Most people wouldn't consider a permaculture mindset for a public park or an ornamental garden. But that's a missed opportunity, because it could help individuals, organisations and councils reduce their maintenance budgets while increasing plant health and positive biodiversity outcomes. The 12 principles of permaculture can be applied whether or …

This week, we're celebrating 200 episodes! My mentor, Karen Smith, editor of Hort Journal Australia, interviews me about my picks for the "best" 10 episodes. To pick only 10 episodes was an impossible task, but I've narrowed it down to a few essential chats that I believe all my listeners should listen to at least once. From Integrated Weed Managem…

Did you get a chance to see Peter Donegan's phenomenal garden design A Moment In Time at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS) this year? We spoke about it in Ep.181 A Daydream Supported By A Series of Equations, but I wanted to touch in after the event finished to get his perspective on how everything went, and if he actually …

The Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show has wrapped for another year! In this episode, I interview the designers behind three show garden highlights from this year's Show. We'll get to hear the inspiration behind the story and message behind each of their gardens, and we'll chat about their creative choices with materials and plant palette…

The Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show has wrapped for another year! Each year, we like to interview some of the garden designers to get an insight into what ideas, philosophies, trends, and plants are floating in the cultural zeitgeist. Friend of the show, Dr Ian Smith interviews some of the Boutique, Achievable and Border garden designe…

A garden is never finished. It's going to change throughout the year, and the seasons. It should be getting better over time instead of worse. And it should also provide you with multiple yields, whether that's a food crop, supporting biodiversity, reducing soil salinity, providing shade, making the space appear larger, or simply bringing you joy. …

Sydney. Or, click the AIH events link below. Diptera (flys) The Good Hoverfly Robber flies The bad Leaf miners Fruit flies (not vinegar flies) The inbetween Blowflies, bottle flies and house flies Fungus gnats Coleoptera (Beetles) Beneficials Ladybird (Coccinellidae) Ground beetles (Carabidae) Rove beetle (Staphylinidae) The neutrals Plague Soldier…

Have you ever wondered whether plants can communicate? And if they can, how do they do so? Katia Hougaard is back, and this time we explore the science behind plant communication. We discuss VOCs, plant blood tests, visual signs, sounds, Venus fly traps, predators, pests, and much more. We even ponder what science has yet to prove or disprove regar…

In this episode, we go over more than a dozen topics quickly, based around the Hort Journal's editor's best article picks for 2023. Karen Smith is my mentor and also the editor for our Australian horticulture industry's best magazine, and she has her finger on the pulse when it comes to amenity hort in this country. You'll hear about emerging pest …

In this episode, I interview Paul Plant about what we're getting wrong as a whole industry when working with wholesale nurseries in particular, and how we can tighten up our game. I wanted to know stuff like, how are miscommunications and poor choices costing landscapers, arborists and horticulturists time, money, and project efficiency? Are hortic…

Have you ever worked for a company that took horticultural excellence seriously within the landscape design, construction and maintenance sectors? This episode is a case study on a company called Yards, which was started by a connection of mine from the AIH, Ben French. In this episode, I interview him and two of his staff, Amanda and Dale, about w…

Do you know how to assess a tree's health and safety? And do you know how to do so in a systematic way to ensure you don't miss any major clues? This episode is designed to teach non-arborists within the landscape and horticulture sector what to look for when inspecting trees. What signs tell us that a tree is doing well? And what signs tell us we …

Have you ever tendered for a property development project, only to be rejected for some unknown reason? Why is it that some people are able to win work from property developers, while others seem to struggle with this type of client? It may have something to do with your ability to meet them on their own wavelength. Sometimes, as horticulturists, e…

Do you know the secret to controlling rabbits within the landscape? Whether you're responsible for a public park, a farm, or a private property that's home to these garden-destroying pests, you'll want to control them in the most ethical way possible. The secret is a decisive, multi-pronged operation designed to wipe them all out in a single season…

Would you like to make a little extra money on the side working in horticulture media? Maybe you're looking for a new career pathway to dive into? Freelancing in horticulture media means that you're working under your own ABN with multiple businesses. In this episode, you'll learn technical info related to writing, creating and editing videos, and …

What makes a native garden design "modern"? What garden trends have defined Aussie landscaping culture in 2023, heading into 2024? And how can you use a show garden as a lead magnet to gain work as a designer? In this episode, MIFGS Achievable Gardens medalist Daniel Althaus answers these questions and more to help us understand why his garden Circ…

Do you still feel the passion you had for plants when you started this game? Or are you just turning up to work each day, going through the motions? My guest Maria Failla from the Growing Joy Podcast is here to teach us how to "connect with nature," "find our joy," or practice "self care," even if those terms don't really resonate with us. Plant ca…

In ep.172 I talked about ten career pathways in amenity horticulture. It was a quick run through some of the most important jobs in our industry, and pathways you can take throughout each sector. In this episode, I dig into these pathways in a bit more detail with the help of Growing Joy's podcast host Maria Failla. As an indoor plant enthusiast an…

If you can't classify and name plants, how can you successfully work as a horticulturist? You probably don't need to know the exact scientific name for every plant you work with, but a basic understanding of how plant taxonomy works is a must for any serious gardener. In this episode, you'll learn how to name plants, how plant families work, and wh…

Which indoor plant should you treat yourself or a loved one to this Christmas? In this episode, Jane Perrone, host of the On the Ledge podcast is back on the show to tell us why these 13 plants make awesome indoor plants, and how to look after them. From the beginner mode plants that are pretty much unkillable, to the fussy expert mode plants, thes…

If you found my last chat with MIFGS gold medalist Peter Donegan inspiring, you'll love this episode. Irish landscape architect and MIFGS gold medallist Peter Donegan is back on the podcast to describe his upcoming design for MIFGS 2024. Listen to him speak about where he's drawing his inspiration from for this next design, why it's an important to…

Do you want to share your love foe trees with others? Why not curate and lead your own tree walks? Greg Packman is back on the show and this time he's going to teach us how to curate your own tree walk. In this episode, you'll learn how to organise, promote, and lead your own tree walks. EPISODE LINKS Greg's Twitter: https://twitter.com/GregPackman…

What can an Aussie horticulturist learn by working in Europe's famous gardens? In this episode, Ash Walker is back to help us learn what he's learnt by working in Monet's garden, Kew, and several other world-class gardens in Europe. How was he trained to approach aspects of gardening, such as deadheading, irrigating and pest management, and how doe…

What's it like to work in hort media? How do you get started? And why does Scott keep referring to himself as a "hero"? In this episode, Scott Smith and I talk about horticulture media careers, including traditional media and modern social media careers. EPISODE LINKS Follow Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-h-smith-mcihort-dipho…

A garden is an opportunity to express something deeply personal which resonates for people who are able to receive your message in a bottle. In this episode, I chat with Irish landscape architect Peter Donegan, who designed the Bam Stone Garden at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS), which tied for the Gold Show Garden Award.…

Have you ever been stuck in a toxic workplace? This episode is all about the culture of fear at horticulture workplaces around the country. Simon Harrison is manager for parks at Wollondilly Shire Council in the outer west of Sydney, and he's experienced his fair share of workplace tensions. In this episode he helps us understand what it takes to t…

Nursery businesses don't run themselves. There are a series of plateaus they reach that can be difficult to move beyond. How can a young, hungry nursery eat up more market share? And how can an established nursery that's doing the same thing, day in, day out, behave like a young and hungry nursery that's eating up that market share? Whether your bu…

Dr Ian Smith is back! This time he's going to pretty much sum up half of the wisdom that's ever been dropped on this podcast in 170 episodes. Ecology isn't just for nature's benefit (although, of course, it is partly for nature's benefit). It's also for our own selfish benefits. EPISODE LINKS Follow Ian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EcologIan Ian…

Is sustainability about more than just atmospheric carbon? This week's guest, Mark Laurence, makes a strong case for a wider perspective when it comes to climate change by using climate-adaptive planting and ecosystem development. We can't simply focus on sucking carbon out of the atmosphere, because that neglects the biggest greenhouse gas of all:…

Have you ever wondered what career pathways there are in the ornamental landscape? From plant production to maintenance, and a whole lot of stuff inbetween, here are 10 amenity horticulture career pathways. This episode is based on a two-part article I wrote for the Hort Journal industry magazine which transformed into a webinar I delivered to TAFE…

What's it like landscaping on-the-tools? What skills do you need? And who can call themselves a landscaper, anyway? In this episode, TAFE NSW teacher Rob Wardlaw gives us an insight into what it's really like to work as a landscaper on the tools. This career pathway mixes elements of horticulture and construction and lets you create beautiful lands…

Why is there so much bad gardening advice online? And what are some of the worst pieces of advice you're likely to hear? Join Dr Vikram Baliga and I as we uncover some of the comically bad gardening "hacks" that have ever been created. From the disgusting to the bizarre, we'll help you avoid following ridiculous advice by uncovering the science beh…

When you're watching sport on the telly, do you realise how much passion goes into the grounds? I'm not talking about the passion from the coaches, the players and the fans. I'm talking about the sportsturf managers who go to extraordinary lengths to ensure the optimal conditions are available on the grounds. As this episode's guest, TAFE NSW teach…

Let's have a chat about mental health. Let's not be preachy, but just have a discussion about practical tips to help you in your own journey. Because let's face it: there aren't a whole lot of resources available for blue-collar workers who are struggling with mental health. We'll also take a look at a case study of an organisation that provides fr…

How do the best NRM experts deal with invasive and environmental weeds, without reaching for chemical herbicides as a first resort? By using Integrated Weed Management (IWM) strategies, of course. These include physical, cultural, biological, genetic, regulatory and finally chemical tools as a last resort. Kate Blood is Program Manager for weed man…

We all agree that natural resources need our help. But how do we create ecosystems that last, using native plants, within budget, and on-time? To celebrate National Tree Day in Australia, our sponsors at Arborgreen have helped to create an information-packed episode. We'll take you through all of the major steps you'll need to follow when creating …

If you didn't get to this year's The Landscape Show in Melbourne, don't worry! We're about to take a virtual tour and speak with 18 of the 88 vendors that were on display over two podcast episodes. We'll learn about innovative and sustainable products and services, new ways of doing things, and we'll hear from some brands that have become household…

If you didn't get to this year's The Landscape Show in Melbourne, don't worry! We're about to take a virtual tour and speak with 18 of the 88 vendors that were on display over two podcast episodes. We'll learn about innovative and sustainable products and services, new ways of doing things, and we'll hear from some brands that have become household…

Victoria is set to ban logging in native forests for timber. Sounds great, right? But let's dig a little bit deeper and see if we've missed something here. Paul Reid educates people on social media about what it's really like in Aussie forestry as The Aussie Logger. He works in a forestry plantation setting, but he feels strongly that we have a res…

Brent Purtell runs the 51st floor kitchen garden at Capitaspring skyscraper in Singapore, and in this episode we take a look into what his job's like on a day-to-day basis. What's it like to grow veggies on a skyscraper? What unique challenges are present? How can you tackle them? Brent's moving back to Melbourne this year, so if you're looking to …

How much truth is there to the claims of the ability for plants to purify the air? Is it just hype, or do they make a genuine difference? Recently, one of the world's leading indoor plant companies, Ambius, sponsored me to visit their press release for a new study that they funded at the University of Technology in Sydney (UTS) regarding the abilit…

Spiders are a horticulturist's best friend. They're predatory organisms that have an appetite for all sorts of insects that we like to call "pests". In this episode, Dr Ian Smith gives us a general introduction to this class of arachnid. Listen to the end to find out: -What are the different types of spiders that we're likely to find in our gardens…

Are you in the nursery game? Perhaps you work in a sector that relies on the nursery industry? In this episode, nursery industry expert Bruce Durant gives us an insight into the nursery industry, including tips and tricks for people in the production, wholesale and retail sectors of the nursery industry. Bruce is a sales rep for Arborgreen, this ep…

AI is the hottest thing right now. But what does it mean for the horticulture industry? Will AI be coming to take our jobs any time soon? Can we use ChatGPT in our everyday horticulture work? The answers to these questions and more can be found in this interview with Aurelie Quade. She's a soil carbon consultant that's interested in the latest tech…

PLA are an industry organisation for people working in the parks/gardens, pools, and other recreational outdoor sectors. In this episode, Executive Officer of the Vic/Tas branch Dan Ferguson tells us about the organisation, how they represent and help members, and a couple of their upcoming events including a world congress featuring overseas and l…

It's officially winter, so that means it's time to rest in the garden, right? Not quite. In this episode, Mariah Watkin, a gardening enthusiast and representative for Charlie Carp fish emulsion fertiliser, tells us how growing veg in winter differs to growing in the warmer seasons, including how to prepare your soil, how to keep pests and diseases …

Learn about Natural Resource Management (NRM) from a Kiwi inventor of biodiversity solutions whose boots are firmly planted in the ground of rural Victoria. In this episode, you'll learn how Lisette Mill is able to help bring animals back into the landscape that haven't been seen in ages. You'll also learn about her inventions including the Bandico…

Lawns are a divisive topic amongst garden designers and landscape architects. Are they a staple in every landscape? Are they an ecological nightmare? Are they out of fashion? In this episode, UK horticultural lecturer, Lucy Lewis and I look back on the history of lawns to reflect upon the motivating factors that have led to lawns becoming the stapl…

Are you wasting time, money and effort doing things the way they've always been done? In this episode, Marc Jarvis, head of marketing at our sponsor Arborgreen, discusses some of the innovative products and services that they offer to tree industry professionals in Australia. Stick around to the end of the episode to learn how you can use Arborgree…

We all love worms, but how much do you know about everyone's favourite soil organism? Do they all belong to a single family? Can you cut a worm in half to get two worms? Learn the answers to these questions and more as entomologist Dr Ian Smith demystifies another insect-like organism. Follow Ian on Twitter: @Ecologian Follow the Plants Grow Here p…