From little things…

Costa Georgiadis is a man on a mission. The much-loved, inimitable host of ABC TV’s Gardening Australia is determined to help “grow a new generation of gardeners” – and he’s fronting a new television series that’s dedicated to doing just that. Airing on ABC Kids on Friday nights at 7.05pm, Gardening Australia Junior is a pint-sized spin-off of the regular show, developed with the aim of inspiring young viewers to explore nature, roll up their sleeves and get their hands in the dirt.

Costa is the host, and each week he’ll be joined by Gardening Australia presenters Clarence Slockee, Tammy Huynh and Hannah Moloney, alongside a cast of junior gardeners, as they tackle garden-related topics such as composting, growing food, native bees, worm farms, bugs and biodiversity.

Each episode is 11 minutes long (there are 20 episodes in the series), and as you’d expect, the content is delivered in high-octane, adventure-focused shovel loads.

The focus is on fun, but there are deeper messages too, giving kids an entrée into some big concepts. “By having playful angles, we’re helping kids understand issues such as the role of microclimates and habitat, the structure of nature, and the idea of the planet as a terrarium,” says Costa. “We’re creating stories and images that will make them think a bit.”

Each episode is jam-packed with expert tips and fact-finding activities, highlighting what Costa calls ‘nature intelligence’. “It’s about getting out there and seeing the intelligence of nature and understanding biomimicry – that we can look to nature’s engineering to solve problems,” he says. “We’re encouraging kids to go out and be in nature, and appreciate that we are all part of nature. It’s also about sharing the concept of caring for Country. We’re lucky to have Clarence to bring in that First Nations perspective.”

There has never been a more important time to empower kids with this knowledge, says Costa.

“We need to give children the licence and the capacity to know that they matter, and the agency to gather the skills to change the things that need changing.”

Of course, the time-slot of the show is not an accident. It’s a perfect prelude to its parent show (7.30pm, ABC TV) and if Costa has his way, junior members of your family will be tugging at your sleeves, asking you to join them on the sofa in front of the telly just a little bit earlier on a Friday night.

Costa hopes this is just the beginning for Gardening Australia Junior, and anticipates future series of the show. “It’s Gardening Australia giving birth to another generation,” he says. “We’ve always worked consistently to get kids involved – but this series takes it to another level. So kids can be what they see. We have to keep incubating and growing this new generation.”

Text by Elizabeth Wilson
Photos supplied by the ABC