Katie Finlay is a third-generation orchardist who grew up on the family farm she now calls home. She received a Bachelor of Science from Monash Uni majoring in botany and genetics - which came in very handy when she returned to the farm 15 years later

Katie and her partner Hugh are on a mission to help backyard growers and orchardists alike to create the abundant fruit trees of your dreams.

Katie and Hugh run Grow Great Fruit, an education hub that combines their decades of fruit growing experience into practical lessons through webinars, online courses, annual subscriptions and in-person sessions. They also have a nursery with more than 200 varietes of fruit including apples, stone fruit, heritage varieties and multi-grafted trees.

Katie lives and farms on Djaara country at the foot of Mount Alexander in central Victoria

To kick the episode off we're drinking a cup of chamomile tea and honey, with a dash of Poor Tom's Gin. Maddie's tree dahlia didn't quite go off like she'd have hoped, but her ranunculus from seed are going great.
She's still planting things too close together.
Emily is in her espalier era, with 7 trees about to go into the ground. We ask - What can't you espalier?
We acknowledge we've been pronouncing bougainvillea like Aussie bogans - boganvillia. Whoops.
Emily has secured herself a Charles Jolly Lilac.

Maddie is recommending The Plant Hunter's Atlas

In our chat with the amazing Katie, we cover all this and more:

• bud swell
• pruning
• pests and pest control
• grafting
• storing fruit
• preserving fruit
• cooperative farming models
• succession planning
• Grow Great Fruit

Thanks for listening. We'd love it if you could rate, review and share Avant Gardeners with your friends.

Follow us on Instagram or check out our website.

Scott Whitaker is a visual artist and former art gallery owner who now runs Hinterland Bees with his wife Allyson Reynolds. They got their first hive back in 1996, and now manage more than 250 of them across orchards and rainforests in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

Scott produces pure, natural raw honey and has become synonymous with swarm removal. His social videos are mesmerising to watch, opting for no protective gear when handling thousands of them.

Scott lives, gardens and bee keeps on Jinibara and Kabi Kabi country in the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Queensland.

If you love or loathe bees, or eat anything pollinated by bees, this is a great listen!

Before we get there, we're drinking a Hartzview Honey Mead. Emily is talking about all the positive impacts on her gardening journey including Terry Memory, Milkwood Permaculture, Emma Bowen @ Rising Farm and Hannah Maloney. She's also about to plant all her peonies.

Maddie is trying to grow Hollyhock, she's reneged on her idea of building her own chicken coop, and she's on the snail warpath. She's also recommending Danielle Alvarez's Cheesy Cauliflower Soup. Yum!

Scott recommends the book Honey Bee Democracy by Thomas D. Seeley.

NOTE: We interviewed Scott about 8 weeks ago, and since then varroa has been detected in several of his hives.

Thanks for listening. We'd love it if you could rate, review and share Avant Gardeners with your friends.

Follow us on Instagram or check out our website.

Nikki Husted, aka Purely Chickens on Instagram, has been on our Dream Interview List for a very long time.

Nikki is a former public school teacher turned chicken guru, who educates and entertains a community of like-minded chicken fanatics about all things poultry and homesteading.

In 2023 she released her book Chicken Keeping Pure and Simple, bringing together more than two decades of chicken know-how into a really practical resource.

Nikki lives in Ohio with her husband, two young kids, and a menagerie including dogs, cats, goats, geese and - of course - dozens of chickens! Whether you have chickens or not, you're going to love Nikki's chat!

Before we get there, we're drinking a Lindt Ball Hot Chocolate (which you can make adult by adding a shot of whisky or similar). Emily is sharing her compost palace update, her Arborteum experience and she's getting around to spraying her fruit trees. Maddie is obsessed with her $4 zero turn mower and she's upskilling on avocado pollination types.

Recommendations: Emily is loving her mulch fork, while Maddie is obsessed with top quality hazelnuts. Specifically Crooked Tree (hard to source if you're not very local) or Hazelbrae Hazelnuts if you're looking to purchase some online. Yummm bloody yum.

Thanks for listening. We'd love it if you could rate, review and share Avant Gardeners with your friends.

Follow us on Instagram or check out our website.