The Sentimental Gardener

Join Cass Dowding, an enthusiastic everyday gardener, as she has conversations with fellow plant lovers about the gardens and plants that shape our stories and connect us to what matters most.

The Sentimental Gardener is a leisure podcast hosted by Cass Dowding, with 23 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Cass Dowding hosts The Sentimental Gardener, a leisure show with 23 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #8

  Deb Collett on Australia Post's new dahlia stamp collection plus dahlia trials program at Cruden Farm

  Sep 15, 202630 minS2

  Deb Collett was a previous guest way back in Season One, and since then we've become great friends. So it was particularly lovely to sit down and catch up with her on this episode of Sentimental Friends - the subscriber only series where we cover news, updates and more from people in gardening world. This episode is available for FREE FOR EVERYONE as a thank you for your patience while I paused releasing episodes for a few months! Earlier this year, Deb was involved in Australia Post's dahlia cultivar collection , released back in May 2026 — a particularly perfect partnership given that, alongside collecting dahlias, Deb is also a passionate philatelist (stamp collector). We chat about: Which dahlias made their stamp debut The story behind the breeders of the three different varieties The dahlia trails at Cruden Farm The National Dahlia Conference What's been happening in Deb's own garden And, importantly, I ask Deb how on earth I'm supposed to manage the old and new growth on my tree dahlia! You can also catch Deb's original Sentimental Gardener episode here . Follow Deb on Instagram @debsdahlias Follow The Sentimental Gardener on Instagram @the_sentimental_gardener Subscribe to the mailing list here: https://thesentimentalgardener.substack.com/subscribe

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  Episode #5

  Timothy Mitchell on tomatoes, transforming tennis courts and designing en plein air

  Jul 26, 20261h 1mS2

  Australian landscape architect and garden designer Timothy Mitchell joins Cass Dowding on The Sentimental Gardener podcast to talk about his early memories of plants, transforming tennis courts into a meadow of flowers and designing gardens en plein air. They also dive into finding beauty in Australian native plants, building a dry climate garden that actually works, letting a garden evolve naturally over seasons, and why the most alive gardens are always being edited, observed and mulled over. They recorded this episode in Tim and his partner Lucy's backyard, surrounded by the antiquing of plants moving from summer to autumn and a view of Mt. William/ Wil-im-ee Moor-ring as the backdrop. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:35 Early memories of gardens and plants 05:00 Choosing a life in landscape design 09:00 Gardeners and landscape architects 13:45 Designing public places 16:00 Transforming a tennis court into a garden 18:30 Starting a garden from scratch 19:00 Finding beauty in Australian plants 22:40 Building a dry climate garden 27:45 Letting a garden grow naturally 32:00 Trees, time and looking after nature 38:30 What makes a garden feel alive 45:30 Learning by watching plants 49:45 Quick-fire garden questions 56:45 The gardens that stay with us 59:35 Final thoughts and outro Show notes: Follow Timothy Mitchell on Instagram or visit website Follow The Sentimental Gardener on Instagram and Facebook Visit The Sentimental Gardener website Get Sentimental Gardener emails in your inbox Get bonus content + episodes on Sentimental Friends Original music: Hayden Schueler of Vereya Gardening Audio mix: Tom Dowding Producer and editor: Cass Dowding

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  Episode #4

  Ben Clark on growing Kuranga Native Nursery, and building a family life around plants

  Jun 11, 202651 minS2

  Are you an Australian native plant fanatic? Well you're going to love this episode! Cass Dowding chats with Ben Clark, co-owner of Kuranga Native Nursery, about growing up surrounded by the bush in Warrandyte, followed by an early obsession with plants, to building a family business around Australian native plants. Ben shares how he first came to Kuranga as an apprentice, what happens behind the scenes in the nursery he now owns, and why the nursery has become such a loved destination for native plant buffs. They also talk about Kuranga's expansion to a second site at Warrandyte, running the business with his wife Alexa, raising kids around the nursery, and the joy of dispersing native plants into gardens across the state, and maybe Australia! Show notes: Follow Kuranga Native Nursery on Instagram and Facebook Follow The Sentimental Gardener on Instagram and Facebook Get Sentimental Gardener emails Support the podcast on Patreon Get bonus episodes on Sentimental Friends Interested in becoming a podcast sponsor? Get more info here Theme music: Hayden Schueler of Vereya Gardening Audio mix: Tom Dowding Producer and editor: Cass Dowding

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  Episode #3

  Hannah Moloney on her book 'Why We Garden', activism and a good life for everybody

  May 20, 20261h 3mS2

  <p >Hannah Moloney was born for this! 'This' is creating what she calls "a good life for everybody": people, animals, ecosystems and communities alike.</p> <p >From climate-justice cabaret to gardening, activism, writing and community projects, Hannah's work is all about connection, resilience and finding better ways to live together. She's also a presenter on ABC TV's Gardening Australia and the bestselling author of the newly released Why We Garden — Even When We Don't Have To.</p> <p >In this episode, Cass and Hannah talk about early memories, sentimental plant stories, permaculture, activism and what Hannah discovered after interviewing thousands of...

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  Episode #2

  Tim Pilgrim on Wild by Design, learning through doing and daisies

  May 4, 20261h 26mS2

  <p >Tim Pilgrim, garden designer and author of Wild by Design, joins Cass Dowding for a conversation about naturalistic gardening, learning through doing, and what it means to work with a place rather than trying to control it.</p> <p >Based in Central Victoria, Tim shares how his approach to garden design has evolved over time — shaped by observation, trial and error, and a deep connection to landscape. From early memories of planting and time spent in significant Australian gardens, to designing spaces that feel full, layered, and alive, this is a conversation about letting gardens find their own rhythm.</p>...

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