COSTA Georgiadis believes he got a glimpse into the meaning of life as a young child.
He saw the beauty, purpose and simplicity of the world as he watched flowers blossom and hunted for strawberries and eggs in his grandfather’s garden.
“Doing that, I learned at a very young age that that’s the kind of stuff that life is made of,” Georgiadis said.
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READ NOW“Everything else is so distracting, but when you’re in the garden and just watching a sunflower grow to its destiny and you’ve had a part in that destiny – what more is there?”
The Sydneysider also saw the joy his grandfather had in sharing his home-grown produce – and lust for life – with his family.
“I was fortunate enough to see that pride in my grandfather every time we went over there and he insisted we come out into the garden and take something home,” he said.
“They were gifts that went to the very building blocks of who I would become because I saw that that was something that meant something to him and my grandmother.”
Georgiadis has taken his grandfather’s enthusiasm for nature and all things gardening into adulthood.
The unmistakable TV personality – known for his wild and wonderful black beard – is back hosting Gardening Australia for another season.
The ABC TV show, now in its 29th year, has moved to an hour-long new timeslot of 7.30pm on Fridays.
“The thing I love about it is that it’s such a loved program,” Georgiadis, who joined the team in 2012, said.
“The viewers are like supporters of a team – they put the Gardening Australia jersey on and they just love it.
“They support us and love the fact that we are this staple and it delivers them a nutritious meal each week to dine on.”
Georgiadis brings a unique and captivating angle to his hosting role.
“I suppose, for some, I bring that unkempt hedge that just looks like wild nature and is a nice bit of habitat they can get lost in,” he said.
“But in real terms, I just bring a leftfield enthusiasm to any topic and any individual because I just love engaging with people and their passions and bringing that out in them.
“If there was nothing else but the opportunity to talk to people about why they love something, then I would be as happy as a worm in compost.”
Georgiadis can also be seen on ABC Kids show, Get Grubby TV, as Costa the Garden Gnome.