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