Back in the summer, Karin and I were interviewed, one after the other, by garden designer and podcaster Mykal Hoare for his The Gardener’s Lodge podcast. Both interviews have now been released, covering rather different aspects of gardening and our relationship with the natural world.

My interview, published on 17 September, was a wide-ranging conversation about pollinators, their relationships with flowering plants, and the role that gardens can play in supporting biodiversity. We discussed everything from bees and butterflies to birds, the effects of climate change and this summer’s unusually hot, dry weather, and the perennial question of whether gardeners should favour native or non-native plants. We also talked about why providing flowers is only part of the story when it comes to conserving pollinators.

Karin’s interview, published on 1 October, approached gardening from a very different perspective. Drawing on her experience as a relationship therapist and author, she and Mykal explored how gardens and gardening can contribute to mental wellbeing, mindfulness and stronger relationships. In particular, they discussed how gardening together can reveal differences between couples, provide opportunities for communication and compromise, and strengthen our connections with nature. Apparently, our own sometimes contrasting ideas about how tidy or wild a garden should be provided some useful examples!

There’s quite a bit of common ground between the two conversations, particularly around the importance of observing and appreciating the wildlife that shares our gardens.

Some readers may remember that Karin has spoken about gardening and relationships on a podcast before, so this is an interesting continuation of that discussion.

Many thanks to Mykal for inviting us both onto the podcast and for two very enjoyable conversations!