Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

What if gardening doesn't make you happy? Gardening isn't always the simple "cure-all" it's often made out to be. We get into the realities behind the wellbeing narrative — from overwhelm and pressure to the deeper emotional connections we form with our outdoor spaces. It's a thoughtful, honest conversation about what gardens really give us… and what they sometimes don't.
Benny's Insect of the Week: Gooden's Nomad Bee
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Links
The Psychology of Gardening (The Psychology of Everything) - Harriet Gross
Garden Lovers Reading Retreat
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If you enjoyed this week's episode with Harriet, you might also like these conversations from the archives:
Episode 314: Nurturing Growth, Inside and Out
In this episode, Sarah looks at the emotional side of gardening and how our outdoor spaces can shape identity, wellbeing, and resilience — a thoughtful companion to today's discussion about the psychological weight and reward of tending a garden.
Episode 286: Natural Happiness
This episode explores the relationship between nature and wellbeing, questioning what we really mean when we say gardens make us "happy," and how that experience varies from person to person — closely linked to today's reflections on the limits of gardening as a cure-all.

Rebecca Wynn Kelly works at the intersection of sculpture, ecology, and myth as a "species architect" exploring how we might reimagine our relationship with the land. Rooted in West Wales, her work blends habitat creation with storytelling and folklore to ask who—and what—we build the landscape for.
Benny's Insect of the Week: The Batman Overfly
Please support our sponsors - roastinghouse.co.uk. get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout. 
Links
Rebecca Wynn Kelly – Artist
Instagram – Rebecca Wynn Kelly
Please support the podcast on Patreon
And follow Roots and All:
On Instagram @rootsandallpod
On Facebook @rootsandalluk
On LinkedIn @rootsandall
If you liked this week's episode with Rebecca Wynn Kelly, you might also enjoy this episode from the archives:
Episode 53: Garden Design for Every Species
In this episode, John Little explores how gardens can be designed with wildlife at the centre, creating layered habitats that support a wide range of species. It's a natural companion to today's conversation about building for more than just human needs and thinking like a "species architect."
Episode 301: The Wheel of the Year
In this episode, Rebecca Beattie discusses seasonal cycles, folklore and ritual, and how reconnecting with the rhythms of the year can deepen our relationship with the land. It offers a thoughtful extension of today's themes around story, place and ecological connection.

This week, we dive into the hidden world of water with author Stephen Rutt, exploring the landscapes we so often overlook. From chalk streams to peat bogs, we trace water's strange and vital journey through our environment—and why it deserves far more of our attention.
Benny's Insect of the Week: The Yellow-Legged Mining Bee
Please support our sponsors - roastinghouse.co.uk. get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout. 
Links
The Waterlands - Stephen Rutt
Stephen Rutt on Instagram
https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall
And follow Roots and All:
On Instagram @rootsandallpod
On Facebook @rootsandalluk
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If you liked this week's episode with Stephen, you might also enjoy this episode from the archives:

Episode 352: Peat, Politics and Horticulture
In this episode, Sarah explores the importance of peatlands, from their role in carbon storage to their impact on water systems, making it a natural companion to today's conversation about wetlands and the movement of water through the landscape.
Episode 322: Garden Wildlife Ponds
This episode looks at how introducing water into the garden can support biodiversity, offering practical insights into creating and maintaining ponds — an ideal follow-on from today's discussion on the value of water in both wild and cultivated spaces.

Horticultural legend Pam Lewis began her garden at Sticky Wicket in Dorset decades ago, and revisiting her early writing shows just how ahead of the curve—and fearless—she was in championing wildlife-friendly, sustainable gardening. We sat down to reflect on her years in the garden and how the horticultural world has changed along the way.
Benny's Insect of the Week: Asiraca clavicornis
Please support our sponsors - roastinghouse.co.uk. get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout. 
Books
Sticky Wicket: Gardening in Tune With Nature - Pam Lewis, 2007
Making a Wildflower Meadow - Pam Lewis, 2015
Please support the podcast on Patreon
And follow Roots and All:
On Instagram @rootsandallpod
On Facebook @rootsandalluk
On LinkedIn @rootsandall
If you liked this week's episode with Pam, you might also enjoy this episode from the archives:
Episode 194: Gardening for Wildlife
In this episode, Sarah explores how gardeners can better support biodiversity, sharing practical ways to create spaces that welcome and sustain wildlife — making it a natural companion to today's conversation about gardening in harmony with nature.
Episode 285: No Mow May
This episode looks at the impact of letting lawns grow wild through May, highlighting how small changes in garden management can have big benefits for pollinators and biodiversity — an ideal follow-on from today's discussion on working with, rather than against, the natural world.

What does it really take to run a small, sustainable nursery? This week on Roots and All, I'm joined by nurseryman and designer Ben Preston of Cliff Bank Nursery for an honest conversation about the realities of the job—from growing in sand and selling bare root plants to why local nurseries matter more than ever, and why it's truly a labour of love.
Benny's Insect of the Week: The Orange Ladybird
Please support our sponsors - roastinghouse.co.uk. get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout. 
Links
Cliff Bank Nursery
Instagram: @cliff_bank_nursery
Please support the podcast on Patreon
And follow Roots and All:
On Instagram @rootsandallpod
On Facebook @rootsandalluk
On LinkedIn @rootsandall
If you liked this week's episode with Ben, you might also enjoy this episode from the archives:
Episode 284: The Organic Nursery
In this episode, Sarah speaks with Sam Frings about building and running an organic nursery, exploring the challenges of growing plants sustainably, maintaining ethical practices, and creating a resilient small business — making it a perfect companion to today's discussion on the realities of nursery life.
Episode 175: Seeking Rare Plants
Nick Macer of Pan Global Plants joins Sarah to share his passion for unusual and hard-to-find plants, discussing plant sourcing, selection, and what it takes to run a specialist nursery — an ideal follow-on from today's conversation about plant choice, diversity, and the role of small growers.