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Creating garden goals that bring you joy, wellness, and sustainability in 2026—without getting caught in the “more, more, more” trap!

I guide you through a simple four-question exercise to set achievable garden intentions:

1. Choosing two new plants to try this year
2. Making your garden easier and more sustainable
3. Shifting your mindset to let go of what doesn’t serve you
4. Tackling that one task you’ve been putting off, in a way that’s fun

Let's do it together! I'll share my goals and lots of examples of what you might like.

References & Resources

• Koanga Institute (Heirloom & Heritage Seeds – NZ) – sourcing broad beans and other seeds
  https://koanga.org.nz/
  
  
• Ashwagandha: a medicinal herb that comes with a bunch of hype around it at the moment... So of course I want to grow it 😉

Previous White Strawberries Episodes Mentioned:

• What to Grow When: Timing Your Veges Right | Mastering the Garden
  
  
• Nitrogen 101: Transforms Your Garden | Mastering the Garden
  
  
• Wine Cap Mushrooms in Orchards | With Sarah Williams
  
  

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Supermarkets love annual crops — but only a very narrow version of them.

In this Sparking Joy episode of White Strawberries, I explore annual vegetables and fruits you’ll almost never see on supermarket shelves — not because they’re inferior!!

We talk about why supermarket produce is bred for transport, uniformity, and shelf life — and what gets lost along the way: flavour, phytonutrients, biodiversity, and joy. From purple tomatoes and unusual potatoes to heirloom beans, peas, and self-seeding “weeds,” this episode celebrates annual plants that thrive in real gardens, not industrial systems.

🌱 What You’ll Discover

• Why supermarkets sell such limited annual varieties
• Annual plants that thrive outside industrial systems
• Nitrogen-fixing crops that feed both you and the soil
• Community-loved annuals you won’t find on shelves
• How joy, flavour, and wellness are deeply connected

🔗 References & Resources Mentioned

Koanga Institute (Heirloom & Heritage Seeds – NZ)

Cooking Beans — Susan Young

🎧 Previous White Strawberries Episodes You Might Enjoy:

What to Grow When: Timing Your Veges Right | Mastering the Garden

Nitrogen 101: Transforms Your Garden | Mastering the Garden

Wine Cap Mushrooms in Orchards | With Sarah Williams

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Next summer, I’m choosing a quieter, more generous way of gardening — more perennials, less hustle.

In this Sparking Joy episode of White Strawberries, I reflect on why perennial plants suit real life so much better than annual-heavy gardens, especially when you’re a parent, a busy human, or simply someone who wants joy without burnout.

We explore what makes a plant perennial, why supermarkets shape such a narrow food system, and how home gardeners have the freedom to grow softer, stranger, more seasonal, and more nutritious plants. From globe artichokes and asparagus to berries, figs, kawakawa, and heritage fruit, this episode celebrates the plants that keep giving — even when we step away.

I also share how I’m planning my own perennial spaces using soil clues, microclimates, wind, drainage, and community wisdom, plus a community-sourced list of favourite edible perennials that rarely appear in supermarkets — and why that’s exactly the point.

🌱 Gardening for wellness, curiosity, and joy — not perfection.

🌿 What You’ll Discover

• Why perennials thrive when life gets busy
• The hidden ways supermarkets shape what we eat
• Why flavour, diversity, and resilience matter more than shelf life
• How to plan perennial placement using soil, wind, shade, and drainage
• Why heirloom and heritage plants outperform supermarket varieties
• Favourite edible perennials shared by the community
• How perennials can support and protect annual garden beds

🔗 References & Resources Mentioned

Koanga Institute (Heirloom Seeds – NZ)

• Koanga Institute – Living Seed Bank
  
  

Previous White Strawberries Episodes that may be your next step:

• Perennial Vegetables for Harvesting Over Winter | Sparking Joy
  
• Mediterranean Guild Gardening: Figs, Grapes, Olives & Companions | Mastering the Garden
• Elderberries: Grow & Use Them Year-Round | Sparking Joy
  
  
• Growing Tropicals in a Cold Climate | With Steve Fawcett
  
  

🪴 Community-Favourite Edible Perennials List:

Apricot, banana passionfruit, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, boysenberries, cape gooseberries, cherries, currants (red/white/black), elderberries, feijoas, figs (fruit + leaves), grapes (fruit + leaves), guava berries, huckleberries, josta berries, lemons and citrus varieties, loquats*, sorrel, mango, medlar, mulberries, paw paw (mountain & American), passionfruit (yellow, banana, vanilla), pepino, plumcot, peachcot, quince, raspberries, tamarillo, watercress, alpine strawberries (red & white), yacón, Jerusalem artichoke.

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Discover the gentle power of manure in your garden! In this episode, Sam dives into ruminant manure, vermicompost tea, and worm juice, showing how these natural fertilizers can improve soil health, boost nutrient uptake, and make your plants thrive. Learn practical tips for safe application, the science behind soil-building benefits, and how to make the most of your compost and worm farm.

🌱 What You’ll Discover:

• Why ruminant manure (cow, sheep, alpaca) is safe and weed-free
• How mixed manures and vermicompost improve soil and fruit quality
• Practical tips for liquid feeds, soil drenching, and foliar sprays
• The difference between vermicompost tea and worm juice
• Tools and tricks to track plant health and nutrient density

📚 References & Episodes:

• Help! My Garden Isn’t Thriving – Episode 24
  
  
• Composting! Hot or Not? – Episode 9
  
  
• 2022 Plants journal study on kiwi fruit and manure

⏱ Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & Welcome
01:15 Listener Feedback & Corrections
03:10 Understanding Ruminant Manure
07:25 Research on Manure & Soil Health
13:50 Practical Tips for Using Manure
18:45 Vermicompost Tea vs Worm Juice
23:30 Applying Manure Safely
28:15 Final Thoughts & Listener Engagement

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Guest: Alison White, Co-convenor of the Safe Food Campaign

In this episode, I sit down with Alison White, the woman behind New Zealand’s version of the Dirty Dozen list — a ranking of the most pesticide-contaminated foods available on our shelves. Alison has a Master’s in Public Health, is a lifetime member of the Soil & Health Association, and co-convenes the Safe Food Campaign.

Together, we unpack:

• How the Dirty Dozen is created and what makes NZ’s version unique
• Why grapes, celery, and strawberries consistently top the list
• The worrying truth about glyphosate (RoundUp) and how little NZ actually tests for it
• How pesticide regulation gets tangled in industry influence
• Practical ways to reduce your exposure — from vinegar rinses to growing your own produce

This conversation will leave you thinking differently about what’s on your plate — and why home-grown food might just be one of the most powerful forms of resistance.

Link for Further Reading:

• The Dirty Dozen – latest update via Soil & Health
• OOOOBY (organic box service)
• Harraway’s Organic Oats collection
• Pesticides in New Zealand Children
• Safe Food Campaign NZ – Facebook
• Safe Food Campaign Chlorpyrifos Petition Summary
• Dr. Libby Blog

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🌹 Welcome to White Strawberries, your go-to podcast for effortless, joyful, and sustainable gardening. In this episode, I dive into why my roses are thriving without sprays, how biodiversity supports healthy plants, and how to make your own rosewater and tea from fragrant blooms.

What you’ll discover in this episode:

• Common rose pests and how nature balances them.
• How planting a diverse garden supports predatory insects like ladybugs and praying mantises.
• Companion plants that naturally protect and enhance roses.
• Choosing the right rose variety: Wild, Heirloom, and Modern Roses.
• How to make rosewater and a simple rose tea at home.
• The nutritional and skin benefits of roses grown in organic, biodiverse gardens.

Research & References:

1. Flower diversity increases aphid predation on tomatoes
2. Effect of companion planting on pest suppression
3. A 2018 study: extracts from Rosa damascena
4. Rose‑petal extracts have antioxidant and anti‑hyaluronidase activity — meaning they can neutralise free radicals
   
   

📸 Follow me for images, videos, and behind-the-scenes gardening tips:

• Instagram: @whitestrawberriespodcast
• Facebook: White Strawberries Podcast

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Could the future of food be rooted in trees, not annual grains?

In this episode of White Strawberries, I’m joined by journalist and NPR reporter Elspeth Hay, author of the hopeful manifesto Feed Us with Trees: Nuts and Future of Food. Her work uncovers a surprising truth: for thousands of years, humans relied on perennial nut trees—oaks, chestnuts, hazelnuts—as our main sources of flour, oils, and everyday staple foods.

At a time when the majority of the world’s calories come from monocropped annual grains, Elspeth invites us to imagine a different path: one where our landscapes are abundant, resilient, biodiverse, and shaped by the long memory of trees.

We explore:
🌰 The ancient human relationship with nut trees
🌰 Why forest gardens and perennial food systems nourished entire cultures
🌰 The industrial narratives that pushed us into annual agriculture
🌰 Insights from Indigenous knowledge-keepers, agroforestry, and nut growers
🌰 The approachable, personal journey behind writing Feed Us with Trees

Whether you’re a gardener, permaculture practitioner, homesteader, or someone rethinking how we grow food, this conversation will expand your imagination and reconnect you with the ancient wisdom of tree-based agriculture.

If you’ve ever dreamed of growing food forests, diversifying your diet, or stepping away from nutrient-poor annual beds — this episode is for you.

💚🌿Sam

✨ Let’s connect:
Instagram: @whitestrawberriespodcast
FB Community: White Strawberries Podcast

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I’m not usually a political person, but sometimes a little adulting is needed. And I think it’s important that everyday Kiwis actually know what’s happening in our food system.

In this episode, I sit down with Callum from GE Honesty to unpack the basics of genetic engineering, gene editing, and what these proposed changes, that are currently with parliament, could mean for New Zealand farmers, gardeners, and the nutrient density of our food.

Whether you’re new to the GE conversation, a home gardener wanting to understand how this might affect seeds and soil, or simply a curious Kiwi trying to keep up with the headlines — this episode is for you.

And if you’re overseas, I’d genuinely love to hear how GE crops and policies have impacted your country too.

🌱 Topics we cover:
– What genetic engineering actually is (in normal-people language)
– How GE changes could impact NZ gardens, farms, and ecosystems
– Why transparency around GE laws matters for all New Zealanders
– What we can do if we don't want GE seeds in New Zealand

This is an episode close to my heart, and I’m grateful to have you here for it.

💚🌿Sam

✨ Let’s connect:
Instagram: @whitestrawberriespodcast
FB Community: White Strawberries Podcast

Learn More:

• Seeds of Deception by Jeffrey Smith: A book that exposes perceived dangers of genetically engineered foods, as explained in this YouTube video.
• GE Honesty website: www.gehonesty.nz
• The bill proposed in Parliament: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2024/0110/latest/whole.html
• OMG GMO trailer: this YouTube video.
• NZ media article: “Gene technology changes: What you need to know” Focus on Tikanga Māori.
• NZ plant & food research: “Nutrient density research – Phase 1 report released”

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