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If you’ve ever looked at a beautiful plant and thought, I’d love one of those, you might not need to buy one. You might just need to take a cutting.

In this episode of White Strawberries, we’re getting into the wonderfully simple world of plant propagation — how to take cuttings and turn a small piece of an existing plant into a whole new plant.

I talk about taking cuttings from deciduous trees like figs, grapes and elderberries, why waiting until the leaves have dropped can be the perfect time, and how to recognise the leaf nodes where roots and new growth will form.

We also get into the slightly geekier side of cuttings, including cloning, diversity, grafted fruit trees, rooting hormones and why some plants have a much higher “take rate” than others.

And if you’ve received one of my fig cuttings in the mail, there are a few tips for getting it safely into soil and giving it the best chance of growing.

🌱 What You’ll Discover

• How to take hardwood cuttings from deciduous plants
• Why figs, grapes and hydrangeas are so easy to propagate
• How to identify leaf nodes
• Where to place leaf nodes when planting a cutting
• Why cuttings are clones of the parent plant
• Why diversity still matters when propagating
• When rooting hormone can help
• How to take cuttings from evergreen plants
• Whether you need pots, special soil or fancy propagation equipment
• How taking cuttings can help us share abundance within our communities

🔗 Free Cuttings Guide

I’ve created a free PDF with the basics of taking and growing cuttings:

Download the free Cuttings PDF

Take a walk around your neighbourhood, look at what’s growing, ask a friend for a cutting — and have a play. You might be surprised by just how many new plants you can grow for free.

Supercharge Your Garden
🪴30 cuttings / mix of 15 varieties of plants- Sent out September only

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About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.

Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

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There are some funny reels at the moment about not showing the one you love how much you spend on plants! But it doesn't have to be like that. 

In this episode, I talk with regenerative grower and educator Levi Brinsdon-Hall about the power of seeds, propagation and food forests.

We explore why growing from seed is such an important skill for gardeners, how a tiny seed can become the beginning of abundance, and why creating a diverse ecosystem is about so much more than simply growing food for ourselves.

Levi shares his approach to starting a food forest, the importance of observation, and how working with plants over time teaches us about our own landscapes.

In this episode we talk about:

🌱 Why learning to grow from seed gives you independence as a gardener
 🌱 The difference between buying plants and learning propagation
 🌱 How seeds create abundance and resilience
 🌱 Why flowers and “non-food” plants are essential in a healthy ecosystem
 🌱 Starting a food forest from year zero
 🌱 Using observation to understand what your land needs
 🌱 Building soil health through diversity and living plants

You can find Levi all over socials! Including
-LinkedIn

-Instagram

 To follow Levi resourcing 1000 young growers and their schools and families with free resource packs, visit deliciousrevolution.nz.

Levi recommends looking at the history of your land's use. If you're in Auckland, NZ, this is where you find that. 

Supercharge Your Garden
🪴30 cuttings / mix of 15 varieties of plants- Sent out September only

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About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.

Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

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Bird flu has arrived in New Zealand, and if you keep backyard chickens, ducks or other poultry, you may be wondering what this actually means for your flock.

In this episode of White Strawberries, we talk about H5N1 bird flu and what backyard poultry keepers need to know. We look at how this strain differs from the bird flu you may have heard about previously, what symptoms to watch for in chickens, ducks and wild birds, and why biosecurity matters even if your birds normally free-range.

We get practical about protecting your flock: keeping wild birds and rodents away from feed, preventing access to potentially contaminated water and droppings, and why simply putting up bird netting may not be enough. We also talk about what to do if you need to temporarily confine free-range chickens, whether chickens can survive H5N1, when veterinary care is important, and what happens if birds have been exposed.

This isn't about panic or pretending we can eliminate every risk. It's about understanding the risks and giving your flock the best chance possible.

🌱 What You'll Discover

• What makes H5N1 different from previous bird flu concerns
• Signs and symptoms of bird flu in chickens, ducks and wild birds
• Practical ways to reduce exposure to wild birds and rodents
• Why contaminated water and droppings can be a concern
• How to protect free-range chickens
• Whether chickens can survive H5N1
• When veterinary care may be needed
• What happens to exposed chickens
• Practical biosecurity steps for backyard poultry keepers

Other Episodes with Sez the Vet on chickens can be found HERE.

Supercharge Your Garden
🪴30 cuttings / mix of 15 varieties of plants- Sent out September only

Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.

About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.

Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

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What if your garden could give you more time, more health, and more connection — instead of becoming another job?

Welcome to White Strawberries: Gardening for Wellness and Joy.

This podcast explores how growing food, flowers, and gardens can support a healthier, more connected life.

Join Sam as she shares what’s working in her own garden and conversations with growers, authors, and gardeners who are creating more resilient, nature-connected ways of living.

Whether you want to grow your own food, create a flower-filled space, grow herbs, or simply reconnect with nature, you’re in the right place.

A garden should support your life — not take it over.

May your garden be abundant and your strawberries white.

Supercharge Your Garden
🪴30 cuttings / mix of 15 varieties of plants- Sent out September only

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About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.

Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

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Asparagus is one of the most boujee perennial crops to put into your S&P 500—(perennial garden investment portfolio) but getting it right starts long before the first harvest.

In this episode of White Strawberries, I walk you through everything you need to know about planting asparagus crowns, preparing the perfect soil, and creating a bed that will produce for decades- and also not doing any of things and giving a go anyway... 👌

 I also share how I'm establishing asparagus in my own food forest.

Whether you're planting your very first crowns or adding asparagus to an established garden, this episode will help you create a productive patch that keeps rewarding you year after year.

🌱 What You'll Discover

•  Why most gardeners choose crowns instead of growing from seed 
•  How to prepare an asparagus bed that lasts for decades 
•  The soil conditions asparagus loves 
•  Traditional trench planting versus modern no-dig methods 
•  When to harvest—and when to leave your plants alone 
•  How many asparagus plants you need to feed your family 

🔗 Resources Mentioned

•  Grounded Waitlist
   

🎧 Previous White Strawberries Episodes Mentioned

•  Animal Manure in the Garden

Supercharge Your Garden
🪴30 cuttings / mix of 15 varieties of plants- Sent out September only

Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.

About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.

Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

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What if the best mulch isn't something you buy or wheel around the garden—but something that's already growing?

In this conversation with Kath Irvine, author of The Edible Backyard, we explore the science and practical application of living mulch. Instead of constantly importing straw, compost, or woodchips, Kath explains how diverse, living plants can protect the soil, feed soil biology, reduce weeds, build resilience, and ultimately create a healthier garden with less work.

We discuss why diversity matters, how plant roots feed soil microbes, why chopping plants can be better than pulling them out, and how to introduce living mulch into both vegetable gardens and orchards. We also tackle some of the difficult realities of gardening—including invasive weeds, compost overuse, and when there may not be a perfect solution.

If you're aiming for a low-input, high-output garden that works more like nature, this episode will challenge many of the gardening "rules" we've been taught.

🌱 What You'll Discover

•  What living mulch is and how it differs from traditional mulch 
•  Why plant diversity creates healthier, more resilient soil 
•  How living roots feed soil biology through photosynthesis 
•  Practical ways to introduce living mulch into vegetable gardens 
•  Creating productive orchards with perennial companion plants 
•  Why "chop and drop" often beats pulling weeds 
•  The surprising downside of using too much compost 
•  Choosing and saving seeds for diverse living mulch mixes 
•  Managing difficult weeds without becoming overwhelmed 
•  Why observation may be the most important gardening skill of all 

📚 References & Resources Mentioned

• The Edible Backyard — Kath Irvine 
• Homegrown Fruit — Kath Irvine 

Kath Irvine's website

Referenced

•  Dr Christine Jones' work on soil biology and plant diversity
  
  
•  The Jena Experiment (Germany) — biodiversity and ecosystem resilience

🎧 Previous White Strawberries Episodes You Might Enjoy

Mulch and Ground Covers | Mastering the Garden
 

Companion Planting: Figs, Grapes, Olives & Companions | Mastering the Garden
 

Supercharge Your Garden
🪴30 cuttings / mix of 15 varieties of plants- Sent out September only

Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.

About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.

Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

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What does it take to transform a bare paddock into a thriving food forest?

In this episode of White Strawberries, I’m joined by Jo Duff, co-founder of Kahikatea Farm, who shares the lessons she has learned after more than 20 years developing a three-acre food forest in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Jo and her family started with bare land — no water, driveway, or buildings — and slowly designed a productive ecosystem using permaculture principles, observation, and experimentation. 

We discuss passive irrigation using swales, designing for dry climates, growing plants suited to your conditions, and why Jo would plant more densely if she was starting again.

🌱 What You’ll Discover

•  How a bare paddock became a three-acre food forest 
•  Why observation should come before planting 
•  How swales can capture rainfall and support tree growth 
•  The importance of planting for function: biomass, fertility, food, medicine and habitat 
•  Why food forests are about creating a place to live, not just growing food 
•  Lessons Jo would apply if she started again 

Jo also shares some of the plants that have worked well in her Hawke’s Bay climate, including comfrey, prickly pear, tree lucerne, globe artichokes and other multifunctional plants.

🔗 Resources Mentioned

Kahikatea Farm – Food Forest Nursery, Plants & Education

Kahikatea Farm plants mentioned in this episode:

Peaches
Dwarf Peach

Prickly Pear (Opuntia / Nopales)
Thornless Prickly Pear

Comfrey (biomass plant)
Russian Comfrey

Lemon Sorrel

Globe Artichoke (biomass plant)

Cardoon (biomass plant)

Willows (woody biomass)
Examples include Willow ‘Hiwinui’ and Willow ‘Tangoio’

Tree Lucerne / Tagasaste (biomass and nitrogen fixer)

Alder (nitrogen-fixing tree)
Chinese Alder

Yuccas

Buttercup Bush / Senna

Eucalyptus (support species / biomass)

Explore all Kahikatea Farm plants
Certified Organic Nursery – edible, useful and food forest plants

Join Kahikatea Farm for some onsite education. 

Supercharge Your Garden
🪴30 cuttings / mix of 15 varieties of plants- Sent out September only

Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.

About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.

Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

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Sam missed an episode! Why?

Taking time to pause, reflect, and reset is just as important in life as it is in the garden 🌱

In this personal episode of White Strawberries, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the podcast after nearly a year of consistent episodes. From humble beginnings (yes… five downloads and my mum falling asleep 😅) to growing a global audience, this episode dives into what’s working, what’s been surprisingly hard, and what’s coming next.

With the lead-up to Matariki, I’m stepping into a seasonal reset — reflecting on the past six months and intentionally designing the next phase of this podcast, my courses, and how I support you.

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to build something from scratch — or you’re on your own journey of growth — this one’s for you.

🌱 What You’ll Discover

•  What I’ve learned after 45 podcast episodes 
•  Real podcast growth stats
•  The hidden complexity of email lists, websites, and automation 
•  Why I’m taking a month off and what I’m resetting 
•  The vision behind my Grounded gardening course 
•  I've reduced my grocery bill while eating high-quality food 
•  Why growing your own food is becoming more important than ever 
•  How you can shape future episodes through Q&A and voice messages 

🔗 References & Resources Mentioned

•  Grounded Course (coming soon) 
•  White Strawberries Podcast Website (in progress) 

🎧 Previous White Strawberries Episodes You Might Enjoy

Supercharge Your Garden
🪴30 cuttings / mix of 15 varieties of plants- Sent out September only

Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.

About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.

Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

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🌱 Before you plant another single tree, there’s one step that can save you years of frustration: observation.

In this Mastering the Garden episode of White Strawberries, I walk you through how to understand your land before you grow — from mapping shade and wind to testing soil, water movement, and frost patterns.

Using real examples (including why my mum’s feijoas fruit weeks before mine just 12 minutes away), we explore how small environmental differences shape what thrives — and what struggles.

This episode is your practical guide to working with your land instead of against it, using simple, often free tests to build a resilient, abundant garden.

🌿 If you’ve ever felt like you don’t have a “green thumb,” this might be the missing piece.

🌱 What You’ll Discover

•  How to map shade across seasons and use it to your advantage 
•  What wind patterns reveal about plant placement and disease risk 
•  How frost moves through your land — and how to work with it 
•  Simple ways to observe water flow, drainage, and waterlogging
•  Easy at-home soil tests (including structure and moisture checks) 
•  How weeds can give clues about your soil conditions 
•  Why climate zones (like USDA) are helpful — but limited 

🔗 References & Resources Mentioned

•  Permaculture Research Soil Test Handbook — by Chris Trump & collaborators 
•  iNaturalist (plant identification app) 
•  Seek by iNaturalist (child-friendly version) 

🎧 Previous White Strawberries Episodes Referred to

•  How I Saved My Garden from Summer Storms, Flooding and Wind (Episode 37). Look it up on your platform 🤗

Supercharge Your Garden
🪴30 cuttings / mix of 15 varieties of plants- Sent out September only

Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.

About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.

Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.

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Should we be using pesticides on our fruit trees? And if not… what do we do instead?

In this episode of White Strawberries, I’m joined by Matthew Priestley, whose work and thinking around ecological systems challenges and encourages us to rethink how we respond to pests in our orchards🌿

We explore what’s really going on when pests and disease show up, and why reaching for sprays might be missing the bigger picture. From airflow (including opening up a “wind tunnel”) to soil health, tree nutrition, and system design, this conversation is all about working with your ecosystem instead of against it.

If you’re growing fruit trees and wondering how to manage pests without pesticides, this episode offers a practical, grounded alternative rooted in science, observation, resilience, and long-term thinking.

 What You’ll Discover

•  Should you use pesticides on fruit trees—or avoid them altogether? 
•  What pests and disease are actually telling you 
•  How airflow and pruning reduce pressure naturally for some fruit trees
•  Why soil health and tree nutrition are foundational 
•  How systems evolve as your trees grow and mature 
•  What to do instead of spraying (organic and non organic pesticides)

Find Matthew on the BrotherWood site here and on Socials here.

Some of Matthew's favourite resources:

Products he mentioned (He has no affiliation with these):

Hortitech Foliar Protect

Hydrolysed Fish

Wood Vinegar

Book recommendations: 

Michael Phillips, The Holistic Orchard

Nicole Masters, For The Love of Soil

Education/Inspiration:

Permadynamics, permaculture based training, PDCs and short courses

Elaine Ingham - Soil food web

Matt powers - Regerating soil

Paul Stamets - Fungi

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love your support:

⭐ Jump into your podcast app and leave a rating & review
 💌 Send me a question or share your thoughts
 🌱 Tell me what’s happening in your garden right now

🔗 Connect with Me

📍 Website: whitestrawberriespodcast.com
 📸 Instagram: @whitestrawberriespodcast

May your strawberries be white and your soil full of carbon 🌱

Supercharge Your Garden
🪴30 cuttings / mix of 15 varieties of plants- Sent out September only

Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.

About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.

Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.