White Strawberries: Gardening for Wellness & Joy
Welcome to White Strawberries, where gardening, permaculture, and sustainable living nourish body, and spirit and the planet. I’m Sam—a gardener, mum and podcaster.
Each episode explores how growing and eating nutrient-dense, foods—from polyphenol-rich plants to adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha—supports vitality and a joyful, vibrant life.
I cover garden design, soil health, mushrooms, animal integration, and seasonal growing insights. I am a self confessed lazy gardener, who aims to do things efficently with max returns.
🌱 Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced gardener, I hope you'll join me each week.
🌱 Let's connect on Instagram: @whitestrawberriespodcast
📘 Join the conversation on Facebook: White Strawberries Podcast
Episodes
34 episodes
Garden Goal Setting like a pro: Less Hustle, more Joy | Level Up
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:Choo...
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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15:58
Annuals Beyond the Supermarket: What to Grow Instead | Sparking Joy
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 becau...
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Season 1
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Episode 33
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22:54
More Perennials, Less Hustle: Gardening Beyond the Supermarket | Sparking Joy
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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30:46
Poo Power: Gentle Fertilisers for Better Soil | Sparking Joy
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 th...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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12:47
Pesticides Uncovered: How to Eat Safer | With Alison White
Guest: Alison White, Co-convenor of the Safe Food CampaignIn 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...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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40:06
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The Secret to Thriving Roses | Spark Joy
🌹 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 ...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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25:29
Feed Us with Trees: Nuts and the Future of Food | With Elspeth Hay
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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32:47
Basics of Genetic Engineering | With GE Honesty
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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31:14
Sunflowers: 6 Reasons to Grow them | Sparking Joy
🌻 How cool are sunflowers?In this Sparking Joy episode of White Strawberries, we explore everything there is to love about sunflowers — their ancient history, mythological roots, and the many ways they bring...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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19:11
Asexual Propagation: Beginner’s Overview of How to Clone a Plant
In this episode we’re diving into asexual propagation: making clones of a plant we want. For beginners! There are more ways, but these are the easiest!! AKA- Why My Baby Strawberries are Yucky. AKA- How to steal plants....
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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19:33
DIY Electrolytes: Turning Garden Surplus into Functional Hydration | Sparking Joy
This week on White Strawberries, we’re talking about DIY electrolytes — making your own hydration mix right from the kitchen (and garden).Whether you’re in autumn apple season in the Northern Hemisphere or heading into long, sun...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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12:01
Help! My Garden Isn’t Thriving | Mastering the Garden
🌱 In this episode, I’m tackling a problem I hear all the time — what to do when your garden isn’t thriving.Maybe your garden used to be amazing, but now your plants are struggling. Maybe you are hesitant to continue to purchase soil and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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25:48
Mulch and Ground Covers| Mastering the Garden
🌱 In this episode, I explore something that’s been top of mind lately — ground covers.Ground covers form one of the eight layers of a forest and play a vital role in any thriving garden, orchard, or food forest. They’re n...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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32:05
WWOOFing! Organic Farm Work Exchange | Sparking Joy
🌍 In this episode, I’ve just returned from WWOOFing — and I have a lot of feedback to share!What exactly is WWOOFing? Is it for you? And how can you make sure you find the right host before you pack your bags and...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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15:40
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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Season 1
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Episode 21
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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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Season 1
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Episode 20
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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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Season 1
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Episode 19
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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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Season 1
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Episode 18
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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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Season 1
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Episode 17
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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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Season 1
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Episode 16
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27:33
Happy Kids. Gardening and Free Play with Children | 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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Season 1
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Episode 15
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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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Season 1
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Episode 14
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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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Season 1
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Episode 13
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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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Season 1
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Episode 12
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32:41
