INSIDE AND OUTSIDE: Nature + Pop Culture News with Jessica Murnane
Published by Jessica Murnane
Society & Culture
Leisure
Home & Garden
I'm your host, Jessica Murnane (author and horticultural therapy practitioner) – who is equally obsessed with the healing power of nature and the healing power of watching TV in bed. And I'm merging those two worlds together on Inside and Outside. Each week, my guest and I first discuss an OUTSIDE thing, like our first nature memory, how gardening can change the brain, and the rise of birding. Then we cover an INSIDE thing, like a show we're binging, the latest internet gossip, and pop culture news. Head to baskergardens.com for all the show notes for each episode!
In this episode, we talk about how Amsterdam has banned meat and fossil fuel-related ads and oak trees fighting off caterpillars in the most wild way. And then we move inside with an ethical moral question about a very big fashion party, how cigarettes and Diet Coke have made a comeback, Brooke Shields on reality TV, The Devil Wears Prada , and a wee bit of Summer House, and more. About this week's guest: Ally is a personal stylist, shopper, and resident pop culture reporter. Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project Flower Pressing Workshop at Fine Feather - get tickets! Amsterdam bans meat and fossil fuel ads via BBC Oak Trees Delaying Leaf Production To Starve Caterpillars via Science Daily West Coast's first yellow-legged hornet intercepted in Vancouver, Washington via KUOW Ball Without Billionaires via Harper's Bazaar Former Amazon Union Leader Who Was Arrested at Met Gala Has No Regrets via NYT This Is The Scientific Reason Why Your Coke Tastes Better At McDonald's via Delish Next Gen NYC Season 2 Trailer Summer House Reunion Trailer To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
In this episode, we discuss the hope that nature can bring to our lives, how it can promote social well-being, and the parallels of gardening and running a startup. Then we move inside to talk about historical fashion, how body standards have changed over time, and how they're changing (even more) with GLP-1s. About this week's guest: Lauren ("Lar") Lee is the cofounder of Semaine Health, a plant-based women's supplement brand built on the belief that your body isn't a collection of symptoms — it's a system worth understanding. She started Semaine in 2020 with her twin sister Cath and her husband, Dr. Matt Crane— after years of symptoms her own doctors couldn't explain. Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project Flower Pressing Workshop at Fine Feather - get tickets! Semaine Semaine on IG Semaine on Tiktok Gardens Of The World with Audrey Hepburn To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
In this episode, we discuss the significant role flowers have played in creating our world, the biological reason we're attracted to flowers, women in horticultural, and David's inside pick (which is sort of an outside one). About this week's guest: David George Haskell is a writer and biologist acclaimed for his lyrical explorations of the living world. Haskell is a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction, for The Forest Unseen and Sounds Wild and Broken . He is recipient of an Award in Literature from American Academy of Arts and Letters. Haskell has also written essays and multimedia experiences for The New York Times, Emergence Magazine , and other venues. He is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, a Guggenheim Fellow, and is Adjunct Professor of Environmental Sciences at Emory University. Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project How Flowers Made Our World The Songs Of Trees The Forest Unseen Sounds Wild and Broken To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
In this episode, we start outside and talk about how gardens can be part of a revolution for positive change, the easiest way to start as a beginner, and the connection between gardens and habit stacking. Then we move inside to talk about Lottie's kitchen obsession. About this week's guest: Lottie Delamain is an RHS Chelsea award-winning garden designer. She trained at the Inchbald School of Design and has worked on gardens around the UK, from small urban spaces to historic estates. She is also a regular contributor to House and Garden magazine, and a trustee of We Are Grow, a charity working with schools and communities delivering programs in sustainable food growing and outdoor learning. Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project Flower Pressing Class at Paper Canopy Gardens That Can Change The World Lottie's Website Lottie's IG Things we talked about: Cupcake White Cosmos Purity White Cosmos Fizzy White Cosmos Bunny Tails Grass Ornamental Grasses Nasturtiums
In this episode, we start outside and talk about the Nature Fakers controversy (and how Teddy Roosevelt was involved). Then we talk about Mason's new book and the struggle of making art while also making a living (day jobs, get rich schemes, and family help). And then Mason shares his inside thing - which leads us into a conversation about nostalgia for pre-internet days. About this week's guest: Mason Currey is the author of the Daily Rituals books — Daily Rituals: How Artists Work and Daily Rituals: Women at Work . His new book, Making Art and Making a Living , looks at how anyone ever afforded to be an artist. Currey lives in Los Angeles and writes Subtle Maneuvers, a twice-monthly newsletter on the creative process. Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project Flower Pressing Class at Paper Canopy Subtle Maneuvers (Mason's newsletter) Daily Rituals: How Artists Work Daily Rituals: How Women Work Making Art and Making A Living Things we talked about: Nature Fakers Controversy Peter Hujar's Day (book) Peter Hujar's Day (movie) To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
In this episode, we talk coffins made of mushrooms, when perspective taking costs too much, and the difference between empathy and accountability. About this week's guest: Karen Faith is the CEO of Others Unlimited. Previously an ethnographer, her work has shaped initiatives at Google, Amazon, Indeed, Blue Cross, The Federal Reserve Bank, The NBA, The ACLU, and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, to name a few. She's an empathy trainer named Karen, and the joke isn't lost on her. Which is how she's owned mics across 5 continents, and gave a TEDx talk that has since racked up over 3M views. Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project Flower Pressing Class at Paper Canopy Others Unlimited Things we talked about: Mushroom Coffin Karen's Ted Talk on Empathy To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
In this episode, we talk about (nature): the importance of composting, the complexities of food waste, the myth of compost being stinky, and all the tips to get started. Plus (pop culture): why bros are so into aliens, the documentary that sparked the obsession, and the biggest question of them all, "do aliens compost?" About this week's guest: Cassandra Marketos is a Los Angeles-based compost artist, writer, and author of Compost After Reading . In her past life, she was the first employee at Kickstarter and worked for the Obama White House. Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project Compost After Reading The Rot (newsletter) The Rot Squad (on IG) Things we talked about: The Age Of Disclosure Warning Issued That Alien Revelations Could Spark Financial Crisis via Newsweek To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
In this episode, we talk about the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in California (world's largest wildlife crossing), the return of skinny jeans, how trends are dictated, and the problem with designing for the internet and not ourselves. About this week's guest: Since graduating from Harvard and Le Cordon Bleu Paris, Serena Wolf has put her culinary skills to work as a private chef, culinary instructor, recipe developer, author, and blogger at Domesticate-Me.com. She is the author of The Dude Diet, The Dude Diet: Dinnertime, and Y ou Do You. Serena's work has been featured on The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, People, Real Simple, SELF, Women's Day , as well as many other well-known publications and media outlets. Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project Serena's IG You Do You: 100+ Endlessly Adaptable Recipes to Boost Your Culinary Confidence Things we talked about: The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing The New + Improved Skinny Jeans via Vogue It Must Be Nice To Be A West Village Girl via The Cut The happiness paradox: your friends are happier than you Dunbar's number: Why we can only maintain 150 relationships The associations between social comparison on social media and young adults mental health To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
This week we talk about the research project to find new species of butterflies, the legal push for plastic producers to pay, Heated Rivalry, Tell Me Lies, Robinne Lee's new book, and lots more! About this week's guest: Ally is a stylist and personal shopper. Her superpower is helping you find your style and the clothes to go with it. Show notes! Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Where you can find Ally: Personal styling site Substack Stuff we talked about: Nine new butterfly species discovered by scientists tackling taxonomic tangle The Legal Push to Make Plastic Producers Pay via Atmos Heated Rivalry Crash Into Me Jill Zarin Fired from 'Real Housewives' Reboot Find your hardiness / growing zone here To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
In this episode we talk about Extinction of Experience (the loss of nature-human interactions), the wild and untold story of Barbie and Mattel (lawsuits, coporate espionage, and theft!), the Tiktokfication of celebrity news (the Beckhams and Scandoval), plus a surprise inside pick. About this week's guest: Tarpley Hitt is an author, journalist, and an editor / contributor to The Drift magazine. She has previously reported on culture and money for The Daily Beast and Gawker , and her work has also appeared in The New York Times , The Paris Review , The Guardian , and Air Mail , among others. Her first book is Barbieland . Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project Tarpley's website Barblieland Barbieland's NYT book review Things we talked about: Extinction of experience: the loss of human-nature interactions Reborn Dolls End It Like Beckham (on Hulu) To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
In this episode, we discuss if celebrities actually do their own gardening, why fashion journalists aren't always the most "fashionable", and if Facetuning is an art or out of control. About this week's guest: Emily is the founder of I Heart Mess, a roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion, on Substack and YouTube. She is a contributing writer for numerous publications, including i-D , New York , and the New York Times . She is also the co-founder of the Lowbrow Book Club and co-host of the podcast Mess World. Show notes! This week's sponsor: Semaine Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Emily's Work: I Heart Mess Newsletter + YouTube Mess World Podcast The Lowbrow Book Club Things we talked about: Celebrity Gardens via BHG Why Are So Many Celebrities Joining Substack? via ICYMI Podcast Inside the "10-Year Process" to Create Roses Named for Celebrities via Vanity Fair A Brief History of The Merkin via InStyle To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
In this epsiode, we discuss how Ruby isn't into gardening (and how she connects with nature in her own way), how to deal with constant content (newsletters, social media, news, etc), and how the act of reading novels can bring back your attention span (and bring more joy). About this week's guest: Ruby is a journalist and author. Show notes! This week's sponsor: My July Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Ruby's Work: Website Sober Curious Sober Curious Reset Women Without Kids Material World, Mystical Girl Things we talked about: Flesh by David Szalay Books to TV / Movies 2025-26 To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
About this week's guest: Akaya advises, trains, and consults on how change happens individually, organizationally, and societally. She is on faculty of the Just Economy Institute, is Lead Advisor at Third Act, and is founder of the New Universal Wisdom and Leadership Institute. She was President of Rockwood Leadership Institute for ten years, and directs the Thriving Roots Fund. Akaya received the 2020 Vision Award from Middlebury College, was one of Conscious Company's 30 World Changing Women of 2018, an Ella Award recipient from the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and served on the Alameda County Human Rights Commission. Akaya is deeply committed to working for a fair and equitable global society while infusing a sense of purpose, delight, and wonder into everything we do. Show notes! This week's sponsor: My July Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Start A Well-Being Garden Learn To Grow Cut Flowers Use code GROW for $5o off until December 1st Akaya's work: Website Third Act Just Economy Institute Leading with Joy: Practices for Uncertain Times Things we talked about: Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin Becky Chamber books Dawn by Octavia Butler To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
About this week's guest: Ally is a stylist and personal shopper. Her superpower is helping you find your style and the clothes to go with it. Show notes! This week's sponsor: Semaine Use code GROW for $50 off a one-on-one growing session. Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Where you can find Ally: Personal styling site Substack Stuff we talked about: Historic magnolia trees removed for White House ballroom Massive Web—Home to More Than 100,000 Spiders All's Fair ExMas Oh. What. Fun. Find your hardiness / growing zone here To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
About this week's guest: Allison and her sisters, Elaine and Jacqueline, founded Le Prunier in 2018. Prior to the development of Le Prunier, Allison worked with companies such as Giorgio Armani, Mother Denim, and STX Entertainment. Her eye for design and genuine love for all things health + wellness has finally culminated into her most exciting project yet. Show notes! This week's sponsor: Semaine Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Start A Well-Being Garden Learn To Grow Cut Flowers Use code GROW for $5o off until December 1st Where you can find Allison: Le Prunier's website and IG Allison's IG Things we talked about: The Orchard Project Reality TV's Bad Boyfriend Is Angry Again. This Time, He's Yelling at Gavin Newsom via NYT The Guy You Love To Hate To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
About this week's guest: Allie Lehman is the founder of Wonderly, a design and development studio. She also writes Huge Fan , a publication about fandom and business (it's part storytelling, part strategy, and always about the way fans shape what lasts). She's also an artist and illustrator and serves on the board of All People Arts. Show notes! This week's sponsor: Semaine Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter New session: Starting A Well-Being Garden Where you can find Allie: Wonderly Huge Fan Illustrations Things we talked about: American Iris Society North American Lily Society American Daffodil Society National Chrysanthemum Society American Begonia Society American Peony Society The Story Behind Wayfair via Business Insider Zingerman's Community of Businesses Zingerman's Olive Oils To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
About this week's guest: Clare is the Garden Editor at House & Garden magazine and a freelance garden journalist. After starting her career in book publishing, she spent nine years at Gardens Illustrated magazine (1996-2005), latterly as Editor. As well as writing about plants and gardens, Clare has always gardened herself, first on an allotment in London, and now in her garden in West Berkshire. She is the author of six books including most recently Pastoral Gardens (2024, Montgomery Press) and writes a weekly column on Substack. Show notes! This week's sponsor: Week Of The Website Myles Trudell Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Where you can find Clare: Website House & Garden Create Academy Pastoral Gardens Substack Instagram Knepp Castle Garden by Tom Stuart-Smith Salvia 'Phyllis' Fancy ' Slow Horses Chrysanthemums RHS Find your hardiness / growing zone here To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
About this week's guest: Amelia is a feminist writer, podcaster and producer. She is the founder of Softer Sounds podcast studio, and the host of Off the Grid, a podcast about leaving social media. Her new book, Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media is out in fall 2025. Show notes! This week's sponsor: Week Of The Website Myles Trudell Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Where you can find Amelia: Website Off The Grid podcast Softer Sounds Your Attention is Sacred (Except on Social Media) How To Do Nothing: Resisting The Attention Economy Bandcamp Free Little Library Ten Arguments For Leaving Your Social Media Account Right Now Find your hardiness / growing zone here To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
About this week's guest: Marisa is a journalist and New York Times best selling author. She's covered beauty, fashion, wellness, and celebrity for top national publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, and Vanity Fair . She is the author of It Girl, Glossy, This Is Big, How Sassy Changed My Life, and Girl Power. This week's sponsor: Semaine Use code INSIDEOUTSIDE20 for 20% off Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter The French Gardening Craze, 1908-1914 Horticulture, politics and the media in Edwardian Britain Where you can find Marisa: Website Marisa's IG It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier Irish Blood on Acorn TV Find your hardiness / growing zone here Learn To Grow Cool Season Flowers To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
About this week's guest: Kerrilyn is an author and founder of CAP Beauty. Show notes! Sign up for the Basker Virtual Group Session on October 26th This week's sponsor: Semaine Use code INSIDEOUTSIDE20 for 20% off Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Where you can find Kerrilyn: CAP Beauty CAP Beauty IG Kerrilyn IG Serotoner Purina x Purple Leash Project Republicans Want to Ban Pets From Domestic Violence Shelters via Mother Jones Psychophysiological Responses of Cut Flower Fragrances as an Olfactory Stimulation by Measurement of Electroencephalogram in Adults Carnations! Seeds from Johnny's Plants from Bluestone Perennials Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again Find your hardiness / growing zone here Learn To Grow Cool Season Flowers To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com
