Podcasts about garden path

Interview by Angela CroudaceIf you like your heavy music served with a massive side of absolute, unadulterated chaos and a theatrical bite, then grab yourself a slice of the dance floor and brace your necks. The Swedish metal visionaries collectively known as Avatar are finally making their way back Down Under, and trust me when I say this is shaping up to be one of the absolute heaviest and most anticipated spectacles of the entire year.Renowned across the globe for their legendary performances, ludicrous levels of musical skill, and a seemingly endless catalogue of killer anthems, Avatar have long been your favorite metal band's favorite metal band. We are talking about a group so highly respected that Iron Maiden routinely invites them out on tour, and the late, great Vinnie Paul once claimed that Dimebag Darrell himself would have been jealous of their monstrous guitar riffs.Ever since Avatar stormed their way onto the international circuit, these guys have refused to follow the traditional rules of engagement. They smashed their way onto the charts with the universally acclaimed Dance Devil Dance, and they are continuing that streak of pure creative madness with their latest dark masterwork, Don't Go in the Forest. Their single Death and Glitz is a perfect example of what makes this band so special. It is a track fueled by crushing grooves, hypnotic hooks, and a uniquely perverted, detached sense of storytelling that only Avatar can deliver.For Australian audiences, these upcoming live dates are not just regular rock shows; they are an invitation into an entirely different, beautifully twisted universe. This is a band that commands the side of the stage at every major European and American festival, with members of metal royalty standing by just to watch them work their magic. Now, it is Australia's turn to step inside the circus tent and experience the sonic violence firsthand.HEAVY grabbed the ultimate opportunity to sit down with the band's enigmatic, charismatic frontman, Johannes Eckerström. In true Avatar fashion, we went completely down the garden path to talk about the preparation behind their chaotic live assault, the creative evolution of their newest material, what it feels like to bring their signature blend of death and glitz back to local soil, and why Australian fans can no longer be denied.So turn the volume right up, check out the full chat below, and make sure you grab your tickets NOW before they vanish.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Looking for something beyond hostas for your shade garden? This week, Joanne shares three standout shade-loving perennials that bring height, texture, colour, and serious foliage interest to darker garden spaces. Some of the topics covered in this week's episode: Adding height and structure to a shade garden: Larger perennials like Sun King Aralia, Bugbane, and Rodgersia can give a shade garden the height and presence of shrubs while still dying back as perennials each winter. They work especially well behind hostas, groundcovers, and other lower-growing shade plants. Using foliage, not flowers, to create impact: The real appeal of these plants is their foliage: chartreuse, burgundy, large tropical-looking leaves, different textures, and contrasting shapes. These are plants you choose primarily for their leaves and the visual interest they bring to darker areas of the garden. Creating a shade garden that changes through the season: These later-emerging plants can take over visually after early-season favourites such as bleeding hearts and columbine begin to fade. This creates a more intentional transition through spring and summer rather than leaving gaps once early perennials are finished. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Does your August garden need a fresh burst of colour? In this episode, Joanne shares three of her favourite white perennials for sunny spaces that add contrast, brighten the garden at dusk and keep blooming well into fall. Some of the topics covered in this week's episode: White perennials bring late-season impact White flowers brighten an August garden, create contrast against darker foliage and remain visible at dusk. They can also fill visual gaps after spring and early-summer plants finish blooming. Three reliable perennials for sun 'David' tall garden phlox: tall, sturdy and mildew-resistant White Wands Veronica: compact, long-blooming and pollinator-friendly Calamintha nepeta: softly mounded, fragrant, pollinator attracting and resistant to deer and rabbits August is not too late to plant You can keep adding perennials through late summer. Even when plants are not displayed at garden centres, customers may be able to order fresh stock through the perennial manager, a grower or a landscape professional. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

What does your garden need this August? After the heat and stress of July, many lawns, containers, vegetables, shrubs and trees could use a little extra attention. In this episode, Joanne shares practical advice for watering, pruning, feeding and refreshing your garden while preparing for the season ahead. Some of the topics covered in this week's episode: Reviving and maintaining a heat-stressed garden Learn the importance of deep watering, replenishing depleted soil, removing damaged growth, monitoring for mildew and pests, and recognizing when plants need attention rather than replacement. August maintenance Get practical advice for refreshing herbs, succession planting cool-season vegetables, trimming tired annuals, controlling crabgrass, pruning shrubs properly and avoiding lawn fertilizer during dormancy. Preparing for fall while still enjoying summer August is both a maintenance month and a planning month. It's time to start researching fall bulbs and garlic, identify gaps for late-season plants, and photograph your garden for future planning. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

This time last weekend, Carry on Crafting celebrated its 5th birthday. The festival, based at Ardingley Showground in Sussex, played host to craft stalls, workshops, vintage stands, tasty food, music and fun.Last March, I spoke to the festival's founder, Justine Robson on this podcast (for episode number 94. At the time, she invited me along to the festival - over a year later, I got there!It was everything I imagined it would be, and more. I met old friends and made new ones too, I crocheted, I chatted, I watched football, listened to music and even got to interview a radio legend called Graham!Thank you to everyone who spoke to me for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast including (in order of appearance):Kerry Lord from ToftEleonora Tully from Coastal CrochetAnnah from Needle & FeatherKitey from The Yarn WhispererBex from The Pigeon's NestMaking Stitches Podcast listeners, Clare & SarahGraham - the voice of Radio CoC (Carry On Crafting!)Sam Sabido from Sam Sabido CrochetsNicky Ward from A Heart Shaped CherryJustine Robson from Carry on CraftingAs well as everyone to helped make the weekend run so smoothly for us - especially the wonderful Carry on Crafting volunteers (particularly Clare who gave me a lift back to the station!).It was a truly special experience!This is the final episode in the current series of Making Stitches Podcast, I will be back again (all being well) in the autumn, with some more inspiring creative chats for you.I hope you have a lovely summer!Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson

Follow me on Instagram at @douglaswelch, @dewdesignphoto, and @agardenersnotebook and Pixelfed. Read more on this topic: Swing Into Spring Show Garden, The 36th Annual Southern California Spring Garden Show, Costa Mesa, California Welcoming Family Retreat Show Garden, The 36th Annual Southern California Spring Garden Show, Costa Mesa, California Boho Book Nook, The 36th Annual Southern California Spring Garden Show, Costa Mesa, California [Photography] Azalea Flowers, Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, CSULB, Long Beach, California [Prints Available] Swing Into Spring Show Garden 2, The 36th Annual Southern California Spring Garden Show, Costa Mesa, California

In this mid-summer tips episode, Joanne answers some commonly asked questions about managing your lawn and garden. Some of the topics covered: Practical mid-season planting advice:
You can still plant trees, shrubs, and perennials in July, provided they are watered consistently. When purchasing discounted plants, check the roots rather than judging them by their above-soil appearance. Managing common summer garden problems:
 Learn more about Japanese beetles and crabgrass, including how to properly position beetle traps, interrupt the beetles' life cycle, remove crabgrass before it sets seed, and avoid spreading weed seeds while mowing. Choosing native plants thoughtfully: Add native plants gradually and intentionally rather than removing healthy, established non-native plants. Choose the right plant for the right location while considering pollinator value, growing conditions, and how aggressively a plant may spread. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Wondering what to do in your garden in July? This week on the podcast, Joanne reviews the essential July garden tasks every gardener should know, including deadheading, weeding, pest control, smart watering, and summer lawn and vegetable care. Some of the topics covered in this week's episode: July garden maintenance: The cooler spring, heavy rain, and sudden heat have left many gardens behind schedule, with some plants blooming weeks later than usual. Gardens will catch up, so focus on practical July tasks like deadheading, cutting back perennials, and staying on top of weeds. Managing perennials, shrubs, evergreens, and pests wisely:
Do you know what to prune, what not to prune, and when to act? Joanne explains deadheading for second blooms, the Chelsea chop for tall/floppy perennials, careful handling of spring-blooming shrubs, and pest control tips for box tree moth and Japanese beetles. Watering, lawn care, and easy edible gardening in July: Fast, heavy rain does not always soak into the soil, so gardeners still need to check moisture levels, especially around new or expensive plantings. Let lawns grow longer in hot weather, and if you want to try growing vegetables, Joanne suggests easy vegetables like lettuce, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers, and potatoes. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

In this episode of the Making Stitches Podcast, I'm joined by documentary filmmaker Paul Wyatt, director of the beautiful documentary film Sheep, Actually.Although this conversation is a little different from my usual chats with makers, it explores something at the very heart of many of our crafts: wool.Paul's documentary asks us to look beyond the skein and back to its origins, exploring the connections between sheep, farmers, wool and the people who transform this remarkable natural fibre into the textiles we love.Inspired by the simple but powerful idea, "If you're going to work with wool, get to know how a sheep lives," the film follows the story of a sheep called Cow while opening up wider conversations about farming, sustainability, craftsmanship and our relationship with the materials we use every day.Whether you're a knitter, crocheter, spinner, weaver, feltmaker, embroiderer or simply someone who loves natural fibres, I think you'll find this a fascinating conversation.Find out more about Sheep, Actually, including screenings, news and ways to support the film:https://www.paulwyattfilms.com/sheepactuallyYou can also follow Paul Wyatt Films on social media for updates on the documentary.Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.

Peony season may be over, but there's still plenty to learn about these garden favourites. In this episode, Joanne explores the different types of peonies and explains what makes each one unique. She also shares practical tips for planting, supporting, deadheading, and caring for your peonies so they return beautifully year after year. Some of the topics covered in this week's episode: The three types of peonies: Learn the differences between herbaceous peonies, tree peonies, and Itoh/intersectional peonies, including how they grow, bloom, and how deeply each type should be planted.  Planting, moving, and caring for peonies: Discover the best practices for proper planting depth, fall transplanting, careful handling of the roots, watering deeply, and avoiding burying the crown with soil or mulch. Post-bloom peony care and support: Joanne explains what to do after peonies finish blooming, including deadheading, choosing proper supports for herbaceous peonies, and helping the plant put energy back into its roots for next year. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Do you have a lilac bush in your garden? If you've ever wondered when or how to prune it, don't miss this week's episode. Joanne shares timely tips for caring for your lilacs and explains why now is the perfect time to prune. Some of the topics covered in this week's episode: The importance of pruning lilacs right after they bloom Lilacs bloom on old wood, so timing matters. The best time to deadhead or prune is immediately after flowering, usually in June, before the plant puts energy into seed production or begins setting next year's blooms.  How to rejuvenate older, woody lilacs Two approaches: a drastic cutback of very old, unproductive lilacs, or a slower three-year rejuvenation plan in which the oldest stems are gradually removed. Remember to use sharp pruners, not hedge trimmers, and be intentional about which branches are removed.  Understanding different lilac varieties and their care needs Joanne compares common/French lilacs with newer repeat-blooming varieties like Bloomerang, as well as dwarf types like Miss Kim. Even repeat bloomers benefit from deadheading after the first flush so they can produce more flowers later in the season. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

In this episode, I'm delighted to be joined by contemporary textile artist Murron Fraser. Based in Manchester, Murron's work is inspired by nature, folklore and storytelling, creating richly layered textile pieces that invite us to look more closely at the hidden wonders of the natural world. Through a combination of machine embroidery, printmaking, and mixed media techniques, she creates artworks that are full of texture, colour and meaning. Alongside her artistic practice, Murron is also a passionate educator and workshop facilitator, helping others reconnect with their creativity through community projects, courses and nature-inspired textile experiences. In our conversation, we talk about the threads that run through her work, from Celtic folklore and the idea of hidden worlds, to the role of observation, curiosity and creative play in her practice. We also discuss how she balances life as a working artist, educator and community arts practitioner, and why slowing down can be such an important part of the creative process. Thank you Murron for speaking to me for Making Stitches Podcast!You can see Murron's work over on her website: textilesbymurron.comYou can sign up to Murron's newsletter here: https://www.textilesbymurron.com/newsletterMurron's Instagram profile is here and you can find her on Facebook here.Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, we revisit last spring's conversation with Ernest Williams from Aquascape about how pondless water features can bring the beauty, movement, and soothing sound of water into your yard. Here are some of the topics discussed in this episode: Pondless water features offer beauty with less maintenance: Pondless waterfalls, fountainscapes, spillway bowls, bubbling rocks, urns, basalt columns, and disappearing streams allow homeowners to enjoy the sound and movement of water without the maintenance and safety concerns of a traditional pond. Water features can transform the feel of a yard: Water adds calm, sound, movement, and atmosphere to outdoor spaces. Use water features to create a backyard oasis, improve curb appeal, attract birds and wildlife, soften traffic or neighbour noise, and make your home feel more like a cottage retreat. Water features can also solve practical landscape problems: Pondless features, aqua basins, aqua blocks, and rainwater collection systems can help manage runoff, wet areas, downspout water, drainage challenges, and stormwater concerns. To learn more about pondless water features and everything Aquascape offers, visit them at www.aquascapeinc.com and view their videos on YouTube. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Hello, and welcome to Making Stitches Podcast! This time, I'm delighted to be joined by Melissa Santiago-Val founder and CEO of Sew Positive. What began during the pandemic as a community effort making face masks to raise money for NHS charities has grown into an inspiring charity using sewing, mending and up cycling to support peoples' mental health and wellbeing.In our chat, Melissa shares her own creative journey, the story behind Sew Positive and how stitching can be more than simply making something with our hands. We talk about creativity as a tool for connection, confidence and community, and explore how sewing can help people through difficult times while also encouraging a more sustainable approach to the clothes we wear.You can find out more about Sew Positive over on their website and you can find lots of other information on their linktree here.Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson

Thinking about starting a landscape project? In this popular episode from last summer, Joanne shares practical advice from her years as a landscape designer, including how to plan with confidence, choose the right materials, and work with professionals to avoid costly mistakes. Some of the topics covered in this week's episode: Observe what works in real life Look at nearby homes to see what materials, colours, layouts, and garden styles you like before starting your project. This is often more practical than relying only on online inspiration because local examples show what is actually available and realistic. Do your homework before choosing a landscaper Ask for referrals, review past work, and check websites or social media before choosing a landscaper. Use design and planning to avoid expensive mistakes Use a design, sketch, or simple plan to avoid mistakes with layout, sizing, materials, maintenance, and future upgrades. Planning helps create a project that looks good, functions well, and avoids costly fixes later. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

In this popular episode from last spring, Joanne speaks with author and fruit tree care educator Susan Poizner about her book, Fruit Tree Pruning: The Science and Art of Cultivating Healthy Fruit Trees, and shares Susan's practical advice for growing healthier, more productive fruit trees. About Susan Poizner Susan Poizner is an award-winning author, journalist, urban orchardist, and fruit tree care educator based in Toronto, Canada. She trains arborists, master gardeners, and community and home orchardists in fruit tree maintenance through in-person workshops, online courses, and webinars. Her books include Grow Fruit Trees Fast, Growing Urban Orchards, Fruit Tree Grafting for Everyone and Fruit Tree Pruning. Here are some of the topics discussed in this episode: Fruit Trees Are a Long-Term Relationship, Not an Impulse Purchase Fruit trees require planning, patience, and ongoing care. Instead of grabbing a pretty tree from a garden centre, research disease-resistant varieties, pollination needs, rootstock size, hardiness zone, and the right nursery source before planting.  Proper Pruning Is Essential for Healthy Trees and Better Fruit Susan explains why young bare-root trees should be pruned the day they're planted, how formative pruning shapes a tree for life, and why mature trees can often be restored with thoughtful pruning. Learn the difference between trimming and pruning, especially how over-trimming can create dense, unhealthy canopies.  Healthy Soil, Smart Placement, and Natural Care Lead to Better Harvests To thrive, fruit trees need full sun, enough root space, compost or quality mulch, annual cleanup, dormant spray, and attention to soil health. Good care reduces disease pressure, improves fruit quality, and makes fruit trees more productive without relying heavily on chemical sprays. Find Susan Poizner online at orchardpeople.com and Fruit Tree Pruning: The Science and Art of Cultivating Healthy Fruit Trees on Amazon. You can also check out her YouTube channel or listen to the Orchard People podcast. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Upstairs in an historic industrial building in the centre of the West Yorkshire town of Slaithwaite is a vast collection of handmade items, tools and publications charting the history of knitting and crochet in the UK. The Knitting and Crochet Guild Collection was started in 1991 and is cared for by a team of dedicated volunteers.Hidden away in this fascinating archive is an extraordinary collection of handmade garments, patterns, yarns, tools, publications and shade cards, all connected to the rich history of knitting and crochet in the UK. Thousands of items have been donated by makers from across the country, preserving not just beautiful pieces of work, but also the stories, skills and social history behind them.The collection has grown into a real treasure trove, an invaluable research resource for academics and historians, but also an endless source of inspiration for contemporary designers, knitters and crocheters.I feel hugely privileged to have been invited along to see some of the Collection for myself. I loved chatting with Angharad Thomas a Volunteer Textile Archivist and Isobel Holland a Collection Volunteer over in Slaithwaite, and am very grateful to them for speaking to me for Making Stitches Podcast.You can find out all about the Knitting and Crochet Guild over on their website along with all the information we chatted about in our conversation about the Collection including when their upcoming events will be happening.Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson

This week on Down the Garden Path, Joanne explains why mulch matters in the garden, how to choose the right kind, and why proper mulching can make a big difference for your soil, plants, and trees. Mulch is Practical, Not Decorative Mulch should support the garden, not steal the show. Its real purpose is to help control weeds, keep soil cooler, retain moisture, and gradually break down to add nutrients back into the garden. Quality Matters When Choosing Mulch Natural mulch is a better choice than dyed bagged mulch. Dyed mulch can fade, stain, blow around, and may be made from lower-quality wood waste. Consider more natural options like composted pine, shredded bark, hemlock, wood chips, or even compost for smaller gardens.  Mulching Trees and Using Alternatives Wisely Use the "3-3-3 method" for mulching around trees: three inches deep, three feet wide, and a three-inch gap away from the trunk. Avoid creating mulch volcanoes and consider alternatives like shredded leaves and living "green mulch" groundcovers, including creeping thyme, sedums, sweet woodruff, epimedium, and wild ginger. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

This week on the podcast, Joanne speaks with Bri Petersen from Urban Gardening Canada about her new e-book, Gardening Basics for the Beginner Gardener. In this episode: Beginner Gardeners Need Updated Advice, Not Outdated RulesSo much common gardening advice is based on old habits, like turning over the soil every spring, cleaning up every leaf, or planting by a fixed calendar date. Bri's e-book encourages beginner gardeners to understand how gardening has changed with the climate and why weather, growing zones, and local conditions matter more than old rules. Bri's E-book Gives New Gardeners the Foundations They NeedGardening Basics for the Beginner Gardener is designed specifically for beginners, with 13 chapters covering core topics like annuals, perennials, herbaceous plants, growing in containers, raised beds, in-ground gardens, watering, fertilizing, and vegetable gardening. She also includes practical guidance on insects and pests, helping gardeners identify what they are seeing and manage problems without immediately turning to chemicals. Gardening Success Comes From Curiosity, Confidence, and Practice One dead plant does not mean you have a "black thumb." Learn what went wrong, adjust next season, understand your garden's conditions, and keep going. New gardeners feel less intimidated and more confident as they build knowledge year after year. Find Bri Petersen online: Website: www.urbangardeningcanada.com Order a copy of her e-book here. Instagram: @urbangardeningcanada Facebook: @hellourbangardeningcanada YouTube: @urbangardeningcanada Pinterest: @urbangardeningcanada Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

This time on Making Stitches Podcast, I'm joined by Kit Giroux, semi-finalist from the 2025 series of The Great British Sewing Bee. In our chat, Kit talks about their sewing journey, from first learning as a child to rediscovering a love of making a year or so before appearing on national television. We also chat about what it was really like to take part in series 11 of The Great British Sewing Bee.Kit shares some brilliant behind-the-scenes insights from their time in the Sewing Bee sewing room, including the story behind the unforgettable paper dress created for Pop Art Week, which went on to win Garment of the Week. We talk about the pressure of choosing and getting your hands on the right fabric when the challenges start, stepping through the screen to appear on a show you've loved for years, and the joy of making clothes that truly reflect personal style.As well as looking back on Sewing Bee, Kit also talks about their hopes for the future, including plans to release an original range of sewing patterns. Thank you so much Kit for allowing me to come and visit you and for speaking to me for Making Stitches!You can find Kit on Instagram and TikTok.Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns designed by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

What if you could walk through acres of blooming peonies and cut your own bouquet to take home? In this episode, Joanne welcomes Valérie Chort of Fleur de Roy to share the story behind Southern Ontario's largest pick-your-own peony farm and its short but spectacular bloom season. Tickets are now available to Pick Your Own Peony Flowers from June 1st to 8th, 2026. In this episode: How did a conservation property become a pick-your-own peony farm? Valérie shares the story behind Fleur de Roy, a Southern Ontario peony farm located on a 150-acre property near Lake St. Clair, where conservation, family, and a love of flowers came together in a surprising way. What does it take to grow thousands of peonies for one short, spectacular season? Joanne and Valérie discuss the patience, planning, timing, and care behind growing peonies, including why these plants take years to establish and why the bloom window is so weather-dependent. Why is Fleur de Roy's Peony Bloom Festival becoming a must-visit local experience? Valérie explains how the farm has shifted from wholesale flower production to welcoming visitors for a pick-your-own peony experience, with confirmed 2025 opening dates from June 1 to June 8, with the possibility of extending on either side depending on the bloom season. Visit them online at www.fleurderoy.com or on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. Tickets are now available. Purchase them here. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

This week on Down the Garden Path, Joanne discusses do's and don'ts for your May garden, and walks you through what to do now, what to wait on, and how to give your garden the best start for the season ahead. Be patient and let the May garden guide your timing.
May can be unpredictable, especially after a cool, wet winter. Instead of rushing into cleanup, planting, pruning, seeding, or mowing, gardeners should pay attention to soil moisture, insect activity, nighttime temperatures, and frost risk.  Focus on smart spring maintenance for perennials, shrubs, evergreens, and lawns.
Learn what to clean up, what to leave alone, and what to handle carefully. Topics include: pruning spring-blooming shrubs too early, lightly cleaning up evergreens, feeding soil, waiting to seed lawns, and mowing high. Start vegetables, herbs, annuals, and containers thoughtfully.
Get excited about growing food, herbs, and seasonal containers, but with a practical approach. Topics include: hardening off vegetables, planting cool-season crops like lettuce and spinach, using herbs to attract pollinators, involving kids in gardening, and choosing larger containers so annuals can thrive through the season. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

I'm taking you out on the road with me today to Stockport to visit a fabulous yarn shop, Manchester Wool & Yarn. The shop celebrated its 2nd birthday earlier this year and is owed and run by Gareth, a passionate maker and supporter of the yarn community.Stocked with familiar brands and products from independent yarn dyers based across the North West of England, it's a positive treasure trove of colour, squishyness & is such a lovely place to visit. Regular 'Bitch and Stitch' socials support a welcoming community of yarn lovers, and Gareth is always happy to help answer any yarn or pattern queries he encounters from customers. It was so lovely to visit Gareth at Manchester Wool & Yarn, and I'm so grateful he took the time to speak to me for the podcast - thanks again Gareth!You can find Manchester Wool & Yarn's website here and Gareth is also very active on social media, find him on Facebook, Instagram & TikTok.Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson

Thinking about growing your own lettuce, spinach, and potatoes this spring? In this April 2025 encore episode, Joanne chats with Julia Dimakos about successfully growing these popular vegetables at home. In this episode: How to grow lettuce successfully for fresh, continuous harvests
Julia explores the basics of growing lettuce from seed, including the importance of starting with fresh seed, giving seeds light to germinate, transplanting early, spacing plants properly, succession sowing every couple of weeks, and choosing varieties for cool weather versus summer heat. Why spinach is a cool-season crop with a very different rhythm from lettuce Unlike lettuce, spinach prefers cold conditions, struggles in heat, bolts quickly in warm weather, and does especially well when sown now and again in mid-August for fall and even overwintered harvests. How to grow healthier, homegrown potatoes Growing your own potatoes can be healthier and more rewarding than buying them. Julia explains the importance of seed potatoes, pre-sprouting, planting whole potatoes rather than cut pieces, choosing between determinate and indeterminate varieties, and growing in raised beds, grow bags, or containers. Find Julia Dimakos online: Website: www.juliadimakos.com Instagram: @juliadimakos YouTube: @gardeninggirl  Check out a few of her past episodes:  All About Tomatoes Microgreens & Sprouting Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

This week on Down the Garden Path, Joanne chats with Manny Lavrador about the growing interest in native trees and how to choose the right one for your property. In this episode: Why are native trees such an important topic right now? More gardeners and homeowners are looking for plants that support the environment, work well in local ecosystems, and respond to growing concerns about invasive species. What is the most important thing to remember when choosing a native tree? That even a native tree still needs to be the right tree for the right place, based on the space, conditions, and goals of the garden. Are native trees always the best choice for every yard? Not necessarily. This episode demonstrates that while native trees have many benefits, hybrids and nativars can sometimes be a better fit for smaller urban lots or for homeowners looking for lower-maintenance options. You can find Manny Lavrador on LinkedIn. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Presenters today are competing against smartphones, doom scrolling, shrinking attention spans, and audiences trained to spot familiar patterns instantly. In that environment, one of the most effective presentation strategies is the pattern interrupt: taking listeners down a familiar road, then surprising them with a sharper, more compelling truth. This is not about gimmicks for their own sake. It is about using surprise, credibility, and timing to keep an audience mentally engaged. Whether you are presenting in Tokyo, pitching in Sydney, leading a sales meeting in Singapore, or giving a board update in London, the challenge is the same: if you cannot hold attention, your message dies on the spot. Why do audiences lose interest so quickly in presentations today? Modern audiences are harder to hold because they are overstimulated, distracted, and constantly scanning for what matters next. A standard presentation packed with data, bullet points, and predictable sequencing often feels dead on arrival because the audience has seen that format too many times before. In the post-pandemic workplace, professionals across Japan, the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific have become even more accustomed to short-form content, rapid context switching, and algorithm-driven feeds. That means business presenters are no longer competing only with rival firms or alternative ideas. They are competing with every notification on every screen in the room. A dry presentation to a multinational in Marunouchi, a startup team in Silicon Valley, or a B2B sales conference in Singapore suffers from the same problem: familiarity breeds inattention. If your structure feels obvious, your audience mentally checks out. Do now: Audit your next talk for predictability. If every slide feels expected, attention will fade before your key point lands. What is a pattern interrupt in a business presentation? A pattern interrupt is a deliberate break from what the audience expects, designed to jolt them back into active listening. It works because people are wired to recognise patterns quickly, but they also react strongly when those patterns suddenly shift. The classic example is being led through a plausible explanation and then being told, "That is not actually the real story." That pivot creates tension, curiosity, and a gap the brain wants to close. In a presentation, this could mean challenging a widely accepted assumption, overturning the expected interpretation of a market trend, or revealing that the "obvious" answer is incomplete. Executives at firms like Toyota, Rakuten, Amazon, and McKinsey all know that attention follows contrast. In consumer markets and B2B alike, audiences lean in when they sense that the presenter is about to reveal something beyond the standard script. Do now: Build one moment into your presentation where the audience's expectation is cleanly broken and replaced with a stronger insight. How does leading an audience up the garden path build credibility? Counterintuitively, leading an audience toward a believable but incomplete conclusion can increase your credibility if your final insight is stronger. The key is that the first pathway must sound intelligent, rational, and grounded, not flimsy or manipulative. When a speaker lays out a conventional explanation first, the audience sees that the presenter understands the mainstream thinking, the literature, and the accepted view. That matters in high-trust environments such as academic lectures, leadership briefings, investor presentations, and corporate strategy sessions. Once the speaker then overturns that view with a superior explanation, they position themselves above the noise. This is what separates an expert from a commentator. In Japan especially, where preparation, context, and intellectual seriousness matter, this technique can be powerful if executed respectfully. In the US, it can feel bold; in Japan, it feels earned when backed by substance. Do now: Show first that you understand the accepted view. Then outperform it with a better argument, not just a louder one. When does this technique fail with executives, clients, or teams? This technique fails when the surprise is stronger than the substance. If you create drama but cannot back it up with evidence, examples, or practical value, the audience will feel tricked rather than enlightened. That is especially dangerous in executive communication, sales, and leadership. Senior leaders in banks, manufacturers, SaaS firms, and professional services companies do not reward theatre without insight. A startup founder may get away with more provocation than a multinational division head, but both still need proof. In Japan, where trust is built carefully, using a rhetorical twist without enough depth can damage your authority. In the US or Australia, it may simply look like overconfident performance. The pattern interrupt only works when the speaker has done the research, knows the field better than the audience, and genuinely delivers unexpected value. Without that, you are just performing a stunt. Do now: Stress-test every provocative point. Ask yourself, "Can I prove this clearly and fast once I've surprised them?" How can presenters use surprise without looking manipulative? Surprise works best when the audience feels the speaker is serving them, not showing off. The intention behind the technique matters as much as the structure itself. A presenter who uses a twist to elevate the audience's understanding creates trust. A presenter who uses a twist to elevate their ego creates resistance. That difference is immediately felt in the room. Great communicators use surprise with purpose: to clarify, simplify, or reveal something important. They do not use it as a magician's flourish detached from outcomes. This matters across leadership communication, client meetings, conference keynotes, and internal town halls. Whether you are speaking to a Japanese sales team, a European board, or an Asia-Pacific regional leadership group, the question is always the same: did the surprise produce insight the audience can use? If yes, it lands. If not, it becomes self-indulgence. Do now: Pair every unexpected turn in your talk with a concrete takeaway your audience can apply immediately. What should leaders, salespeople, and professionals do now to hold attention? Leaders and presenters need to redesign their talks for tension, contrast, and relevance, not just information delivery. Information alone is now too cheap and too abundant to win attention. Start by identifying the "safe" story your audience already expects. Then identify the deeper truth, lesson, or insight they actually need. Structure your talk so the audience first recognises the familiar pattern, then experiences a clear interruption, and finally receives a more valuable interpretation. Add examples, data, comparisons, and commercial relevance. For salespeople, this may mean reframing a client's assumptions. For executives, it may mean challenging accepted internal thinking. For professionals, it may mean presenting an old topic in a sharper way. The real objective is not to be clever. It is to be unforgettable for the right reason. Do now: Redesign one presentation this week around a tension point: expectation, interruption, insight, action. Conclusion The best presenters understand that attention is not given; it is earned and then re-earned throughout the talk. In a world of endless distraction, leading your audience up the garden path can be a powerful way to break complacency, deepen credibility, and make your message stick. But the technique only works when it is backed by genuine expertise, careful structure, and an honest desire to help the audience see something they had missed. Surprise is the hook. Value is the proof. When those two work together, your presentation becomes memorable, persuasive, and far more effective. Next steps for leaders and executives Review your current presentation opening and remove anything generic. Add one credible "expected view" before revealing the deeper insight. Prepare proof points, examples, and comparisons for every major twist. Rehearse the pivot so it feels natural, not theatrical. End with a practical action the audience can take immediately.

My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast is the wonderful Anna Nikipirowicz. Anna first learned to knit and crochet as a child in Poland, but she says she found it boring - luckily for us, as an adult she found a new passion for both crafts and is passionate about sharing her love and knowledge of them.Anna has published a series of books on crochet techniques, embroidery onto crochet, Tunisian crochet as well as a book on crochet & knitting too. Her passion for her craft is truly infectious and she loves to meet makers and help them improve their techniques and try new things in workshops across the UK and also abroad.Shawls, socks and blankets are Anna's favourite items to make and she wants everyone else to join her on her brilliant yarny adventure too. Thanks so much for Anna for finding the time to speak to me for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast!You can find Anna's website & Instagram account here.Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson

Have you been hesitant to add roses to your garden? This week on the podcast, Joanne talks with Paul Zimmerman about Jackson & Perkins' expansion into Canada, what it means for rose lovers, and why these cold-hardy, Canadian-grown roses may be easier to grow than many gardeners think. In this episode: Roses are becoming more accessible for Canadian gardeners. Jackson & Perkins roses are now available in the Canadian market, with roses being grown, tested, and shipped within Canada through their partnership with Bakker. Modern roses are not as high-maintenance as many people think. Paul challenges the old idea that roses are fussy and chemical-dependent, explaining that many newer roses are bred for better disease resistance and can be grown sustainably with good soil, smart plant choice, and realistic expectations. Choosing the right rose for the right purpose is key. Roses should be selected based on their role in the garden, whether for height, spread, colour, season-long interest, or vertical growing, rather than just choosing one because the flower looks pretty in the pot. Learn more at jacksonandperkins.ca. Find them online on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram. Find Paul Zimmerman online at paulzimmermanroses.com and watch his how-to videos on YouTube. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

After a long winter, it's tempting to get outside and start tidying, digging, and checking everything off our spring to-do list. But April is such a gentle, in-between month in the garden, and it really asks us to slow down, pay attention, and let nature lead a little. This week on the podcast, Joanne reviews what you should and shouldn't be doing in your April garden. Why is patience so important in the April garden? Because early spring gardening depends more on weather and soil conditions than the calendar. Joanne emphasizes waiting for the ground to dry, the frost to leave, and nighttime temperatures to rise before raking, planting, digging, or cleaning up too much. Acting too early can damage lawns, compact soil, and disrupt beneficial insects. What garden jobs can you safely do in April? April is a good time for gentle, low-risk tasks such as starting seeds indoors, refreshing spring containers, adding compost to the vegetable garden, sharpening tools, and lightly cleaning up only when conditions are right. Joanne also suggests using April to plan, take photos, and observe what is happening in the garden rather than rushing into heavy work. How should gardeners handle pruning and cleanup in early spring? Carefully and selectively. Joanne warns against pruning spring-blooming shrubs too early, cutting back perennials before insects emerge, or shaping evergreens in April. Instead, she recommends watching for insect activity, removing only winter damage where needed, and timing pruning based on the type of plant so gardeners do not sacrifice blooms or stress plants unnecessarily. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Two weeks ago, the first ever TexStyle Festival threw open its doors at Manchester Central. It was an amazing weekend of creativity, community and lots and lots of chatting! It was the idea of the mother and daughter team behind the Buxton, Cumbria & Stafford Wool Gatherings, (Michelle Greaves and her Mum, Carole) to create a bigger show encompassing other textile and fibre crafts in their home town of Manchester.It did not disappoint, it featured dozens of stands showcasing beautiful crafts and items to buy, a range of fabulous workshops, a break-out zone called ‘The Hive' where visitors could escape the busyness and just sit and chat and even work on their wips. Plus there was a Textile Talks stage hosted by yours truly which showcased some fabulous creative folk speaking on their specialist subjects. I was thrilled and very honoured to be asked to host the Textile Talks stage, and loved every minute of it. In this episode you can hear from all of the speakers who stepped up to the mic over the weekend along with other exhibitors too.My thanks to everyone who spoke to me for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast! You can find all of their websites below:Michelle Greaves from TexStyle Festival https://texstyle.uk/Sophia Gardiner - textile artist https://www.instagram.com/sophiagardinerart/?hl=enStephen West from Westknits https://www.westknits.com/ & https://www.stephenandpenelope.com/en-gbAmelia from Amelia Stitches https://ameliastitches.com/Gareth from Manchester Wool & Yarn https://manchesterwoolandyarn.com/Debbie from The Lace Knittery https://www.thelaceknittery.com/Jane Smith from Atelier Nejiribana https://www.nejiribana.co.uk/ & http://www.japaneseembroideryuk.com/Laili Cleasby from Emily Foulds https://www.emilyfoulds.com/Victoria Salmon from Another Knitted Thing https://www.anotherknittedthing.com/Tricia Bashan from Knitting & Crochet Guild https://kcguild.org.uk/Alena Ruth from Manchester Tufting Workshops https://www.tuftingworkshops.co.uk/Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi. Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson

This month on Down the Garden Path, Joanne welcomes five talented landscape designers, each with their own style, story, and specialty. What connects them all is a shared passion for creating beautiful, thoughtful outdoor spaces for their clients. Tune in each week in March as they share their experiences, perspectives, and the many ways landscape design can shape how we live outdoors. In this episode, Joanne speaks with Abby Rupsa, founder and lead designer of Botanical Living in Colorado, about her path into landscape design, the evolution of her "design bid" service model, and what it really means to offer a high-touch, client-focused experience. Their conversation explores the value of professional planning, collaboration with contractors, material and plant choices, and how thoughtful landscape design can create beautiful, functional outdoor spaces that add lasting value. Topics Covered Abby explains her "design bid" model, in which she stays involved throughout construction without doing the installation work herself. She says many homeowners do not understand the design process and need help seeing the full picture. Unlike traditional design-build firms, Abby focuses on the best outcome for the client rather than pushing sales. She emphasizes "value engineering" so projects can be built realistically within budget. Abby now works closely with one trusted contractor to create a smoother client experience. Contractor meetings happen with the client, designer, and builder together to review the estimate in detail. Joanne notes that this shared meeting format reduces confusion and speeds up decisions. Abby says landscape designers are educators and problem-solvers, not just creatives. She explains that homeowners often become blind to problems and miss better possibilities for their yard. One project revealed major structural problems that required a more honest renovation approach. Abby says trust and authority matter because clients need confidence in the guidance they receive. Good design sometimes means challenging what a client asks for to create a space that truly works. Abby uses software and furniture layouts to show how a space will function in real life. Joanne stresses the importance of planning the whole landscape before adding features in stages. Abby agrees, noting that early planning avoids rework and prepares for future additions. She describes her "white glove" approach, with 3D presentations and a more thoughtful client experience. Abby wants the process to feel easier and more supported for homeowners. She uses digital lookbooks and physical samples to help clients compare materials. 3D visuals help clients picture the finished landscape and feel excited about the result. Abby discusses xeriscaping in Colorado and the need for drought-tolerant, climate-appropriate planting. She explains that xeriscaping should still feel lush and intentional, not just rocky and sparse. Her planting designs balance structure, blooms, texture, evergreen interest, and lower maintenance. Abby also educates clients about plant establishment and care in Colorado's dry climate. Her design packages are detailed enough for any contractor to build from. She notes that 3D renderings require clear communication so clients understand that plant growth takes time. Even unbuilt landscape plans can add appeal and value if a homeowner decides to sell. Joanne and Abby close by discussing how landscape design can improve both lifestyle and property value. Takeaways and Tips Start with a full landscape plan before making construction decisions so the entire space works together cohesively over time. A good landscape designer does more than make things look pretty. They solve problems, educate clients, and help prevent costly mistakes. Design decisions should be based on how a space will actually function, not just on what sounds good in theory or looks fine on paper. Bringing the designer, contractor, and client together early can improve communication, speed up decision-making, and create more realistic budgets. Value engineering is not about cutting corners. It is about spending wisely and making strategic adjustments that protect the integrity of the design. In dry climates, xeriscaping should focus on smart plant choices and water stewardship, not simply replacing everything with rock. 3D renderings can be powerful tools, but homeowners should understand that mature landscapes take time to grow into the vision shown. Investing in professional landscape design can improve not only daily enjoyment and function, but also long-term property value. Find Abby online at www.botanicallivingdesigns.com, and on Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

This month on Down the Garden Path, Joanne welcomes five talented landscape designers, each with their own style, story, and specialty. What connects them all is a shared passion for creating beautiful, thoughtful outdoor spaces for their clients. Tune in each week in March as they share their experiences, perspectives, and the many ways landscape design can shape how we live outdoors. In this episode, Joanne speaks with Jeff Collins of Ottawa's REWILD Landscapes about ecological landscaping, native plants, edible gardens, and outdoor spaces that support both people and wildlife. Topics Covered Jeff Collins is the owner of REWILD Landscapes, a queer-owned ecological landscaping company in Ottawa. Their work combines horticulture, landscape design, food security, and ecological restoration. Jeff's childhood experience with food insecurity strongly influenced their interest in growing food and building community through landscapes. They studied horticulture at Algonquin College, where they focused on urban agriculture, sustainability, and native plants. Their landscape philosophy centres on creating spaces that support life from the soil microbes up to people and wildlife. Jeff encourages homeowners to rethink the role of the front lawn, replacing it with meadows, native gardens, rain gardens, and habitat-rich planting. They focus primarily on native plants and also incorporate non-invasive edible plants where appropriate. One of their favourite plants is the pawpaw, a native fruit tree they describe as delicious and underappreciated. Jeff looks for plants that do more than fill space; they should also provide ecological function, food value, or habitat. They often replace invasive plants with alternatives that match both the look and the ecological role of the original plant. Examples of native replacements discussed include serviceberry, sweet crabapple, switchgrass, little bluestem, and false sorghum. Jeff often uses plugs instead of one-gallon nursery plants for large-scale planting projects. They explain that plugs are more affordable, easier to plant in large numbers, quicker to adapt to site conditions and better at forming strong root systems over time. While plugs require patience, Jeff believes they create a more resilient, cooperative plant community. They encourage clients to accept a more natural look and allow landscapes to evolve. A recurring theme is that larger garden beds can be lower-maintenance than tightly packed, narrow planting strips. Jeff challenges the common assumption that "small garden = less work." They emphasize that native gardens often become easier to care for as plants establish and fill in naturally. Joanne and Jeff discuss how homeowners often begin with hesitation, then become more engaged as they notice wildlife, seedlings, and seasonal changes. Jeff sees gardens as a way to rebuild a connection to nature, food, childhood memories and place. They talk about the emotional pull of foraging, berry picking, and growing food at home. Jeff notes that many clients are motivated not just by food prices but also by a desire for meaningful outdoor experiences. Their three common client groups include families with children, professionals seeking a restorative retreat at home and retirees wanting to give back and reconnect with nature. Water management is another major focus of Jeff's work. They incorporate features such as rain gardens, permeable bases and dry creek beds and deep-rooted plantings that improve infiltration. They explain that lawns do a poor job of recharging groundwater compared to diverse plantings with deeper roots. Joanne and Jeff discuss Ottawa's Rain Ready rebate program and how it helps create opportunities for stormwater-friendly landscapes. Jeff uses flagstone and cedar structures rather than interlock whenever possible, aligning hardscape choices with their ecological values. Joanne reflects on the importance of sharing knowledge among landscape designers, rather than reinventing the wheel. Jeff shares their experience appearing on Dragon's Den, where they pitched their business as an ecological, food-focused, inclusive landscaping company. Takeaways and Tips Replace at least part of your lawn with planting that provides habitat, beauty, and ecological function. Do not assume a smaller garden is easier: well-sized planting beds are often lower maintenance. Native plants can support pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects while also reducing long-term upkeep. Consider adding edible plants to create a stronger personal connection to your outdoor space. Use rain gardens and deep-rooted plants to help manage water and reduce runoff. For larger naturalized projects, plugs can be a smart and affordable planting strategy. Be cautious about accepting shared plants from friends and neighbours, since invasive species can spread that way. Focus on creating a garden that invites you outside to observe, harvest, explore, and participate. A thoughtful design plan can save money, reduce mistakes, and help you build your landscape in phases. The best gardens are not just decorative; they help people feel more connected to the natural world. Find Jeff online at www.rewildlandscapes.ca, on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Katy Mitchell is the crochet designer behind Kate's Crochet Creations, known for her vibrant granny square patterns and beautifully themed blanket designs. Her work celebrates colour, creativity and the joy of crochet, her patterns inspire crocheters of all skill levels. I was thrilled to be able to chat to her about how her hobby turned into a full-time job. Katy's work has been featured in magazines, she is a Stylecraft yarns 'Insider' and, last year, published her first book; The Granny Square Book which features patterns for 125 different squares.You can find Katy on Instagram, Etsy & Ravelry.Thank you so much to Katy for speaking to me for Making Stitches Podcast!It's TexStyle festival time this weekend in Manchester, and if you would like to come along to enjoy the creativity & fun, please visit the TexStyle website to get your ticket!If you would like to listen to my chat with Michelle Greaves, who is one of the TexStyle festival's organisers, you can find it here.Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

This month on Down the Garden Path, Joanne welcomes four talented landscape designers, each with their own style, story, and specialty. What connects them all is a shared passion for creating beautiful, thoughtful outdoor spaces for their clients. Tune in each week in March as they share their experiences, perspectives, and the many ways landscape design can shape how we live outdoors. This week, Joanne welcomes Rita Nugent, a landscape designer in Southern Ontario, and owner of Rita Nugent Landscape Design. Topics Covered Rita's journey from solving problems in her own garden to becoming a professional landscape designer How compacted soil, mature trees, pools, pets, and family life shaped her practical design philosophy Why Rita focuses on design-only services and how that helps homeowners stay in control of projects and budgets The importance of planning both hardscaping and softscaping together, rather than treating planting as an afterthought How thoughtful design considers entertaining space, traffic flow, privacy, recreation, and future phases of a project The rise of virtual landscape design and how Rita uses Dynascape, client photos, surveys, and Google Earth to make it work Why designers often notice bigger issues homeowners may miss, including neighbouring trees, conservation land, municipal regulations, and permit-related planting requirements How municipalities are increasingly focused on tree canopy, flood mitigation, and sustainable planting Why starting with a landscape design can help avoid costly mistakes, bylaw issues, drainage problems, and neighbour disputes The role of landscape designers in helping homeowners choose plants that will actually thrive, not just survive Why good design saves money by helping contractors quote accurately and reducing changes later Sustainable landscaping ideas, including enlarging garden beds, using natural mulch, amending soil, reducing unnecessary lawn, harvesting rainwater, and supporting pollinators Rita's insight that gardening and landscaping are "the purest form of optimism" The impact professional landscaping can have on property value, resale appeal, and long-term enjoyment Common homeowner requests such as low-maintenance gardens, privacy solutions, deer resistance, and goose deterrence Rita's current favourite plant choice: a unique Japanese maple, chosen for beauty and year-round enjoyment Takeaways and Tips Start with a professional landscape plan before hiring contractors or installing patios, decks, pools, or planting beds. Treat the landscape as a whole system rather than separating hardscaping from planting. Think beyond your property line. Neighbouring trees, conservation land, drainage patterns, and bylaws can all affect your project. Ask about future phases of your yard so today's choices do not create tomorrow's headaches. Use accurate measurements and documentation to avoid design and installation mistakes. Consider virtual design if you live outside your designer's local area or need a more flexible process. Choose plants based on your site conditions, climate, and maintenance goals, not just online inspiration photos. Preserve and support mature trees whenever possible. They add beauty, shade, environmental value, and property value. Harvest rainwater and direct it into your garden, where possible, to support healthier plants and reduce runoff. Low-maintenance does not mean no-maintenance, but smart plant choices and proper installation can dramatically reduce the workload. Before digging, always arrange for utility locates through Ontario One Call A well-designed landscape is not just attractive. It can improve privacy, function, sustainability, resale appeal, and day-to-day enjoyment. Find Rita online at www.ritanugentlandscapedesign.com. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

This month on Down the Garden Path, Joanne welcomes four talented landscape designers, each with their own style, story, and specialty. What connects them all is a shared passion for creating beautiful, thoughtful outdoor spaces for their clients. Tune in each week in March as they share their experiences, perspectives, and the many ways landscape design can shape how we live outdoors. This week, Joanne welcomes John Bright, a certified landscape designer in London, Ontario, and owner of BRIGHT Design Studio. Topics Covered Why landscape design matters (for homeowners) John compares exterior projects to interior renovations or building a home: you wouldn't start without drawings; outdoors shouldn't be any different. A plan helps homeowners avoid expensive mistakes before "dig day," especially when space is tight. What makes landscape design uniquely challenging Designers work with living things that change over time (plant growth, seasonal interest, variability in nursery stock). Outdoor spaces must function across four seasons, not just look good in summer. Microclimates, soil, sun/shade, and neighbouring conditions are all part of the design reality. Small-space design: why it's harder than it looks John's specialty is small-space landscapes, influenced by his Toronto experience and today's shrinking lots. In small yards, every inch counts and being off by even a foot can ruin furniture clearances and functionality. Strategy: prioritize needs vs. wants, then get creative to fit the wish list. How to make a small yard feel bigger "Go up" with pergolas, trellises, archways, and vertical structure. Use larger-format pavers and thoughtful laying patterns to change how the eye reads the space. Darker fences/screens can help the background "disappear." Use a few anchoring shrubs/trees and keep the plant palette simpler for a cleaner, more expansive feel. Why designers bring value beyond the property line John and Joanne talk about "borrowed landscape" (benefiting from neighbours' trees) and the risk of relying on neighbours for privacy or shade. Designers look at the whole context, including what could change next door. John's process and how he tailors deliverables Starts with a short discovery call and then a deeper consultation on-site. He adapts to how clients "receive information": Technical clients: plans, CAD drawings, details/sections Visual clients: concept sketches and/or 3D visuals Tools: AutoCAD (plans/details), hand sketching (idea exploration), SketchUp (3D & grading/spot elevations). "Design in a Day" (and what it really means) It's more like an accelerated intro, often 24-72 hours, depending on scope. Best for smaller areas (like a front garden) and for clients who want quick concepts or a DIY jumping-off point. If clients continue into a full package, the initial investment can roll forward (rather than starting over). Materials and palettes as part of design John treats exterior materials like interior selections: coordinated colour palettes, wall stone, caps, pavers, decking options, etc. Contractor preferences and client budgets shape what's realistic, but the goal is always a coherent plan. Takeaways and Tips Treat outdoors like a renovation. If you'd never renovate a kitchen without a plan, don't rebuild a backyard without one. Small yards need more planning, not less. Tight spaces amplify mistakes, design prevents "we're off by a foot" problems that become expensive fixes. Start with needs, then earn the wants. Sorting the wish list into must-haves vs nice-to-haves makes the design process faster and smarter. Make small spaces feel larger with a few key moves: go vertical, simplify the plant palette, choose bigger-format hardscape materials, and use placement to guide sightlines. Don't borrow privacy from your neighbours. Neighbours change; trees get removed; pools get installed. Build privacy and shade into your plan when possible. Expect the landscape to get better with time. Planting often looks "new" at install; maturity is the real finish line. If you can't visualize plans, ask for the right format. Some people need detailed drawings; others need sketches or 3D. A good designer adjusts how they communicate. You can find BRIGHT Design Studio online at www.brightds.ca and on Instagram. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

This week, Joanne welcomes master gardener Ingrid Janssen to the podcast to discuss the inspiring work being done by Little Forests Durham, a nonprofit organization focused on planting Miyawaki mini forests throughout Durham Region. About Little Forests Durham Little Forests Durham is a volunteer-run community non-profit organization based in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada, focused on giving tools, knowledge, and support to people, communities, organizations and local authorities to plant Little Forests in their neighbourhoods and communities. Topics Covered Ingrid's background as a Durham Master Gardener, seed collector, and advocate for native trees How Little Forests Durham was founded in 2024 and inspired by Little Forests Kingston What a Miyawaki mini forest is and how the method aims to compress forest succession into 20-30 years Why these forests are planted using dense layers of native trees and shrubs to mimic a natural forest community The importance of soil preparation, including cardboard, compost, and mulch to suppress weeds and build fungal-rich soil How sites are chosen through collaboration with municipal staff, parks departments, and local partners Why publicly accessible land is a priority for Little Forests Durham projects The logistics behind site prep, including access for trucks, compost delivery, mulch spreading, and volunteer coordination How volunteers help with planting days, often in large numbers, making it possible to plant hundreds of trees and shrubs in a short time Why planting design still matters, even in a more naturalized system, with careful placement of canopy trees, understory trees, and shrubs The realities of maintenance, including weeding, invasive species removal, tree protection, fencing, and monitoring for drought How mini forests help address climate change by increasing biodiversity, cooling urban spaces, and creating habitat for wildlife The role of partnerships with organizations such as Rotary Clubs, conservation authorities, Green Communities Canada, Greenbelt Foundation, and Trees for Life The group's ambitious goal of planting 30 mini forests by 2030 in Durham Region How listeners can support the effort through volunteering, joining the team, donating, or helping bring projects to their own communities The idea that homeowners can create smaller-scale versions in their own yards, known as pocket forests Ingrid's love of native trees, with a special mention of her flowering dogwood, grown from seed she collected herself Takeaways and Tips Mini forests do not require huge spaces. Even a small corner of a park or a backyard can support a meaningful planting. Native trees and shrubs matter. They support biodiversity, wildlife, and long-term ecological health. The Miyawaki method is about community. It brings together people, plants, fungi, wildlife, and local organizations in one shared effort. Good site access is essential. Successful projects need room for compost, mulch, tools, and tree delivery. Volunteer-friendly planning makes all the difference. Clear layouts and simple planting instructions help create a positive experience. Soil prep is key. Cardboard, compost, and mulch help suppress weeds and create better conditions for young trees to thrive. Maintenance matters. The first few years require protection from rabbits, trampling, invasive weeds, and possible drought. Climate action can be local. You don't have to wait for large systems to change. Communities can begin by planting trees where they live. Small efforts add up. Whether it is joining a planting day, donating materials, or creating a pocket forest at home, every action helps. You can find Little Forests Durham online at www.littleforestsdurham.ca and on Instagram, and Facebook. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

This week, Joanne welcomes Madison House of Bloomin' Easy Plants to the podcast to talk about what makes gardening feel "easy" for newer gardeners and what's new in their plant lineup this year. About Bloomin' Easy Plants Bloomin' Easy finds stronger, more compact, longer-blooming genetics (often from European breeders), then trials plants for years in Canadian conditions before they ever reach garden centres. They also build support tools around each plant, such as QR-code care reminders, an app, a 24/7 chatbot ("Ask Miss Diggs"), and even "mental reality" previews, so shoppers can feel confident choosing the right plant for the right spot.  Topics Covered What Bloomin' Easy Plants is (and who it's for): a brand built to help casual/new gardeners succeed with approachable plants and simple guidance. How plants get to homeowners: breeders → Bloomin' Easy trials → propagators create "baby plants" → finished container growers → local garden centres/big box stores. Why "grown locally" matters: plants supplied by growers near your garden centre are more likely to be adapted to your climate (better survival and performance). Plant genetics and long trialing: many varieties are trialed 3–10 years to confirm hardiness, disease resistance, compact habit, and flowering performance. Support tools for success: QR tags with care reminders, an app, "Ask Miss Diggs" chatbot (with info backed by credible sources/universities), and "see it mature" preview tech. Boxwood challenges and replacements: discussion of boxwood blight and boxwood tree moth concerns, plus plants that can be shaped and used as alternatives. New/featured plants and why they stand out: Blue Box® (Rhododendron / "small-leaf rhodo") as a boxwood-like replacement with early blooms (magenta or light pink) and evergreen structure; prune right after flowering to avoid removing next year's buds. Hydrangea "Bubble Bath": a compact, mophead-style look; zone 3–8, 2–3 ft tall/wide; lime-tinged blooms fading to creamy white; great in pots due to tidy shape. Perennials expansion: Bloomin' Easy launched perennials about two years ago due to grower demand; perennials follow the same "compact and easy" standard. "Forged by Fire" (Silene): early spring bloomer with dark foliage and bright red flowers; compact (about 12–18 in), and noted as a native option with improved garden behaviour. Garden phlox varieties (e.g., Center of Attention, Confetti Cake): selected for long bloom and powdery mildew resistance in damp coastal trial conditions. Rudbeckia "Solar Sisters": a standout for rich colour and season-long bloom; treated as an annual in cooler zones if it's not hardy where you live. Industry-side support for garden centres: in-store display materials, a pro portal for assets, and staff/customer education events at partner garden centres. Zones are nuanced: even within the same neighbourhood, microclimates matter; tags include temperature info to make zone guidance easier. Takeaways and Tips "Right plant, right spot" beats "green thumb." Start with sun requirements, mature size, and your hardiness zone—most frustration comes from a mismatch, not failure. Buy within your zone (and your microclimate). If your yard is windy, exposed, or freeze/thaw heavy, choose hardier options or protect tender plants. Look for locally grown stock when possible. Plants finished by nearby growers are more likely to be tuned to your region's conditions. Use the tag tools. Scan QR codes for planting depth, spacing, and care reminders—especially helpful for first-timers. Boxwood alternative pruning tip: if you choose a spring-blooming "boxwood look-alike," prune right after it flowers so you don't remove next season's buds. Pot-to-ground trick for tender perennials/shrubs: enjoy them in containers, then plant them in the ground before freeze-up to overwinter (or treat as seasonal "annuals" if they're not hardy). When shopping, don't assume "perennial section" is hardy for you. Always check the tag for zone; some plants may be sold as seasonal colour in cooler climates. Find a retailer near you: Bloomin' Easy offers a retailer map on their site—use it to track down specific new varieties locally. You can find Bloomin' Easy Plants online at www.bloomingeasyplants.com and on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Recorded live at Symphony Hall with Boston Symphony Orchestra players and a star-studded cast, this Buddhist story from Tibet and India proves we can all be helpers, no matter our size. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.

In the fourth episode of Down the Garden Path's "Houseplant Chat" series, Joanne discusses the basics of fertilizing houseplants. Topics Covered When to start fertilizing Wait until days are noticeably longer (sometime after daylight savings time) when plants begin active growth again. How to read fertilizer labels (N-P-K) The three numbers represent Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K). Leafy plants may benefit from higher nitrogen; flowering plants often need more phosphorus. Choosing an "all-purpose" fertilizer Balanced blends (e.g., 10-10-10) can work for many houseplants, especially as a baseline. Three common fertilizer formats Water-soluble liquid: mix into watering can; easy to apply while watering. Granular: sprinkle on the soil surface; dissolves as you water (Joanne notes it can feel less precise). Slow-release pellets: dissolve gradually; may only need reapplying every few months. Frequency & control Liquids are immediate and routine-friendly; granular and slow-release can be less frequent but require awareness of plant needs. Start gently Use half-strength for the first few feedings at the start of the season to ease plants in. Organic vs. big-box options Joanne prefers organic options (often lower N-P-K numbers) and mentions the appeal of local/smaller brands, while acknowledging "use what you have" if it's already in your cupboard. Check expiry dates Expired fertilizer is usually not harmful—just potentially less effective. Know your special plants Spot-check care requirements for "can't-risk-it" plants: heirlooms, cuttings, orchids, sentimental favourites (she shares the example of a long-loved rubber tree). Homemade fertilizer recipes (with caution) DIY approaches (tea/coffee grounds/fish emulsion) exist, but beginners should stick to products with known N-P-K values. Takeaways and Tips Don't rush it: Start fertilizing when daylight increases (typically after daylight savings), not in the dead of winter. Half-strength first: For the first few fertilized waterings, go 50% strength to avoid shocking plants waking up from slower winter growth. Match fertilizer to the goal: Leaf growth: consider a more nitrogen-forward option. Flowering: look for a higher middle number (phosphorus). Pick a method you'll actually remember: If you're consistent with watering, liquid can be easiest. If you forget steps easily, slow-release may be safer; just add a reminder so it doesn't get missed. Follow the label (seriously): Package directions matter more than brand debates. Research your "VIP plants": If a plant is sentimental or pricey, do a quick care check so you're not guessing at feeding needs. Use what you have, smartly: If you find old fertilizer, check the expiry date; it may still work, just a bit weaker. Keep it measurable: If you're newer to houseplants, prioritize fertilizers with clear N-P-K numbers over DIY mixes until you've got a baseline routine. Other Houseplant Chat episodes Getting the Light Right Soil and Watering Tips Propagation Made Simple Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

In the third episode of Down the Garden Path's "Houseplant Chat" series, Joanne discusses propagation, a simple and rewarding way to expand your plant collection. Topics discussed: Quick recap of Houseplant Chat #1 and #2: winter light, soil refresh/repotting, and watering What propagation is (and why it's easier than starting from seed) Best beginner-friendly plants to propagate: pothos and philodendrons Fixing a long, "leggy" trailing plant by trimming and replanting rooted cuttings back into the base to fill it out How to take cuttings: clean tools, cut around leaf nodes, and root in water How long rooting can take (and why patience pays off, especially for woodier plants) "Mother plant" strategy: pruning the original plant and using the cuttings to rebuild a fuller shape Gift and budget-friendly uses: making plants to share, sell, or give as gifts A reminder that plants are more resilient than we think, and even cut stems can be decorative in water Using propagation as décor: greenery in vases for low-light areas and windowless rooms Takeaways and Tips: Start with easy wins: pothos and philodendrons root quickly and are beginner-proof. Always cut near a node: that's where roots are most likely to form. Use clean, sharp tools: cleaner cuts make for healthier cuttings. Re-fill leggy plants: root cuttings, then plant them back into the pot to thicken the base and make the plant look brand new. Don't panic if something snaps off: trim it neatly, pop it in water, and see what happens. Water propagation can double as décor: a vase of cuttings adds life to dark corners, and you can pot them up later. Expect slower rooting on woody plants: they can still work, but they take longer. Experiment without fear: some cuttings won't take (and that's okay) because the learning is part of the fun. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

In the second episode of Down the Garden Path's "Houseplant Chat" series, Joanne focuses on soil and watering techniques during the winter months. Topics discussed: Joanne emphasizes the vital role that soil plays in the health of our houseplants. Steer clear of potting soils with added fertilizers or unnecessary ingredients, as houseplants generally do not require fertilization during this period. Instead, opt for a basic, nutrient-rich potting mix that supports healthy growth without overwhelming your plants. For those with existing plants, it's essential to check if they need repotting. Signs include roots sticking up in the pot, visible roots at the bottom, or soil that dries out quickly after watering. When repotting, Joanne suggests using a pot that is one size larger than the current one, as jumping too many sizes can lead to overwatering issues. The pot-in-pot method is a practical solution for those who struggle with overwatering. By placing a smaller, drainage-friendly pot inside a decorative pot, you can monitor how much water your plant is receiving. If water collects in the bottom, simply remove the inner pot, dump any excess water, and replace it. This method not only protects your plants but also prevents them from sitting in standing water, which can lead to root rot. Joanne shares her experience as a chronic overwaterer, noting that it's common to either neglect plants or drown them with too much water. She advises checking the soil moisture before watering, suggesting using a water meter for peace of mind. Takeaways and Tips: Assess whether your plants need repotting based on visible root growth and soil absorption. Consider using the pot-in-pot method to prevent overwatering and maintain healthy roots. Use a water meter to accurately gauge soil moisture before watering. Choose a quality potting soil without excess additives, especially in winter. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

This week, Joanne kicks off the 12th season of the Down the Garden Path podcast with the first episode in her "Houseplant Chat" series: Getting the Light Right. Tune in to learn how to keep your houseplants happy when winter light disappears. Topics discussed: Joanne emphasizes the importance of light for houseplants, especially in January, and shares practical tips for ensuring plants receive adequate light. She discusses her personal experiences with moving plants around her home to optimize their light exposure and highlights specific plants that thrive in low-light conditions, such as the ZZ plant and snake plant. Joanne addresses the importance of keeping plant leaves clean to enhance light absorption, suggesting simple methods for dusting leaves. She introduces the concept of grow lights, explaining how modern options have evolved to be more aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly, often featuring timers for convenience. Takeaways and Tips: Consider the light your plants are getting during winter. Moving plants around can help them get more light. Dusting leaves improves light absorption for better health. Grow lights have evolved to be more user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Using a timer for grow lights simplifies plant care. Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss? Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Hello and welcome to the 100th episode of Making Stitches Podcast. Way back in April of 2020 when I published my first ever Making Stitches Podcast episode, I had no idea that over 5 years later, I would be publishing episode 100! That blows my tiny mind!In the months leading up to this milestone, I had a couple of conversations with my lovely yarny friend, Christine Perry (aka Winwick Mum) and she suggested marking this podcast milestone with a different kind of episode - one with me as the guest.After much consideration, I took Christine up on her kind offer and let her turn the tables - asking me the questions instead. At the start of December, we had a lovely time having a long chat and recording this episode. Among the topics we covered were where I first learned to sew, knit and crochet, my career in journalism and how I got started in radio, our family's time in Gibraltar and how that led to starting my Postcard from Gibraltar blog back in 2015, making friends through the world of creativity, podcasting and blogging and, of course, 5 years of Making Stitches Podcast. I hope you enjoy listening!Huge thanks to Christine for being the host of Making Stitches Podcast this time! You can find Christine's website here: https://www.winwickmum.co.uk/You can find the Making Stitches Blog here: https://makingstitches.co.uk/You can listen to Gibraltar Stories Podcast in all the usual podcast places as well as on the Gibraltar Stories Website: https://gibraltarstories.com/Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Hello there and Happy Stitchmas!It's that time of year again when I take a look back at the past 12 months and choose some of the highlights of my podcasting year. 2025 has been a big year for me, I celebrated 10 years of blogging (Postcard from Gibraltar and then Making Stitches Blog) and 5 years of Making Stitches Podcast.In this episode I share some of the chats I have had this year and you may have heard before as well as some new chats too. Included in this episode are: Christine Perry from Winwick Mum speaking about 10 years of the Winwick Mum sock along.Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet talking about 10 years of her blog and our celebration of a decade online with our Let's Celebrate Wreath collaborative crochet pattern.Sara & Sean MacLeod from Crochet in the Glen chatting about the fun they have together and how they love to share their silliness online.Kirstie MacLeod, the artist behind The Red Dress, who I met at Woven in Kirklees on World Stitch Day.Becky Davies-Downes from William & Tilda who appeared a couple of times on the podcast last year. I interviewed her again at Yarndale this September, and this is the first time I've shared our chat.Also at Yarndale, I spoke to Julie Park, a close friend of Amanda Bloom, who sadly died this year. Julie has taken on Amanda's social media accounts after her death and has raised funds to support the Yarndale Start-Up Bursary for fledgling creative businesses at the festival in memory of Amanda and her daughter Jenny.More recently, I was at the Christmas edition of the Crochet Sanctuary Crochet Days just last weekend. While I was there I spoke to Lisa and Lynda-Rose who run the Crochet Sanctuary and, who were my guests on the first ever edition of Making Stitches back in the spring of 2020.I also caught a quick few minutes with Heather from Keep Calm & Crochet On and Jess from Hook & Cwtch.I hope you enjoy listening, and that you have a great Christmas. I'll be back again soon, with the last episode of the current series - and my 100th episode! Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

This week, Joanne welcomes horticulturist Stephen Biggs back to the podcast to talk about his latest project, the newly expanded Canada Gardener's Journal. About Steven   Steven was recognized by Garden Making magazine as one of the "green gang" making a difference in Canadian horticulture. His home-garden experiments span driveway straw-bale gardens, a rooftop kitchen garden, fruit plantings, and an edible-themed front yard. He's a horticulturist, award-winning broadcaster and author, and former horticulture instructor with George Brown and Durham Colleges in Ontario, Canada. His other books include Grow Olives Where You Think You Can't, Grow Lemons Where You Think You Can't, Growing Figs in Cold Climates, Grow Figs Where You Think You Can't, and No-Guff Gardening, available at foodgardenlife.com. Tune in to learn more about Canada Gardener's Journal. Origins of the Gardener's Journal Started 34 years ago by Margaret Bennett Alder Inspired by her father's paper booklets he used to manage tasks and meds Margaret used the format to track garden tasks, neat plant sources, and observations First year: ~50 copies printed; grew to 500 the next year By the 25th edition (2017), and her retirement at age 90, over 18,000 copies sold Margaret passed away at 98; the journal is part of her gardening legacy Evolution of the Journal Originally the Toronto Gardener's Journal, then the Toronto & Golden Horseshoe Gardener's Journal Taken over by Helen and Sarah Battersby (TorontoGardens.com), who expanded its geographic scope and won awards Now passed to Stephen, who has turned it into Canada's Gardener's Journal What's New in Canada's Gardener's Journal Now Canada-wide and bilingual, with information relevant across the country Includes average first and last frost dates using the most recent Environment Canada data Expanded sources list featuring Canadian suppliers that ship across the country (seeds, nursery stock, etc.) Ongoing plan to update sources as new nurseries and seed companies are suggested From Toronto-specific to Seasonal Tasks Old version: weekly tasks tied to the Toronto area and similar zones New version: season-based task lists (spring, summer, fall, winter) Includes outdoor tasks and indoor prep (seed starting, planning, etc.) Better suited to different climates and zones across Canada (and similar U.S. regions) Perpetual Calendar Format Previously: a dated, year-specific planner (e.g., 2024, 2025) with fixed calendar weeks Now: a perpetual, undated week-by-week layout Gardeners can start using it at any point in the year Can stretch use over more than one year if desired Focuses on periods of active gardening rather than wasting pages in off-months Practical, Hands-On Focus Designed by a gardener for gardeners—light on theory, heavy on practical prompts Space for gardeners to record: What they planted and when Weather patterns and unusual seasons Successes, failures, and plant sources Acts as both a planner and a historical record for future decision-making Why Garden Journaling Matters  Memory is unreliable: gardeners quickly forget how wet/cool or hot/dry a season actually was Notes and photos together help explain: Why certain plants thrived or struggled How changing climate and shifting zones affect timing and plant choices Useful for: Answering client questions (for designers like Joanne) Tracking long-term trends in weather and performance Diagnosing issues (e.g., why tomatoes didn't ripen as usual) Climate Change & Updated Data Growing zones and frost patterns are shifting with climate change The journal uses the latest Environment Canada frost-date data Stephen expects ongoing updates in future editions as data and climate continue to change Honouring Founder Margaret Bennett Alder Margaret was passionate about a plant-based diet, which she linked to her longevity The journal has long included pages of her favourite plant-based resources Stephen has expanded this section with new Canadian sources in her honour Availability & Price Price: $19.95 – positioned as an affordable gift or stocking stuffer Available via foodgardenlife.com under the books section Some specialty garden retailers carry it; retailers are listed on the website Stephen encourages buyers (especially Christmas shoppers) to email him via the site if they're unsure about shipping timelines Although now truly Canada-wide, gardeners in northern U.S. border states with similar zones may also find it very useful Check out Stephen's books and Canada's Gardener's Journal on foodgardenlife.com. You can also find @foodgardenlife on YouTube. Resources Mentioned in the Show: Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden Are you a landscape or gardening expert? We'd love to have you on the show! Click here to learn more. Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

In this episode of Making Stitches Podcast I chat to Anita Gibney — the designer behind Made by Anita and the author of the brand-new book; Patchwork Granny Square Blankets. Known for her beautiful crochet blanket deisgns, Anita has become an ambassador for Stylecraft Yarns and has just published her first book.We chat about how her love of crochet began, the inspiration behind her quilt-inspired granny-square blankets, and what it was like to turn years of designing into her first published book. Anita also shares insights into her creative process, how she approaches colour schemes, and why it's important to share skills to inspire makers of all skill levels.Whether you're a crochet beginner, a seasoned maker, or simply someone who loves hearing from a fellow creative, I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to Anita's story.You can find Anita's website here: madebyanita.co.ukFind out about Anita's new book: Patchwork Granny Square BlanketsHere is the yarn company which Anita made reference to during our chat: The Grey Sheep.  Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

December starts next week which means we are officially on the countdown to Christmas, but there's still time to make a few Christmas gifts for special people or some decorations for your home. In this special 'Bonus Episode' I'm sharing a chat I had with Justine from Little Box of Crochet and Nicky Ward from A Heart Shaped Cherry. Followers of Little Box of Crochet will know that 2025 has been a difficult year for Justine. One of the things she has had to deal with involved being badly let down on a yarn order for her Summer Box of Crochet, which left her severely out of pocket and struggling through no fault of her own.In an attempt to help Justine recoup some of her financial losses, a group of crochet designers have donated Christmas themed crochet patterns to be included in a special E-Book called Merry Crochet Makes, which was curated and edited by Nicky.Last weekend, I spoke to Justine and Nicky about this special collaboration and how it all came together, including chatting about how difficult things have been for Justine this year. (Justine has listened back to this episode before being released, and it is being published with her blessing).You can buy the Merry Crochet Makes E-Book here, and you can find Little Box of Crochet on Instagram & this is Nicky's website and her Instagram page - @aheartshapedcherry - please give her a follow!For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast is Kat Molesworth, the creative force behind the Blogtacular Podcast & Festival. With Blogtacular, Kat helped countless creatives and bloggers find their voice and their community online. These days, Kat's work means she's serving another creative community, working for Immediate Live, on the Knit & Stitch Show, the Stitch Festival & the Festival of Quilts. Kat has also been a quilter for years and this summer, qualified as a Master Quilter with the Quilters Guild. Kat and I chatted about her childhood fascination with photography and how that developed into her professional life, her online adventures, hosting live events and what quilting has given to her.I'm really grateful to Kat for taking the time to speak to me for Making Stitches.You can find Kat here on her website & Instagram account. For more information about the live events Kat works on for Immediate Live, please check out their website.For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Welcome to Making Stitches Podcast!In this episode I share a chat I've had with Michelle Greaves, one half of the team behind the brand new TexStyle festival which is coming to Manchester next year. Michelle and her Mum, Carole, have been hosting yarn festivals for a number of years including the Buxton, Cumbria and Stafford Wool Gatherings, next year, they are hosting a much bigger event spanning all sorts of textile and yarn crafts in central Manchester.TexStyle is a fresh celebration of all things textile, from knitting and crochet to sewing, weaving and sustainable fashion. It will bring together makers, artists, guilds and other enthusiasts for a weekend of inspiration and creativity in the historic Manchester Central (formerly GMEX).I really enjoyed chatting to Michelle about how her career has swerved from fashion design to digital media alongside organising yarn festivals with her Mum, Carole, who has decades of experience in the yarn industry.I hope you enjoy listening to our chat!If you would like to find out more information about TexStyle, please check out the website : https://texstyle.uk/For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston. 

My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast is Amy Ting, a crochet designer from the US who specialises in amigurumi. Amy is a passionate advocate for the Japanese technique of crocheting in the round to create soft toys. She has been crocheting amigurumi creatures for 7 years and shares her work online on her website: https://curiouspapaya.com/ and on social media too https://www.instagram.com/curiouspapaya/This summer, Amy released her first book of crochet patterns called Amigurumi Critters which contains 25 patterns to make cute crocheted animal soft toys. In this chat we spoke about how crochet came into her life and led her to publish her first book.For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.