Avant Gardeners Podcast By Madeleine Gasparinatos & Emily Allen cover art

Avant Gardeners

Avant Gardeners

By: Madeleine Gasparinatos & Emily Allen
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With lots of enthusiasm and very little know how, Emily and Maddie love chatting about gardening, often with a glass of wine or cocktail in hand. In each fortnightly episode, we speak to people who inspire us in the garden, in order to unearth some much needed knowledge.2023
Episodes
  • Jac Semmler // Flower Power, Pivoting to Horticulture, Super Bloom, Writing Books, Poppy Hacks
    Mar 24 2026

    We are the founding members of the Jac Semmler Fan Club. This is the second time we've been lucky enough to interview Jac, celebrating the launch of what will become an absolute gardening book staple, Flower Power.

    In this episode we answer a bunch of your questions, including
    -How and should I pivot to horticulture
    -How do I get my poppies to germinate
    -What are some surprising performers in the garden

    We talk about changing climate, bogan pronounciation of plant names, the amazing work Jac's doing at Super Bloom, and so much more.


    Before we get to that:
    Maddie and Em are drinking a dirty cacao (cacao powder, maple syrup, cinnamon, sea salt, shot of coffee), we're talking agastache, liquorice plant, planting in pots (inspired by Connie Cao), Flannel Flower, Succulents, Mother in Law's Tongue.

    Thanks for being here.


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    53 mins
  • Op Shops, Toilet Paper & Plums Galore
    Mar 17 2026

    Emily & Maddie are back with so much chat this week. We go a little off topic, but that's pretty standard...right?

    We cover:

    • Philodendron
    • Shrub (not of the plant variety!)
    • Spent flowers are self seeding
    • Ferment for Good - Sharon Flynn
    • Justin O'Brien's self-seeding success
    • Compost bins
    • Proteas not opening
    • Olive grove maintenance
    • Drowning in Plums
    • Different types of clematis - who knew!
    • Emily is on the hunt for the perfect garden basket from op shops near and far.

    Next week we're so excited to be releasing our chat with the amazing Jac Semmler of Super Bloom!

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    36 mins
  • Steven Wells // Therapeutic Gardening, Downsizing, Churchill Fellowship, Gardener Folk
    Mar 10 2026

    Emily and Maddie were lucky enough to meet Steven in Victoria late last year, having followed his journey for a long time. Steven began his career as a nurse, before studying horticulture, with no intention of fusing the two. But he delved deeper into therapeutic gardens, gaining a Churchill Fellowship to help support research, and he started the Therapeutic Garden at the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre nearly 20 years ago, providing immeasurable benefit to patients, their families, friends and staff.

    Steven recently downsized from a much-celebrated garden in the Melbourne suburbs, Steven now has a lush veranda in the clouds, overlooking Melbourne's CBD. This downsizing has given him time and space to focus on other passions and projects in his life.

    Steven lives, works and gardens in Naarm / Melbourne, on the traditional lands of the Kulin Nation.

    Before we get to Steven's chat, Maddie and Emily are dreaming of fields of sunflowers - Emily is reminiscing about her time in Europe with sunflowers and cosmos all around. Maddie is reminiscing of her time on a farm stay in Portugal while staying in a yurt.

    We ask Steven for his favourite Evergreen plants, which are:

    • Agave Attenuata / Foxtail Agave
    • Variegated aspidistra
    • Bromeliads

    And his tips for Textural Plants in a Sensory garden include Lambs Ear or Kalanchoe 'Oak Leaf'.

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    47 mins
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