Claim OwnershipWhite Strawberries: Gardening for Wellness & Joy
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© 2026 White Strawberries: Gardening for Wellness & Joy
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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
36 Episodes
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Leave a comment! Hi everyone! We have flooding and power outages throughout my area this week! So I'm hunkering down with the kids and re-releasing a top hitting podcast of mine. Check it out!! In this episode, we dive into the messy, beautiful reality of applying permaculture principles in your own life with Sez the Vet! Sam and Sez explore the highs and lows of designing gardens, observing your land, and working with nature (even when it feels like society is pushing against it). 💚 From...
Leave a comment! There’s no shortage of gardening advice online — but more information isn’t making us better gardeners. In fact, it’s often doing the opposite. In this Mastering the Garden episode of White Strawberries, Sam explores why overwhelm, comparison, and perfectly curated (often fake AI rubbish) can quietly drain our confidence and joy. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “doing it wrong” despite knowing so much, this episode is for you. This is a conversation about community over conte...
Leave a comment! 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: Choosing two new plants to try this yearMaking your garden easier and more sustainableShifting your mindset to let go of what doesn’t serve youTackling that one task you’ve been putting off, in a way that’s funLet's do it together! I'll share my goals and l...
Leave a comment! 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, pea...
Leave a comment! 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 so...
Leave a comment! 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-freeHo...
Leave a comment! 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 uniqueWhy gra...
Leave a comment! 🌹 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 ...
Leave a comment! 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 wo...
Leave a comment! 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 con...
Leave a comment! 🌻 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 life (and light!) to your garden. From Greek mythology’s Helios and the sunflower nymph, to modern uses like phytoremediation — where sunflowers help clean toxins from the soil after disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima — these plants are true multitaskers. We also div...
Leave a comment! 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. Think of it as taking the complete DNA of a plant you love and bringing it home to grow in your garden. I cover: 🌱 Root cuttings – the basics, tips, and tricks for plants like comfrey that practically clone themselves. 🌱 Cuttings – ho...
Leave a comment! 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, sunny days here in New Zealand, this episode shows you how to turn fruit surplus into clean, functional hydration — without the bright blue sports drinks or artificial sweeteners. I share how a 12-hour adventure race taught me the importance of electroly...
Leave a comment! 🌱 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 your plants aren't thriving. Maybe your potting mix has released all it's fertiliser, or maybe you're starting from scratch! Leaves are pale, flowers are sparse, and growth is slow. I’ll walk you through practical ways to fix infe...
Leave a comment! 🌱 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 not just about filling space — they’re about protecting, nourishing, and bringing life to your soil. I’ll chat about: 🌾 Why we need to mulch our soil 🧹 How to clear the space first 💚 Why living mulches (aka ground covers) are so awesome &nbs...
Leave a comment! 🌍 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 head off to dig, plant, and learn? I’ll chat about: 🌾 What WWOOFing really is 💬 The questions to ask before joining a host 🧭 How to filter out good hosts 🪴 Why getting clear on your expectations before you go makes all the difference 💪 What ...
Leave a comment! 🐓 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, weeding, and pest control 🛠️ Design considerations: circular vs. rectangular tractors, PVC vs. wood, mites and materials 👩🌾 What it’s really like moving a dome once your Zone One (Garden Bed) fills with fruit trees and hedges 🌬️ Why win...
Leave a comment! 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 your orchard, this episode is packed with practical, real-world insight. I'm joined by Sez the Vet, an experienced life-style vet and educator. This is a conversation I was looking for 10 years ago! I get to have it now and share it with you. Are...
Leave a comment! 🌱 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 accumulators (and why banana lollies taste the way they do) 🌴 Air layering and how it can trigger early flowering in plants ❄️ Frost protection strategies and mulching like crazy 🌳 Why food forests build deeper community resilience than vegg...
Leave a comment! 🌱 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 treasure for anyone wanting to create a forest garden, and how I’ve been inspired to rethink my own food forest. From mapping your space with to-scale circles to understanding the roles of nitrogen fixers, mineral accumulators, and even fungi, Dani’s approach is full of pra...
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