In this episode, Paul chats with Kat Lavers, urban farmer, educator, and passionate advocate for seed saving. From her small suburban block in Melbourne—affectionately called The Plummery—Kat grows around 450kg of food each year and has made seed saving a central part of her gardening practice.

Kat explains why saving seeds is one of the most powerful skills a gardener can learn. She demystifies common seed terms (heirloom, hybrid, GMO, open-pollinated), shares practical tips for saving seeds from beans, tomatoes, cucurbits, brassicas, and more, and reveals why preserving biodiversity is vital for resilient future food systems.

🧠 What You'll Learn

• Why seed saving matters for food security and biodiversity
  
  

• The difference between hybrid, open-pollinated, GMO, heirloom and organic seeds
  
  

• Practical tips for saving seeds from beans, tomatoes, cucurbits, and brassicas
  
  

• How to avoid cross-pollination and maintain strong genetics
  
  

• Techniques for drying, storing, and protecting seeds from pests
  
  

• How every gardener can help preserve agricultural heritage
  
  

🧰 Resources & Tools Mentioned

• Seed Savers' Handbook – by Michel and Jude Fanton
  
  

• Seed to Seed – by Suzanne Ashworth
  
  

• Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties – by Carol Deppe
  
  

• Local seed libraries and community seed exchanges
  
  

🔥 Quotes from Kat
"A seed is a baby plant asleep with its lunch."
"Every gardener is also a plant breeder – because choosing what to save shapes the next generation."
"Saving seeds isn't just thrifty, it's about protecting biodiversity for the future."

📚 About Kat Lavers
Kat Lavers is a gardener, educator, and permaculture designer based in Melbourne. At her award-winning urban permaculture property The Plummery, she produces most of her household's fresh produce year-round. Kat runs workshops on sustainable gardening and seed saving, inspiring others to build resilience and reconnect with the cycles of nature.

Follow Kat:
📸 Instagram – @kat.lavers

🌐 Website – katlavers.com.au

✅ Subscribe & Support

Love the podcast? Don't forget to:

• Follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
  
  

• Leave a review – it helps more growers find the show
  
  

• Join our gardening community for seasonal tips, seeds and workshops 👉 growitlocal.com

🙏 Thanks to our Sponsors

This podcast is made possible thanks to our Local Government partners from across Australia and our friends at:

• Backyard Farmer
  
  

• Cyclone Tools
  
  

• Pope

In this episode, Paul is joined by Robyn Rosenfeldt – permaculture practitioner, educator, and founder of PIP Magazine, Australia's premier publication on sustainable living.

Robyn introduces us to the 12 permaculture principles, explaining how they apply not only to our gardens but to our homes, families, and communities. With warmth and practicality, she shows us how permaculture is really about designing systems that mimic nature – making life easier for us and the planet.

🧠 What You'll Learn

• What permaculture really means (beyond gardening)
  
  

• The 12 permaculture principles explained in everyday language
  
  

• How to design systems where plants, animals, and people support one another
  
  

• Why observation is the first step before planting
  
  

• Practical ways to catch and store energy (water, sun, and food)
  
  

• Creating closed-loop systems to reduce waste
  
  

• Using diversity and edges to build stronger ecosystems
  
  

• Why starting small is the key to success
  
  

🧰 Resources & Tools Mentioned

• PIP Magazine – Australia's permaculture and sustainable living magazine
  
  

• Permaculture books by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren
  
  

• Moon planting calendars and seasonal guides
  
  

🔥 Quotes from Robyn
"Permaculture is about mimicking nature – creating systems where everything supports each other."
"It's not just gardening. It's how you live in your home, your community, and the world."
"Sometimes it feels like common sense – but it's not so common anymore."

📚 About Robyn Rosenfeldt
Robyn Rosenfeldt is the founder and editor of PIP Magazine, a beautiful quarterly publication dedicated to permaculture, sustainability, and living lightly. She lives on the far south coast of NSW, where she grows food, raises chickens, and practices permaculture with her family.

Follow Robyn:

📸 Instagram – @pipmagazineau

🌐 Website – pipmagazine.com.au

✅ Subscribe & Support

Love the podcast? Don't forget to:

• Follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
  
  

• Leave a review – it helps more growers find the show
  
  

• Join our gardening community for seasonal tips, seeds and workshops 👉 www.growitlocal.com

🙏 Thanks to our Sponsors

This podcast is made possible thanks to our Local Government partners from across Australia and our friends at:

• Backyard Farmer
  
  

• Cyclone Tools
  
  

• Pope

In this inspiring and info-packed episode, Paul is joined by permaculture educator and perennial plant advocate Morag Gamble shares her wisdom on how to grow more food with less effort by designing your garden around perennials.

Morag walks us through the beauty and benefits of perennial gardens—from soil regeneration to biodiversity, resilience, and ease of care. She unpacks how shifting from annual-based gardening to perennial-based systems can make gardening more peaceful, abundant, and sustainable. You'll also hear how her eco-village life at Crystal Waters influences her approach and how perennial gardens are the ultimate act of cooperation with nature.

This episode is brimming with practical tips, plant ideas, and philosophical reflections that will leave you itching to get outside and plant something that lasts a lifetime.

• What perennials are and why they matter in the garden
  
  

• How perennial systems build soil and biodiversity
  
  

• Designing gardens that feed people, animals, pollinators—and the soil
  
  

• Morag's top perennial picks and planting strategies
  
  

• Integrating chickens and wildlife into perennial systems
  
  

• How perennial thinking reduces pests, supports resilience, and saves time
  
  

• Using layers, mosaic planting, and composting in-place
  
  

• Edible shrubs, teas, root crops, and self-seeding wonders
  
  

• Designing edible "shrubberies," hedges, and food forests
  
  

• Pot gardening and tips for those with limited space
  
  

• Real talk on mistakes, soil love, and keeping things simple
  
  

• Perennials = Less Work, More Yield. Once established, they just keep giving.
  
  

• Start with the soil. Healthy soil means healthier, easier gardening.
  
  

• Design for diversity. Multiple layers and mixed planting help with pest control, moisture retention, and abundance.
  
  

• Work with nature. From chickens to wallabies, wildlife can be part of the garden ecosystem.
  
  

• Grow to share. Take cuttings, gift perennials, and spread the garden love.
  
  

• Instagram: @moraggamble

• YouTube: Our Permaculture Life

• Education & Courses: Permaculture Education Institute

🙏 Thanks to our Sponsors

This podcast is made possible thanks to our Local Government partners from across Australia and our friends at:

• Backyard Farmer
  
  

• Cyclone Tools
  
  

• Pope

In this episode, Paul chats with Kate Flood, aka The Compost Coach, about breaking down the biggest composting myths and making composting feel simple, achievable, and rewarding.

Kate is passionate about helping households and communities turn waste into living soil. She explains how composting is both art and science, and why it doesn't need to feel complicated. From busting myths about citrus, onions, and paper to exploring hot composting, cold composting, and Bokashi, this conversation will equip you with practical tools to build confidence in your own composting journey.

🧠 What You'll Learn

• Why compost isn't complicated (and how to keep it simple)
  
  

• The four universal ingredients of compost: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and water
  
  

• Why cold, slow composting can be just as valuable as hot composting
  
  

• The role of compost activators like manure, comfrey, coffee grounds and Bokashi
  
  

• How Bokashi works, and why it's a great way to process "compost no-nos" like meat and citrus
  
  

• Aeration hacks (compost lungs, wood chips, and garden stakes) that save you from heavy turning
  
  

• The truth about paper, inks, and PFAS in food packaging
  
  

• Common compost myths—and why they shouldn't stop you from getting started
  
  

🧰 Resources & Tools Mentioned

• Compost activators (coffee grounds, comfrey, manure, Bokashi)
  
  

• DIY Bokashi bucket setups
  
  

• Compost thermometers and the squeeze test
  
  

• Aeration hacks: compost lungs, aged wood chips, and garden stakes
  
  

🔥 Quotes from Kate
"Composting is a living system – billions of microbes are waiting to be fed."
"Forget the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio – just remember the four essentials: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and water."
"If you've heard a compost myth that says 'you can't add X', remember: it all breaks down in nature."

📚 About Kate Flood
Kate Flood is The Compost Coach – an educator, author, and sustainability advocate. Through her workshops, writing, and hands-on community projects, she empowers people to turn food scraps and garden waste into living soil. Her book The Compost Coach is a practical guide to busting compost myths and building confidence at any scale. You can grab yourself a copy HERE

Follow Kate:
📸 Instagram – @compostable.kate

✅ Subscribe & Support

Love the podcast? Don't forget to:

• Follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
  
  

• Leave a review – it helps more growers find the show
  
  

• Join our gardening community for seasonal support, seeds and workshops 👉www.growilocal.com
  
  

🙏 Thanks to our Sponsors

This podcast is made possible thanks to our Local Government partners from across Australia and our friends at:

• Backyard Farmer
  
  

• Cyclone Tools
  
  

• Pope

In this episode, Paul chats with the inspiring Hannah Churton, a passionate composter and educator who believes worm farming is one of the simplest and most powerful steps we can all take towards living more sustainably.

Hannah takes us inside the world of worm farms – how they work, why they matter, and how you can get started (or improve your setup) today. From troubleshooting common issues to harvesting rich castings for your garden, this conversation will leave you ready to put worms to work at your place.

🧠 What You'll Learn

• Why composting with worms helps reduce food waste and greenhouse gases
  
  

• The science behind vermicomposting (and why worm poo is garden gold)
  
  

• What you can – and can't – feed your worms
  
  

• The four essentials of every worm farm: food, water, air and temperature
  
  

• How to harvest and use worm castings in your garden
  
  

• Troubleshooting common worm farming problems (overfeeding, excess moisture, acidity, pests)
  
  

• Why wormfarming is perfect for small spaces and urban living
  
  

🧰 Resources & Tools Mentioned

• Worm farms (urban and backyard setups)
  
  

• Carbon sources: newspaper, egg cartons, leaf litter, coco coir
  
  

• Sifters and simple DIY harvest methods
  
  

• Tips for managing fruit flies and balancing acidity
  
  

🔥 Quotes from Hannah
"Worm castings are the gold – they're what makes your garden thrive."
"Don't overthink it. Keep it simple, and the worms will do the work for you."
"Food, water, air, and temperature – get those right, and your worm farm will always come back to life."

📚 About Hannah Churton
Hannah is a composting educator, wormfarming advocate and workshop facilitator who helps people reduce their waste while building healthier soils. She has inspired countless households to start their own worm farms and experience the joy of closing the loop from food scraps back into the garden.

Follow Hannah on Insta 👉@the_worm_monger

✅ Subscribe & Support

Love the podcast? Don't forget to:

• Follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
  
  

• Leave a review – it helps more growers find the show
  
  

• Join our gardening community for seasonal support, seeds and workshops 👉 www.growitlocal.com

🙏 Thanks to our Sponsors

This podcast is made possible thanks to our Local Government partners from across Australia and our friends at:

• Backyard Farmer
  
  

• Cyclone Tools
  
  

• Pope
  
  

In this episode, Paul chats with the passionate and knowledgeable Fabian Capomolla – a name many gardeners will know from The Little Veggie Patch Co and his bestselling books. Fabian takes us on a deep dive into what truly makes a successful vegetable garden: the soil beneath our feet.

This isn't just a chat about dirt – it's a hands-on, practical guide to understanding your soil and building it into a thriving, nutrient-rich base for homegrown food.

Whether you're starting your first veggie patch or troubleshooting lacklustre crops, this episode will leave you better equipped to grow your own.

• Why healthy soil is more important than healthy plants
  
  

• How to test your soil type using the ribbon method
  
  

• The difference between sandy, clay and loamy soil
  
  

• Practical steps to improve any soil using compost and worm castings
  
  

• How to test and adjust your soil pH for vegetable growing
  
  

• Why pH affects nutrient uptake and plant health
  
  

• The difference between soil conditioners and fertilisers
  
  

• Common signs of soil problems and how to fix them
  
  

• Ribbon test for identifying soil structure
  
  

• pH test kits (why they're better than probes)
  
  

• Compost and worm castings as soil amendments
  
  

• Gypsum for breaking up clay
  
  

• Chicken manure and lime for correcting acidic soil
  
  

• Seaweed extract and worm tea as microbial boosters
  
  

"You're growing soil first, and plants second."
"The soil is like the foundation of a house – if it's not right, the whole thing falls down."
"Compost is just like baking bread – you need the right balance of carbon and nitrogen."

Fabian is a horticulturist, author, and the founder of The Veggie Patch School. Best known for co-founding The Little Veggie Patch Co, he has helped thousands of Australians grow food in their backyards, courtyards, and balconies. His latest book, Growing Through the Italian Way, blends food, culture, and gardening wisdom from his time in Italy.

Follow Fabian:
📸 Instagram – @fabian_capomolla

Love the podcast? Don't forget to:

• Follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
  
  

• Leave a review – it helps more growers find the show
  
  

• Join our gardening community for seasonal support, seeds and workshops
  👉 Learn more here

This podcast was made with the incredible support of our Local Government partners from around Australia as well as our friends at Backyard Farmer, Pope and Cyclone Tools