This time, I'm the one in the hot seat.

In this reflective end-of-year episode, Kelly Baldry takes over as host to ask searching questions about the podcast, changing minds, climate contradictions, and the limits of horticulture as a mental-health cure, alongside a deeper look at my work with Veterans' Growth and what it really means to create safe, supportive spaces in and beyond the garden.

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Sandra Schwarz talks about her new book Restore, and shares how her research led her to identify six universal qualities that make landscapes restorative. We talk about the complexities of "owning" nature, who restorative gardens are really for, and how designers can create spaces that meet people where they are. It's a thoughtful, hopeful conversation about greening with intention.

Links

Restore: How Green Spaces Support Human Restoration

Official Restore Book Page (Humanaturescapes)

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If you liked this week's episode with Sandra Schwarz you might also enjoy these ones from the archives:

Episode 348: A Forest Fix
Sarah speaks with Olga Evans, co‑founder of the Forest Bathing Institute, about what forest bathing really means, the science behind nature's healing effects, and practical ways to bring its benefits into everyday life, even if you don't have a forest nearby.

Episode 314: Nurturing Growth, Inside and Out
Sarah talks to Pete Welsh, an RAF Warrant Officer whose journey from military life through mental health challenges highlights the therapeutic power of gardening and community connection, and the parallels between cultivating plants and healing ourselves.

Linden Groves of the Gardens Trust talks about the vital—and surprisingly vulnerable—protections for our historic parks and gardens, and the government's proposal to remove the Trust's statutory consultee role. We unpack what this would mean for our green spaces, why it matters to all of us, and how people can help.

Links

The Gardens Trust

Support the campaign

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If you liked this week's episode with Linden Groves you might also enjoy this one from the archives:

Episode 336: Creating an Ark
Sarah speaks with landscape designer and rewilding advocate Mary Reynolds about turning gardens and public green spaces into biodiversity-supporting "Arks," exploring how design choices can protect nature in everyday landscapes.

Episode 351: Wild Campuses, Wild Futures
Sarah talks to Liz Morley about rewilding public and institutional landscapes, discussing how sensitive, ecologically informed design can support nature while still serving community needs.

I'm joined once again by permaculture designer and author Pippa Chapman to explore how beauty, productivity and wildlife-friendly principles can all thrive together in the garden. We dive into her creative approach, the ideas behind her new book, and how small, thoughtful changes can transform any space into a resilient, edible ecosystem.

Links

Permaculture Planting Designs by Pippa Chapman

Pippa on YouTube

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If you liked this week's episode with Richard Hayden you might also enjoy this one from the archives:

Episode 185: Food Forests for Plant Lovers
Sarah speaks with Pippa Chapman about her book The Plant Lover's Backyard Forest Garden, exploring how to design beautiful, edible, wildlife-friendly forest garden spaces even in small gardens.

Episode 296: Regenerative Design

Sarah talks to Erik Ohlsen, a permaculturist and regenerative designer, about creating landscapes that repair the environment and follow ecological principles.

Richard Hayden of New York's High Line talks about how the space has grown and transformed—its evolving plantings, newly added areas, and the thoughtful maintenance practices that have helped it become a beloved, essential part of daily life for both residents and visitors. We trace how this once-industrial rail line has matured into one of the city's most treasured green spaces.

Links

www.thehighline.org

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If you liked this week's episode with Richard Hayden you might also enjoy this one from the archives:

Episode 323: Wildflowers, Community & Urban Nature
Sarah speaks with Richard Scott and Polly Moseley of the Scouse Flowerhouse about creating biodiverse, people-centred urban landscapes and how community-driven planting can transform the character and ecological value of city spaces.
Link: https://rootsandall.co.uk/podcast/wildflowers-community-urban-nature/

Episode 59: Public Green Spaces with Neil Sinden
I talk with Neil Sinden from CPRE about the role of public green spaces in urban life, exploring access, stewardship, and how thoughtful planning can shape meaningful, lived-in landscapes for residents and visitors alike.
Link: https://rootsandall.co.uk/podcast/public-green-spaces-with-neil-sinden/

I'm joined by Chris Whitelock, author of Growing Fruit, to explore how modern varieties are reshaping the way we grow fruit at home. We discuss everything from choosing space-saving or container-friendly trees to tackling pests, diseases, and even the challenge of keeping birds off your harvest.

Links

Growing Fruit: A Practical Guide to Growing Top and Soft Fruit

Chris Whitelock - Learning with Experts

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I'm speaking with Karen Hall, Program Director of Ecological Education at the Institute for Applied Ecology, about an inspiring initiative that connects conservation with social rehabilitation. We explore what ecological education involves, the features of the landscape and ecology of the region where Karen works and how changes to funding have affected these conservation in the efforts.

Links

Staff profile at IAE: Karen Hall – Institute for Applied Ecology — her bio, role description and contact information.

Curriculum materials she oversaw: Ecological Education Curriculum – Institute for Applied Ecology — downloadable education-units with her listed as Program Director.

Article on the prison-conservation work mentioning her: "When Gardening is a Lifeline and Game-Changer" (in Pacific Horticulture) — includes direct quotes from her about the prison-based conservation programme. Pacific Horticulture

A podcast featuring her and the prison conservation programme: Seeds for Change: An Institute for Applied Ecology Podcast — she appears discussing the "Sagebrush in Prisons" / conservation-in-prisons initiative.

Other episodes if you liked this one:

Episode 333: Designing for Habitat & Biodiversity

Ecological designer and waterway whisperer Emmaline Bowman talks about her mission to heal landscapes through nature-led design at her practice Stem Landscape Architecture & Design.

Episode 247: Botanical Education

I speak with Seb Stroud (Leeds University) about the state of botanical education, its implications for biodiversity & climate, and what is being done to revive it.

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Nancy Matsumoto discusses her new book Reaping What She Sows, an exploration of the women transforming our broken food system from the ground up. We talk about what an alternative food system really looks like, why women are at the forefront of this movement, and how they're reimagining the way we grow, distribute, and consume food could offer a more just, sustainable, and human-centric future.

Links

Reaping What She Sows by Nancy Matsumoto

Other episodes if you liked this one:

Episode 263: Ooooby – Out of Our Own Back Yard
In this episode, Pete Russell discusses how the platform Ooooby links customers with small‑scale local growers, promoting a shift away from the large industrial system and toward local, independent food supply chains.

Episode 338: Real Organic vs Regenerative Farming
This episode features Dave Chapman and delves into the broader food‑system issues: corporate consolidation in agriculture, how "regenerative" is being used (or misused) as a buzzword, and how the choice of farming systems impacts equity, transparency and consumer trust.

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