Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

What if the future of our food system is already growing wild beneath our feet? Wendy Russell and Freda Farquharson explore the power of wild edibles — from sorrel seeds and citizen science to health, biodiversity, and climate-friendly farming — and how these overlooked plants could help shape a more resilient future for people, nature, and the land.
Benny's Insect of the Week: The Australian Orange Tip Moth - sponsored by Cerddwr's Herbs go to www.cerddwrshb.com and use the code BUGPODS for a listener's discount.
Cerddwr's Herbs on Facebook 
Cerddwr's Herbs 
Links
The website link for becoming participants of the project
The Wild Edibles logo was designed by Gabrielle Reith
Gabrielle Reith is an artist, illustrator and maker based in Scotland – small-stories
Milestones since the project's launch on 1st May 2025:
1st seeds sent out on 7th May 2025
Over 300 packets of seeds sent or delivered by hand so that's over 15 000 seeds sent out so far!
Furthest south sent - Kent
Furthest North sent - Shetland
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 Brigit you might also enjoy these episodes from the archives:
Episode 155: Wild Food with Marlow Renton
Foraging expert Marlow Renton joins Sarah to explore the delights and responsibilities of harvesting wild food, from deepening our relationship with the land to understanding seasonal abundance and ethical foraging. A perfect companion to Wendy and Freda's conversation about wild edibles, knowledge-sharing, and reconnecting with overlooked plants in our landscapes.
Episode 349: Foraging Feasts with Flavour Fred
Chef and forager Flavour Fred shares his passion for turning wild ingredients into vibrant, accessible food, celebrating flavour, creativity, and sustainability. This episode beautifully complements the Wild Edibles project, bringing the journey full circle from growing and foraging to cooking, eating, and valuing wild food as part of everyday life.

There are no human atoms—only nature's. In this episode, Brigit Anna McNeill joins me to explore what it means to truly come home to the natural world. Drawing on her book and her journey, Brigit reflects on healing through plants, herbalism, folklore, and ancestral connection. We talk about losing and reclaiming connection, the slow unfolding of change, and why nature simply waits for us to listen.
Benny's Insect of the Week: The Australian Orange Tip Moth - sponsored by Cerddwr's Herbs go to www.cerddwrshb.com and use the code BUGPODS for a listener's discount.
Cerddwr's Herbs on Facebook
Links
Author — Brigit Anna McNeill
Instagram profile (writer, naturalist, teacher, and author of The Wild Within)
Author Substack "Into the Woods with Brigit Anna McNeill"
Book — The Wild Within: What Plants Taught Me about Life, Recovery and Renewal
https://septemberpublishing.org/product/the-wild-within-what-plants-taught-me-about-life-recovery-and-renewal-pb/
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 Brigit you might also enjoy these episodes from the archives:
Episode 348: A Forest Fix
Olga Evans, co-founder of the Forest Bathing Institute, delves into what forest bathing really means, why nature immersion can be restorative even if you're not in an actual forest, and how simple, mindful practices can help you reconnect with the land—echoing Brigit's reflections on nature, wellbeing and presence.
Episode 340: The Nature of Resilience
Author Nic Wilson discusses how her relationship with the natural world helped her navigate chronic illness, and how nature shapes our inner landscapes as much as our outer ones—a beautiful complement to Brigit's themes of slow transformation, embodied connection and the wisdom of listening to nature.

I'm joined by landscape architects Andy Harris and Andy Sturgeon to explore the thinking behind the transformation of London's Sloane Street. Together, they tell the story of a project that set out to reimagine this 1km stretch as a green boulevard inspired by the nearby Chelsea Physic Garden — shifting it from a traffic-dominated thoroughfare into a calmer, more human-centred place. We talk about how landscape can knit together retail and residential life, improve wellbeing, and encourage people not just to pass through, but to linger — using planting as environmental infrastructure. From underground constraints and traffic reduction to biodiversity uplift and long-term stewardship, this conversation reveals how thoughtful urban greening can reshape experience, behaviour and connection in the heart of the city and it provides a great companion episode to last year's one on New York's High Line. 
Benny's Insect of the Week: The Seven-Spot Ladybird - sponsored by Cerddwr's Herbs go to www.cerddwrshb.com and use the code BUGPODS for a listener's discount.
www.cerddwrshb.com
Cerddwr's Herbs on Facebook
Sloane Street | John McAslan + Partners – official project page outlining the landscape and public realm transformation of this 1 km London boulevard with widened pavements, planting and green infrastructure as part of a masterplan for Cadogan Estates.
Andy Harris | John McAslan + Partners – leading the Landscape and Urban Design Studio and responsible for the Sloane Street masterplan and other major public realm projects.
Andy Sturgeon Design – the official site for Andy Sturgeon's landscape architecture and garden design practice, responsible for the planting and horticultural design on the Sloane Street project.
Please support the podcast on Patreon

I'm joined by Robin Singh, a former tech entrepreneur turned animal rescuer and author, to explore what it really means to live a purposeful life. Our conversation weaves through gardening, homesteading and sustainability, but quickly digs deeper into ideas of happiness, existential crisis and the search for meaning. Drawing on Robin's journey from corporate success to running an animal rescue and growing his own food, the episode reflects on reducing suffering, finding purpose over pleasure, and how small, thoughtful choices can help us live more intentionally—especially at the start of a new year.
Robin's book "Happiness Happens"
Peepal Farm — official site for the animal rescue and farm founded by Robin Singh
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 Robin Singh you might also enjoy these ones from the archives: 
Episode 364: Permaculture Planting
In this episode Sarah is joined by permaculture designer and author Pippa Chapman as they explore how beauty, productivity and wildlife-friendly principles can all thrive together in the garden. They talk about designing resilient, edible ecosystems and how small, thoughtful changes to our spaces can transform the way we live with nature—echoing Robin's ideas about living intentionally and purposefully with the land.
Episode 340: The Nature of Resilience
Author Nic Wilson discusses how her deep relationship with the natural world has helped her navigate chronic illness, and how our surroundings shape and reflect our inner resilience. This conversation complements Robin's reflection on suffering, meaning and transformation by highlighting how nature supports us through life's challenges.

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.
Please support the podcast on Patreon
And follow Roots and All:
On Instagram @rootsandallpod
On Facebook @rootsandalluk
On LinkedIn @rootsandall