The Wellbeing Garden with Cath Manuel

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 resilient garden

Extra tips for pest free gardens include;

• Hand remove bugs if possible or blast small bugs away with the hose
• Use traps for fruit fly, slugs or snails
• Bag fruit after pollination and fruit set
• Examine pest problems to identify if it’s minimal damage or long term problems that need to be reduced
• Improve the health or soil, plants and your garden
• Create a healthy eco-system for nature to take care of everything for you!

Here’s some extra information that I refer to through the episode...

• Episode 05 – Let’s talk dirt! Have a listen to this episode for ideas on healthy soil - soiltosupper.com/episode-005-lets-talk-dirt-podcast/
• Home-made remedies for pests - soiltosupper.com/a-thriving-garden/
• Fertiliser - feed your soil and grow more food. Read more here... soiltosupper.com/5-easy-ways-to-feed-your-garden-and-grow-more-food/

Also download my FREE eBook ‘Get Your Garden Growing’

And join the ‘Soil to Supper Facebook Club’ I’d love to connect with you in our Club!

Would you like to feel more confident with growing your garden and fresh food??

Join our Soil to Supper Membership Community, where you’ll access growing guides, masterclasses, a ‘Field Guide’ and loads of resources to enjoy success! soiltosupper.com/community/

I hope this episode gives you a good start to enjoying a pest-free, thriving garden.

Thank You for joining me in The Wellbeing Garden, see you again next time,

Cath

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 do to nourish your body, mind and soul.

The benefits from nature and gardening range from –

• Physical - burns calories, encourages weight loss, great cardio workout, improves strength and flexibility
• Psychological – reduce stress and anxiety, beat depression and melancholy by heading outside and allow mother nature to nurture you

Helps to reduce the severity or impact from depression. Can assist in lifting the spirit or mood in people who are feeling very low.

There’s actually loads of research to back this up. Playing in the garden actually calms nerves, reduces blood pressure, decreases stress hormone cortisol and increases serotonin – the happy hormone!

• Gardening brings JOY – It provides purpose and meaning to life. When growing and eating fresh food we are nurturing our body and soul

Home organic grown food is packed with good health AND vitality.

Grow healthy herbs like Parsley to boost your vitamin and mineral intake or Lemon Balm to relax and relieve stress.

To harvest the amazing health benefits of gardening try a few simple ideas

• Spend 20-30 minutes in the garden, connecting with nature
• Follow organic growing practices
• Grow the foods that you enjoy the most
• Share your abundance with family and friends
• Eat something fresh every day
• Ensure gardening is a pleasure, not a chore
• Spend time in the garden with others, either a gardening group or community garden
• Share your knowledge to help others
• Ask for help if needed...that’s what I’m here for!

If you begin each day with the belief that you’ll learn, grow and thrive, you will.

For more information visit www.soiltosupper.com

Here’s the links mentioned throughout the episode...

• soiltosupper.com/gardening-improves-emotional-well-being/
• soiltosupper.com/5-foods-i-always-have-growing/
• soiltosupper.com/growing-and-using-lemon-balm-melissa-officinalis/
• soiltosupper.com/just-30-minutes-in-the-garden-you-can/
• soiltosupper.com/easy-ideas-for-organic-gardening/

Share your abundance or connect with local growers at -

• www.spareharvest.com/

Join the Soil to Supper Club Community -

• www.facebook.com/groups/soiltosupperclub/

Thanks for joining me in The Wellbeing Garden.

Cath

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 driving ambition to help people reach, and maintain, vibrant all round health by making nutritious, delicious food a daily habit as natural as brushing their teeth.

A lifetime love of good food and cooking combines with two decades of functional medicine and nutrition knowledge to create a way of returning to real food in a modern way, promoting real health, delicious meals and local produce – the art of functional food from The Functional Foodie.

Jane specialises in specific nutrition for mental health disruptions, ME/chronic fatigue, cancer recovery, autoimmune disorders, gut issues, hormones, ASD diet changes and reaching your happy weight. Oh, and delicious food!

She shares her simple ideas for food to eat (and enjoy) that is seasonally grown, local or home grown and how that boosts our health.

We discuss –

• How Jane became the Functional Foodie
• Her philosophy on real food, living a real life and enjoy real health
• Her background in the health industry
• How we can adopt simple methods to eat whole foods
• How she works with clients to change eating habits and improve their health
• The simple things we can do each day to change the food we eat

Jane also makes a wonderful offer to the our FREE Soil to Supper Club and challenges us to change a few things we eat!

To find out more about ‘keeping it real’ listen to this fun interview, one that I thoroughly enjoyed!!

Find Jane online OR at her onsite workshops...

• On Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/functionalfoodieuk/
• Her Website - http://www.trinityholistics.co.uk/
• Join the membership, course and recipe hub at functional-foodie.com

To learn more about growing your own ‘real food’ head to www.soiltosupper.com and join me and a group of passionate green thumbs in the Soil to Supper Club HERE

I’ll also share Jane’s recipe for Chia Jam and her tips for starting a food diary...which I’ll be completing and sharing in our group!

I hope you enjoy this wonderful episode as much as we did!

The Wellbeing Garden episodes available HERE.

Subscribe on iTunes.

Thanks for joining me in The Wellbeing Garden,

Cath

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 BEST place to start is with planning. This saves time and money! Create a vision board and add all the features and plants you’d like in your garden. Also consider how much time, money and space you have for these gardens. Create a ‘shopping list’ of the foods you enjoy eating as this helps with planning what to grow.

“Dream BIG but start small. Make gardening a pleasure not a chore!”

• Once you’ve planned your garden now it’s time to get your hands dirty! Time to create your garden. Follow your plans and start with paths, fences, seating and other garden elements.

Then create gardens by following a ‘no-dig’ method, set up an ‘in-garden’ compost system, plant trees and shrubs. Find links to these methods below.

• After establishing your garden features and garden beds you can also start growing in containers.

Consider growing herbs, flowers and leafy greens. When potting use THE best potting mix you can buy and add extra fertiliser to feed plants long term.

• The next step is to get your new plants growing! Follow the list you created of your favourite foods and start with these.

Also choose plants suitable for your climate and the current season and grow plants from seeds, seedlings or established plants.

• Nurturing your garden is super important to keep your plants thriving and producing abundant crops.

Follow organic gardening methods, feed the soil not the plants, harvest foods regularly and observe everything going on so you can support your garden’s growth. Keep a garden kit on hand with all your favourite tools, equipment and organic garden products to save time when heading out to the garden!

Here’s links I’ve mentioned through this episode...

• soiltosupper.com
• facebook.com/groups/soiltosupperclub
• soiltosupper.com/gather-ideas-and-inspirations-for-growing-fresh-food/
• soiltosupper.com/easy-ideas-for-organic-gardening/
• soiltosupper.com/do-you-know-how-to-compost/
• soiltosupper.com/5-easy-ways-to-feed-your-garden-and-grow-more-food/
• soiltosupper.com/how-to-build-a-no-dig-garden/
• soiltosupper.com/5-steps-to-prepare-your-garden-for-fun-activities/

Want more ideas for designing your garden? Find my eBook ‘How to Design a Sustainable Garden’ or grab my free Monthly Garden Planner here - http://soiltosupper.com/resources/

Thanks for joining me in The Wellbeing Garden. Please contact me anytime you have any questions!

Growing with you,

Cath.

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 need a lot of these, you just need a few basic ideas and simple sustainable techniques to grow and enjoy gardening.

A few years ago I was inspired to write an article on this topic, after reading research for my Horticultural Therapy studies, on the health benefits from just 30 minutes, a few times a week in the garden.

I wanted to share a list of many activities that could be completed in just 30 minutes of gardening, or relaxing, time.

You’ll find the full article here - http://soiltosupper.com/just-30-minutes-in-the-garden-you-can/

There are many wonderful things that you can enjoy in the garden and in this episode I share a few suggestions, including;

• Propagating new plants
• Weeding your garden
• Planting seedlings
• Harvesting a meal or some fresh herbs
• Planting a tree, or two
• Creating a compost pile
• Fertilising plants
• Cut a bunch of bananas
• Watering your garden

These all improve physical and psychological wellbeing and a perfect for any age or ability.

I’ve mentioned these links to access for more information...

• download my FREE eBook ‘Get Your Garden Growing’
• eLearning Program ‘5 Steps to Become a Savvy Gardener’ online course.
• Video ‘Sowing Seeds and Planting Seedlings’ or ‘Harvesting Bananas’
• Join the ‘Soil to Supper Facebook Club’
• Gather loads of inspirations and ideas at Soil to Supper -http://soiltosupper.com/

I hope you enjoyed this episode and you’re now inspired to head outdoors and enjoy a relaxing time in your garden...amongst a busy day!

Thanks for joining me in The Wellbeing Garden, see you again next time,

Cath