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

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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.

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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

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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 YardIn 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 FarmingThis 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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This episode, Nicolas Salazar of Guardians Worldwide explores the often-overlooked role of rocks in our designed environments. We discuss their carbon storage potential, their deep relationship with plants, and why removing rocks from landscapes may have more impact than we think. It's a conversation that challenges us to see rocks not as static objects, but as vital, living parts of ecological systems.

Links

www.guardiansworldwide.org

Other episodes if you liked this one:

Episode 41: Natural Stone with Giles Heap In this episode, host Sarah Wilson speaks to Giles Heap of CED Stone about sourcing natural stone ethically, using materials appropriate to location and job, UK local‑stone options, production/process environmental impacts, permeability and drainage issues with hard surfaces and the future of stone products.

Episode 222: Nature from the Rubble In this episode, landscape architect Sally Bower discusses her RHS‑bursary‑winning report exploring gravel and recycled aggregate gardens in Essex and London (including Hilldrop, Hyde Hall, Beth Chatto's gravel garden, Langdon Nature Discovery Car Park and the Horniman Museum Grasslands garden) and shares surprising insights for designing with or growing in these media.

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