube stock.

Steve and Deryn talk Permaculture with Charles Otway from Terra Perma. Permaculture continues to grow in popularity around the world and for good reason. We also discuss solutions for some of gardening's most common pests and diseases