Episode 178: Feeding Your Soil with Humanure
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Release Date: 03/07/2022
Episode 398: Rewilding Childhood
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Blending storytelling with facts can encourage children to see the wildlife on their doorstep in a completely different way. In this episode, I’m talking to children’s author and wildlife expert Sonia Copeland Bloom about storytelling, wildlife and getting children curious about the natural world. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Rock Rose Prickly Leaf Beetle Links by Sonia Copeland Bloom, with illustrations by Nick Page First edition ISBN 978-917673-54-9. Available on Amazon, to order from all good bookshops, including Amazon Kindle and on along with Sonia's six smaller books. For...
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Episode 397: Britain's Gardening Questions
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Have you ever wondered who answers all those gardening questions that stump the rest of us? This week I'm chatting to Leigh Hunt, Principal Horticultural Advisor at the RHS, about what really goes on behind the scenes of the Society's advice service, the questions gardeners ask most often, and what those thousands of enquiries reveal about the way we're gardening in a changing climate. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Mexican Grass-Carrying Wasp Links Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you enjoyed this week’s episode with Leigh,...
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Episode 396: Fermenting the Seasons
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Could the secret to better health be sitting in a simple jar on your kitchen counter? Today I'm joined by food writer and fermentation expert Rachel de Thample to explore how fermentation can rewild the gut microbiome, preserve the seasons, and prove that making your own fermented foods is much easier than most of us think. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Bee Wolf Links Rachel on Instagram - Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you enjoyed this week’s episode with Rachel, you might also enjoy these episodes from the archives:...
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Episode 395: Small Actions, Big Change
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
The biggest changes in how we care for nature might start just outside our front door. This episode, I'm joined by adventurer and author Alastair Humphreys to discuss his latest book, Unwilding, and explore why reconnecting with the natural world is less about escaping to the wilderness and more about noticing what's already around us—from litter picking to climate handprints, and the power of small, everyday actions. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Weld Bee Links Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you enjoyed this...
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Episode 394: Keeping Plant Stories Alive
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What if the plants around us are carrying stories we've forgotten? This week, I'm joined once again by Amanda Edmiston of Botanica Fabula to explore her latest book, a rich blend of folklore, social history and the enduring stories of plants. We talk about how this knowledge is passed down through generations, and why now is the perfect time to start asking the people around us about the plants and traditions they remember. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Sieve-winged Snailkiller Links Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you...
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Episode 393: My Body is a Meadow
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What if the biggest barriers to experiencing nature aren't natural at all? Today, I'm joined by author, poet and disability activist Bethany Handley to explore accessibility, belonging, and how redesigning our landscapes could create richer places for both people and wildlife. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Cinnabar Moth Links The Book Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you enjoyed this week’s episode with Bethany, you might also enjoy these episodes from the archives: In this episode, Sarah talks to Sandra Schwarz about...
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Episode 392: Knepp's Rewilded Garden
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What happens when you stop trying to control a garden and start working with nature instead? This week, I'm joined by Charlie Harpur, head gardener at Knepp, to explore rewilding, biodiversity, and why careful observation and systems thinking can transform the way we garden. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Pantaloon Bee Links A to all the garden tours and workshops And a to the Knepp garden blog which, written by Moy Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you enjoyed this week’s episode with Charlie, you might also enjoy these...
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Episode 391: Letting the Wild In
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What if the secret to a better garden is letting go of control? This week I’m joined by gardener and conservationist Sue Mabberley from Nant-y-Bedd in the Black Mountains, where four decades of working with nature have created a thriving wildlife haven. We discuss the value of so-called weeds, gardening for biodiversity, and why even the smallest garden can make a difference. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Yellow Loosestrife Bee Links Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you enjoyed this week’s episode with Sue, you might...
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Episode 390: Gardens with a Cause
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Can a show garden change minds as well as win medals? This week, I’m joined by Martha Krempel and Tina Worboys, whose Chelsea gardens championed peatland restoration and dementia research. We discuss whether the impact of a show garden can justify its environmental cost, and explore the power of gardens with a purpose. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Jewel Wasp Links - manufacturers of amber structures in Tina’s garden Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you enjoyed this week’s episode with Martha Krempel and Tina...
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Episode 389: Down to Earth
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What if the key to better health, stronger communities and a more sustainable future lies beneath our feet? This week, I'm joined by author Robert Ashton to discuss his new book Down to Earth and explore our relationship with soil. From farming and education to mental health and conservation, Robert reveals why reconnecting with the land could be one of the most important challenges of our time. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Shieldbug Stalker Links Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you enjoyed this week’s episode with...
info_outlineI stumbled across a book called The Humanure Handbook: Shit in a Nutshell and of course, I had to buy a copy. I’ve long thought that if we’re aiming towards a closed system within our gardens then our own waste needs to be factored into the equation so I was intrigued to find out what the book’s author Joseph C Jenkins had to say on the matter. What I didn’t expect was the book to be one of those that slaps you in the face with facts and makes you question the whole way you’ve lived your life, in this case in relation to loos and their contents. Not only does Joe comprehensively explain how you can take the contents of your loo and compost it along with your garden waste so that you have a clean and useful product that can be used on everything from vegetables to houseplants, he will make you wonder why you ever thought the alternative of flushing it away was a sensible, viable option. There is so much I wanted to cover with Joe and we only scratched the surface of the subject in this interview. I urge you to get the book and think about the issue of how we deal with waste, it’s a vitally important environmental issue.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Eating insects
What we cover
The background to Joe’s work on composting toilet waste and his book, The Humanure Handbook
In order to put back what we take out of the soil, we need to be reusing our waste as well as all household and garden waste - how can this work in practice?
Is a flushing toilet the holy grail of comfort and civilised living for all?
Composting and pathogens
Composting and drug residues
Compost toilets vs dry composting systems
Links
Humanure Handbook can be downloaded here
Humanure research papers: