DIRT with Diarmuid Gavin and Paul Smyth

The lads are back for a Christmas special episode, with talk of Christmas trees (and the debate over tasteful vs exciting decorations), Christmas movies and traditions, the decline of tinsel, and of course plenty of nonsense.

Diarmuid and Paul are urging you not to be overzealous with your raking of leaves. If you want to get rid of them from outside your home you can collect them in a refuse sack, punch holes in the bag, leave it for a year and you'll have brilliant compost for potting plants. Diarmuid tells the amazing tale of Mary Eleanor Bowes who was the original (unintended) feminist hero and who's story he has interpreted for a National Trust garden in England.

Diarmuid has failed to get out of doing a landscaping job for his scary agent. So he's bringing Paul over to London to help him. The lads are also discussing the move to a peat-free garden industry. "Our bogs are our rainforests" and we need to do what we can to save what's left of them. As consumers we can opt for peat free products wherever we can, while the industry can use alternative compost made out of things like coconut husks.

If you want the garden of your dreams next summer - now is the time to (quite literally) lay the groundwork. Diarmuid and Paul chat through making a plan, how to edit and what to plant. Diarmuid tells the story of his garden and what ambitions he has for it next year. Even if you don't want to plumb an outdoor bath like he does, you can still take a leaf out of his book. Paul tells the story of how his garden went from side-hobby to horticultural splendour. The lads talk about what patio trends will still be big in summer 2022. Decking hasn't gone away, you know!

This episode is all about the real cost of fruit and veg and why we should be consuming more locally grown food.Diarmuid and Paul visit the Cork Rooftop Farm. Literally, a fully functioning farm growing vegetables, with hens and bees and everything! And all located on a roof in the middle of Cork city. This is a fascinating look at how you can grow almost anything anywhere, and how food production doesn't have to hurt the landscape or environment. That, and Diarmuid reminisces about his time on Strictly Come Dancing. Y'know. That whole dancing/gardening connection....

Diarmuid and Paul answer their most frequently asked question - 'how to prune hydrangeas.' In this episode they're also looking at how gardening can be seriously political. From Melania Trump's overhaul of the Kennedy's rose garden to farmers planting up the Champs Élysée. And did you know that bamboo comes with its own in-built countdown clock to its demise?

This is the big houseplants spesh! Diarmuid and Paul have chosen some great entry level plants, as well as some slightly challenging ones for the more experienced plant mom/dad. Many of them are almost indestructible, so if you're prone to killing your plants, these are the species for you. Chances are you are over-watering, so there's advice on how to care for them. There are also tips on how to choose the right spot in your home and how to cut through the marketing jargon. Plants featured: Aspidistra (cast-iron plant), spider plant, Aloe vera, Schefflera (umbrella plant), Aglaonema (Chinese evergreen), Alocasia (Yucatan Princess), Tillandsia (airplants) and a Phlaenopsis orchid.

The lads discuss the controversial topic of rewilding. They're urging you to look for less perfection in your gardens; ditch the pesticides and let the weeds grow. There are also tips to create habitats for bugs and hedgehogs. Diarmuid talks about the garden that most influenced him growing up. Mrs Pegman's gnome extravaganza on Dublin's Ballyboden Road was (in)famous for its eccentric and exuberant design. There's also a 'cardening' update: Paul's cactus garden croaked it.

Diarmuid and Paul are having a gardening festival and you're all invited. The lads run through their best gardening hacks as voted by their online community, The Riff Raff. They explain deadheading, rose pruning and how to take a cutting. (Paul likes to add a Beyonce mic drop flourish.) We drop in on one of their nightly Garden Conversations on Instagram Live, but it all gets a bit awkward when Paul judges Diarmuid's weeds. His attitude? Let 'em grow, let 'em grow, let 'em grow.

Is the gardening world racist? Diarmuid and Paul believe there's a lack of diversity in horticulture, and a root and branch change is needed. Producer Aideen's pursuit of a tree is usurped by garden centre shortages. The lads answer your questions; including how to make your own nettle fertiliser. Paul recounts his amazing plant hunting expeditions in Vietnam.

Diarmuid and Paul have a right old rant about awards season and competitions like the Chelsea Flower Show. The lads challenge you to do the “jam jar test” to help you get to know your soil. This week’s Q&A session includes advice on dealing with those pesky slugs (and “Mary from Donegal” has been in touch again.) Diarmuid and Paul also want you to stop chasing the perfect garden because it doesn’t exist. And why do plants die even when you’ve put so much effort into them? Well sometimes… it’s just… sh*t happens!

In this sneak peak of the first episode of DIRT, Diarmuid and Paul give you an insight into their plans for the new podcast, the topics they’ll cover, the big topics, and look at the all-important question – how does Diarmuid’s garden grow?