Hothouse

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Hothouse Season 2 Preview Mar 12, 2019

Show notes

The upcoming season of Hothouse is devoted to climate change. I'll be talking to activists, artists, farmers, and journalists about the new normal that we face in 2019. How is climate change already affecting our lives? What can we do to limit global warming? And how are each of us reckoning, in our own personal ways, with the future? Stay tuned and stay in touch! info@hothousepodcast.com "Belview" by C. Scott is licensed under CC BY 3.0

Houseplant Confidential with Jane Perrone Nov 15, 2018

Show notes

On this episode, we're taking an intimate look at the the most domesticated plants of all: houseplants. My guest, Jane Perrone, is a London-based journalist and the host-producer of the indoor gardening podcast On The Ledge. We'll discuss Jane's background, some myths and misconceptions of container gardening, and the human tendency to anthropomorphize our houseplants. At the top of the show, I'll dive into the revealing history of the Aspidistra elatior, a houseplant once so iconic it was the subject of a popular song, the codename for a "black propaganda" operation in WWII, and the central metaphor in a George Orwell novel. Today, the Aspidistra is barely considered a houseplant at all. Can this casualty of fashion ever come back in style?

To learn more about On The Ledge, visit janeperrone.com or find the show on Apple podcasts. Find Jane on Instagram @j.l.perrone and on Twitter @janeperrone. Check out Darryl Cheng's Instagram @houseplantjournal and his blog at houseplantjournal.com.

Music in this episode is "The Biggest Aspidistra in the World" by Gracie Fields, "Rite of Passage" by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under CC by 3.00, and "Kid Kodi" by Blue Dot Sessions, licensed under CC BY-NC by 4.0.

Please subscribe, rate, and review Hothouse on Apple Podcasts! For detailed show notes, visit hothousepodcast.com. Email the show at info@hothousepodcast.com.

Gone to Seed | Colleen Dieter Sep 21, 2018

Show notes

Colleen Dieter, co-founder of the the Central Texas Seed Library, talks about how saving, swapping, and sharing seeds can help us build community, reclaim lost agricultural knowledge, and preserve crucial genetic diversity in our global food supply.

Thanks to Colleen and a group of other volunteers, a seed library is coming soon to Austin's fabulous new downtown Central Library. Here, anybody can browse and take home free, open-pollinated seeds to grow in the garden. CTSL is hosting a seed swap and seed-saving class at Austin Central Public Library on October 20, 2018 at 1pm. For more info on the Central Texas Seed Library, visit them on Facebook.

Find Colleen Dieter, landscape consultant and certified arborist, at www.redwheelbarrowplants.com

See Leah and Colleen on Central Texas Gardener on KLRU!

Please subscribe to the Hothouse email newsletter! Sign up at www.hothousepodcast.com. Follow Hothouse on Instagram @hothousepodcast

Music in this episode is "Elatan" by Gustav Landin and "Nostalgia of an ex-gangsta rapper" by Deef

Nothing Natural About Capitalism (Part 2 of 2) with Ryan Rosshirt Sep 17, 2018

Show notes

In Part 2 of the series "Nothing Natural About Capitalism," Leah talks to Austin-based activist Ryan Rosshirt about permaculture design and the challenge of building a society that supports meaningful work. Like so many Americans, Ryan was jolted into political action by the rise of Donald Trump. He quit his desk job before the 2016 election to focus full-time on canvassing for social justice and environmentalist issues. At the same time, he discovered a passion for gardening; a small vegetable patch grew into the backyard microfarm where he's producing a lot of his own food today. On this episode, Ryan talks about implementing permaculture principles to repair the ecosystem in his backyard. Also, he and Leah discuss the idea of "vocations," the structural barriers imposed by capitalism that prevent people from enjoying meaningful work, and how the Austin chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is fighting business interests big and small to improve quality of life for workers.

Nothing Natural About Capitalism (Part 1 of 2) Aug 22, 2018

Show notes

Capitalism: Can't live with it, can't live without it! Or can we? And what is the connection between capitalism and what we eat, how we work, and who bears the impacts of climate change? For a lot of us, the ecological consequences of our economic system are clear: factory farming, algae blooms, pollinator decline, and the Trump Administration's evisceration of the EPA. What, if any, are the alternatives?

In this two-part series, "Nothing Natural About Capitalism," the Starship Hothouse will boldly go where no gardening podcast has gone before, as Leah attempts to articulate some nascent ideas about how the design principles of permaculture, combined with the populist vision of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), might offer a ray of hope in these dispiriting times. In Part 1, Mike Moody, co-host of the Star Trek Discovery Pod (and the engineer of this show) interviews Leah about how she envisions a path between democratic socialism and environmentalism.

Also, Leah tracks down one of her podcasting heroes, Chenjerai Kumanyika, co-host of Gimlet's Uncivil, at the Podcast Movement Conference in Philadelphia. Kumanyika explains that capitalism is not just an economic system; it's a mindset, and he offers insight into why we are having these discussions right now.

In Part 2, Leah interviews activist and permaculture designer Ryan Rosshirt about why he joined the DSA, how he turned his backyard into a permaculture farm, how what civic engagement can improve our quality of life. From Co-ops, to city council meetings, to the joy of chickens, we're covering a lot of ground here, so bear with us!

Conservation & Identity | Park Ranger LaJuan Tucker Jul 07, 2018

Show notes

On this episode, we'll examine the relationship between natural history and social history. Join Leah as she sits down with park ranger LaJuan Tucker to talk about the conservation of urban wildlife, and how changing societal attitudes determine how we relate to our landscapes. LaJuan will explain how, in recent years, Austin's Parks and Recreation Department has implemented a new mandate to protect pollinator habitats, even when that means sacrificing the "manicured" look of the park in high-traffic areas.

We'll also zoom out and talk more broadly about the philosophy of conservation today. How should our parklands be used, and who gets to decide? Should we strive to preserve "native" landscapes, or build more community gardens? And how do we reconcile the romance of the Texas landscape with the racist realities of our past? We'll talk about the lingering effects of Jim Crow in Austin, from actual monuments to the Confederacy, to present-day structural inequality. And we'll hear about LaJuan's personal mission to encourage more young Austinites of color to seek careers in environmental conservation and city planning. Here, and in upcoming episodes as well, we'll begin to engage with the paradox of Austin as an environmentally progressive, yet socioeconomically segregated, city.

For a map of the many sites discussed in this episode, along with the full transcript, photos, and more, visit hothousepodcast.com. While you're there, sign up for the newsletter to get bonus Hothouse content! Email the show with plant questions and feedback at info@hothousepodcast.com and follow us on Instagram @hothousepodcast. This interview was recorded in April 2018 at Permanent RCRD Studios in Austin, Texas. Hothouse is produced by Leah Churner and engineered by Mike Moody. Music by Moonsicles. moonsicles.bandcamp.com.

From Amaranth to Zinnias | Farmer-Florist Gretchen O'Neil Jun 14, 2018

Show notes

Farmer-florist Gretchen O'Neil dishes the dirt on growing cut flowers. Gretchen is the founder of Petals, Ink, a floral design studio, mobile flower truck, and women-run farm in Manor, Texas. She'll tell us about the highs and lows of the farming life -- extraordinary beauty and terrible uncertainty -- and explain how working the land has helped this New England native find a sense of seasonality in balmy Central Texas. Of course, she'll also recommend a whole bunch of varieties you can plant from seed right now to start your own cutting garden -- no greenhouse required!

For more info on Gretchen, visit Petalsinkfloral.com. Pick up their bouquets at the Texas Famers Market at Mueller (Sundays 10-2) and the Petals, Ink flower truck at the Tasty Spoon (Thursdays-Saturdays 4-7). Grassdale Farm's Instagram is amazing. Recommended reading: Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart (2007) and Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden by Erin Benzakein.

Hothouse is produced by Leah Churner and engineered by Mike Moody. Visit us at www.hothousepodcast.com. Email the show with plant questions and feedback at info@hothousepodcast.com and follow us on Instagram @hothousepodcast. Music by Moonsicles. moonsicles.bandcamp.com.

Fungal Vision | Daniel Reyes May 24, 2018

Show notes

On this episode, we venture into the strange and mysterious kingdom of fungi. Join Leah as she sits down to talk mushrooms with mycologist Daniel Reyes, the founder of MycoAlliance, a science and education company that offers classes in mushroom propagation and conducts research at an off-the-grid laboratory in a nature preserve in east Austin. Daniel is a specialist in Mycoremediation, the practice of using fungi to clean up toxic pollution.

We'll start with some basic fungi facts (What is a mushroom, exactly?) and learn how easy it is to grow delicious mushrooms in your garden — even in pots! Hear tales of mycological adventure in the Amazon rainforest, learn how mushroom cultivation can help provide disaster relief to earthquake-damaged areas in Mexico City, and get the scoop on the future of fungi!

To learn more about MycoAlliance, register for a class, or buy spawn, you can visit their website at txfungi.com. Follow them on Instagram at @mycoalliance.

For dates and info about the Introduction to Mushroom Cultivation and Mycology class at Two Hives Honey, and the Mushroom Cultivation and Bioremediation Workshop at Circle Acres, visit the MycoAlliance events calendar. Download the iNaturalist app for help identifying Mushrooms of Texas. To donate to the Mushrooms for Mexico earthquake relief project, visit the GoFundMe page.

Other mentions in this episode: CoRenewal, formerly the Amazon MycoRenewal Project; The Telluride Mushroom Festival (August 16-19, 2018); Curcuma - plant-based food truck in Austin; Books: How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan; Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets; The Fungal Pharmacy by Robert Rogers. FYI: Morel season in Austin is February - April.

This episode was recorded in February 2018 at Permanent RCRD Studios in Austin, Texas. Hothouse is produced by Leah Churner and engineered by Mike Moody. Visit us at www.hothousepodcast.com. Email the show with plant questions and feedback at info@hothousepodcast.com and follow us on Instagram @hothousepodcast. Music by Moonsicles. moonsicles.bandcamp.com.

Myths and Misconceptions | Linda Lehmusvirta May 09, 2018

Show notes

Leah sits down with Linda Lehmusvirta, the producer of KLRU's Central Texas Gardener, to find out what goes on behind the scenes of this long-running, award-winning public television show. Linda's been producing CTG since the beginning, in the 1980s, when it began as a live call-in show. Viewership has now expanded beyond its namesake region, as CTG now airs weekly on PBS stations from Amarillo to Corpus Christi, and from Myrtle Beach to Tucson. Over the years, Linda has filmed hundreds of gardens, interviewed countless locals, and embarked on a personal garden education of trial and error. Hear about the history of CTG and the many myths and misconceptions Linda's encountered along the way. Also: How to retain a sense of humor when foul weather, downed limbs, or busted pipes destroy your best-laid garden plans.

Leah is teaching a free class, "Urban Permaculture for Austinites," on Saturday, May 12 at 10am at The Natural Gardener. Visit naturalgardeneraustin.com for more details.

Here is Linda's article in Organic Life magazine that she mentions in the episode. Here are the CTG segments referenced: Elizabeth McGreevy on "Gravel in the Garden," David Cristiani on "Drought Garden Mistakes," and Christy Ten Eyck on "Drought Garden Design." On tour segments: Leah's balcony garden, and Sandy Stone's shady wildlife garden.

This interview was recorded in February 2018 at Permanent RCRD Studios in Austin, Texas. Hothouse is produced by Leah Churner and engineered by Mike Moody. Visit us at www.hothousepodcast.com. Email the show with plant questions and feedback at info@hothousepodcast.com and follow us on Instagram @hothousepodcast. Music by Moonsicles. www.moonsicles.bandcamp.com.

Healing Spaces | Jenny Peterson, The Cancer Survivor's Garden Companion Apr 25, 2018

Show notes

Join your host, Leah Churner, as she sits down with Jenny Peterson, author of The Cancer Survivor's Garden Companion (St. Lynn's Press, 2016) to talk about the therapeutic power of gardening. As a landscape designer, urban farmer, and breast-cancer survivor, Jenny has unique insight on the healing potential of outdoor spaces. She explains how to find relief in the garden, whether you're experiencing illness, stress, grief, anxiety, or depression. For many reasons, working with plants can help us clear mental fog, process feelings, and gain perspective on the rhythms of life. Plus: your host envies Jenny's adorable baby goats. Visit https://www.jennynybropeterson.com/ facebook.com/JennyNybroPeterson. This interview was recorded in February 2018 at Permanent RCRD in Austin, Texas. Hothouse is produced by Leah Churner and engineered by Mike Moody. Visit us at www.hothousepodcast.com. Email the show with plant questions and feedback at info@hothousepodcast.com and follow us on Instagram @hothousepodcast. Music by Moonsicles: moonsicles.bandcamp.com.

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