In this interview episode, Sean chats with Paul Zammit about the life of a garden communicator. Paul has had a long career in horticulture and is presently a professor of Horticulture and Environmental Studies at Niagara College as well as CBC’s Ontario Today gardening expert—although “expert” is a term he would like to contest. After all, we never stop learning, and that’s especially true in the garden. Paul and Sean talk about selfish gardening (taking space from nature for ourselves) compared to building a biodiverse space that wildlife can enjoy alongside us—even if that means broadening our definition of beauty. They lament the spread of incomplete and untrue gardening tips online, although they’re still excited about the information-sharing power of social media. And although they’d happily talk forever, they force themselves to wrap up the conversation by answering some listener questions about insect-afflicted ash trees and re-blooming orchids. 

Find Paul on Instagram at @paulsplantpix  

Paul Zammit is a professor at  Niagara College’s School of Environment and Horticulture. 

He can be found giving garden advice on CBC’s Ontario Today program 

He occasionally co-leads international tours of public and private gardens. 

Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment? Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon. 

Instagram: @plantsalwayswinpodcast 

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Credits

Website Design and Illustration by Sophia Alladin

Intro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-plays

License code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PH



0:45 Preamble

1:15 Interview

2:33 Paul’s Impressive Résumé

4:04 Leading Garden Tours

7:11 “Garden Expert”, and Other Misnomers

13:07 Gardening is different everywhere!

15:25 Biodiversity: If You Plant it, They Will Come

16:24 Invasive Species and Constructive Conversations

21:30 Rethinking Beauty

24:03 Cultivars Aren’t Evil

26:24 Gardening for Ourselves and for Nature

35:20 Social Media and Iffy Plant Hacks

42:07 Intermission

42:50 Q&A

44: 26 Emerald Ash Borers

46:35 Re-Blooming Orchids

53:12 Paul's Shout-Outs

56:20 Outro