Episode 178: Feeding Your Soil with Humanure
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Release Date: 03/07/2022
Episode 407: Living Alongside Garden Wildlife
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What if the answer to seriously undesirable garden wildlife visitors isn’t eradicating them, but learning to live alongside them? I’m joined by Kevin Newell, founder of Humane Wildlife Solutions, to explore humane ways to manage conflicts with species such as rats, mice, foxes, squirrels and badgers, and why changing our own behaviour can make all the difference. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Long-winged conehead 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 Kevin, you might also enjoy...
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Episode 406: Should We Stop Feeding Birds?
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Could feeding the birds in your garden actually be doing them more harm than good? This week I’m joined by Adrian Thomas from the RSPB to unpack the research behind the headlines, from declining greenfinches and chaffinches to bird feeding hygiene, trichomonosis and how we can help garden birds. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Mexican Grass-Carrying Wasp sponsored by Kipos Kipos makes garden tracking social. We house your entire gardening journey in one spot, you can see your hard work, and you get to share the results with friends—real effort from real people. Use code ‘ROOTSFORALL’...
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Episode 405: Reimagining City Spaces
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Jon Davies and Steve Williams of Wild City Studio discuss their fresh, unconventional approach to urban horticulture, their collaborative design journey, their experimental playground at Markfield Park, and how embracing a lighter touch can transform rigid cityscapes into thriving ecological havens. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Small Copper Butterfly What You'll Learn Redefining Urban Wildness: How nature-connection and human culture intertwine to make modern cities far wilder than traditional notions suggest. Markfield Park Experiments: Insights into using crushed waste substrates, food...
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Episode 404: Uncovering the Biodiversity of Gardens with Johnnie Johnson
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
In this episode of Roots and All, I chat with ecology consultant Johnnie Johnson about his journey into the natural world, his detailed multi-visit garden surveys, and the incredible discoveries he makes in unexpected places. From tracking scarce insects to working with prominent public spaces like the Horniman Museum and John Little's garden, Johnnie Johnson shares how anyone can boost wildlife by embracing structural complexity and natural variation. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The Southern Green Shieldbug What You'll Learn: How garden biodiversity audits work, spanning multiple visits...
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Episode 403: Climate Adaptation, Plant Evolution & Design
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
In this episode of Roots and All, I chat with designer, researcher, and filmmaker Eliza about the intersection of design, ecology, and the fast-paced realities of plant evolution. Coming straight from her extensive research fields—including tracking wildflowers in the Rocky Mountains with Dr. Diane Campbell and exploring alpine meadow systems in Italy—Eliza shares how climate change is reshaping landscapes, why plants are shifting behaviours, and how gardeners can embrace a more observational, resilient approach. Benny’s Insect of the Week: The European Firebug What You'll Learn: How...
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Episode 402: The Art of Cottage Gardening
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
In this episode, gardening expert and The English Garden editor Clare Foggett joins us to explore what truly defines a cottage garden. We discuss why these spaces are defined by generous planting rather than rigid design, the magic of self-seeding plants, and how this traditional style fits into modern, sustainable, and biodiverse gardening. Includes: Planted, Not Designed: Discover how cottage gardens evolve naturally through a passion for plants rather than a master plan. The Power of Self-Seeders: Learn why plants like foxgloves and valerian are essential for a relaxed, charming...
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Episode 401: Seeing Plants Differently
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
We tend to think of plants as static things: rooted to the spot, quietly getting on with being plants. But what if, beneath our feet, there’s a much more dynamic world of movement, adaptation and decision-making going on? In this episode I’m talking to plant ecologist and artist Curtis Lubbe about roots, bulbs and rhizomes, plant ‘animacy’ and why changing the way we think and talk about plants might change the way we treat them too. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Fig-Leaf Skeltoniser Links Blog Please support the podcast on And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook ...
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Episode 400: Growing a Living Pharmacy
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
What if your garden could double as a living pharmacy? In this episode, I’m talking to gardener, chef and herbalism practitioner Vanessa Minton about growing medicinal herbs, using them in everyday life, and understanding both the benefits and limitations of herbal remedies. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Toadflax Brocade Moth Links Please support the podcast on As featured in the Horticulture Podcasts And follow Roots and All: On Instagram On Facebook On LinkedIn If you enjoyed this week’s episode with Vanessa, you might also enjoy these episodes from the archives: This...
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Episode 399: Nature Restoration
Roots and All - Gardening Podcast
Can we save nature by putting a quantifiable value on it? Tim Christophersen is a forester, former UN environmentalist and a leading voice in the global ecosystem restoration movement, championing regenerative agriculture and nature-based solutions. With the UK sweltering through multiple heatwaves, we discuss whether investment can really deliver the restoration we need — and what happens when living ecosystems become part of the financial system. Benny’s Insect of the Week: Toadflax Brocade Moth About Tim Christopherson Tim Christophersen joined Salesforce as VP, Climate Action in May...
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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...
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: