Blueprint For Living - Separate stories ABC listen

Why is vanilla a byword for boring? How did peppercorns end up next to salt on every western table? Did you know the Vikings were rather partial to cinnamon buns? Food writer Eleanor Ford explores the rich history of spices. 

Writer Bruce Pascoe shares the many stories that bind him closely to his boat and the river.

The Australian housing crisis rolls on with profound effect. From low-income families, to the elderly, to renters facing rent increase after rent increase. Against this backdrop, we head to Marrickville in Sydney's inner-west where a daring new housing development may provide a path forward.

It started as a paddock and became a wonderland of terraced botanical displays, intricate parterre, maze-like pathways and spectacular colour. Join Tim Entwisle as he explores the beauty of Broughton Hall. 

Once nestled in dairy farmland, now bordered by suburbia, Cruden Farm remains a leafy delight on Melbourne’s fringe. Paul Bangay gives a short early autumn tour of the garden that was the living life’s work of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch.

Alternative proteins and plant based ‘meats’ are hailed as the future of food. But the animal agriculture industries have taken issue. The meat name game has just begun.