Herb your enthusiasm – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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In Part 2 of our coverage from the Kalamunda Garden Festival, we continue our conversations with three passionate guests who each bring a unique perspective to the world of gardening, horticulture, and the tools that support them.

First, I sit down with Chloe Thomson, founder of Sprout School, horticulturist, educator, presenter, writer, and passionate advocate for gardening as a tool for environmental and personal wellbeing. Chloe shares her experiences helping people build confidence in the garden, encouraging biodiversity in urban landscapes, and fostering deeper connections between people and nature. Our conversation explores the power of gardening to create healthier communities, support local wildlife, and inspire the next generation of gardeners.

Next, I chat with Jamie from East to West Tools, a specialist supplier of premium Japanese gardening and woodworking tools. Jamie shares the history and philosophy behind traditional Japanese toolmaking, exploring how centuries-old craftsmanship, attention to detail, and a culture of continual refinement have influenced the design of some of the world's finest hand tools. We discuss why Japanese secateurs, saws, and pruning equipment have developed such a loyal following among gardeners, arborists, and horticultural professionals, and what Australian gardeners can learn from the Japanese approach to working with plants.

Finally, I speak with John Colwill, Vice President of the Araluen Botanic Park Foundation. John offers insights into the challenges and opportunities facing Western Australian gardens in a changing climate. We discuss water-wise gardening principles, plant selection, landscape resilience, and the important role botanic gardens play in conservation, education, and connecting communities with the natural world.

Recorded live at the 2026 Kalamunda Garden Festival, this episode showcases the knowledge, experience, and passion that make the festival such a valuable gathering for gardeners of all skill levels.

Guests Featured

Chloe Thomson – Founder of Sprout School
Chloe Thomson is a horticulturist, educator, presenter, writer, and content creator best known as the founder of Sprout School, one of Australia's leading online gardening education programs. Through Sprout School, Chloe has helped thousands of gardeners build the confidence and practical skills needed to create thriving gardens, regardless of their experience level. A familiar voice across podcasts, radio, social media, industry events, and gardening publications, Chloe is passionate about making horticultural knowledge approachable, engaging, and accessible to everyday gardeners. She is also the creator of Bean There Dug That, where she combines expert advice with practical, real-world gardening inspiration.

Jamie – East to West Tools
A passionate advocate for traditional Japanese toolmaking, Jamie specialises in sourcing and supplying premium Japanese gardening and woodworking tools to Australian gardeners and tradespeople. Drawing on centuries of Japanese craftsmanship and design philosophy, East to West Tools helps connect professionals and enthusiasts with tools renowned for their precision, durability, and exceptional cutting performance. In this conversation, Jamie explores the cultural traditions behind Japanese tools and why they have earned such a devoted following around the world.

John Colwill – Vice President, Araluen Botanic Park Foundation
A respected horticultural leader and advocate for public gardens, John helps guide the stewardship of one of Western Australia's most treasured botanical destinations. With extensive experience in horticulture, landscape management, conservation, and environmental education, he is passionate about helping gardeners adapt to a changing climate through thoughtful plant selection, water-wise gardening, and sustainable landscape practices. His work focuses on preserving horticultural heritage while promoting resilient, environmentally responsible gardening for future generations.

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In this special episode of Herb Your Enthusiasm, we head back to the 2026 Kalamunda Garden Festival, one of Western Australia's premier gardening events. Held in the Perth Hills, the festival brought together thousands of plant lovers, specialist growers, gardening experts and community groups for a day packed with inspiration, education and all things horticulture. From rare plants and regenerative gardening to waterwise landscaping and edible gardens, this episode captures the atmosphere, conversations and passion that make the Kalamunda Garden Festival such a highlight of the WA gardening calendar.

Featured speakers include:

Connie Cao – Passionate edible gardener and educator specialising in growing Asian vegetables, productive gardens and food-growing in small spaces.

Craig Castree – Regenerative gardening advocate and educator focused on soil health, biological gardening and sustainable food production.

Tammy Huynh – Indoor plant specialist and founder of Leafing Around, helping plant owners better understand and care for their indoor jungles.

Whether you're a seasoned horticulturist, a backyard grower or simply plant-curious, this episode offers a snapshot of the ideas, expertise and enthusiasm that make the Kalamunda Garden Festival a standout event on the Western Australian gardening calendar. 🌿🎙️🌱

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Had a ball on day 2 of the Perth garden show! 
Stoked to introduce you all to a crowd favourite - the legendary Dean Arthurell AKA The carnaby's crusader.
Enjoy.

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I spent the day soaking up the sights, sounds, and soil-stained goodness of the 2025 Perth Garden Show at McCallum Park, great vibes!
Right by the Swan River, the place was packed with plant lovers, growers, weekend diggers, and sustainability legends from across WA.

There were lush display gardens to explore, passionate stallholders sharing tips, and loads of hands-on wisdom flying around—from native planting and permaculture to composting, worm farms, and water-wise tricks. 
The Rewilding Zone was buzzing all day, where I got to set up shop next to Mel from Rewilding Suburbia and chat with some inspiring humans about bringing nature back into our suburbs.

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Another Kalamunda garden festival in the can baby!

Perfect weather.
This was the busiest festival we've been a part of and Stirk park was heaving with punters!
Enjoy hearing from legends of Australian gardening and horticulture including Stephen Ryan, Derryn Thorpe, Neville Passmore.

Grab your tickets for the next here:
https://kalamundagardenfestival.com.au/

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On todays pod we have repeat-guest; Brendon Carrick.
Brendon is a certified aquascaping contractor known as the “Ecosystem Gardener.” He specializes in creating naturalized water features, including ponds, streams, and wetlands, aiming to enhance outdoor spaces by integrating aquatic ecosystems.   His work has been featured on ABC’s “Gardening Australia,” highlighting his unique approach to aquatic landscaping. 

Brendon shares his projects and insights on Instagram under the handle @ecosystem_gardener, where he showcases his work on various aquatic installations.

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Enjoy A+ gardening content with plant-mad legends from the Kalamunda garden festival. 

Guests (not in order)
- Hannah Moloney - ABC Presenter
- Dan Rubick - Botanist
- Brenna Quinlan - Australian educator and Illustrator
- Matty B - Eco-warrior and green Entrepeneur
- Michael - Owner of small business - Wick and Grow 
- David - Co-owner of "Made for the earth" Plant nursery 
- Sean - Etheliana wildflowers
- Jo Bussell - Urban Revolution concept store

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Quite a special one today. 
Perth city farm is a cultural hub and urban jewel in East Perth.
On this special day, the 30th birthday of city farm, I sat down with its founder - Rosanne Scott to discuss the urban farms' interesting history.
For anyone interested in growing food, permaculture, living sustainably, we highly recommend checking out CF's socials or heading down for a coffee to see it in person.

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Had a chat with horticulturalist Sally Dighton of Geraldton.

Stoked to introduce you guys to another wild and awesome person with a passion for WA Flora.

Finad Sally here:
https://www.salthegardeninggal.com.au/

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Certified Aquascaping contractor; Dan O'Callaghan of NatureBuild Australia joined me for the second time to riff about what he's been up to with his awesome landscaping company.
Natural, chlorine-free pools, pondless streams and gorgeous waterfalls are his specialty. 
 
Do yourself a favour and follow him on Instagram if you haven't already..
Here: NatureBuild-Daniel O’Callaghan (@naturebuild_insta) • Instagram photos and videos

Check NatureBuild website here:
https://www.naturebuild.com.au/

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