Roots and All - Gardening Podcast

What happens when a community garden becomes a lifeline for people, wildlife and an entire neighbourhood? In this episode, I'm chatting with Oliver Hayden from Walworth Garden about running a free community space in the heart of London, why gardening can drive real social change, and how reconnecting with nature can quietly transform lives. It's funny, thought-provoking and full of big questions about the way we live and garden.
Benny's Insect of the Week: Four Banded Flower Bee
Links
You can find Walworth Garden online here:
Official website: Walworth Garden
Instagram: @walworthgarden on Instagram
You can also visit the garden in person at 206 Manor Place, London SE17 3BN.
Please support the podcast on Patreon
And follow Roots and All:
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If you enjoyed this week's episode with Oliver Hayden, you might also like these conversations from the archives:
Episode 323: Wildflowers, Community & Urban Nature
A conversation exploring the importance of urban green spaces, biodiversity and the role community projects can 
Episode 275: Community Gardening
This episode looks at the social value of community gardening projects and the ways shared green spaces can support wellbeing, learning and local connection, making it a natural companion to today's discussion.

What happens when the garden you love starts demanding more than you can give? In today's episode of Roots and All, I'm joined by garden writer Rhonda Fleming Hayes to explore how gardening changes as we age — from adapting high-maintenance spaces to embracing balcony gardens, community plots and slower, more meaningful ways of connecting with nature.
Benny's Insect of the Week: Rose Chafer Beetle
Links
Garden for Life: Strategies for Easier, Greener, More Joyful Gardening as We Age by Rhonda Fleming Hayes
Please support the podcast on Patreon
And follow Roots and All:
On Instagram @rootsandallpod
On Facebook @rootsandalluk
On LinkedIn @rootsandall
If you enjoyed this week's episode with Rhonda, you might also like these conversations from the archives:
Episode 366: Universal Qualities of Healing Gardens
Benjamin Vogt explores the restorative power of gardens and the ways thoughtfully designed spaces can support wellbeing, connection and healing throughout our lives — a fitting companion to today's discussion on gardening as we age.
Episode 325: Growing in the Garden
Emma O'Neill reflects on personal growth through gardening and the many ways our outdoor spaces evolve alongside us, echoing today's conversation about adapting gardens to changing needs and lifestyles.

This episode might just change the way you grow, shop, cook, and eat. Today I'm joined by returning guest Dave Goulson to talk about his new book, Eat the Planet Well, a practical guide to eating in a way that's healthy, affordable, and better for the planet. Even if you think you know the basics — and are wondering about Dave's shift from his usual nature writing — there's plenty here that will surprise you.
Benny's Insect of the Week: Dark-edged Bee-fly
With thanks to our sponsor  - roastinghouse.co.uk. get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout. 
Links
Dave Goulson on instagram 
Eat the Planet Well by Dave Goulson
Please support the podcast on Patreon
And follow Roots and All:
On Instagram @rootsandallpod
On Facebook @rootsandalluk
On LinkedIn @rootsandall
If you enjoyed this week's episode with Dave, you might also like these conversations from the archives:
Episode 334: Food Farming Revolutionary
Joshua Sparkes shares a regenerative, soil-first approach to growing food that challenges conventional farming — a natural companion to today's discussion on rethinking how we produce and consume what we eat.
Episode 328: Soil, Health & Nutrition
Sam Hamrebtan explores the vital link between soil health and the nutritional value of our food, reinforcing the idea that what's good for the planet is also good for us.

What happens when you follow a decades-long love affair with a place all the way to its shores? Victoria Bennett did exactly that, uprooting her life in Cumbria to start afresh on the windswept islands of Orkney — new garden, new climate, and an inspiring vision for a community apothecary space rooted in creativity, care, and the land itself.
Benny's Insect of the Week: Orange-tip Butterly
With thanks to our sponsor  - roastinghouse.co.uk. get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout. 
Links
Author Website Victoria Bennett — Official Author Site 
Books
The Apothecary by the Sea — Waterstones 
All My Wild Mothers — Amazon author page
Instagram — @beewyld
Please support the podcast on Patreon
And follow Roots and All:
On Instagram @rootsandallpod
On Facebook @rootsandalluk
On LinkedIn @rootsandall
If you enjoyed this week's episode with Victoria, you might also like these conversations from the archives:
Episode 370: Remembering Our Nature Brigit Anna McNeill explores healing through plants, herbalism, folklore and ancestral connection — a beautiful companion to today's conversation about finding yourself through the natural world and the restorative power of putting down new roots. 
Episode 368: Rooted In Purpose Robin Singh's journey from corporate life to growing his own food and living more intentionally echoes Victoria's themes of caregiving, community and choosing a life shaped by purpose rather than habit.

What if gardening doesn't make you happy? Gardening isn't always the simple "cure-all" it's often made out to be. We get into the realities behind the wellbeing narrative — from overwhelm and pressure to the deeper emotional connections we form with our outdoor spaces. It's a thoughtful, honest conversation about what gardens really give us… and what they sometimes don't.
Benny's Insect of the Week: Gooden's Nomad Bee
With thanks to our sponsor  - roastinghouse.co.uk. get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout. 
Links
The Psychology of Gardening (The Psychology of Everything) - Harriet Gross
Garden Lovers Reading Retreat
Please support the podcast on Patreon
And follow Roots and All:
On Instagram @rootsandallpod
On Facebook @rootsandalluk
On LinkedIn @rootsandall
If you enjoyed this week's episode with Harriet, you might also like these conversations from the archives:
Episode 314: Nurturing Growth, Inside and Out
In this episode, Sarah looks at the emotional side of gardening and how our outdoor spaces can shape identity, wellbeing, and resilience — a thoughtful companion to today's discussion about the psychological weight and reward of tending a garden.
Episode 286: Natural Happiness
This episode explores the relationship between nature and wellbeing, questioning what we really mean when we say gardens make us "happy," and how that experience varies from person to person — closely linked to today's reflections on the limits of gardening as a cure-all.