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Podcast and Kitchen Garden Consultations - Ali Soper and Hannah Twiss

13/01/2026

Our book and word of the week is Futuresteading 🪏

Futuresteading by Jade Miles is a “ practical and inspirational guide to living in a way that values tomorrow: a slower, simpler, steadier existence that is healthier for you, your home and the environment”

You can listen to this weeks episode at yourgardencoach.nz/podcast

Happy Gardening!

11/01/2026

What a treat having Vera from Alpine Blooms Farm on the podcast this week.

Growing seasonal blooms in the stunning Maungawera Valley, Vera shared some of her flower farming journey and wisdom.

Thanks Vera ❤️

You can listen to the interview on the podcast section of yourgardencoach.nz

08/01/2026

Here’s what Ali and Maura are chatting about on the podcast this week:

Listen to the podcast here: https://www.yourgardencoach.nz/podcast

- Herbal Tea of the Week: Mullien

- Interview: Vera Yakzhik from Alpine Blooms Flower Farm

- Moon Phase: Barren until the 14th, then the 15th–16th favour root crops

- Garden Tasks: What to focus on in the garden

- Phenology: What nature is showing us right now

- Microclimate: How local conditions are influencing growth and stress levels

- Tip of the Week: Stress + fertiliser = problems

- Main Topic: Strawberries

- Vegetable of the Week: Eggplant (aubergine)

- Dishes with Del: Eggplant recipes and ideas for using your harvest

- Book of the Week: Future Steading by Jade Miles

- Glossary: Future steading

Happy gardening!

03/01/2026

Tea of the week is Lemon Verbena 🍋

We made an amazing fizzy iced tea using the Sodastream.

Here's the recipe:
- Handful of Lemon Verbena leaves
- Boiling water to fill your tea pot
- Steep for 10-15 minutes
- Strain, cool and serve over ice (or put in the sodastream)

Add a little honey for some sweetness.

Happy Gardening!

01/01/2026

Here’s what Ali and Maura are chatting about on the podcast this week:

Listen here- www.yourgardencoach.nz/podcast

- Herbal Tea of the Week: Lemon verbena iced tea

- Moon Phase: Sowing and planting, cultivate, and root crop phases

- Garden Tasks: Seasonal jobs to support healthy summer growth

- Phenology: What nature is signalling right now and how to respond

- Microclimate

- Tip of the Week: The dry soil test

- Vegetable of the Week: Beans

- Dishes with Del: Beans in simple, seasonal dishes

- Main Topic: Heat-proofing your summer garden

- Guest Interview: Jo Wakelin on gardening in dry conditions and designing a resilient garden

- Glossary: Xeriscaping

- Book of the Week: Soil by Matthew Evans

Happy gardening!

30/12/2025

Glossary – Scoville Scale

The Scoville Scale measures the heat of chillies by rating how much capsaicin they contain. The higher the number, the hotter the chilli. Mild varieties like capsicum sit at zero, while very hot chillies such as habanero or Carolina Reaper score in the hundreds of thousands to over a million on the scale.
We talk more about Chillis on this week's podcast - click here to listen: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256022/episodes/18409984
Happy gardening!

29/12/2025

Dishes with Del shared some awesome recipes for Chilli’s on the podcast this week!

Here is another one of her brilliant creations for the festive season.

You can find all her recipes on disheswithdel.com and on all the socials.

28/12/2025

Chilli’s – our fiery fruit of the week (fruit because they develop from a flower and contain seeds).
Chilli’s are small plants with big flavour. This week we’re chatting about how to grow them, and harvest at the right time for the best flavour and heat.

If you’re growing chillies or planning to, this episode will help you feel more confident and make the most of your crop.

Click here to listen to this week's episode or find us on your favourite streaming platform: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256022/episodes/18409984

Happy gardening!

27/12/2025

Echinacea is our Tea of the Week
A beautiful herbal pick-me-up for midsummer. Echinacea is well known for supporting the immune system by helping increase white blood cells — giving your body a little extra defence when it needs it most. It brews into a warm, earthy tea that feels grounding and restorative, perfect for this time of year.
Click here to listen to this week's episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256022/episodes/18409984
Happy gardening!

25/12/2025

Ali's co-host this week is her fabulous WWOOFer, Maura, all the way from Scotland. This is what we chat about this week -

Herbal Tea of the Week: Echinacea

Moon Phase: Sowing and planting phase

Garden Tasks: Key jobs to focus on in the garden this week

Phenology: Zone 3 observations

Microclimate: Zone 1 conditions

Secret Gardens: A mention of Jo's edible food forest at Greenhills Paradise

Tip of the Week: Harvesting and storing chillies

Dishes with Del: Chillies in the kitchen — simple ways to use the heat.

Vegetable of the Week: Chillies

Book of the Week: Red Hot Chilli Grower RHS

Glossary: Scoville scale- how chilli heat is measured.

Main Topic: Mast year- what it is, why it happens, and what it means for gardeners.
Click here to listen to this week's episode, or find us on your favourite streaming platform: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256022/episodes/18409984

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