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 predict what the gardens of the future will look like. It's likely fewer people will own cars so perhaps driveways will be reclaimed as green spaces. Will VR and the metaverse mean we can travel back in time to see the likes of Hadrian's gardens at Tivoli? Diarmuid also tells the story of his balcony bath. Yes, he actually is bathing outside even though it's winter. And as a follow up to last week's episode, we hear how Diarmuid interpreted the story of Mary Eleanor Bowes in garden form. This is the series finale of DIRT. We'll be back next month for a Christmas special with more episodes in the New Year.

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 and Paul help Go Loud tech guru, Paul Bonass, with a very BIG plant problem. His partner, Luke, won a massive philodendron and it's taking over their apartment. Diarmuid is upset with his podcast hero, Joanne McNally, for saying Dermots can never be sexual. The lads talk about their favourite ever gardening books. Might be of use if you're doing your Christmas shopping soon!

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.

Do you want a riot of autumn colour in your own garden? Diarmuid and Paul explain which trees, plants and shrubs will produce the most glorious displays of gold, orange, red and rust. You can shop for them right now and plant them without even having to wait until next year for the results. The lads also recommend the best places in Ireland to go 'leaf peeping' i.e. the best displays of autumn colour.

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!

Paul is away so Aideen lands a surprise interview on Diarmuid. And so follows a big chat about his upbringing, his influences, his drive to create and the pivotal moment that changed everything. There’s despair, fame, partying, burnout, fatherhood, a crossroads… But it’s not all deep and meaningful; there’s the garden that was inspired by taking a slash in a Dublin nightclub.

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....

The lads head to Cork which prompts a discussion about gardening on challenging, sloping terrains. They also take a look at the controversial 'Robo-trees' installed on Grand Parade. Conclusion? Just plant real ones! Diarmuid is bingeing on every franchise there is of The Real Housewives, to alleviate the stress of organising Garden Fest. Paul's fine!