White Strawberries: Gardening for Wellness & Joy

Annuals Beyond the Supermarket: What to Grow Instead | Sparking Joy

Season 1 Episode 33

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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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