Avant Gardeners

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.

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.

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.

-- 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.

-- 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!

-- 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!

-- 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 :-)

-- 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)

-- 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

--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

--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!

--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 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.

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

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

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).

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.

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!

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'.

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.