Your Garden Coach NZ

Season 4, Episode 3 – Late Spring: It's Tomato Time! November is here and the garden is gathering pace! This month we're talking tomatoes - from their fascinating history to getting our heat-loving plants established in the garden. We'll also be enjoying lemon balm tea, looking for fresh ingredients for our Spring salads, observing nature's seasonal calendar, and meeting another Kiwi gardener. And we're delighted to welcome Kings Seeds as an official sponsor of Your Garden Coach NZ. A big thank you to Charlotte and the team for their support. November Moon Gardening Calendar 1–4 November | Barren Phase Prepare soil for root crops. Tidy beds and get organised for the month ahead. 5–6 November | Root Crops Sow carrots, beetroot, parsnips, and other root vegetables. A good time to prune and add disease-free prunings to your compost. Remember to aim for a balance of approximately 50% greens and 50% browns in your compost. 7–10 November | Soil Preparation Prepare beds for the coming sowing and transplanting period. Keep checking plants for pests. Explore companion planting to help discourage pests and attract beneficial insects. 11–21 November | Sowing & Planting Our main above-ground sowing and transplanting period. Heat-loving vegetables can begin moving into the garden where soil temperatures and frost conditions allow. Tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, zucchini, and pumpkins are on the agenda. 22–25 November | Soil Preparation A great opportunity to weed and prepare the next growing spaces. 26–27 November | Root Crops Another opportunity to sow root vegetables. 28 November – 4 December | Barren Phase Tidy up, maintain your garden, and get organised for December. The moon calendar helps us organise our gardening workload. Always consider your own growing conditions, soil temperature and weather. In This Episode Tea of the Month – Lemon Balm A lovely herbal tea and a little history of lemon balm. What Am I Foraging? What can we find growing around us to add something fresh and interesting to our Spring salads? Phenology – Nature's Calendar Taking time to notice what's happening in nature and how those observations help us understand our own growing seasons. Main Topic – Tomatoes It's tomato time! We're talking about growing this much-loved Summer vegetable, along with a little tomato history. And sadly, I couldn't find a family connection to Henry Harrington - the influential Southland Tomato grower, and avid seed saver! Meet a Kiwi Gardener – Nic Mullen Introducing our new regular segment, Meet a Kiwi Gardener . This month we're meeting Nic Mullen from @nicsurbangarden . Dishes with Del – Peas Del joins us to talk about making the most of fresh Spring peas. Kings Seeds We're delighted to have Kings Seeds officially joining us as a podcast sponsor. Thank you to Charlotte and the team for supporting New Zealand gardeners and Your Garden Coach NZ. Happy Gardening! Late Spring is a busy time, but remember that you don't need to do everything at once. Keep observing your garden, sow little and often, and enjoy watching the season unfold. Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

This month we head to Essex, England, where I'm joined by Gemma Sturges, Kitchen Garden Supervisor at the magnificent Audley End House and Gardens. Gemma has spent 15 years working in this extraordinary walled kitchen garden, where Victorian gardening traditions are very much alive. Set within historic brick walls, the garden covers almost three acres and is home to an impressive collection of heritage fruit and vegetables, including more than 120 varieties of apples, 70 varieties of pears, and beautifully trained fruit trees. We chat about what it takes to maintain a Victorian kitchen garden today, how traditional gardening methods have been adapted to suit modern organic practices, and what we can learn from the gardeners who worked these productive gardens more than a century ago. From four-year crop rotations and soil management to historic glasshouses, heritage varieties and the practicalities of growing food on this scale, Gemma shares her experience of caring for a garden that is both a piece of living history and a working kitchen garden. There are plenty of ideas here for those of us gardening on a much smaller scale, too. Join us for a fascinating look behind the walls of one of England's remarkable historic kitchen gardens. Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 4 Episode 2. You’ve waited patiently — now it’s time to get going! But before you start sowing and planting, take a little time to understand your own microclimate. Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 4 Episode 1 Know your Microclimate - resist rushing in, tempting as it may be. Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Maura is heading home! SO, I NEED A LITTLE HELP TO KEEP THE PODCAST GOING Recently, we asked you whether you’d like Your Garden Coach NZ to continue. The answer was a very definite YES — and I can’t tell you how much that meant. But I also need to be open with you. Producing the podcast takes a considerable amount of time, research, and work, and I simply can’t keep doing it without more support from our listeners. My lovely WWOOFer, Maura, is heading home in a month - My search for her replacement means I will have to pay for the expertise she has brought to the podcast I want to keep bringing you practical, independent New Zealand gardening advice - advice that understands our seasons, our climate and the way we garden here. So, if the podcast has helped you grow better vegetables, understand your soil, garden with the seasons, try something new - or simply kept you company while you’ve been out in the garden - would you consider helping us keep it going? Even a small regular contribution from more of our listeners would make an enormous difference. There’s absolutely no pressure if supporting us financially isn’t possible. Listening, sharing the podcast, and telling another gardener about us all helps too. But if you can support us, now is the time we really need you. Link below https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256022/support Thank you for listening — and for helping us work out what the next chapter of Your Garden Coach NZ might look like. Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3 Episode 26 Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3 Episode 25 00:00- Intro 07:20- Tea of the Month 09:09 Winter Tasks 11:20 Books for winter reading 14:24- Plant a tree 16:55- Moon Calendar 21:33- Chickweed 23:32- Gardening in Zone 1 in Early Winter 33:02- Hugelkulture & raised beds 33:42- Biochar Workshop 34:38- Hellebores (winter roses) 37:53- Winter flower sowing 45:24- Dishes with Del Jerusalem Artichokes 56:44- Final garden note Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3 Episode 24 Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:30 Tea of the Month: Winter Orange Spiced Tea 03:31 Gardening in Late Autumn 11:23 Veg of the month: Pumpkins 18:32 Alpine Harvest Festival reminder 20:21 Dishes with Del- Pumpkin Recipes 27:54 Foraging in May 30:04 Outro Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Today’s episode is a little bit special. Maura and I jumped in the car and headed over to Kurow, into the Waitaki Valley, to visit Awakino Station - a third-generation family farm run by Jaz Mathisen and her family. And I have to say… this really is a homestead in the truest sense of the word. From the kitchen garden and orchard, right through to the meat raised on the farm, everything comes together to feed not just the family, but the wider farm team - with everyone gathering around the table each day. We spent time walking through the most beautiful kitchen garden, surrounded by these incredible shoulder-high stone walls, and just soaking in what felt like a very grounded, very real way of living. Jaz speaks so thoughtfully about generational farming - the history, the stability, and what it means to carry that forward - and she also shares some lovely stories about the women who’ve helped shape this place over time. And something else really special - Jaz has written a beautiful book, A Year at Awakino Station , which follows the rhythm of the four seasons and includes recipes from the farm kitchen. It’s now available in bookstores, and it’s one we’d really encourage you to get your hands on. It was one of those days that will stay in our memories Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3 Episode 23 00:00 Intro 04:29 Tea of the month: Apple, Beetroot, Rosehip & Ginger 05:54: Moon Calendar April 2026 11:13 Mid Autumn Phenology 20:22 Mid Autumn Job List 22:45 Feijoa 29:24 Dishes with Del- Feijoa Recipes 38:08 Growing Microgreens 43:38 Book of the Month- The Abundant Kitchen by Niva & Yotam Kay 44:43 Outro Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Enjoy this bonus episode with Dr Compost chatting all about Biochar Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3, Episode 22 00:00 Intro 02:17 Tea of the Month: Blackcurrant leaf and Redcurrant fruit Tea 04:17 March Moon Calendar 07:24 Early Autumn Phenology 09:13 Main Topic: The 4 Bed Crop Rotation in Autumn 17:02 How Gardening Regulates the Nervous System 21:44 Vegetable of the Month: Tomatoes 29:52 Dishes with Del Recipe: Tomatoes 42:26 Tip of the Month: When to Sow Grass Seed 44:46 Interview with Anita from Growing Kiwi Gardeners 1:05:34 Outro Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3 Episode 21 00:00 Intro 00:20 Podcast Update 01:57 Tea of the Week Raspberry, Peppermint, and Lemon 03:27 Moon Phase - Sowing and Planting until 4th March 08:07 Tasks of the Week 12:27 Phenology 15:25 Tip of the Week - Perennial Vegetables 19:41 Herb of the Week - Feverfew 25:58 Main Topic - Why we leave roots in the soil 36:50 Dishes With Del - Zucchini/Courgette recipe 46:00 Book of the Week - The Secrets of Great Botanists by Matthew Biggs 46:41 Glossary - Cultivar - Cultivated Variety 47:27 Outro Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3 Episode 20 00:00 Intro 02:24 Tea of the week: Peppermint and Ginger 03:59 Moon Phase: 14th and 15th root crops, then cutivate until 19th 06:04 Tasks of the Week 09:02 Tip of the Week 09:59 Veg of the Week: Kale 15:16 Dishes with Del: Kale recipes 19:40 Main Topic: Planting a Tea Garden 30:21 Book of the Week: Wild Tea by Nick Moyle and Richard Hood 30:35 Glossary Word: Infusion 30:50 Outro Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3 Episode 19 00:00- Intro 01:08 - Tea of the Week Lemon Bee Balm 03:58 - Moon Phase Root Crops 7th & 8th then Barron Phase to 13th Feb 05:00 - Task for the Week 06:46 - Phenology 07:49 - Tip of the Week - Lettuce 09:44 - Veg of the Week Sweet corn 19:00 - Dishes With Del - Sweet Corn recipes 24:36 - Main Topic - Preparing Your Winter Tunnel House 43:49 - Garden Journalling Workshop 44:58 - Outro Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3 Episode 19 00:00- Intro 00:36- Tea of the Week: Sage 02:51- Moon Phase: Sowing and Planting until 2nd February then cultivate 03:45- Planting guide for February 10:07- Dr Compost teaser 11:18- The Summer Harvest: picking, pruning and preventing waste 18:58- Veg of the week: Cucumber 21:52- Dishes with Del: Cucumber recipes 28:53- Book of the week: The Abundant Gardener by Niva & Yotam Kay 30:32- Outro Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3, Episode 17 00:00 – Intro 01:10 – Herbal Tea of the Week: Apple & Lemon Balm 02:54 – Moon Phase: Sowing and Planting 03:15 – Garden Tasks 03:58 – Powdery Mildew 09:29 – Phenology 10:23 – Microclimate 10:50 – Main Topic: Leafy Greens 20:39 – Vegetable of the Week: Beetroot 22:20 – Dishes with Del: Beetroot Recipe 25:48 – Book of the Week: Your Own Garden Diary 27:20 – Glossary Word: Veriditas 28:54 – Outro Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3 Episode 16 00:00 – Intro 01:23 – Herbal Tea of the Week: German Chamomile & Lavender 03:34 – Introducing Maura 10:11 – Moon Phase: Cultivate until 20 January, then Sowing and Planting 10:36 – Garden Tasks 13:15 – Phenology 13:56 – Microclimate 15:01 – Guest: Vera Yakzhik from Alpine Blooms Flower Farm 16:26 – Tip of the Week: Soft Pruning 17:26 – Vegetable of the Week: Scallopini 19:04 – Dishes with Del: Scallopini Recipes 25:29 – Main Topic: Garlic 32:11 – Book of the Week: Horticurious 32:44 – Glossary Word: Permaculture 33:14 – Outro Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3 Episode 15 00:00 – Intro 01:24 – Herbal Tea of the Week: Mullien 03:41 – Interview with Vera Yakzhik from Alpine Blooms Flower Farm 20:48 – Moon Phase: Barren until the 14th, then 15th–16th for Root Crops 21:28 – Garden Tasks 22:38 – Phenology 23:14 – Microclimate 24:22 – Tip of the Week: Stress + Fertiliser = Problems 25:53 – Main Topic: Strawberries 34:22 – Vegetable of the Week: Eggplant (Aubergine) 35:57 – Dishes with Del: Eggplant Recipes 40:29 – Book of the Week: Future Steading by Jade Miles 41:02 – Glossary Word: Future Steading 41:25 – Outro Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz

Season 3 Episode 14 00:00 – Intro 01:00 – Herbal Tea of the Week: Lemon Verbena iced tea 03:20 – Moon Phase: Sowing and Planting, Cultivate & Root Crops 04:48 – Garden Tasks 07:04 – Phenology 08:30 – Microclimate 11:05 – Tip of the Week: Dry Soil Test 12:29 – Vegetable of the Week: Beans 18:47 – Dishes with Del: Beans 23:13 – Main Topic: Heat-Proofing Your Summer Garden 26:06 – Guest Interview: Jo Wakelin on her Dry Garden 35:58 – Glossary Word: Xeriscaping 36:25 – Book of the Week: Soil by Matthew Evans 38:51 – Outro Support the show You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz