It might seem an unlikely path, but it was the global conflicts she presented on the news that led Indira Naidoo into the world of gardening.
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The well-known journalist and former presenter of TV news bulletins for the ABC and SBS, Naidoo has a new career as a gardening author she says was directly inspired by world events.
"As a news reporter, the way the gardening adventure came to me was I wanted to look more deeply at some of the causes of the conflicts I was reporting on for the news; a lot of the conflicts were caused by shortages in food, in water," she said.
"All of that started to make me realise we weren't going to address any of the conflicts and real challenges in society unless we started looking at the environment. And that for me was where the idea of gardening came from."
Naidoo will share her passion for gardening at this year's Floriade spring festival, which begins on Saturday.
She started out gardening when she planted a tomato seed she saved from a market on the balcony of her Potts Point apartment.
This little tomato seed has branched into a new career as she has released the award winning book The Edible Balcony.
She believes gardening is the best vehicle for people to connect with their local communities as well as global issues.
She said gardening impacted all areas of society and the way we interacted with the environment.
"I am gaga over gardening. I just think it's such a powerful thing that connects so many people from different walks of life," she said.
Floriade's head gardener Andrew Forster said the gardens had been designed to ensure different flowers were blooming at different stages of the 30-day festival.
Naidoo said Floriade showcased innovative ideas on planting not only flowers but also edible produce for any aspiring and current gardeners.
"Floriade is a wonderful showcase for people to give them ideas about how they can incorporate gardening into their life," she said.
"How they can have more plants and flowers in their lives, give them some inspiration, some ideas, and that's what we'll be doing during our workshops on Sunday. Showing people how in a small way they can bring gardens into their balconies or courtyards."
Naidoo will present workshops at the Inspiration Hub on Sunday at 10.30am, 11.30am and 1.30pm.
The 27th Floriade runs until October 12.