What if rest could be a radical act of resistance? In this episode, I talk with Evie Muir, author of Radical Rest, who challenges the myth that burnout can be cured by self-care alone. Evie offers a bold vision of rest as a communal, transformative practice grounded in Black Feminist and abolitionist thought. Tune in to explore how rest and time in nature can lead us from exhaustion and grief toward joy and resilience—and what it takes to build a world where we can all thrive.

About ‘Radical Rest: Notes on Burnout, Healing and Hopeful Futures’

We’re burnt out—drained, anxious, overworked, and unsupported. The answer cannot lie in occasional self-care practices when our exhaustion points to a much deeper societal problem. Self-improvement cannot truly help us within a system that demands so much while giving so little in return. Instead, we need a full reimagining that prioritises a thriving, abundant life.

Through a Black Feminist, abolitionist, and nature-focused perspective, Evie Muir invites us to envision a world rooted in radical rest. Muir explores what genuine rest would feel like and how it would reshape our experiences. They examine burnout’s core emotions—rage, grief, anxiety—and imagine the transformation toward hope, joy, and abundance that meaningful change could bring.

Muir speaks with those most affected by and resisting burnout: Black, queer, disabled activists of colour. Through their lived experiences, a vision emerges of a world where radical rest is communal, grounded in connection—with each other, our bodies, and the natural world.

Links

‘Radical Rest: Notes on Burnout, Healing and Hopeful Futures’ by Evie Muir

Evie Muir on Instagram: @xeviemuir

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242: Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden - This week’s guest is poet and scholar Camille Dungy. Camille has documented how she diversified her garden to reflect her heritage in her book ‘Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden’. We talk about the politics of gardening, planting a nature garden and how nature writing has influenced our gardens in the past and how it can shape the way we do so in the future.

86: Nicole Rose of Solidarity Apothecary - This week I’m talking to anarchist organiser, agroecologist and grassroots herbalist, Nicole Rose. Nicole runs the Solidarity Apothecary, an organisation supporting mainly prisoners and refugees either by supplying herbal remedies or by facilitating the growing and making of these. We talk about Nicole’s work to help prisoners, refugees and other facing state repression by helping them with their physical and mental wellbeing through a connection to nature.

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Christian Douglas is redefining vegetable gardening with a focus on style and functionality. Drawing on examples from urban and rural gardens, including his own garden in Marin County, he offers practical advice on growing a variety of vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Christian talks about how to assess lighting and soil, pick plants suited to the climate, and discover creative edible alternatives to traditional landscape plants. Looking at spaces from small city gardens to large rural plots, and even a rooftop space, his new book 'Food Forward Garden Design' offers guidance on how to create a purposely designed and beautiful kitchen garden.

Links

Food Forward Garden Design: A Complete Guide to Designing and Growing Edible Landscapes by Christian Douglas, foreword by Tyler Florence

Christian Douglas on Instagram: @christian_douglas_design

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214: Food Forests for Plant Lovers - This week’s guest is permaculture designer and author of ‘The Plant Lover’s Backyard Forest Garden’, Pippa Chapman. Growing our own food is becoming more and more important, and Pippa has tips on creating a year-round food forest that is low-maintenance and good for wildlife, that can work in a variety of aspects and that is an enjoyable and beautiful space for people too.

52: Crops in Tight Spots with Alex Mitchell - This week I’m speaking to Alex Mitchell, aka the Edible Gardener. Alex is the gardening columnist for the Evening Standard and author of five books on gardening, including her latest ‘Crops in Tight Spots’. I speak to Alex about growing edibles when space in tight and she has some brilliant tips and tricks about how to grow, what to grow and what not to bother with. Alex’s book is based on years of experience and I respect her approach of trialling, experimenting (including catching pupae in jars and observing them as they hatch!) and just giving things a go. As a result of this hands-on experimentation, she’s developed some nifty time, money and space-saving methods and she shares some of those with us in the episode. For the rest, you’ll just have to buy the book!

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Mitch McCulloch is redefining how we grow and cook with plants. He’s is a former chef, turned seed hunter and gardener, who applies his culinary knowledge when choosing and cooking with the produce he grows. Not only does he select the most diverse and interesting varieties, he gets creative with how he serves up his produce. His new book The Seed Hunter is properly inspiring if you’re both a cook and grower and you want to get the absolute most out of your edible plants. 

About Mitch McCulloch

Author, seed hunter, and gardener with a passion for promoting and preserving rare heirloom food crops. A former chef from London, Mitch has turned his culinary expertise toward a quest to safeguard the rich, diverse flavours our world has to offer. Currently, he explores the globe in search of unique fruit, vegetable and flower seeds, documenting and preserving them to ensure that future generations can experience the delicious heritage and beauty of our past. Through his work, Mitch aims to champion and protect the biodiversity of our food system, one seed at a time.

Links

The Seed Hunter: Discover the World's Most Unusual Heirloom Plants by Mitch McCulloch

Mitch on Instagram: @mitch_grows

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287: Heirloom Vegetables - This episode my guest is former jewellery designer to the stars, turned social media veg grower, Lucy Hutchings. Along with music festival organiser, Kate Cotterill, Lucy set up SheGrowsVeg, an heirloom seed company which is bringing the most unusual veg, fruit, and edible flowers to veg patches and plates everywhere. 

188: Huw Richards on Veg Growing - This week’s guest is veg growing expert Huw Richards. Huw grows a vast range of plants in his garden in mid-West Wales and is always trialling and experimenting with new ways of growing. He has an enormously popular YouTube channel and has authored a number of books, the latest of which is ‘The Vegetable Grower’s Handbook’ which draws on his experience as very much a thoughtful and philosophical gardener.

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Andy Mitchell believes gardening has the power to be a uniquely beneficial arena for the addiction recovery journey. In this interview, we discover why he feels this is the case and why we have much more to learn about this particular aspect of horticulture.

Andy is Professional Addiction Recovery Coach and has conducted research into gardening as a tool to help people overcome addictions. Alongside having lived experience, Andy has extensive professional training within the field of Addiction.

About Andy Mitchell

Andy Mitchell is a Social and Therapeutic Horticulturalist (STH) and addiction recovery coach. His interest in how people in addiction recovery were using gardening through his work within the homeless and mental health sectors led him to do an MSc in STH within the field of Occupational therapy. His particular interest is how non-traditional recovery interventions, such as gardening, are helping people to help themselves through their recovery journeys.

Links

Andy Mitchell - www.myrecovery.me

Veterans’ Growth - if you're a veteran of the UK military or a family member/carer for a veteran and would like to speak to us about our courses or support services, please email [email protected]

Making the hard work of recovery more attractive for those with substance use disorders -

PubMed (nih.gov)

Putting Down Roots | St Mungo’s

To view the video filmed at Veterans' Growth to see how gardening can help with the recovery journey click here.

Samaritans 116 123

NHS call 111, or 999 

Text the word SHOUT to 85258

Perennial helpline - 0800 0938543 

Veterans’ Growth [email protected] 

Forces Helpline - 0800 7314880

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A Therapist’s Garden - This week I’m chatting with New England-based horticultural therapist and master gardener, Erik Keller, who is also the author of the book A Therapist’s Garden: Using Plants to Revitalise Your Spirit.Over 20 years, Erik has worked with thousands of people of all ages and types, using horticulture and therapeutic techniques to help them deal with physical, emotional and mental challenges. Erik talks about using an outdoor space as a place for therapy and learning and about the downs and ups of bringing horticulture into peoples’ lives as a way to heal. 

Social & Therapeutic Horticulture - In this episode, I speak to Damien Newman of Thrive, a charity responsible for promoting and providing Social Therapeutic Horticulture throughout the UK. Thrive is also the leading provider of training for those entering the profession. The Thrive website states;“Social and therapeutic horticulture is the process of using plants and gardens to improve physical and mental health, as well as communication and thinking skills. It also uses the garden as a safe and secure place to develop someone’s ability to mix socially, make friends and learn practical skills that will help them to be more independent.” – www.thrive.org.uk

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If you’ve ever been even a little curious about the magic of trees, you won’t want to miss this conversation with the ultimate tree expert, Tony Kirkham. We’re diving into Tree: Exploring the Arboreal World—a seriously stunning collection of art, history, and culture, centred around the human-tree connection. 

This book documents the historical significance of trees throughout human history, society and culture. This really is the coffee table book to end all coffee table books for anyone with even so much as a passing interest in trees.

About Tree: Exploring the Arboreal World

This exquisite survey presents a breathtaking sequence of full-page images – from landscape paintings and botanical drawings to ancient frescos, vintage book illustrations and contemporary photographs – revealing the tree as a source of inspiration throughout history. Spanning continents and cultures, Tree reflects the diversity of its subject, depicting giant sequoias, cherry blossoms, palms, poplars, ginkgoes and other species found across Earth’s forest biomes, in a wide-ranging selection of visuals dating from Ancient Greece to the present day. More than 300 images include Roman stone mosaics, illustrated Norse myths, Edo-period woodblock prints and living tree installations, each lavishly reproduced. Curated by an international panel of botanists, naturalists, art historians and other experts, the images expand the definition of botanical art, together forming a vibrant, vital homage to the natural world.

About Tony Kirkham

Tony Kirkham is a renowned British arboriculturist and tree expert, best known for his lifelong dedication to the care, study, and preservation of trees. He served as the Head of Arboretum, Gardens, and Horticultural Services at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where he played a pivotal role in maintaining one of the world’s most diverse tree collections. Over his distinguished career, Kirkham became an authoritative figure in tree health, conservation, and education, helping to shape public understanding of trees’ importance to ecosystems and human culture.

He has participated in several international expeditions, collecting seeds and studying trees in countries such as China, Japan, and Chile, to enhance Kew's collections and support global conservation efforts.

In addition to his practical work, Tony Kirkham is a popular figure in the media and has authored several books, including Remarkable Trees and Essential Pruning Techniques. He has also been featured in television series like BBC’s The Trees That Made Britain, where he shared his extensive knowledge of how trees are woven into the fabric of human history and culture.

Throughout his career, he's received numerous accolades, including an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to arboriculture, in recognition of his contributions to tree preservation and education. His work continues to inspire tree enthusiasts and professionals alike, highlighting the deep connection between trees and humanity.

Links

Tree: Exploring the Arboreal World - Phaidon Authors, forward by Tony Kirkham

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The Language of Trees - My guest this episode is artist and activist Katie Holten. Katie has just released a book called The Language of Trees, a collection of literary and scientific works by people like Robin Wall Kimmerer, Ursula le Guin, and Ross Gay. Using her Alphabet of Trees, the book is underpinned by the Katie’s art and asks us to examine our relationship with trees by pulling together wide-reaching strands and demonstrating in one place, just how connected we are to them.

Inspiration from Nature - This week, my guest is watercolour artist Lisa Gardner. Lisa is inspired by the natural world, the connection between breath and brushwork and rare wild plant species on the edge of extinction – seemingly far flung interests that come together in a beautifully natural and synergistic way in Lisa’s work.

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Want to know what the soil food web is, what inhabits the soil habitat, why soil health impacts on plant health and ultimately our health and what you can do to get the best out of your garden?  

Eddie Bailey is a geologist, organic no-dig gardener, and soil food web specialist who runs Rhizophyllia. Eddie is passionate about soil health and growing healthy plants that are good for you and good for the planet.

About Eddie Bailey

Eddie Bailey is a geologist, organic no-dig gardener, and soil food web specialist who runs soil health workshops through his company Rhizophyllia.

Links

www.rhyzophyllia.co.uk

Rhizophyllia workshops

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Growing Real Food for Nutrition - In this episode, I’m talking to Dr Elizabeth Westaway and Matthew Adams, founders of Growing Real Food for Nutrition, or Grffn for short. Grffn’s vision is for a world where all food is grown for its nutritional qualities using regenerative practices, and made accessible to all. We talk about how the way food is grown can affect its nutritional value and how this can support environmentally sound growing practices.

Garden Amendments with Nigel Palmer - This week’s guest is Nigel Palmer, an experimental gardener who brings to bear his experience as an aerospace engineer to analyse, identify and organise the various components that make plants grow well. From his research, he’s compiled a recipe book of garden amendments, some easy to make and some involving more complex methods, but all of which you can recreate at home and use on your garden for better plant health and resilience.

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What feature does a wildlife supporting landscaper refuse to install in a garden? What is the most beneficial addition for wildlife? And how can hard landscaping be compatible with wildlife and nature?

This week my guest is former ecologist and founder of NatureScaping, Nick Townsend, who sheds light on building greener gardens. Nick uses his knowledge of ecology and the environment in his landscaping business in order to make better gardens and outdoor spaces for wildlife.

About Nick Townsend

Nick holds a masters in Environmental Management and is a former ecologist. After working with different organisations within the ecological, environmental sectors, and landscapers he is applying this knowledge in a unique way to make a genuine difference to our cherished native wildlife. He works closely with teams of trusted contractors during NatureScaping projects to bring each project to life.  

Links

www.nature-scaping.com

NatureScaping on Facebook

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Green at Heart - The episodes generating the most feedback recently have been those featuring other gardeners and business owners who are trying to run green businesses, so I called on former guest and supporter of the podcast, Dave Woolmer. Dave changed career from law to gardening and has been forging ahead creating a business based on sound principles and horticultural excellence.

Landscape Led - Alexandra Steed is a passionate landscape architect with a profound commitment to art, sustainability, and the transformative power of landscapes. Alexandra recently authored Portrait to Landscape and we talk about the possibility of and the necessity for shaping our landscapes so they may help to heal the earth.

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Hello and welcome to this week’s episode which features garden writer , broadcaster and returning guest Kate Bradbury. Kate has a new book out One Garden Against the World: In Search of Hope in a Changing Climate. It’s been a while since we last spoke about Kate’s garden and with the opportune timing around the release of the book, I thought it would be the ideal time to catch up on what’s changed for Kate, her garden and nature in general since 2019.

Links

One Garden Against the World: In Search of Hope in a Changing Climate by Kate Bradbury

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Wildlife Gardening with Kate Bradbury - Following on from my episodes on native vs. non-native plants and gardening for wildlife, who better for me to interview than wildlife gardening guru Kate Bradbury?

We talk about the best ways to garden for wildlife, including what to put in to your wildlife garden and what to leave out. Kate champions some unusual species and our conversation touches upon aspects that may surprise even the most seasoned wildlife gardener.

The timing was perfect too, as Kate’s new book Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything hit the shelves 5 days ago. Once she’s tempted you with snippets of wildlife gardening gold, you can go buy the book and find out everything you need to know about turning your own garden, whatever its size, into a haven for all creatures great and small.

The Biodiversity Gardener with Paul Sterry - My guest this week is wildlife author and photographer Paul Sterry. Paul has written many books on wildlife but his latest, The Biodiversity Gardener, pulls together his decades of knowledge and the result is a wildlife gardening manual with real-life examples taken from Paul’s Hampshire wildlife friendly space.

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Think you know what slugs eat? And what eats slugs? You might be surprised...This episode my guest is retired academic and lifelong gardener Jo Kirby. Jo has written The Good Slug Guide, the first-ever book on slugs and snails that explains why the usual controls often don`t work, what slugs and snails really get up to, what they really eat and – importantly – what eats them.

About the Good Slug Guide

The Good Slug Guide is full of simple, practical advice on how to encourage your new-found friends and transform your garden into a beautiful, leafy and above all slug-resilient haven. It really is that easy, and The Good Slug Guide is all about the why and how.

Most scientists are not gardeners, and most gardeners are not scientists, and few scientist-gardeners have a background in the ecology of decomposition alongside a deep interest in environmental toxicology. This combination of skills and knowledge has prepared Jo Kirby uniquely to write a gardening book for the modern age.

About Jo Kirby

Jo Kirby is a retired academic and lifelong gardener who is passionate about the environment. His family were commercial growers who used pesticides and other grim methods of pest control routinely. By the 1990s it was clear that chemical pest control was causing a decline in flora and fauna, polluting the planet and harming a whole range of species, not just the intended victims. At college, Jo became interested in environmental toxicology and went on to do post-doctoral research in the ecology of decomposing plant matter before returning to the family business. Jo has undertaken a 30-year quest to understand the ecological processes at work in gardens, and how they might be adapted and used to help create beautiful places in which pests could never become a major issue.

Links

The Good Slug Guide: How to tackle the slugs and snails in your garden and help save the planet by Jo Kirby

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The Living Jigsaw - This week, I’m talking to journalist and author Val Bourne about her book The Living Jigsaw: the secret life in your garden. Val is a perfect example of a gardener who loves ornamental plants as much as she respects the wildlife in her garden. She walks the walk, produces writing based on her observations and has a palpable love for all the things that share her garden. We talk about how to achieve an outdoor space where there’s room for everything to flourish.

Making a Wildlife Garden - This week I’m speaking to gardener, TV presenter, author, government adviser and wildlife and environment advocate, Chris Baines. Chris designed the first ever wildlife garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in 1985, which was swiftly followed by his bestselling book ‘How to Make a Wildlife Garden’ so I thought it would be a perfect time to speak to Chris, given the continuing interest in wild gardens that we witnessed again at this year’s Chelsea.

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The episodes generating the most feedback recently have been those featuring other gardeners and business owners who are trying to run green businesses, so I called on former guest and supporter of the podcast, Dave Woolmer. Dave changed career from law to gardening and has been forging ahead creating a business based on sound principles and horticultural excellence.

Links

The British Association for Supported Employment 

Safe Opportunities are at safeopportunities.co.uk

Disability Confident Employment registration is at www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign

And Green Heart is at facebook.com/greenhearthort 

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Soil and Soul - This episode, my guest is Ella Malt. Ella runs an all female gardening team in Norfolk called Soul and Soul Norfolk Ltd. She is passionate about the intentional reimagining of existing spaces, and about renovation over replacement. Listen on to find out how Ella started her business and developed her team, whilst maintaining a focus on sustainability and nature.

Making Gardening Accessible - Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of Roots and All, where my guest is garden designer, TV personality and Trustee of the Gardening with Disabilities Trust Mark Lane. Mark talks about the various types of challenges people can face that might impede their activity in the garden, and how gardens and gardening can be adapted to enable people to carry on with these activities. He gives some excellent, practical advice for anyone who may need to adapt horticulture to suit their own needs or those of others.

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My guest this episode is gardener and activist Ed Allnutt. Ed is part of Plastics Rebellion and the @plasticscrisis Instagram account and campaigns to reduce the use of plastics, particularly in a gardening context. We talk about the most common offending items in the gardening world and discuss possible solutions to the current accepted ways of gardening so we can make changes that better the environment. 

Links

Plastics Crisis on instagram

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Waterwise Gardening - I’m talking water-wise gardening with Janet Manning. Janet undertook a three year project with the RHS and Cranfield University where she looked at strategies and techniques currently available to gardeners to help them both conserve and manage water in a way that reduces waste and protects the environment. We talk about why there’s a need to be water-wise in wet countries like the UK, what we can do to help and why gardens are an important part of the bigger environmental picture.

Running a Green Nursery - This week I’m speaking to Chris Williams, co-founder of Edibleculture, an inspirational nursery based in Faversham in Kent. From the day the nursery was established 5 years ago, ethically and ecologically sounds principles have been employed to create the brilliant business that exists today. We talk about how the nursery succeeds where so many others are failing to make changes; using peat-free compost, gardening organically without chemicals, eliminating single use plastics from their sales output and many other initiatives that make this nursery truly revolutionary.

Please support the podcast on Patreon