Avant Gardeners
- Episódios
- 70
- Publicação
- semanal
- Último episódio
- 10 nov 2026
Sobre o podcast
With lots of enthusiasm and very little know how, Emily and Maddie love chatting about gardening, often with a glass of wine or cocktail in hand. In each fortnightly episode, we speak to people who inspire us in the garden, in order to unearth some much needed knowledge.
Episódios 70
Red Wine, Chocolate, Blood & Bone
We're drinking a very yummy, very old, Momento Mori 2017 True Love Waits, and we're pairing it with Toblerone (thanks Em). We're talking about the Cairns Botanical Gardens, and the forest boardwalk opposite …
Notas do episódio
We're drinking a very yummy, very old, Momento Mori 2017 True Love Waits, and we're pairing it with Toblerone (thanks Em).
We're talking about the Cairns Botanical Gardens, and the forest boardwalk opposite, we're talking about mammal-eating Nepenthes, bending reo mesh and hoping to get results like Hannah Maloney
And Fox Gloves just made a sterile love child with an Isoplexis ... introducing the Digi Plexis
We're talking lupin, Skye from Hardscrabble Gardens, Blood and Bone, Peter Cundal, Springtime spraying, Tassie seasons, Morning routines, prepping for tomoatoes, and organising seeds by when to plant them. If you like Avant Gardeners, we would LOVE it if you could rate, review, subscribe, share with a friend, send us words of affirmation via DM. Whatever it takes. Thanks for being here.
Josh van Cuylenburg // Guerilla Gardening, Gardening as a Gateway to Community, Mental Health, Sri Lankan Cooking
We're pretty excited bout this one - we interviewed Josh van Cuylenburg, a musician, a filmmaker and one of the hosts on the wildly popular podcast The Imperfects. Josh's insights, curiosity and thoughtfulness …
Notas do episódio
We're pretty excited bout this one - we interviewed Josh van Cuylenburg, a musician, a filmmaker and one of the hosts on the wildly popular podcast The Imperfects. Josh's insights, curiosity and thoughtfulness makes him an absolute delight to listen to.
If we didn't love him enough already, it was Josh's comments on an episode with Mark Mathieson, about the positive impact gardening has on him, that was the icing on the cake. Josh lives, works and tends to his garden on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation with his wife Sophie and two young sons.
Before we get into chatting to Josh we mention Cascade Bar and Brewery in Hobart - a great place for lunch / dinner in Hobart with sprawling gardens. We're talking bird baths, secret spots in gardens and front gardens. Josh recalls memories of his first garden and his mum has been wildly influential to his love of gardening and cooking. Josh talks about reinvigorating his garden in Preston, VIC, and how it's been an incredible connection to his local community. He talks about corn, guerilla gardening, Malley Ghost Gums. Josh recommends Charmaine Soloman's The Complete Asian Cookbook and Paul Bangay's Guide to PlantsPlease enjoy. If you like Avant Gardeners, we would LOVE it if you could rate, review, subscribe, share with a friend, send us words of affirmation via DM. Whatever it takes. Thanks for being here.
The birds, the bees and the peas
Sometimes we record an ep and listen back and it's slightly....unhinged. IDK there must have been something in the bubbly water. But here we go. First up we're drinking a G+T with pear, but not with tonic …
Notas do episódio
Sometimes we record an ep and listen back and it's slightly....unhinged.
IDK there must have been something in the bubbly water.
But here we go. First up we're drinking a G+T with pear, but not with tonic. We're pairing it with a fancy Australian classic - the chocolate, aka 'fancy', scotch fingers. The pear syrup was leftover from this truly delicious dessert - a Jamie Oliver Vin Santo Pear & Chocolate Tart. I don't know what Vin Santo is and have never used it - I just substitute it for water and its' still yum!
Maddie's been listening to News Time podcast on ABC with the kids, and loved the recent story about the Regent Honey Eaters. She's praising her past self for purchasing bioculars. She saw a bird she's never seen on her property before - it's the Beautiful Firetail and it is what it says on the box. Maddie and Emily are both loving bird books. Maddie's been on Vul*a watch - baby cows have been born! We're talking happy animals, Gardening Australia Junior Podcast, and meeting people in the Avant Gardeners world IRL.
Emily has had some pea success, and some accidental Hydrangea propogation success.
Maddie is recommending The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger (and drops in a previous rec called The Age Of Seeds by Fiona McMillan-Webster.
Luen's Flowers // Daisies, Dahlias, Roses, Flower Farming, Permaculture, Stoicism
Woah, we are back after a 2 month hiatus! We've missed you guys. First up we're interviewing Luen from Luen's Flowers. She's is a DJ, producer and former Triple J host who recently had a career shake up …
Notas do episódio
Woah, we are back after a 2 month hiatus! We've missed you guys. First up we're interviewing Luen from Luen's Flowers. She's is a DJ, producer and former Triple J host who recently had a career shake up, immersing herself in the world of flowers. Having set up her first flower farm in the NSW Northern Rivers area, Luen uses permaculture and organic principles to tend the soil and grow flowers for markets, DIY buckets and weddings. She hosts in-person workshops, runs 1 on 1 sessions online, and coaches others paving their own way with flowers.
Luen specialises in roses, dahlias and daisies, and with a growing list of annuals, she now grows about 50 varieties.
Luen lives, works and tends to the soil with her partner Luke and dog Muzzy on Yuin Country on NSW's South Coast. Follow her on Instagram here.
Before we get to this chat, Emily & Maddie are talking about seedlings and seasons, Banksia Roses, Abraham Darby Rose. Luen has come to the party with a bottle of Shady Lane pet nat from Range Life Wine
We explore her travels to Colombia and what got her into gardening and farming, her life as a DJ, her gateway flower (hint: it was a Cosmos).
Luen talks about Geoff Lawton at Zaytuna Farm and Charles Dowding (listen to his episode here) who have been some of her inspiration. Then we are wowed by the hard yards in moving her flower farm from Byron Bay to Milton on the South Coast in NSW. Luen shares 'healing in' with roses, how she trellises dahlias, her love of the humble daisy.
Books we chat about:
The Permaculture Garden by Huw Richards (listen to his episode here) and
Pansies: How to Grow, Reimagine, and Create Beauty with Pansies and Violas by Brenna Estrada
Then we go on a stoicism tangent:
A guide to the Good Life by William B Irvine
Reasons Not To Worry: How To Be Stoic In Chaotic Times by Bridgid Delaney Please enjoy. If you like Avant Gardeners, we would LOVE it if you could rate, review, subscribe, share with a friend, send us words of affirmation via DM. Whatever it takes. Thanks for being here.
Tastes Like Summer
-- Save 15% off everything when shopping. Use the code AGPOD15 here. This episode is proudly sponsored by Veggie and Flower Garden Seeds. With more than 900 varieties of veggie seeds, and unique and …
Notas do episódio
-- Save 15% off everything when shopping. Use the code AGPOD15 here. This episode is proudly sponsored by Veggie and Flower Garden Seeds. With more than 900 varieties of veggie seeds, and unique and hard-to-find flower seeds, this is our go-to place to shop for garden goodies. Female founded, Bec sources freshest seed to help with your germination success. We love their amazing customer service, their helpful advice on getting the most out of your seed, and the range of stunning flowers and veggies they have available. -- Greetings folks, Emily has whipped the top of a Fowler jar full of the taste of Summer - delicious apricots from Canes in Franklin Tasmania. They are heaven. We're eating them with Greek Yoghurt and Natasha Morgan's Rhubarb and Vanilla cordial
Maddie is dreaming of apricot and cardamom jam from the Far South Food Resiliance.
Maddie's Haka Multilineata is flowering, and she wants some white borage. She's optimistic about her Washington Orange, and loving the loan of her mum's battery operated secateurs. Emily is going deep into rose pruning and bought herself some Le Sac Thorn Proof Gloves, she's using Pip's rose tips from The Garden at Moorfield.
We're gushing about Stephanie Alexander's approach to mealtime, and loving the Cook's Companion.
We're talking about Phlomus, Sisyrinchium, Cushion Bush, Red Russian Kale Thanks for being here.
Bess Scott // Australian Natives, Floristry, Flower Markets, Flannel Flowers
-- Save 15% off everything when shopping. Use the code AGPOD15 here. This episode is proudly sponsored by Veggie and Flower Garden Seeds. With more than 900 varieties of veggie seeds, and unique and …
Notas do episódio
-- Save 15% off everything when shopping. Use the code AGPOD15 here. This episode is proudly sponsored by Veggie and Flower Garden Seeds. With more than 900 varieties of veggie seeds, and unique and hard-to-find flower seeds, this is our go-to place to shop for garden goodies. Female founded, Bec sources freshest seed to help with your germination success. We love their amazing customer service, their helpful advice on getting the most out of your seed, and the range of stunning flowers and veggies they have available. --
Bess Scott grew up on a flower farm on the NSW Central Coast, surrounded by native blooms cultivated by her father - Craig Scott - and grandfather. Flowers weren't really the career plan, but having gained amazing floristry experience in Sydney and London, Bess developed her own appreciation for both European and Australian flowers.
In 2018, Bess and her partner Jack, founded BESS in Paddington, a floristry celebrating Australian native wildflowers and honouring her family's legacy, convincing customers one at a time how amazing native Australian flowers are. Bess lives, works, and creates stunning installations and bouquets in Sydney with her now husband Jack and their two daughters, on the lands of Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.
Before we get into Bess' chat, Emily and Maddie are chatting Proteas, Sydney Flower Market, pierre de ronsard roses, borage, Flannel flowers, edible violets and pansies, Emma Bowen's amazing blueberries at Sunday Farm, why you should maybe not blend your bananas with your blueberries. Enjoy the episode!
Such A Wallflower
-- Save 15% off everything when shopping. Use the code AGPOD15 here. This episode is proudly sponsored by Veggie and Flower Garden Seeds. With more than 900 varieties of veggie seeds, and unique and …
Notas do episódio
-- Save 15% off everything when shopping. Use the code AGPOD15 here. This episode is proudly sponsored by Veggie and Flower Garden Seeds. With more than 900 varieties of veggie seeds, and unique and hard-to-find flower seeds, this is our go-to place to shop for garden goodies. Female founded, Bec sources freshest seed to help with your germination success. We love their amazing customer service, their helpful advice on getting the most out of your seed, and the range of stunning flowers and veggies they have available. --
We're bringing the holiday vibes with a Pandan Daiquiri, amended from this recipe, but in lieu of pineapple rum, I just used regular rum and added a dash of pineapple juice. Find frozen Pandan in at Asian Grocers. This was inspired by this hipster cafe in Bangkok, (and if you want to make your own pandan waffles at home, I highly recommend this recipe).
We reflect on an episode that didn't go ahead in which we drank Mastiha and ate Emma Bowen's bougatsa. YUM.
We're dissecting Emily's amazing courtyard, filling everywhere with citrus. Emily's bought some Beth Chatto ornamental grasses.
Maddie has a sick citrus tree that's down to two - actually make that one - leaf, and her son suggested we glue it on to boost its chances. Maddie has decided the only way to garden with children is to walk around with seceautears in hand. She's attempting to make cuttings of anything - wallflower, saltbush, salvias, pineapple sage, hydrangeas, penstemon.
Emily just discovered Wallflowers! Emily's recommendation is the new iteration of Fat Pig Farm - it's near us in Glaziers Bay, open for coffee, pastries, snacks, lunch and farm tours on the weekend.
Maddie is recommending this Barebones lantern - it's USB rechargable, good for indoor or outdoor use, great for camping, outdoor dining, picnics, or the kids running round after dark!
Honey Atkinson // Intergenerational Living, Photography, Dividing Labour, Becoming more 'Me'
-- Save 15% off everything when shopping. Use the code AGPOD15 here. This episode is proudly sponsored by Veggie and Flower Garden Seeds. With more than 900 varieties of veggie seeds, and unique and …
Notas do episódio
-- Save 15% off everything when shopping. Use the code AGPOD15 here. This episode is proudly sponsored by Veggie and Flower Garden Seeds. With more than 900 varieties of veggie seeds, and unique and hard-to-find flower seeds, this is our go-to place to shop for garden goodies. Female founded, Bec sources freshest seed to help with your germination success. We love their amazing customer service, their helpful advice on getting the most out of your seed, and the range of stunning flowers and veggies they have available. --
Honey Atkinson first picked up a camera at age 15 and has worked as a full-time photographer for more than 20 years. We first came across Honey through her work photographing Compostable Kate's book, The Compost Coach, and have been big fans ever since.
Recently, her focus has been on working with quietly ambitious women in business. Honey regards her work as a practice in mindfulness, saying, "Searching for what is beautiful about life is a real gift."
Until she was six years old, Honey lived on a commercial fishing boat in Far North Queensland. These days, Honey lives, forages, makes sourdough and grows veggies on a 10-acre property on Djiringanj Country in New South Wales' Bega Valley with her partner, children, and mum.
We talk about Cathedral Thinking, Perfectionism, Reflecting on ourselves, colour pallettes, taking photos of your garden to look back on and see how far you've progressed, finding little snippets of time to garden. Honey talks about living on a boat for the first 6 years of her life, choosing to move south, integenerational living including things like domestic and economic division, the joys and chaos of having three generations under the one roof, and what gifts it brings to everyone. Her and her mum have a shared Pinterest board. There's SO much in this chat. Best to just listen :-)
Olives and Medlars and Quolls, oh my!
-- Save 15% off everything when shopping. Use the code AGPOD15 here. This episode is proudly sponsored by Veggie and Flower Garden Seeds. With more than 900 varieties of veggie seeds, and unique and …
Notas do episódio
-- Save 15% off everything when shopping. Use the code AGPOD15 here. This episode is proudly sponsored by Veggie and Flower Garden Seeds. With more than 900 varieties of veggie seeds, and unique and hard-to-find flower seeds, this is our go-to place to shop for garden goodies. Female founded, Bec sources freshest seed to help with your germination success. We love their amazing customer service, their helpful advice on getting the most out of your seed, and the range of stunning flowers and veggies they have available. --
Geez, having Poh on last week is a tough act to follow, but we're giving it a crack. Emily has knocked the top off a Brothers Maclean 2024 Mencía, and we love this apt description of it: "Heavier than a pinot, but not too ballsy."
Emily's talking about her long Tomato season, we discuss split tomatoes, cucumbers, Tiny Farm Tas' CSA Flower seedling box, and annoyingly somoene threw out Em's poppy seeds. Maddie's misidentifying things, has trouble noting down where things are sown.
Emily's discovered a Medlar tree on her property - she'll report back on her verdict of the fruit.
Maddie reckons No Mow May is great, and heard something funny (not for the dogs) on vet talk back radio.
Maddie will use Milkwood' olive brining method for her 89grams of olives.
Mountain peppers are being harvested, and we're excited to watch Clarkson's Farm Season 5 (old news now)
Poh Ling Yeow // The Inconvenience of Gardening, Bees, Peaches and Possums
-- Save 15% off everything when shopping. Use the code AGPOD15 here. This episode is proudly sponsored by Veggie and Flower Garden Seeds. With more than 900 varieties of veggie seeds, and unique and …
Notas do episódio
-- Save 15% off everything when shopping. Use the code AGPOD15 here. This episode is proudly sponsored by Veggie and Flower Garden Seeds. With more than 900 varieties of veggie seeds, and unique and hard-to-find flower seeds, this is our go-to place to shop for garden goodies. Female founded, Bec sources freshest seed to help with your germination success. We love their amazing customer service, their helpful advice on getting the most out of your seed, and the range of stunning flowers and veggies they have available. -- Poh Ling Yeow is an artist, author, cook, and TV host - one of the hosts of Masterchef Australia. She's also a relatively recent convert to gardening—but gee whiz, has she grabbed it with two hands!
She doesn't call herself a chef, but she burst onto our screens in 2009 in the very first season of MasterChef. Since then, she's been a regular on TV, including her own series, Poh and Co., which followed the creation of her amazing garden.
Poh explains that her "greed for life experience" has always made her creatively adventurous and willing to invite change. We think those are words to live by.
Poh lives, cooks, creates, gardens, and tends to her bees - alongside her beloved dog Tim on Gah-na land in Adelaide, South Australia.
Before that we're chatting Miso - Maddie's obsessed with these miso chocolate biscuits, and this way of cooking cabbage that you're going to love (panko, miso and add some chilli - oh my!).
Maddie is loving strawberries growing in pots, and reccomends this Bee Native florists hand balm
Poh talks about Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerrer, Maddie talks about Phosphorescene by Julia Baird
Poh also references The River Cafe cookbook, and Tickle Tank in Adelaide
Obnoxious Guinea Fowl and Rebranding Ravens
--This episode is proudly sponsored by Willie Smith's Non-alcoholic Cider. Made from Organic Apples grown not far from us, we're big fan of this delightful non-alcoholic cider. It's more refined that apple …
Notas do episódio
--This episode is proudly sponsored by Willie Smith's Non-alcoholic Cider. Made from Organic Apples grown not far from us, we're big fan of this delightful non-alcoholic cider. It's more refined that apple juice, there's no added sugar, and it's something fancier than your standard sparkling water. It has that craft cider taste, and it's a great option if you aren't drinking, want just one less alcoholic drink, or feel like something a little different. Enjoy 10% off their Non-Alcoholic ciders when using the code AG10 here --
We've knocked the top off a Willie Smith's Non Alc cider for this glorious episode. Not only do we enjoy their cider, but we love going to their Apple Shed too for some live music inside, let the kids run wild outside, a bowl of delicious potatoes or their yummy apple pie.
We're chatting tree dahlias (again), scary snapdragon seed pods, encouraging Ravens in the chicken yard, the no-egg season, chicken curtains, the ridiculousness of the guinea fowl. We're looking at Scarab Beetles in a new light, Emily is planting out Dwarf Gums but needs to consider power poles (as do you if you purchase a property down here!). Emily is singing the praises of Buy From The Bush
Anna Matilda / Urban Nanna - Carescapes, Permaculture, Foraging, Autism, Renting, Friction Maxxing
--This episode is proudly sponsored by Willie Smith's Non-alcoholic Cider. Made from Organic Apples grown not far from us, we're big fan of this delightful non-alcoholic cider. It's more refined that apple …
Notas do episódio
--This episode is proudly sponsored by Willie Smith's Non-alcoholic Cider. Made from Organic Apples grown not far from us, we're big fan of this delightful non-alcoholic cider. It's more refined that apple juice, there's no added sugar, and it's something fancier than your standard sparkling water. It has that craft cider taste, and it's a great option if you aren't drinking, want just one less alcoholic drink, or feel like something a little different. Enjoy 10% off their Non-Alcoholic ciders when using the code AG10 here -- Anna Matilda, aka The Urban Nanna specialises in teaching people about traditional skills, crafts and methods of living in a modern-day context.
Anna's purpose is about reviving traditional ways of cooking, preserving, and crafting, always focusing heavily on permaculture principles to guide a sustainable lifestyle that's full of gardening and zero-waste practices.
Anna is a former primary school teacher with a horticultural background who has created The Urban Nanna to showcase and teach knowledge, methods and skills to people much like grandmas have done for generations.
Anna lives, forages, preserves and works on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples in Victoria, Australia.
We're eating Tony Chocoloney.
Maddie and Emily discuss Friction Maxxing, Visible Mending,
With Anna we delve into Carescapes and specifically Spoons theory.
Anna's book is Everyday Permaculture
We discuss Ceres, Milkwood Permaculture, The Veggie Scientist, Autism and Neurodivergence, Catie from Reskilliance Podcast, Foraging and much more. Enjoy!
Speaking of Gladiolus
--This episode is proudly sponsored by Willie Smith's Non-alcoholic Cider. Made from Organic Apples grown not far from us, we're big fan of this delightful non-alcoholic cider. It's more refined that apple …
Notas do episódio
--This episode is proudly sponsored by Willie Smith's Non-alcoholic Cider. Made from Organic Apples grown not far from us, we're big fan of this delightful non-alcoholic cider. It's more refined that apple juice, there's no added sugar, and it's something fancier than your standard sparkling water. It has that craft cider taste, and it's a great option if you aren't drinking, want just one less alcoholic drink, or feel like something a little different. Enjoy 10% off their Non-Alcoholic ciders when using the code AG10 at https://www.williesmiths.com.au/product/willie-smiths-non-alc -- We're back! Welcome to a new season of Avant Gardeners.
This is an Emily & Maddie episode where we start off with saffron and end on a recommendation that will have your veggies lasting much much longer in the fridge. Maddie has grown a successful saffron crop, and now understands why it's so expensive, she's popped in a bunch of Gladiolus, there are kiwi fruits growing (we incorrectly said that kiwi don't ripen off the vine. This is untrue - they will ripen on your bench). Coriander are going off in the garden paths. Maddie is ambivilent about quinces. Emily is giving back to the local seed saving group, and has a great hack with pillow cases. She's recommending King of the Wilderness a story about the amazing Denny King, as a tree that was previously thought to be extinct has recently been discovered. King's Lomatia. Emily is recommending The Swag. A big thank you to Willie Smith's Non Alcoholic Cider for being this episode's sponsor.
Mitch Theissen // The Agrarian Kitchen, Compost, Soil Health, Japanese Salad Turnip
Mitch Theissen has the enviable role of Head Gardener at the award winning Agrarian Kitchen in New Norfolk, just outside of Hobart. Having grown up in the Huon Valley, born into a long line of apple farmers …
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Mitch Theissen has the enviable role of Head Gardener at the award winning Agrarian Kitchen in New Norfolk, just outside of Hobart.
Having grown up in the Huon Valley, born into a long line of apple farmers, Mitch started his career in the kitchen, first in Hobart, then Sydney, before spending time in Japan. It was here that his thoughts returned to agriculture and produce, and upon returning to Australia he sought out the next phase of his career, landing this dream gig a few years ago and being pivotal in what it looks like, and how it operates, today.
Mitch lives, works and gardens with his partner, and young family on the land of the wulawali people in New Norfolk, in lutruwita/Tasmania's Derwent Valley.
Before we get to that, Emily and Maddie are (as well as talking over the top of each other -- sorry about that --) talking about radishes. Yep, that's about it. We also talk about
- Compost
- Soil
- Salad spinners (lol, yes)
- And maybe you need to rush out to buy some Japanese Salad Turnip Seeds. IYIYK Mitch is recommending Eliot Coleman's New Organic Gardener.
Baklava Old Fashioned, Dehydrator Season and We Answer Your Questions!
We're drinking a Baklava Old Fashioned - Maddie had leftover baklava syrup (sugar, water, cinnamon, honey) and has turned it into an old fashioned with burbon, amaretto and a dash of bitters. Absolutely delish! …
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We're drinking a Baklava Old Fashioned - Maddie had leftover baklava syrup (sugar, water, cinnamon, honey) and has turned it into an old fashioned with burbon, amaretto and a dash of bitters. Absolutely delish! Emily has scored herself the perfect harvest basket, and her benchtop is housing a hard-working dehydrator as she works through the abundance of nashi pears.
Maddie delves into the good and the bad dahlia chat. We discuss tree peonies and mimosa hydrangeas before delving into some questions that you - our amazing listeners - have asked of us. The ones we get into in this episode are: -What are some things you wish you could grow, and what would you never grow -How did you two meet? -What are your favourite cocktails. This was fun, and there are more questions to answer in future eps. Feel like asking us a question? Drop us a DM at @avantgardeners.podcast
Rubie Gallagher // Gardening with a Disability, Starting a Micro Flower Farm, Dahlia Cuttings, Running Away From Home
This week's guest is the delightful, talented Rubie Gallagher. Rubie is an illustrator and micro flower farmer, who met Emily when she and her husband Max took a Calm Birth class ahead of their first child …
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This week's guest is the delightful, talented Rubie Gallagher. Rubie is an illustrator and micro flower farmer, who met Emily when she and her husband Max took a Calm Birth class ahead of their first child.
After an accident in 2019, Rubie she spent time in rehabilitation at the Royal Talbot Rehab Centre in Melbourne which our recent guest Steven Wells created. The two crossed paths there during Rubie's rehab.
Since her accident, Rubie and her husband, along with some very helpful friends, have worked together to create Rubie's Flower Farm, a micro farm growing flowers for florists, DIY buckets and edible flowers out of Mount Rumney just outside of Hobart. Rubie talks about memories from the rehab garden, what led her to create her farm, how gardening with a kid is bloody hard, and how she deals with the cold weather (hint: she draws). We talk about improving soil, taking cuttings, sneaking cuttings and not sweating the small stuff. Before we get to this great chat with Rubie, we're talking about geraniums, using kids to get away with things, roses in abundance, Elephant Garlic, Helen Goh's Pear & Caramel Self Saucing Pudding in the Good Weekend.
Rubie recommends the following books during her chat:
- Phosphoresence, by Julia Baird
- If Women Rose Rooted, by Sharon Blackie
"Grass is going to grass, and weeds are going to weed." - Rubie Gallagher
A Hospital Stay, Writing Lists & South Sydney's Jacaranda History
We are back, and we felt like drinking something tried and tested, so Emily's cracked a Sigurd, Chenin Blanc. Emily shares an unexpected stay in hospital, and she's got a lot of thoughts about the paediatric …
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We are back, and we felt like drinking something tried and tested, so Emily's cracked a Sigurd, Chenin Blanc. Emily shares an unexpected stay in hospital, and she's got a lot of thoughts about the paediatric ward 'sgarden (very topical as we've recently spoken to Nurse and Therapeutic Horticulturalist Steven Wells - listen to that episode here). Maddie interogates how Emily gets so many things done, so we go deep on lists. Emily's planting garlic and spending time in her outdoor bath. We're processing tomatoes. Maddie shares a story about South Sydney's jacaranda history, and a recent event at Longley Organic Farm that looked oh so wholesome. Emily has got on board Tiny Farm Tas's CSA, and is growing Romanesco. Maddie has raspberry success, a scale scenario, and a twitch sitch.
Maddie is recommending the benchtop bin from Bokashi One (use AG15 at checkout for 5% off).
Jac Semmler // Flower Power, Pivoting to Horticulture, Super Bloom, Writing Books, Poppy Hacks
We are the founding members of the Jac Semmler Fan Club. This is the second time we've been lucky enough to interview Jac, celebrating the launch of what will become an absolute gardening book staple, Flower …
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We are the founding members of the Jac Semmler Fan Club. This is the second time we've been lucky enough to interview Jac, celebrating the launch of what will become an absolute gardening book staple, Flower Power.
In this episode we answer a bunch of your questions, including -How and should I pivot to horticulture -How do I get my poppies to germinate -What are some surprising performers in the garden We talk about changing climate, bogan pronounciation of plant names, the amazing work Jac's doing at Super Bloom, and so much more.
Before we get to that: Maddie and Em are drinking a dirty cacao (cacao powder, maple syrup, cinnamon, sea salt, shot of coffee), we're talking agastache, liquorice plant, planting in pots (inspired by Connie Cao), Flannel Flower, Succulents, Mother in Law's Tongue. Thanks for being here.
Op Shops, Toilet Paper & Plums Galore
Emily & Maddie are back with so much chat this week. We go a little off topic, but that's pretty standard...right? We cover: Philodendron Shrub (not of the plant variety!) Spent flowers are self seeding Ferment …
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Emily & Maddie are back with so much chat this week. We go a little off topic, but that's pretty standard...right? We cover:
- Philodendron
- Shrub (not of the plant variety!)
- Spent flowers are self seeding
- Ferment for Good - Sharon Flynn
- Justin O'Brien's self-seeding success
- Compost bins
- Proteas not opening
- Olive grove maintenance
- Drowning in Plums
- Different types of clematis - who knew!
- Emily is on the hunt for the perfect garden basket from op shops near and far.
Next week we're so excited to be releasing our chat with the amazing Jac Semmler of Super Bloom!
Steven Wells // Therapeutic Gardening, Downsizing, Churchill Fellowship, Gardener Folk
Emily and Maddie were lucky enough to meet Steven in Victoria late last year, having followed his journey for a long time. Steven began his career as a nurse, before studying horticulture, with no intention of …
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Emily and Maddie were lucky enough to meet Steven in Victoria late last year, having followed his journey for a long time. Steven began his career as a nurse, before studying horticulture, with no intention of fusing the two. But he delved deeper into therapeutic gardens, gaining a Churchill Fellowship to help support research, and he started the Therapeutic Garden at the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre nearly 20 years ago, providing immeasurable benefit to patients, their families, friends and staff. Steven recently downsized from a much-celebrated garden in the Melbourne suburbs, Steven now has a lush veranda in the clouds, overlooking Melbourne's CBD. This downsizing has given him time and space to focus on other passions and projects in his life. Steven lives, works and gardens in Naarm / Melbourne, on the traditional lands of the Kulin Nation. Before we get to Steven's chat, Maddie and Emily are dreaming of fields of sunflowers - Emily is reminiscing about her time in Europe with sunflowers and cosmos all around. Maddie is reminiscing of her time on a farm stay in Portugal while staying in a yurt.
We ask Steven for his favourite Evergreen plants, which are:
- Agave Attenuata / Foxtail Agave
- Variegated aspidistra
- Bromeliads
And his tips for Textural Plants in a Sensory garden include Lambs Ear or Kalanchoe 'Oak Leaf'.
Maddie + Em // Alpacas and New Neural Pathways
It's a Maddie & Emily chat this week. Maddie is loving (despite calling the colour urine-esque) the White Gate Co White Blend and if you're in Tassie go book and wine shopping at Five Leaves Left. Emily was …
Notas do episódio
It's a Maddie & Emily chat this week.
Maddie is loving (despite calling the colour urine-esque) the White Gate Co White Blend and if you're in Tassie go book and wine shopping at Five Leaves Left.
Emily was creating new neural pathways and happened upon a great side-street garden stall. Win!
We're lamenting the end of cherry season, but enjoying choc-covered cherries from a local stall. We're rolling (metaphorically, not literally) in peastraw and alpaca poo. Lettuce is ON!
Emily has has success with a poppy (yes, just the one), and it's reminding her of her grandfather. Maddie's hollyhocks have popped and it's reminding her of her grandmother.
Emily is recommending Death and the Gardener, and Maddie is recommending Recipe Tin Eats' scone recipe but a shout out to Lady Flo's Pumpkin Scones too.
Jo Thompson (UK) // Chelsea Flower Show, 6pm wines, Favourite Roses, Trypophobia
Jo Thompson is one of the UK's most celebrated garden designers, known for creating deeply romantic, naturalistic gardens that feel timeless, layered and full of atmosphere. Her projects span the UK and abroad …
Notas do episódio
Jo Thompson is one of the UK's most celebrated garden designers, known for creating deeply romantic, naturalistic gardens that feel timeless, layered and full of atmosphere. Her projects span the UK and abroad - from wildflower meadows in the English countryside to rooftop terraces in New York and coastal gardens in Italy and Brazil.
She's a multiple award-winner at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with several Gold medals to her name, and her designs - ranging from private landscapes to meaningful public projects - are widely admired.
Beyond her design practice, she's a respected teacher, author and voice in the gardening world, sharing her knowledge through books, lectures and her much-loved newsletter, The Gardening Mind. Jo's work reminds us that gardens can be both art and refuge – spaces that connect us to beauty, memory and the natural world.
Before we get to Jo's chat, Maddie and Emily are talking about:
- Agapanthas (sorry!)
- Snakes
- Wildflower Meadows
- Emma Bowen of Rising Farm
- Sea salt and olive oil on vanilla icecream
Then we get into glorious Jo's chat and we cover a lot. Highlights include:
- Glasshouse Project
- Women in horitculture / at the Chelsea Flower Show
- Designing a garden
- Trypophobia
- Damsen Cocktail
Jo lists a bunch of her favourite roses:
Wild Rover Meg - climber The Lark Ascending Felicite-Perpetue Adélaide d'Orléans Ghislaine de feligonde Blush Noisette Bengal Crimsen Mutablis Gertrude JekyllMILsures Olivia Rose Austin Ispahan
A notebook full of failures - Maddie and Emily chat!
We're baaaaaack! And with a slightly new format. We're trying out one week where we release our chat (longer version), and the following week we'll release our guest interview. It means we can get episodes out …
Notas do episódio
We're baaaaaack! And with a slightly new format. We're trying out one week where we release our chat (longer version), and the following week we'll release our guest interview. It means we can get episodes out weekly. We'll trial it and see. We've missed the podcast so it's awesome to be back.
Emily has knocked it out of the park with a delicious mulberry bramble (gin, mulberry cordial from our friends' tree, blackberries, lime). Having taken more than two months off, we have so much to chat about.
Including, but not limited to:
Seed saving - calendula and platypus spinach,
Drying hydrangeas thanks to Anya The Garden Fairy
We're talking about Moths - they need a rebrand. The Almanac, Cool Climate Sowing Guide
Alnwick Garden and Millie Fleur's Poison Garden (by Christy Mandin). Aaaand lilacs, daphne, feverfew, calendula, compost bays. Catch up next week when we interview (omg!) Jo Thompson!
Jodi Wilson // A Brain That Breathes, Soft Fascination, The Power of Pottering in the Garden, Books for you to read
Jodi Wilson is a bestselling author of four books, a health journalist and postpartum doula. Several years ago, she and her family packed their lives into a caravan, and set off in search of adventure, and a …
Notas do episódio
Jodi Wilson is a bestselling author of four books, a health journalist and postpartum doula. Several years ago, she and her family packed their lives into a caravan, and set off in search of adventure, and a more simple life. After two years on the road they put down roots in Tasmania. It is here where she's embraced gardening, and written her most recent book, A Brain That Breathes, out today.
Jodi lives, writes and gardens with her partner and their four children on the land of the punnilerpanner people in north western Tasmania
Before we get to this thought-provoking chat, Emily and Madeleine are drinking Archie Rose Straight Dry gin with some home made purple elderflower cordial.
Emily is regretting purchasing a Ginko tree, and the agapanthus keep rearing their ugly head. She is loving her Cerastium tomentosum - snow in summer - and Maddie's cutting is also doing quite well.
Maddie is obsessed with Sage, and wants to propagate more. She's also tried her hand at sage sticks. She's got a picnic blanket in the post and is excited for more outdoor eating-and-drinking sessions. Calendula is back, and in some beautiful colours, and she is recommending Why Women Grow, by Alice Vincent.
Jodi has a HUGE list of books she recommends for summer, and or anytime. We've already read a couple of them and they are excellent. Can highly recommend her recommendations! -The Mushroom Tapes by Chloe Hooper, Helen Garner, and Sarah Krasnostein -Heart the Lover by Lily King -Sandwich and Wreck by Catherine Newman -The Octopus and I and A Catalogue of Love by Erin Hortle -The Hiding Place by Kate Mildenhall -The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers -Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley
We're also banging on and singing the praises of libraries, AGAIN!
Emma Horswill // Earthenry Flower Farm, Dahlias, Cover Crops, Pulse Watering, Ranunculus
~ This season of Avant Gardeners is proudly supported by Blundstone's new series WorkLife. Launching in November and perfect for gardening. Find your local stockist here. ~ Emma Horswill was a madkeen gardener …
Notas do episódio
~ This season of Avant Gardeners is proudly supported by Blundstone's new series WorkLife. Launching in November and perfect for gardening. Find your local stockist here. ~
Emma Horswill was a madkeen gardener with a fine arts degree and a 9-acre block. With plans for a veggie garden and orchard, Emma turned her hand to flower farming in 2019, and since then has gone from strength to strength.
This family run farm, called Earthenry, now grows well over 100 different varieties of seasonal and field-grown blooms, and has cultivated a dedicated community of volunteers and devotees who flock to the farm for events including garden and gossip, twilight flower picking, pick your own mornings, workshops, and seedling sales.
Emma also breeds her own dahlias, makes made-to-order bouquets and sells organically-grown seeds. Emma, her husband Greg and their two teenage children live, work and garden in the beautiful township of Snug, on the lands of the Nuenonne people in Tasmania.
Before we get to that, Maddie & Emily and drinking a Fin Wines' Dandelions and Bumblebees
Emily is talking about pea straw, her broody chickens and some tips she's learned from Nicky Husted, aka Purely Chickens. We both went to the Cygnet Garden Market and bought a literal boot load of plants including Mint! Hurray. Chocolate mint, peppermint and basil mint.
Emily is loving The Garden Curator's column in Graziher magazine about observing where the early and late light moves in the garden, and that's where to plant those frothy, tall grasses to catch the light. Maddie is loving the cows, Hetty McKinnon's dukkah from the Community cookbook, and having garden chats with Emily. This is our last episode of 2026. Thank you for being here. It means the world.
Rachel Ward // Regenerative Farming, Small Farms, Nature and Creativity, Farmthru
~ This season of Avant Gardeners is proudly supported by Blundstone's new series WorkLife. Launching in November and perfect for gardening. Find your local stockist here. ~ Rachel Ward's career began on screen …
Notas do episódio
~ This season of Avant Gardeners is proudly supported by Blundstone's new series WorkLife. Launching in November and perfect for gardening. Find your local stockist here. ~
Rachel Ward's career began on screen, with standout roles in classics like The Thorn Birds before she turned her skills to directing acclaimed works including Beautiful Kate. In her sixties, Rachel's energy and focus shifted to regenerative agriculture, swapping film sets for fence lines and embarking on an ambitious overhaul of the beef farm her and her husband Bryan Brown had owned for thirty-odd years. Her brilliant documentary Rachel's Farm captures this shift as Rachel moves into her soil-health evangelist era, charting her mission to restore land and the food system. Today, she continues that momentum through Farmthru, her paddock-to-plate project designed to disrupt how regenerative farm produce is made available to consumers.
Rachel lives, works and tends to her cattle on the land of the Gumbaynggirr people in the Nambucca Valley, New South Wales.
Before we get to Rachel's chat, Maddie and Emily are drinking Greek Frappe (metrio me gala) even though it's 9 degrees outside. Recipe from Philoxenia: A Seat At My Table by Kon Karapanagiotidis. Emily is dreaming of abundance in the garden.
Maddie is going to try to make her own tomato powder by Lauren at Oaklea Veggie Patch. They both visited good mate Pip Steele Wareham at The Garden at Moorfield and it was just like old times in that Pip was followed around by Maddie and Emily asking lots of annoying questions. We visited CERES Brunswick and want to start our own version in Cygnet.
We're growing strawberries in pots and trying to get lots more creeping thyme in the garden (thank you, Connie Cao) Maddie is thinning her fruit trees (thank you, Katie Finlay) Rachel recommends: We Are The Ark by Mary Reynolds, The Creative Act by Rick Reuben, The Call of the Reed Warbler by Charles Massy, Deep Listening to Nature by Andrew Skeock Healthy Land, Happily Families and Profitable Businesses by David W Pratt The Soil Will Save Us by Kristen Ohlson, Holistic Management by Allan Savory Check our Rachel's new online-ordering, kerb pick up regenerative farm produce available at Farmthru.
Mark Udovitch // Inner City Permaculture, bees, chickens, mushrooms, Permaculture in the Pub
~ This season of Avant Gardeners is proudly supported by Blundstone's new series WorkLife. Launching in November and perfect for gardening. Find your local stockist here. ~ Mark Udovitch and his partner Lisa …
Notas do episódio
~ This season of Avant Gardeners is proudly supported by Blundstone's new series WorkLife. Launching in November and perfect for gardening. Find your local stockist here. ~
Mark Udovitch and his partner Lisa wisely used Covid lockdowns to establish an urban microfarm just south of the Sydney CBD, in the leafy suburb of Bardwell Valley. This steep and productive block is flourishing with veggies, fruit trees and indigenous plants. Mark and Lisa also share the property with European honeybees, a chicken coop, and their two young children. Mark is also a prolific preserver, fermenter and sourdough maker, is a member of the Sydney Edible Garden Trail Team, hosts a regular Permaculture at the Pub event, and is a Radiation Therapist in his spare time. He's passionate about getting more dirt under the fingernails of more people, and shares what he knows online. Mark lives, works and tends to his garden on Gadigal country, in NSW
Maddie has - in a very roundabout way - made a Porto Tonico with Magnolia syrup. It's like gin and tonic, but port and tonic, (with or without magnolia syrup). Garnish it with an orange slice, cinnamon quill and rosemary.
We're debriefing all things Citrus. Emily is on a full agpanthus rant, and turns out Maddie thought the singular of Agapanthus was...Agapantha. Lol. She didn't realise this wasn't the case until after we'd finished recording.
Emily is on the green manure train, Maddie is hoping to grow Cucamelons.
One of Emily's sisters bought her the book Horti-Curious by Ann Treneman and she's LOVING it.
Maddie is obsessed with her Oak & Rose Razor Hoe.
We learned heaps from attending one of the Grow Great Fruit pruning webinar.
Things Mark mentions: Limestone Permaculture, Root Lab Mushrooms, Permaculture in the Pub
Thanks for being here!
Merlin Sheldrake // Fungi, Mushrooms, Fermenting, Entangled Life
~ This season of Avant Gardeners is proudly supported by Blundstone's new series WorkLife. Launching in November and perfect for gardening. Find your local stockist here. ~ Merlin Sheldrake is a mycologist …
Notas do episódio
~ This season of Avant Gardeners is proudly supported by Blundstone's new series WorkLife. Launching in November and perfect for gardening. Find your local stockist here. ~
Merlin Sheldrake is a mycologist, biologist, writer, and speaker with a background in plant sciences, microbiology, ecology, and the history and philosophy of science. He received a Ph.D. in tropical ecology from Cambridge University for his work on underground fungal networks in tropical forests in Panama.
His book, Entangled Life, dives deep into the magical, mysterious and stranger-than-fiction world of fungi, explaining how they can show us lessons in resilience, cooperation and transformation. Entangled Life has sold more than a million copies worldwide, and what followed is a documentary called Fungi: Web of Life, narrated by Bjork.
If you're lucky enough, you can catch Merlin across Australia and New Zealand as part of The Secret Life of Fungi. Tickets for this evening of storytelling and science are on sale now.
Before we get to Merlin's chat, we're drinking our mate's Sticky Chai with a dash of Frangelico. Yum yum!
Emily is giving her indoor plants some annual love. She's ticked off three trees on her random list (snowball viburnum, smoke bush and tai haku cherry!). Emily is continually searching for tube stock, and is loving Phil Dudman's tips on controlling stink bugs with a vaccuum cleaner. Her daughter Phoebe is the reigning queen of carrots. Emily is recommending Urban Nanna (aka Anna Matilda's) book Everyday Permaculture, illustrated by Brenna Quinlan.
Maddie is up in arms about nurseries selling non-native Pig Face (hear why this is such a disasterous thing in this episode with Mindy Woods), she's creating a spanikopita garden, and has some bull chat - having just agisted a new animal in Quarter Pounder - a big, beefy Belted Galloway who has been tasked with one job. And she's gushing about Entangled Life (hardcopy or narrated audio version. Both are spectacular.)
Thanks for being here!
Tim Pilgrim // Naturalistic Design, The Winter Decay, Apartment plantings,
~ This season of Avant Gardeners is proudly supported by Blundstone's new series WorkLife. Launching in November and perfect for gardening. Find your local stockist here. ~ Tim Pilgrim has become synonymous …
Notas do episódio
~ This season of Avant Gardeners is proudly supported by Blundstone's new series WorkLife. Launching in November and perfect for gardening. Find your local stockist here. ~
Tim Pilgrim has become synonymous with his own naturalistic style of garden design, one that's plant-driven and subscribes to the maximalist aesthetic.
With gardening in his blood, and after working at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, he returned home to work on one of the Digger's Club's most famous gardens, St Erth.
Tim and his wife Hadley started TP Gardens back in 2013, and since then he's worked on some of the most jaw-dropping gardens in the country including Du Fermier in Trentham, Paul Bangay's Stonefields and at Bress, a biodynamic winery in the Central Victorian goldfields.
Tim's debut book Wild By Design has recently been released, shooting straight to the best sellers list. And deservedly so.
Tim draws his inspiration from the beauty of wild landscapes and other creative gardening minds.
Tim lives, gardens and designs on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, sharing his home with his wife, and three young sons.
Before we get to Tim's chat, we're drinking Walnut Liqueur made from green walnuts macerated with alcohol - a Slovenian specialty. Emily is going great guns with her seeds - rudbeckia, violas, edamame. Her orchard understory is blooming with cornflowers, walking onions, rosemary, thyme, wormwood, queen anne's lace, cosmos, calendula, and strawberries! The sorrel is still a pest. Emily's loving Banskia (it's giving May Gibbs vibes). Maddie recommends growing Correa Alba from cuttings. Maddie + Emily did a beautiful bushwalk - the Freycinet Circuit, and picked up reading tips from our very great mate Franzi. Emily's recommending Platypus Spinach from Dimity May at Tiny Farm Tas. Maddie wants baby lamb energy, vs tired mutton energy. Maddie's trying to grow shelling peas, and has made a huge (although not catastrophic) mistake with her flannel flowers. And we're trying to manifest Juvenile Grandma phase. Thanks!
Mindy Woods // Native Ingredients, Karkalla at Home, First Nations Calendar, Foraging, Whisky Sour
~ This season of Avant Gardeners is proudly supported by Blundstone's new series WorkLife. Launching in November and perfect for gardening. Find your local stockist here. ~ Mindy Woods is a chef, restaurateur …
Notas do episódio
~ This season of Avant Gardeners is proudly supported by Blundstone's new series WorkLife. Launching in November and perfect for gardening. Find your local stockist here. ~ Mindy Woods is a chef, restaurateur and author, and the first female Indigenous chef to become hatted by the Australian Good Food Guide. A proud Bundjalung woman, Mindy was pursuing physiotherapy when she barged onto our screens in on Masterchef in 2012.
Since then she's created an impactful career around food and education with Native ingredients being at the centre of everything she does. Mindy was named a Champion of Change at the 2025 World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards, and she's recently reimagined her award-winning restaurant, offering a full experience on country in the Byron hinterland. At Karkalla on Country, guests can take cooking classes or immersive dining experiences. In 2025, Mindy released her first book, Karkalla at Home. Mindy forages, gardens and cooks on the lands of the Bundjalung people in northern New South Wales.
Before we get into this beautiful chat, Maddie and Emily are enjoying a Native Pepper Whisky Sour (Native Pepper syrup made with leaves + water + sugar).
Emily is obsessing about Euphorbia, lamenting her plant tag organisation system, and is curious about how Dahlias just multiply. Maddie bought her very first rose (an earth angel floribunda), and is obsessed with the old world shape. We're also talking processing tomatoes, Emily's tomato relish, the best honey ever. And then it's into our chat with Mindy. This is a cracker. Hope you love it!
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