Welcome to the next in the Podcast Showcase series, where we share podcasts with you in the words of the podcasters themselves. This time, we talk to Roots and All.
Sum up your podcast in three sentences
Roots and All is a podcast for those who are in love with ALL things plant related. No subject is off limits, no stone unturned; flowers, veg growing, natural dyes, wildflowers in graveyards, entheogenic plants, hedgerow foraging…
So many areas are ripe for exploration and I tend to look for stories that aren’t covered in other places or guests who are super informed and interesting.
Who is your ideal listener? Who loves your show?
Roots and All listeners tend to be professional or hobby gardeners, or people who are interested in the green environment. I think there’s something for everyone, whatever their level of expertise.
What made you start this podcast?
I started the podcast because I was fed up of hearing other gardening shows constantly advocating for killing insects or spraying some chemical or another. It all seemed so destructive.
Also, I was bored with hearing the same people repeating the same old stock advice and I thought there must be a better way. To quote an over-quoted phrase, “Be the change you want to see in the world”.
What have you learned about your subject thanks to this podcast?
Since starting the podcast, I’ve learned so much about horticulture beyond what might traditionally be taught. I think I’ve realised how much plants link in to every aspect of our lives, about how important it is that we don’t just use plants but understand how they work, what they do, how they relate to other species and how they fit contextually into our world.
Although we’ve discovered such a lot through science over the past century or so, we seem to have lost a lot of our links to the natural world. I feel like we need to reestablish these links in order to have a decent future on this planet.
What has your experience of podcasting been? What do you love / hate about the process?
I always say, if I can podcast, anyone can. I am a complete technophobe and break electrical equipment with remarkable regularity but I can just about muddle through.
I was lucky to have a brilliant production company who helped me out with the technical side of things when I first started out, but now I do almost everything myself. I love everything about podcasting, except editing episode transcriptions!
If someone wants to start listening to your podcast, which episode would you recommend they start with? Why?
I would recommend listening to episode 27, which features wildlife gardening and bumblebee champion Dave Goulson talking about how we can all do better in our gardens to help wildlife and to protect the environment. Dave is one of my gardening heroes and I was delighted he agreed to appear on the podcast. He’s typical of the kind of guest you can find on Roots and All; informed, straight talking and passionate about his work.
Which other podcasts do you love listening to?
I like podcasts that are completely unrelated to gardening and that make me laugh. I like the dark, irreverent humour of James & Jimmy, hosts of Small Town Murder, that’s one I listen to religiously.
If people want to find you online, where can they do so?
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/rootsandall
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rootsandalluk/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rootsandallpod/
- Email: podcast@rootsandall.co.uk
- Website: https://rootsandall.co.uk/
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/roots-and-all->gardening-podcast/id1399040612
- Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/rootsandall.libsyn.com/rss
- Spotify Promo Card: https://promocards.byspotify.com/share/bcb75e9f31fee8015b666e7470118dde75f9d21b
Read the rest of our Podcast Showcases here and find your new listening addiction from among our features!
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Image credit: Clay Banks