White Strawberries: Gardening for Wellness & Joy – Details, episodes & analysis

Leave a comment!

💚The waitlist is open: Find Information on the Grounded Course here

A friend once asked me how I could justify spending 10 hours a week in the garden.

That question stuck with me.

In this episode of White Strawberries, I explore the research behind the Blue Zones — the regions identified by Dan Buettner where people live the longest, healthiest lives — and filter those findings through the lens of gardening.

This isn’t a double-blind clinical trial. But it is a fascinating look at lifestyle patterns that consistently show up in long-lived communities: natural movement, plant-based eating, nervous system regulation, strong social ties, and purpose.

And when you look closely… gardening sits right in the middle of it all.

🌱 What You’ll Discover

• What the original Blue Zones are and why they matter
• Why “move naturally” may be more powerful than gym workouts
• How gardening supports longevity through functional movement
• The role of beans, sourdough, fermented foods, and modest animal protein
• Why daily stress reduction rituals matter for brain health
• How purpose (ikigai) and family connection impact lifespan
• Whether wine at five is really about wine — or community

📚 Referenced

Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest by Dan Buettner
Official website: https://www.bluezones.com

🎧 Previous White Strawberries Episodes Mentioned

Mediterranean Guild Gardening: Figs, Grapes, Olives & Companions | Mastering the Garden

Dirty Dozen Guide: Nutrition, Pesticides & Biodiversity | Mastering the Garden

Chickens in the Garden | With Dr. Sez the Vet

Nitrogen 101: Transforms Your Garden | Mastering the Garden

🎧 Connect with me.

Leave a comment!

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 to earning carbon credits, leasing land, or renting out a minor dwelling, these ideas can help offset costs, invest in your property, and even bring in a little extra cash.

I cover practical tips, real-life examples from New Zealand, and legal considerations so you can get started with confidence. Perfect for gardeners, landowners, and anyone curious about turning their property into a rewarding side hustle.

🎧 Connect with me.

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 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

🎧 Connect with me.

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 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

🎧 Connect with me.

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 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

🎧 Connect with me.

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 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” 

🎧 Connect with me.

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 dive into how to:
 🌻 Use sunflowers as living garden structures for beans, peas, and pumpkins
🐝 Support pollinators and boost biodiversity
🌿 Choose heirloom, non-F1 sunflower seeds for saving and replanting
🥗 Enjoy the nutritional power of sunflower seeds — packed with healthy fats, protein, and minerals
🐔 Feed your chickens homegrown, nutrient-rich seeds for a sustainable flock

Whether you’re a permaculture grower, a seed saver, or just love bee-friendly blooms, this episode will inspire you to plant a few giants of your own.

🌻 Sunflower suppliers mentioned:
Koanga Institute
Kings Seeds

Also- thank you Elena, a listener, for sending this link through. They do free soil testing in Aotearoa: Soil Safe.

📸 Let’s connect on Instagram: @whitestrawberriespodcast

📘 Join the convo on Facebook: White Strawberries Podcast

🎧 Connect with me.

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 – how to take branch cuttings, caring for them, and maximizing your “strike rate.” (This needs its own episode!)
🌱 Grafting – a more advanced way to join plants for strong root systems and delicious fruit.
🌱 Root division and runners – from grasses and sugarcane to strawberries, learn how to multiply your plants efficiently.

Along the way, I share my own experiments, confessions, and share the joy of “free” gardening—getting plants from friends, neighbours, or the park 🙊

By the end of this episode, you’ll see why asexual propagation is perfect for creating more of the plants you love. 

Grab a fork, a spade, or just your curiosity—and let’s grow something amazing together!

🎧 Connect with me.

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 electrolytes, what I learned from Dr. Stacy Sims — author of ROAR
and a leading expert in female physiology and hydration — and how to hit the “Goldilocks zone” for osmolality so your water actually hydrates you.

You’ll hear my go-to recipe using apples, honey, Himalayan salt, and cream of tartar — plus how to freeze it into easy electrolyte cubes for race day, gardening, or kid’s sport.

✨ Why it sparks joy: It’s gut-friendly, garden-inspired, and turns food surplus into fuel. It’s hydration that actually works — and it tastes good.

💧 Get the full recipe and breakdown — DM me the word electrolyte on Instagram: @whitestrawberriespodcast

May your garden be abundant, your strawberries white, and your hydration delightfully balanced.

🎧 Connect with me.

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 infertile garden soil and bring your garden back to life.

I’ll cover:
 🌿 What to add to a garden bed to support growth
 🌱 How organic soil amendments like cow manure, seaweed, and banana peels can help
⚡ Why N-P-K nutrients for plants are essential, and what each one does
💧 How to manage soil moisture like a “wrung-out sponge”
🌸 The take-home message: diversity is key — feed your soil, feed your plants, and your garden will thrive

📸 Let’s connect: @whitestrawberriespodcast

📘 Join the convo on Facebook: White Strawberries Podcast

🎧 Connect with me.