Chit Chat: Costa Georgiadis opens up about killing house plants, the only thing that makes him angry and what's really living in his beard

Costa Georgiadis is a TV presenter, landscape architect, author, podcaster, and an ambassador for everything from Junior Landcare to Water Night.

But, really, he's known for one thing: the delightfully enormous beard covering half his face.

We sat down with the Gardening Australia host to find out if his big beard really is full of secrets.

Welcome to Chit Chat, where we ask your favourite celebs, up-and-coming artists and internet-famous creatives a bunch of the same silly questions for fun, and a handful of prying ones to reveal who they are beyond their curated online presence.

Do you ever find strange objects in your beard?

People probably talk up the contents of my beard much more than the reality.

[The Gardening Australia] producers are constantly coming at me in the morning, because I'll brush my teeth. And then when I rinse, there'll always be a little bit of froth [in my beard].

You become good at managing it. There's no loose shots; you don't just grab a sandwich and rip in.

You have to dose things and be conscious of what you're doing. Particularly soup; you've got to come in on a wide arc and make sure you open up so, you don't end up with things … falling down and landing in there.

Burgers are off limits in the public eye. If I do, I have to have a knife and fork.

I leave it to the imagination of people [when it comes to] what else could be in there.

But most people, when they give me a hug, are quite surprised, and they go: "Oh, it's so clean. And it smells nice."

Do you shampoo it?

Yeah, I just wash it like everyone washes their hair. There's no secret formula, it's just that it's on my face.

When was the last time you shaved?

When I was in Egypt, on a boat cruise up the Nile.

I became fairly violently ill, so I didn't feel like shaving. And we were heading up into Europe, so it was getting cold.

I got through that five-to-six-week itch stage, and once I came through it was all white light and fluffy clouds. And I haven't looked back in 32 years.

Are you tech-y? What's your wi-fi password?

I walk an interesting line when it comes to tech. I love it; I'm on socials, like I can navigate tech.

But when there's a tech issue, and you have forgotten the wi-fi password, or it won't accept the password or something blocks and shuts down … that's the time you'll see me angry.

Other than that, I don't get angry in life. But if you give me a tech issue, you'll be like: "Oh, I've never seen that side of him".

That's really my kryptonite. That and marmalade. The chunky peel — yeugh.

What's the best thing to put on toast?

I enjoy making a toastie, and I don't have any specific rules. I'll cross culture, I'll throw anything in there.

Yesterday I made a cheese and kimchi toastie — it was great! Until I spilled the whole kimchi jar in my cutlery drawer.

Which was a bit of an issue, but I did like the fact that it enabled me to finally tick off my kitchen to-do list — a clean out of that drawer. So, thank you kimchi.

You may be the first person we've asked who will correctly answer this: How do bees make honey?

They take the nectar and the pollen and then they bring it back to the hive, and they chew it. Then they spit it out. And then they spit it at each other, they chew it [again and again] and break it all down into what becomes honey.

So, it's literally spit, and a mixture of all the nectar.

What's your comfort movie when you're hungover or sick?

One of my all-time favourite movies is the Shawshank Redemption.

Do you actually find that comforting?

Oh, no, it's not necessarily comforting when I'm sick, although I do like that idea of enduring hope and that they did prevail, they got away. So, there is some comfort in that.

But maybe it doesn't quite answer your question. But hey, questions are just a loose framework, aren't they?

What's the naughtiest thing you did as a kid?

I think one of the earliest bits of mischief that I had was [when] we used to go for school holidays to the Port Macquarie, Nelson Bay Area.

We stayed at this old motel and the lady who ran it was pretty strict.

One day we were out playing, and we turned the sprinkler on. We were running around under it and she came over, [turned it off] and said: 'Stop, you're not allowed to do that.'

As she was moving the sprinkler, I ran back to the hose, turned it on, and absolutely soaked her. She was not happy.

Mum and Dad had to do the obligatory: "You're not supposed to do that", but they were laughing, they just thought it was the funniest thing. So I kind of got endorsed for my naughtiness.

You're passionate about travel — what started that for you?

It was an incredible privilege to go to Greece as a student with the Greek archdiocese. So, there was like 100 or so Australian-Greek kids and we all went on a six-week tour.

I came back from that and I thanked my parents for making me learn Greek as a child, because I could communicate with my relatives over there and I could connect and engage with the culture.

It all changed [for me] when I came back, because [if I was called names] I was like, "oh, that's fine, because you don't realise what I now appreciate, and what I have".

Do you still perform cabaret?

The cabaret is something that began with the band I started with some friends from school.

We're called the More Please Orchestra, because that's what we like to think people are screaming from the crowd.

Each year, our cabaret just gets more and more out there.

We've done 2001 A Space Odyssey, where I came out in a full space suit and then it fogged up. We were down at North Bondi RSL and I didn't know where front was. I couldn't see anyone. I couldn't hear them.

Another time it was some sort of Egyptian theme, and I was wrapped up like a mummy. I couldn't move, let alone put the microphone to my mouth.

One time I was in skates, and the smoke machine blew up and wet the stage. So, I just came down this catwalk straight off the edge [of the stage]. Fortunately, people caught me.

What are you insecure about?

I suppose I might be a bit insecure about wanting to do the most I can for the next generation, and leave the place in a better state.

When I speak to [young people] and I have that privilege to inform and discuss and analyse and educate and inspire, I always hope that I just give every minute my best. And I don't take a second of that time for granted.

There's lots that needs to be done and I want to translate that in a motivational way, not in an [overwhelming or negative] way, because then that that kind of paralyses people.

There's plenty of reasons to feel frustrated when you look at the world at large, and things are never going to be perfect. But they can be perfect in our actions in the moment, and in every little bit that works towards solutions and bringing people together and caring for country.

Are you quite hard on yourself?

I suppose so.

My dad was a perfectionist. His clear motto was: "If it's worth doing, do it right".

Growing up, that was a source of frustration because you felt like you could never get it right enough. Because you'd get it to 81 per cent and he'd want 99 per cent.

I suppose what I've learned from that is to have the bar on a well-oiled frame.

So that if it doesn't reach 98, and it just gets to 80, you go, well, that's good too.

I've learned to acknowledge the circumstances around [whatever it is]. Sometimes the bar might be 3 per cent, because that's a big jump for someone. That context is key.

Have you ever killed a plant?

Of course I'm an offender. But I actually don't see it as that.

Some plants have died because of my neglect. Others have died because of my experimentation and putting them where they just couldn't quite hack it.

So, I don't feel guilt, I see it more as just … real. Everyone kills plants.

I think the best part about it is if you can rewind and say, "Why?"

Because if you get the why, then it doesn't have to happen again. Or you move to the next level of knowledge and understanding. And for me, mistakes are the best way to learn.