Gardening for Wellness & Joy: White Strawberries

Ask a Question or Leave a CommentWant the Visual Guide that accompanies this episode? Go here to have it sent to you for free. Spring is here, and it's a popular time to create new garden beds. But before you order truckloads of garden mix, there's something worth knowing: you don't need to fill the entire bed with expensive soil.In this episode, I'm answering Becky's question about creating a new garden bed for her dahlias. She has the right idea with cardboard, mulch, compost and sheep pellets, but there are a few tweaks that will help her build a healthier, more productive garden bed.I'll walk you through how to layer a raised garden bed, what materials to use, how much garden mix and compost you'll actually need, and how to make use of the organic material you might already have lying around.We also explore some optional additives for those wanting to take their soil building a little further, including wood ash, seaweed, manure, comfrey and biochar.Whether you're creating a small garden bed or building a much deeper raised bed, the aim is the same: work with what you have, build healthy soil and create a garden that supports you for years to come.🌱 What You'll DiscoverWhy garden mix and potting mix aren't the same thingWhat to look for when purchasing garden mixWhy adding living compost mattersHow to layer a raised garden bed using the sandwich bed methodThe similarities between sandwich beds and HügelkulturWhat to use for the woody core and organic layersHow much garden mix and compost you actually needWhen double digging might be worthwhileHow to use garden lime, wood ash, manure and seaweedWhy comfrey, dogwood and yarrow are useful mineral accumulatorsHow to prepare biochar before adding it to your gardenA Useful Rule of ThumbFor every square metre of garden bed, you'll need approximately 100 litres of growing material for a 10 cm growing layer.That's:80 litres of garden mix and 20 litres of compost to50 litres of garden mix and 50 litres of compost (go higher on good compost if you've got it)You can then build the rest of your bed using woody material and other organic matter.🌿 References & ResourcesThe Visual Guide to accompany this episode is here. Kaipātiki Project – Living Compost:https://kaipatiki.org.nz/Listen to Related EpisodesSez the Vet – Understanding Manure🌱 Have a gardening question you'd like me to answer? Visit whitestrawberriespodcast.com and send it through. Double points if you send it verbally!May your garden beds be productive and your strawberries white.Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

Ask a Question or Leave a CommentIf you’re new to raising seeds, this episode is for you 🌱If you want a visual guide to this episode here it is!I’m running through the very basics of how I raise seeds, including how I make my own seed-raising mix using compost and worm castings.I also share a few optional additions, which seeds I recommend starting with if you’re new, how deep to plant them, and my simple method for keeping seeds damp and protected from pests.My biggest tip? Start with large seeds. They’re straightforward, easy to handle and a great way to get started with seed raising.🌱 In this episode:• Making your own seed-raising mix• Sieving compost and worm castings• Optional additions for your mix• Which seeds are easiest to start with• How deep to plant seeds• Keeping seeds damp and protected• Saving and storing your own seedsYou don’t need to make seed raising complicated. Plants were doing it perfectly well before we came along — so let’s imitate nature and keep it simple.May your strawberries be white.💚🌿Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

Ask a Question or Leave a CommentGood morning and happy Spring from Aotearoa, my deck at sunrise. This episode is unedited with the natural bird song of the morning.I cover 3 mistakes I'm seeing gardeners make right now.- Not mulching their trees- Pruning now! (No don't)- Planting fruit trees nowI'll unpack why these are mistakes and what to do next. Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

Ask a Question or Leave a CommentWhat exactly is a plant guild — and how do you know what belongs in one?In this episode of White Strawberries, I’m answering a listener question about guilds: what they are, whether they all follow the same principles, and whether the plants in a guild need to come from the same place.A guild is simply a group of plants that support one another. Instead of thinking about a fruit tree as an individual plant that needs to be maintained, we can start thinking about the whole ecosystem around it — including nitrogen fixers, mineral accumulators, pollinator plants, ground covers, pest-management plants and plants that provide mulch.I walk through four different guilds and the kinds of conditions and plants that suit each one: citrus, Mediterranean, temperate, and subtropical guilds, as well as the different functions plants can play within them.________________________The big idea? You don't have to get your guild perfect. Start by understanding your land, observe what is happening, and then add plants that support what is already there.If you're starting from scratch, map your land first. Look at temperature, shade, water and wind throughout the year, then consider which guild fits each area.🌿 Want the Guilds Guide?I've created a visual guide to the guilds discussed in this episode, with examples and pictures. Here it is.And if you have a gardening question you'd like me to answer on the podcast, send me a voice message or write it in. I love answering questions about the things you're actually trying to figure out in your garden.🎧 Previous Episode MentionedHow to Grow a Subtropical Forest in a Cold Climate | With Steve Fawcett — Episode 19Listen to the episode through the White Strawberries podcast feed.May your guilds be in the right place and your strawberries white. 🌿💚 SamAsk a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

Ask a Question or Leave a CommentIf you’ve ever looked at a beautiful plant and thought, I’d love one of those, you might not need to buy one. You might just need to take a cutting.In this episode of White Strawberries, we’re getting into the wonderfully simple world of plant propagation — how to take cuttings and turn a small piece of an existing plant into a whole new plant.I talk about taking cuttings from deciduous trees like figs, grapes and elderberries, why waiting until the leaves have dropped can be the perfect time, and how to recognise the leaf nodes where roots and new growth will form.We also get into the slightly geekier side of cuttings, including cloning, diversity, grafted fruit trees, rooting hormones and why some plants have a much higher “take rate” than others.And if you’ve received one of my fig cuttings in the mail, there are a few tips for getting it safely into soil and giving it the best chance of growing.🌱 What You’ll DiscoverHow to take hardwood cuttings from deciduous plantsWhy figs, grapes and hydrangeas are so easy to propagateHow to identify leaf nodesWhere to place leaf nodes when planting a cuttingWhy cuttings are clones of the parent plantWhy diversity still matters when propagatingWhen rooting hormone can helpHow to take cuttings from evergreen plantsWhether you need pots, special soil or fancy propagation equipmentHow taking cuttings can help us share abundance within our communities🔗 Free Cuttings GuideI’ve created a free PDF with the basics of taking and growing cuttings:Download the free Cuttings PDFTake a walk around your neighbourhood, look at what’s growing, ask a friend for a cutting — and have a play. You might be surprised by just how many new plants you can grow for free.Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

Ask a Question or Leave a CommentThere are some funny reels at the moment about not showing the one you love how much you spend on plants! But it doesn't have to be like that. In this episode, I talk with regenerative grower and educator Levi Brinsdon-Hall about the power of seeds, propagation and food forests.We explore why growing from seed is such an important skill for gardeners, how a tiny seed can become the beginning of abundance, and why creating a diverse ecosystem is about so much more than simply growing food for ourselves.Levi shares his approach to starting a food forest, the importance of observation, and how working with plants over time teaches us about our own landscapes.In this episode we talk about:🌱 Why learning to grow from seed gives you independence as a gardener 🌱 The difference between buying plants and learning propagation 🌱 How seeds create abundance and resilience 🌱 Why flowers and “non-food” plants are essential in a healthy ecosystem 🌱 Starting a food forest from year zero 🌱 Using observation to understand what your land needs 🌱 Building soil health through diversity and living plantsYou can find Levi all over socials! Including-LinkedIn-Instagram To follow Levi resourcing 1000 young growers and their schools and families with free resource packs, visit deliciousrevolution.nz.Levi recommends looking at the history of your land's use. If you're in Auckland, NZ, this is where you find that. Ends November. Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

Ask a Question or Leave a CommentBird flu has arrived in New Zealand, and if you keep backyard chickens, ducks or other poultry, you may be wondering what this actually means for your flock.In this episode of White Strawberries, we talk about H5N1 bird flu and what backyard poultry keepers need to know. We look at how this strain differs from the bird flu you may have heard about previously, what symptoms to watch for in chickens, ducks and wild birds, and why biosecurity matters even if your birds normally free-range.We get practical about protecting your flock: keeping wild birds and rodents away from feed, preventing access to potentially contaminated water and droppings, and why simply putting up bird netting may not be enough. We also talk about what to do if you need to temporarily confine free-range chickens, whether chickens can survive H5N1, when veterinary care is important, and what happens if birds have been exposed.This isn't about panic or pretending we can eliminate every risk. It's about understanding the risks and giving your flock the best chance possible.🌱 What You'll DiscoverWhat makes H5N1 different from previous bird flu concernsSigns and symptoms of bird flu in chickens, ducks and wild birdsPractical ways to reduce exposure to wild birds and rodentsWhy contaminated water and droppings can be a concernHow to protect free-range chickensWhether chickens can survive H5N1When veterinary care may be neededWhat happens to exposed chickensPractical biosecurity steps for backyard poultry keepersOther Episodes with Sez the Vet on chickens can be found HERE.Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

Ask a Question or Leave a CommentWhat if your garden could give you more time, more health, and more connection — instead of becoming another job?Welcome to White Strawberries: Gardening for Wellness and Joy.This podcast explores how growing food, flowers, and gardens can support a healthier, more connected life.Join Sam as she shares what’s working in her own garden and conversations with growers, authors, and gardeners who are creating more resilient, nature-connected ways of living.Whether you want to grow your own food, create a flower-filled space, grow herbs, or simply reconnect with nature, you’re in the right place.A garden should support your life — not take it over.May your garden be abundant and your strawberries white.Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

Ask a Question or Leave a CommentAsparagus is one of the most boujee perennial crops to put into your S&P 500—(perennial garden investment portfolio) but getting it right starts long before the first harvest. In this episode of White Strawberries, I walk you through everything you need to know about planting asparagus crowns, preparing the perfect soil, and creating a bed that will produce for decades- and also not doing any of things and giving a go anyway... 👌 I also share how I'm establishing asparagus in my own food forest.Whether you're planting your very first crowns or adding asparagus to an established garden, this episode will help you create a productive patch that keeps rewarding you year after year.🌱 What You'll Discover Why most gardeners choose crowns instead of growing from seed  How to prepare an asparagus bed that lasts for decades  The soil conditions asparagus loves  Traditional trench planting versus modern no-dig methods  When to harvest—and when to leave your plants alone  How many asparagus plants you need to feed your family 🔗 Resources Mentioned Grounded Waitlist 🎧 Previous White Strawberries Episodes Mentioned Animal Manure in the GardenAsk a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

Ask a Question or Leave a CommentWhat if the best mulch isn't something you buy or wheel around the garden—but something that's already growing?In this conversation with Kath Irvine, author of The Edible Backyard, we explore the science and practical application of living mulch. Instead of constantly importing straw, compost, or woodchips, Kath explains how diverse, living plants can protect the soil, feed soil biology, reduce weeds, build resilience, and ultimately create a healthier garden with less work.We discuss why diversity matters, how plant roots feed soil microbes, why chopping plants can be better than pulling them out, and how to introduce living mulch into both vegetable gardens and orchards. We also tackle some of the difficult realities of gardening—including invasive weeds, compost overuse, and when there may not be a perfect solution.If you're aiming for a low-input, high-output garden that works more like nature, this episode will challenge many of the gardening "rules" we've been taught.🌱 What You'll Discover What living mulch is and how it differs from traditional mulch  Why plant diversity creates healthier, more resilient soil  How living roots feed soil biology through photosynthesis  Practical ways to introduce living mulch into vegetable gardens  Creating productive orchards with perennial companion plants  Why "chop and drop" often beats pulling weeds  The surprising downside of using too much compost  Choosing and saving seeds for diverse living mulch mixes  Managing difficult weeds without becoming overwhelmed  Why observation may be the most important gardening skill of all 📚 References & Resources MentionedThe Edible Backyard — Kath Irvine Homegrown Fruit — Kath Irvine Kath Irvine's websiteReferenced Dr Christine Jones' work on soil biology and plant diversity  The Jena Experiment (Germany) — biodiversity and ecosystem resilience🎧 Previous White Strawberries Episodes You Might EnjoyMulch and Ground Covers | Mastering the Garden Companion Planting: Figs, Grapes, Olives & Companions | Mastering the Garden Ends November. Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.