I’ve been working through a few updates to our Growing Together Program and have added some new activities to each season. The more programs we deliver, the more fun activities I keep finding, so I decided to share a few with you in this short and sweet episode. In my article “How to Keep Gardening through Bad Weather” you’ll gather ideas for table…

Cultivating joy in a garden is one of our goals in therapeutic horticulture. And to make sure that we achieve our goals for all of the participants involved in our programs, or for yourself in the garden, there's a few things that we really need to have in place to make sure that we achieve positive outcomes for everyone involved. In this episode I…

Imagine stepping into the garden and being surrounded by delightful fresh herbs. You’re gathering a few sprigs to make a brew of peppermint, lemon balm or tulsi tea. Packed with flavour, a delicious aroma and loads of vitality. Sounds nice…and it’s definitely achievable in any garden space in your home or a communal garden setting. Today, we're dig…

Most aged care homes have space available to create gardens to grow fresh food. These spaces require some resourceful planning and willing participants to establish garden areas for residents, staff and visitors to access and enjoy. By having access to seasonally grown food, meals can be improved nutritionally and also taste delicious. In this epis…

Do you like getting things for free? I don't know anyone who doesn't love to get something for free or for a great bargain! And for gardeners when we get free plants we love them, we grow them , we nurture them and then we love sharing them with others. I've got a few great ideas for you to get free plants for your garden or for your gardening part…

Hello fellow gardener. Thanks for joining me again in The Wellbeing Garden! If you've listened to my other podcast episodes or read articles at Soil to Supper you’ll know that there's many amazing benefits to health and wellness from the garden, spending time in nature and completing garden and nature based activities. Through our programs I love t…

Welcome to The Wellbeing Garden Podcast. I hope you're enjoying the episodes published each week! In today’s short and sweet episode I want to inspire you to grow and use medicinal plants in your own garden or with your gardening participants to help promote health and wellness from the garden. You’ll learn my five favourite medicinal plants, how I…

Thanks for coming back to The Wellbeing Garden! In today’s episode I share a few experiences I’ve had and some tips for encouraging many people to the garden. When we provide gardening sessions and programs for our participants we naturally think everyone’s excited to join in and ready for fun in the garden. But that’s not always the case! From thi…

Welcome to The Wellbeing Garden. Thanks for joining me today! As we provide fun activities for our participants it’s important for everyone to get something out of each session they attend and learn new skills that can be enjoyed in any garden space. I’ve been providing gardening programs for 10 years and putting together fun, interesting and inter…

Welcome to The Wellbeing Garden! Today we have my good friend Greg Poultney joining us and sharing a few important tips for self care as we care for others. A few things we discuss… · What is compassion fatigue and work overload. · What are the warning signs that we’re heading towards this. · How to care for ourselves, our clients and run a small b…

Thanks for joining me again in The Wellbeing Garden. Today’s short and sweet episode has a few tips for growing healthy food in pots and containers. I’ve grown food in bathtubs, wheelbarrow, buckets and always recycled or upcycled items that I think would look good or suit growing edible crops. Here’s my tips for healthy potted plants; Keep the soi…

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow” A beautiful quote from Audrey Hepburn. I’ve read this quote many times and I completely understand her passion and belief in gardening. In episode 31 I shared a few ways that gardens can cultivate wellbeing. Listen HERE But gardens wouldn’t be the beautiful, peaceful places they are without plants! So i…

Welcome again to The Wellbeing Garden! When the weather changes do you have an alternative activity to do with your gardeners or for yourself? In this episode I share ideas for Plan B activities and how to continue to enjoy gardening through all weather conditions. Here’s what I do… Check the weather the week prior to the gardening day and again th…

When you walk into a garden or a natural space how do you feel? Can you feel the calmness within you, or feel your body relax? What can you see, smell, taste, touch, or hear? There are many ways that a garden can help to cultivate calmness and relaxation and in this episode I want to share some insights that will inspire you to head to a garden to …

Welcome to the first of our “short and sweet“ episodes where I share my views on a topic that’s relevant to gardening, growing food or to help you in the garden. In this episode I share some tips for safely using potting mix and other garden products, which is important to apply when supporting others in the garden. Tips for safely using garden pro…

Over the years I’ve gathered a lot of feedback from participants and organisations about the activities we offer and the great health benefits that people experience. In this episode I share 8 fun garden-based activities that are enjoyed by gardeners through the Soil to Supper Therapeutic Horticulture programs and I’m sure you or your participants …

Episode 028 – How to work in the Therapeutic Horticulture industry. Therapeutic Horticulture is the process of using plants and garden-based activities to improve the health and wellbeing of people of all ages and abilities. It’s a holistic approach to wellness as garden-based activities help to connect with the mind, body and soul. It’s also known…

Do you dream of enjoying a day in the garden, harvesting food, picking flowers and having fun in the sun? BUT…a lack of motivation stops you from stepping out the door and heading to the garden? Many of us feel this way at times, and I have felt this way too, on many occasions. So, how do we motivate ourselves to get started with gardening tasks? I…

Welcome back to The Wellbeing Garden! After a few years away, I'm back in The Wellbeing Garden and have some fabulous ideas to inspire you to grow health in your garden. Most of my work now is in the field of Therapeutic Horticulture, and through Soil to Supper I deliver Therapeutic Gardening Programs to many people onsite in my community and onlin…

Gardening as therapy has been used for centuries to cultivate health and wellbeing for people of all ages and abilities. For many people, especially those living within dementia support units, access to outdoor spaces can be limited. Such an environment, where they have limited access to the outdoors, unable to enjoy gardening activities and a gene…

There’s a few things that give us gardeners grief and one of those are the weeds that run rampant through our garden areas! Weed control is an important part of nurturing a garden, as weeds that get out of hand can create long term problems in our own gardens and also in natural bush areas. We don’t want these unwanted plants (that’s all weeds are)…

It’s wonderful to grow veggies in your garden, but have you considered growing your own fresh fruit? Sweet, delicious fruits can be grown in any climate and any sized garden and it’s a joy to head outdoors and pick fresh berries, citrus, stone fruit or the vast array of fruits that are grown. This is a great way to introduce children to gardening a…

As gardeners, we find many common challenges within our gardens. Some are easy to fix and others need extra attention to overcome problems. In this ‘Simple Solutions’ Series, I provide quick and easy to follow solutions to the many common gardening problems and also share tips for avoiding hurdles to successful growing! In this episode I share a fe…

This episode is Part 4 in the Soil to Supper series and also part of the ‘Field Guide’ from the Soil to Supper Community If you haven’t already listened to the previous 3 episodes, you can access them here… Part 1 – Planning Your Dream Garden Part 2 - Creating Your Garden Spaces Part 3 - Growing Your Favourite Plants As your garden grows, you want …

This episode is part of the ‘Field Guide’ from the Soil to Supper Community and Part 3 in this podcast series. Listen to Part 1 – Planning Your Dream Garden – HERE and Part 2 - Creating Your Garden Spaces HERE. When your garden is ready you can then start growing your favourite plants! There’s a few easy and inexpensive ways to grow new plants in y…

This episode is Part 2 in this podcast series and part of the ‘Field Guide’, soon to be published in the Soil to Supper Community. Listen to Part 1 – Planning Your Dream Garden HERE. Once your new garden is planned you can start creating garden spaces to grow in. There are many ways to grow a sustainable garden. You can used raised garden beds, gar…

Starting with a clear plan for your new garden will save time and money in the long term. Building a garden is really exciting and once we’ve made a decision to start growing, most of us are ready with all the tools and equipment we think we need. But many people start adding soil and plants to gardens without actually planning where the garden sho…

Growing fresh herbs is a fantastic way to enjoy gardening, with the added bonus of health benefits and many uses. Herbs have been grown and used throughout history for centuries, and include culinary, healing, spiritual and decorative uses. In this episode I share a few simple ways to grow and enjoy fresh herbs from your garden, including; How to i…

Each month in the Soil to Supper Community I provide a Monthly Masterclass based on one of our weekly growing topics. A few months ago I covered this topic and thought it would be a great podcast episode, as many gardeners find pests in the garden! We’ll cover… Identifying garden pests What causes pest problems Integrated pest management Building a…

In the Back to Basics Series I’ll share the common basics for gardening, many of the gardening words and methods, equipment that’s used and ways to get started. This information is part of the ‘5 Steps to become a Savvy Gardener’ Online Course. In this episode I’m sharing some common growing methods that you’ll use in the garden. These are the fun,…

The benefits of gardening activities and a connection with nature have been documented since ancient times. Anyone who has enjoyed getting their hands in the dirt, body in the sunshine or even smelt a flower understands the complete joy in being outdoors. In this episode I’m joined by Anna Baker Cresswell, who is the Development Director of HighGro…

In this Back to Basics Series I’ll share the common basics for gardening, many of the gardening words and methods, equipment that’s used and ways to get started. This information is part of the ‘5 Steps to become a Savvy Gardener’ Online Course. In this episode, Part 1, I’ll share many common gardening words that you’ll come across in gardening inf…

Are you wanting simple solutions for common garden problems? Grow your garden successfully by following the easy methods I share in this episode. Earlier this year I spoke at an event and shared a checklist with tips for basic gardening methods and solutions to reduce many gardening problems. In this episode, I go step-by-step through the 25 Point …

Lack of time may be the number one thing that stops people from enjoying gardening, and it’s something I get asked about regularly. In episode 009 I share a few simple ways to grow food in small spaces, and mentioned that a lot time and space were two things most people thought was needed to grow a thriving garden…and maybe money too! But you don’t…

Gardeners and food producers know the fabulous satisfaction in harvesting and sharing fresh food from their gardens and farms. But at times we find an over-abundance of produce and want to share it with others. This is where Spare Harvest helps!! In this episode I’m joined by Helen Andrew, who established Spare Harvest after continuous years of exc…

Many people living in urban areas want to create edible gardens and grow healthy food, but think you need a LOT of space to grow. If this is you then you’ll love this episode! I want to share these easy methods with you as I enjoy growing this way, and although I live on a semi-rural property and have about 1 acre of space to grow, I don’t have the…

I’m always inspired by the work of many people in the gardening and wellbeing industries, and Steven Wells is someone who inspired me towards garden therapy. In this episode I’m joined by the wonderful Steven Wells, whose work has helped improved the health and wellbeing of many people through his rehabilitation gardening programs. Steven is a qual…

Most gardeners struggle with pests, weeds and other problems in the garden. In this episode I’ll share a few simple things to do to ensure your plants grow and your garden thrives. I’ll cover – Growing plants suitable for your climate Grow a mix of perennials and annuals Feed your fruit trees 4 times per year - http://soiltosupper.com/growing-gorge…

One of the things I love about growing food is eating it! But it’s always wonderful to chat with someone who knows so much about the health benefits of eating ‘real food’. In this episode I’m joined by the gorgeous Jane Hutton, The Functional Foodie. Jane is a holistic functional nutritionist, food and health writer, educator, and chef with a drivi…

Most of us struggle with the soil in our gardens. We find it too wet, too dry, unhealthy, lacking life AND our plants aren’t growing! In this episode I’ll share simple tips for understanding soil types, how to improve it and what to add to build a healthy layer of soil to grow a healthy garden. The good news is ALL soil types can be improved, even …

Through my studies in Horticulture and Permaculture Design I’ve gained skills to create amazing gardens, and through the years I’ve developed simple methods to save time and money! In this episode I share my simple methods for creating a new garden or for revamping existing gardens. Here’s the simple steps I’ve covered… When creating gardens the BE…

In this episode I’m chatting with the fabulous Toni Salter, also known as The Veggie Lady. Toni has a passion to see organic principles adopted by everyone, encouraging people to grow organic produce anywhere, whether it’s in their backyard, hospital rehabilitation centre, day programs for people with disabilities or even mental health and aged car…

Caring for our wellbeing allows us to live a healthy, happy and sustainable lifestyle. Connecting with nature nurtures our mind, body and soul. In this episode I’ll share simple ways to enjoy gardening to improve health and wellbeing, for yourself and others. We’ll look at the health benefits from connecting with nature and the fun things you can d…

Welcome to The Wellbeing Garden with host AND expert gardener, Cath Manuel. In this episode I'll share my journey from working in the Horticulture industry as a consultant and educator to training as a Horticultural Therapist and how I help people improve their wellbeing through gardening and growing food. I'll also share future episodes and how yo…