White Strawberries
Welcome to White Strawberries, the podcast where gardening meets health and adventure, and sustainability feels joyful—not stressful.
I’m Sam, a permaculture gardener, educator, explorer on a mission to share the joy of growing and living well with the land. In each episode, we explore how to garden with purpose and laziness (I mean efficiency), curiosity, and fun. Eating a diversity of life giving foods in order to live our best in our current seasons. I get to have conversations with experts in their fields around all things nature. I know you'll learn something, and I will too!
May your strawberries be white and your curiosity never ending.
🌱 Let's connect on Instagram: @whitestrawberriespodcast
📘 Join the conversation on Facebook: White Strawberries Podcast
Episodes
21 episodes
Chicken Tractors- Considerations, pros and cons| Mastering the Garden
🐓 In this episode, I share my lived experience with chicken tractors and the mandala garden system — the joys, the frustrations, and the lessons five years in.We explore: 🪴 How chickens save you work with composting, weed...
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31:40
Chickens in the Garden | With Dr. Sez the Vet
We’re talking chickens—those fluffy butt, soil-turning, pest eating wonders that can be put to work in your garden. 🐔 Whether you're dreaming of adding chickens to your permaculture setup or wondering if they're right for you...
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49:21
Growing Topicals in a Cold Climate | With Steve Fawcett
🌱 In this episode, I sit down with Steve Fawcett to explore Troppo — an urban tropical food forest in Te Puke. Yes, tropical plants… outdoors… in a place that gets frost and hail!We dive into: 🍌 Bananas as mineral accum...
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44:06
The Home-Scale Forest Garden – My Review & Takeaways | Mastering the Garden
🌱 In this episode, I dive into The Home-Scale Forest Garden by Dani Baker (2022), How to Plan, Plant and Tend a Resilient Edible Landscape.I share why this book captured my attention, what makes it such a treasur...
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21:40
5 Garden Side Hustles, that isn't selling plants| Sparking Joy
Looking to make the most of your garden or property without selling your harvest? In this episode of White Strawberries, I share five creative side hustles you can start right at home. From hosting garden tours and beehives...
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21:25
Dirty Dozen Guide: Nutrition, Pesticides & Biodiversity | Mastering the Garden
Some fruits and vegetables are heavily sprayed with pesticides—and it’s not just a chemical issue. These plants may also produce fewer natural compounds that make them nutritious, and conventional growing methods can harm the environment. 🌱...
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27:33
What Makes Kids Happiest? The Science of Free Play | With Robin Mann
In this episode, Sam puts on her educator’s hat, drawing from over 20 years of experience working in schools across New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, and the USA — including roles as Dean, Head of Business Department, sustainable living and outdoo...
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49:20
Perennial Vegetables for Harvesting over Winter | Sparking Joy
In this episode of White Strawberries, I dig into the unsung heroes of the vegetable garden: perennials! You’ll learn about my three favourite edible roots — yacón, Jerusalem artichokes, and oca (NZ yams) — an...
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20:02
Nitrogen 101: Transforms Your Garden | Mastering the Garden
🌱 What is nitrogen actually and when we know what it is why does it matter? In this solo episode of White Strawberries, I ditch the edits (full disclosure I took the "um's" out) and go full conversation mode to unp...
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12:50
Water Wisely: Recycling & Irrigation Tips | With Sofee D
💧 🌦️ If you’ve ever looked at a garden hose like it was made of gold—this one’s for you.In this episode of White Strawberries, I have a conversation with Sophie, a Zero Waste Educator, about the messy magic of water in th...
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32:41
Hydrangeas | Sparking Joy
In this Spark Joy episode, we dive into the wonderful world of hydrangeas — one of New Zealand’s most beloved perennial shrubs, known for their stunning blooms and versatility.As I recorded this in the height of summer, hydrangeas were t...
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12:10
Pruning, Cuttings & a Lemon Tree Rescue | Conversation with a Newbie
In today’s Q&A-style episode, I chat with Becks, who’s growing food on a small urban section packed with subtropical and Mediterranean microclimates. We talk through her real-life garden dilemmas—from a wayward apple tree branch and overach...
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25:31
Composting! Hot or not? | Mastering the Garden
♻️ Ever wondered if your compost pile is killing weed seeds—or just giving them a warm nap?In this episode of White Strawberries, I dive into my very first proper hot composting adventure. Spoiler: it involves bamboo stakes, cow...
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23:39
Elderberries: Grow & Use Them Year-Round | Sparking Joy
Elderberry: Grow it because it’s delicious, beautiful — and scientifically proven to shorten the duration of the flu.This episode dives into the magic, science, and mischief of elderberries — a plant that blurs the line between me...
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16:17
Pigs in the Garden | Conversation with Dr. Sez the Vet
We’re talking pigs—those chubby, soil-turning wonders that can transform your paddock and garden into a thriving ecosystem.🐖 Whether you're dreaming of adding pigs to your permaculture setup or wondering if they're right for your ...
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45:52
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Mediterranean Guild Gardening: Figs, Grapes, Olives & Companions | Mastering the Garden
What do olives, grapes, figs, and lavender all have in common? They're part of the sun-loving, drought-tolerant crew that thrive in Mediterranean climates—and today we’re designing a whole guild around them.In this episode, I explore wha...
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16:50
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Wine Cap Mushrooms in Orchards | With Sarah Williams
In this earthy and enthusiastic episode, I chat with Sarah Williams—permaculture gardener, mushroom grower, and the green-fingered soul behind Sarah’s Green Acres—about growing wine cap mushrooms, also known as burgundy mushrooms or gard...
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28:03
White Strawberries: How They Inspired This Podcast | Sparking Joy
🎙️ Why White Strawberries? 🍓Welcome to White Strawberries, the podcast where we explore the lost art of living with nature—from a tiny house tucked into New Zealand bushland, surrounded by chickens, weeds, and yes... wh...
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12:07
Vegetable Patch Planner: Timing Your Crops Right. | Mastering the Garden
New to gardening and wondering when to plant things like tomatoes, spinach, or broccoli? This episode is for you! We’re diving into the basics of plant life cycles and how to know what to grow and when—without having to constantly c...
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17:55
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