Plants Grow Here - Horticulture, Landscape Gardening & Ecology

Michael Guerin is the CEO of Agforce, a peak organisation representing Queensland's rural producers, and in this episode he explains how Aussie farmers are using sustainable and regenerative methods when using their most precious resource: their land. He  speaks about cover crops, rotations, no-dig, the value of carbon in the soil, and he also defines the terms "sustainable" and &qu...

In our second episode with Dr John Martin of the Hollows As Homes project with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney ( transitioning to the Wildlife Assist project in partnership with a range of organisations around Australia including Taronga Conservation Society), we're releasing a chat John and I had before our Trees As Habitat interview actually began. He's speaking about his work as a...

Dr John Martin manages the Hollows As Homes project with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, which is transitioning to the Wildlife Assist project in partnership with a range of organisations around Australia including Taronga Conservation Society. In this episode, we speak about the importance of tree hollows, why native miner birds are more ecologically destructive than introduced miner birds,...

Adam Shipp is the creator of Yurbay, an organisation in Canberra which introduces people of all walks of life to traditional Aboriginal wisdom and helps them reconnect to the beautiful nature of his area. He speaks about his roots as a proud Aboriginal man, some of the uses of native plants, and explains how the dreamtime isn't something that happened a long time ago: it's something that...

Amanda Brezzell is a co-founder and CEO of Fennigan's Farms, an organisation in Detroit that helps people set up farms in small spaces in Detroit. In this episode, I was lucky enough to speak with her about how the conditions in her city make for interesting opportunities to grow food and connections with other human beings, different small garden setups, as well as some options for different...

Gavin Davis is the owner and creator of the soil amendment Soil Solver, which adds substance to light sandy soils using kaolin clay. He educates us on how this product helps free-draining soils hold moisture and nutrients, how much we should be using, and how it actually adds nutrients into the mixture. EPISODE LINKS Check out the Soil Solver website: https://www.soilsolver.com.au/ Find an outlet...

Ben Sims is a landscape business owner and a board member for the Landscape Industry Association of Western Australia. This time, he's popped on to help us understand some of the basics of garden maintenance; we talk about pruning, feeding native plants, and what he looks for when he turns up on-site. EPISODE LINKS If you aren't following Ben on Facebook, may I suggest that you go ahead...

Gary Moran is a consulting arborist from South Australia, originally from the USA, that runs the famous Trees etc. Twitter account, and he's provided an incredible episode that helps us understand trees a little bit better. We talk about the power of social media, what he sees when he looks at a tree, and epicormic growth on trees among many other things. EPISODE LINKS If you aren't foll...

Ben Kendrick is one of the leading mushroom enthusiasts on Twitter (@FungiwithBengi), and in this episode we're lucky enough to have him on to blow our minds with some fungal facts that are out of this world. Some of the topics we touch on are how dangerous it is to forage your own mushrooms, porous mushrooms as opposed to gilled mushrooms, and those weird little things that we call lichen. E...

Gillian Fennell is a cattle farmer sitting on a million acres in central Australia. In this episode, she speaks about looking after the land so the right plants can grow that will feed her livestock, why she runs only 5000 head of cattle on her massive property, and why branding the hide of animals is necessary. You might ask, "is a cattle episode relevant for the Plants Grow Here podcast?&qu...

Reece Irrigation & Pools is probably Australia's leading irrigation specialising shop, and in this episode, Andrew Webb a retic specialist from Canning Vale that assists people with designing irrigation systems and choosing the right parts for their project. We discuss some of his favourite products on the market, some of the ways in which Reece can help out pros and amateurs set up retic...

John Parker is the Technical Director for the Arboricultural Association in the UK, as well as a Stonehouse Town Councillor. He's a serious tree hugger and the perfect guest to help us understand what urban forestry means in this modern day and age. We talk about the concept of an "urban forest", planting the right tree in the right place for the right reason with the right after-ca...

Joshua Styles is an ecologist and science communicator from the UK that's doing some very interesting work, and in this episode, he entertains, educates and inspires us with information that he's picked up on his journey. We talk about carnivorous plants, peat bog environments and even sexually transmitted plant diseases! EPISODE LINKS Check out Josh's YouTube channel where you can...

APACE is a not-for-profit multi-faceted environmental nursery with a social conscience that offers educational resources, training for socially disadvantaged people and has a community garden among many other things. Jo inspires us in this episode by explaining how they are operating in the space. EPISODE LINKS Make a donation to APACE: https://apacewa.org.au/about-us/donations/ APACE's seed...

There's more to irrigation than might meet the eye. Luckily for us, Darren Senior (that's his actual last name, by the way) walks us through his favourite systems and some advice for newbies and professionals alike, including his favourite products, automated systems, and the benefits of joining organisations like Irrigation Australia and Waterwise. There are no paid advertisements in th...

Dan Flynn is a small engine mechanic and owner of the Stihl shop in Redcliffe, Western Australia. He gives us some of his best advice when it comes to machine operation, maintenance, repairs and buying new gear for home gardeners and gardening business owners alike. There are no paid advertisements on this episode. EPISODE LINKS Check out the Redcliffe Stihl shop https://stihlshop-redcliffe.stihl-...

Stuart Williams is a landscape architect and horticulturist, as well as the owner of one of the best Twitter accounts that I know. He posts a range of exotic and native plants, and I personally especially love regularly learning about new Aussie plants that I've never seen before. In this episode, we talk about plant scientific names, how they work, and why you might like to begin the journey...

Matthew Lunn is the CEO of the Nursery & Garden Industry of WA (NGIWA), as well as the Executive Officer for the Landscape Industry Association of WA (LIAWA). In this episode, we talk about how to differentiate yourself from the crowd by becoming a professional landscaper, as opposed to an ordinary one. Some of the topics we touch on include being water-wise, the benefits of joining an industr...

Renee Rose is the creator of The Big Green Project which is an urban farming initiative in Delaware that provides food for the community including for the disadvantaged. We talk about some of her work farming organic food for her local hospital, whether or not to wear shoes in the garden, and plant hardiness zones, which some of our Aussie listeners may have never heard about before. Check out her...

Eric Beza is my current boss and is the right guy to get on the show to teach you how to mow like a pro. In this episode, we discuss trade secrets related to cleaning up with a blower and the difference between two-stroke and four-stroke fuels. Check out the Acre website , and Facebook page , especially if you’re in the North-East suburbs of Melbourne. I’ve written an article called Whip, Mow, Blo...

Eric Beza is my current boss and is the right guy to get on the show to teach you how to mow like a pro. In this episode we discuss trade secrets related to mowing, including catching, side throwing, mulching and cylinder mowing. Check out the Acre website , and Facebook page , especially if you’re in the North-East suburbs of Melbourne. I’ve written an article called Whip, Mow, Blow & Go: How...

Eric Beza is my current boss and is the right guy to get on the show to teach you how to mow like a pro. In this episode we discuss trade secrets related to whippersnipping, brushcutting, edging or weed-whacking, whatever you like to call it. Check out the Acre website , and Facebook page , especially if you’re in the North-East suburbs of Melbourne. I’ve written an article called Whip, Mow, Blow...

Brenton See is a Western Australian artist that creates incredible murals of native wildlife. We chat about his journey, and the connection between art and nature, which we agree is spiritual. Check out his website , to read his backstory and view his art. Also take a look at his Facebook and like it if you like it. I’ve written an article on the relationships that plants have with other organisms...

David Jeffries heads a conservation group known as the "friends" at Reg Seal Reserve in the city of Melville, Western Australia. We talk about the importance of wildlife corridors, the benefits of smoke water for germinating seeds, and how mutilating trees can be beneficial when done by a trained professional. Here’s an interesting video on smoke water for activating certain native seeds...

Andrew Christie is a lecturer at Melbourne Polytechnic and is also president of the Landcare group Marine Care Point Cooke. We speak about what marine ecology actually is, aquatic weeds, and wetland environments. Zen out by watching some of the underwater videos of the marine life at Point Cooke on their Facebook page . Visit our website , where you’ll find heaps of educational blog articles on th...