1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: The Easter Special of Gardening Australia is on seven point 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: thirty this Good Friday on ABC and Costa. Georgiadis is 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: joining us now Costa Good morning. 4 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 2: Good morning Clary. 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: What makes this the Easter Special? 6 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:23,639 Speaker 2: Well, I had the chance to head up to Australia 7 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 2: zoop okay and I got to hang out with Robert 8 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 2: and Terry Irwin. And it's really interesting because when the 9 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 2: more I do what I do, and the more we 10 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 2: do our thing here at Gardening Australia. I mean, the 11 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 2: key to everything for us is plants. They're the center 12 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 2: of any story that we do. The plants have to 13 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 2: be the center of the story. And you know, you 14 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 2: think about any animal on the planet, they need plants. 15 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 2: And it's really nice because to go, oh, what are 16 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 2: you going to a zoo for? What the zoo got 17 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 2: to do with it? Well, the plants need the animals 18 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 2: and the animals need the plants. So we go up 19 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 2: there and it's really interesting because what we get to 20 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:18,119 Speaker 2: see behind the scenes is that the zoom the zoo 21 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 2: may present the animals, but they up there, they spend 22 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 2: so much time growing the food for the animals because 23 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 2: you know, you think about it. There's so many different 24 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 2: species of animals that they need to provide the food for. 25 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 2: And when you look at some of those bigger animals, rhinoceras, elephants, lions, tigers, 26 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 2: all of these things, they've got to eat meat and 27 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 2: they're eating twenty four to seven. But then you know 28 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 2: then for the smaller insects and aratnids and all the 29 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 2: other things that they have there, they need the plants 30 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 2: not just for the food, because you know, they might 31 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 2: need flowers, they might need nuts. That the animals need 32 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 2: different things. They can't attend them the same things all 33 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 2: the time. But they also need the habitat. So they 34 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 2: need the leaves, they need the bark, they need the 35 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 2: cones so that when they're in their their space, and 36 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 2: particularly because they have a big rehab hospital there which 37 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 2: blew me away, like this hospital I could have gone 38 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 2: in and had an operation there and a full check up, 39 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 2: like it's so incredible. But they have all of the 40 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 2: specific foliage so that the animals feel safe and feel 41 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 2: at home. You know, they literally create a home for them. 42 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 2: And it's a really I got so much out of 43 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: this story, and it's great because it's a two parter 44 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 2: because we go back and we start at the top 45 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 2: of the show with that, and then we move we 46 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 2: come back to the story. But there's so much to 47 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,079 Speaker 2: learn and understand and what we can take away from 48 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 2: that for our backyards and for our balconies and wherever 49 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:03,079 Speaker 2: we live, we can create habitat, and habitat becomes the food, 50 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 2: you know, and those we can't have the birds if 51 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 2: we want birds in our garden. We can't have the 52 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 2: birds unless we have the insects. But we don't get 53 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 2: the insects unless we have the flowering plants. So you know, 54 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 2: around it goes. So I'm actually I was really chuffed 55 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 2: about this story and it was lovely to meet them. 56 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 2: But the key part of it is the role that 57 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 2: plants play in providing their food and habitat. 58 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: So you were hanging out with Robert Irwin network differences aside, 59 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: would you go in the jungle? 60 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 2: Look, you know, I get asked this a little bit, 61 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 2: but you know it's a big ask. It's time for 62 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 2: me just to pull six weeks out of a year, 63 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, I mean, eatiders and all 64 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 2: of that. Looks to be happy to push myself right, 65 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 2: six weeks I don't think the rest of the rest 66 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 2: of the people in my world would appreciate. 67 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 3: Me, no, right, but Caustic will get his agent. So 68 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 3: you've sent it. It is Easter time. Are there any 69 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 3: particular plants or flowers or anything from that part of 70 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 3: the world that is associated with Easter itself? Really synonymously? Yeah, well, I. 71 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:29,039 Speaker 2: Don't know if you were aware, but yesterday was actually 72 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 2: it was Saturday that the weekend was National eucalypt Day. 73 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 2: And you know the thing that just every time I 74 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 2: come to w A, I just get more, I fall 75 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 2: deeper in love with your plants at lake and then 76 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 2: when you see the plants and then what that means 77 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 2: to the wildlife, and you can't of his cockatoos and 78 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 2: all of those things. So for me, it's the flowering, 79 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 2: the flowering eucalypse at the moment you know to see them. 80 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 2: And the actual winner this year was your West Australian 81 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 2: Corimbia fighter Folia, which is the red flowering gum. It 82 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 2: was the one that won the eucalypted of the Year, 83 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:16,559 Speaker 2: one of the ground in the world. 84 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: I reckon eucalyptus, I have it, you know, the other 85 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: thing with them, but that you know, these are the corimbias. 86 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 2: They're small trees, like they're not growing like your massive 87 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 2: twenty meters high eucalyptus. But the amount of floral service 88 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 2: that they provide for the insects and the birds on 89 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 2: one tree that you can have in your backyard. You know, 90 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 2: it's not like, oh, I can't grow a massive tree. No, No, 91 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 2: you can grow these and the visual benefit, the emotional benefit, 92 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 2: but then the physical benefits for all the pollinators is 93 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 2: just off the richter. So yaw a what you give 94 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 2: the rest of the country, because then we take those 95 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 2: and they put them on a rootstock that's suitable for 96 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:03,040 Speaker 2: this side of the country and we can have parts 97 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 2: of your amazing flora in our garden. It's unreal. 98 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: It's amazing because when I think of a eucalyptus, I 99 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 1: think of sunny ripping a leaf off and making that 100 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 1: noise for Skippy to come, and you know, you don't 101 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 1: think about all the various variations that are flowering. 102 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. And the theme this year was sort of 103 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:30,480 Speaker 2: our Urban Champions. So the idea was, you know, there's 104 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 2: many eucalypts that can be grown in containers in small 105 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 2: space as street trees, and the idea was and if 106 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 2: people jump on and have a look, they can see 107 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:48,480 Speaker 2: the ten nominees on the Eucalypt Australia website and that 108 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 2: way start to think, well, no, because eucalypse get you know, 109 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 2: particularly when there's fire, particularly when brand is fall off 110 00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 2: different varieties, they tend to throw that over the whole genus. 111 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 2: There's a lot of great trees in the eucalypt and 112 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 2: the Carimbea and the angofra subsets of eucalypt and you 113 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 2: know you can have that iconic look. 114 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: Now, can we talk about Neighbor Day. I believe you 115 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: are an ambassador for Neighbor Day. It is this Sunday. 116 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: By the way, how does I mean what happens on 117 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: nobor Day? And how did it come about that you 118 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: were asked to be an ambassador for it? 119 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, Neighbor Day came about, you know, under very 120 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 2: sobering conditions when a lady passed away, an elder The 121 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 2: elderly lady passed away in Melbourne and she had been 122 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 2: dead for six months before anyone sort of raised the alarm. 123 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 2: And Andrew Heslop at the time just saw this and 124 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 2: he just stepped up and said right, and he started 125 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 2: neighbor Day. And then that's a over the last period 126 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 2: and our relationships Australia have turned it into neighbors every 127 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 2: day because the iv being if we want to take 128 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 2: loneliness head on, and loneliness the stats would surprise you. 129 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 2: Thirty eight percent of etor into twenty five year olds 130 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 2: the loneliest group in the country. This group, like, how 131 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 2: can our young people be so lonely? Like that upsets 132 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 2: me and it makes me more motivated to want to 133 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 2: create this belonging by building relationships and helping create a 134 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 2: positive effect on people's well being by just being present 135 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:47,439 Speaker 2: and making a connection. So Nabor Day itself is this Sunday, 136 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 2: you know, the last Sunday in March. But it's really 137 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 2: about building habits that create relationships across the three hundred 138 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 2: and sixty five days so that we actually turn our 139 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 2: suburbs into neighborhoods. You know, a suburb is just a 140 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 2: place with the post code, streets and houses, but a 141 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:15,720 Speaker 2: neighborhood is a place with community and homes that spill 142 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 2: out into the communal spaces. And know that you've got 143 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:22,960 Speaker 2: the backing of your neighbors and it doesn't take doesn't 144 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 2: mean you have to go and move into your neighbor's house. 145 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 3: It's no checking in. 146 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 2: It's really check in and make a phone call or 147 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 2: drop something off, share some process and say hey, come 148 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 2: over for a couple. Let's just just have a couple 149 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 2: on the street at ten o'clock and just catch up. 150 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 2: Like there's so many little things. 151 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,600 Speaker 4: And if we do that, well we'll I think that 152 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 4: there's massive community savings because if we deal with the 153 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 4: mental health issues of loneliness. 154 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 2: Then it won't be that cost to the healthcare system 155 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:56,719 Speaker 2: for all of us. 156 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 4: You know. 157 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's relationships to people, chatting and all that because 158 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 3: it helps your longevity and your mental health and all 159 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 3: of those things. Not just the infrastructure of the tangible 160 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 3: stuff in the community. 161 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: It's all well, it's neighbor Day. I think about that 162 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 1: on Sunday, think about it every day, but think about 163 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: it particularly this Sunday. That's Neighbor Day. And the Easter 164 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 1: special of Gardening Australia is on seven thirty this Friday 165 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: on ABC and ABC I view what a Combo from 166 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: Easter Indeed, thank you Costas. 167 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, great good chat