Melanie Walker's Grounded

Going away for the holidays? Or staying home for the season? Whichever it is, make sure your garden is in tip-top shape, whether you’re expecting guests or needing it to look after itself for a while. Cary Goodwin and Melanie discuss the latest greatest ideas from lifeisagarden.co.za, including how to become a Water Warrior!

Every seed has a story. What began as a seed of an idea turned into a passion for growing from seed for Organic Gardening Goddess Linda Galvad. In this edition of Grounded, Linda and Melanie Walker (co-conspirators on The Home Channel's Gardening 101) get to grips with what makes a seed heirloom, heritage and organic, why you shouldn't bring seeds with you from other countries, what you should be growing in your backyard this month as we head into the cold of winter in SA, and how to improve your health and well-being by being, well... a seedsmith!

Sometimes cookery books aren't just about cooking, they're about a whole lot more; the ingredients and where they come from, the ancestors who hold the lore surrounding them, preserving wild foods (in nature, not just in jam jars), and the heritage of indigenous ingredients. It's about the stories that come with the 'lekkerness', the 'mnandi-ness' of the people and their culinary culture. Gregory Henderson is more than just a chef, he's been a global winner of the LUX Awards Most Sustainable Dining Experience and is an ardent promoter not only of living off the land but ensuring that our unique South African tales about food aren't lost in the mists of time. Gregory's books showcase these proudly South African values and they're on the menu for discussion in this tasty episode.

.. and an (E)scape from the pressures of Life Once again proving that Succulents Don't Suck, Cary Goodwin of Life is a Garden chats to Melanie about the wondrous variety of aloes and echeveria that are available these days, along with how to deal with the descent into the winter months in the garden. Oh, and about fire-scaping!

Whether you're new to the joys of gardening or not, there's always something new to be learned. It's time to find out more about the not-difficult art of growing bulbs on Grounded with the man who has made it his life, Charles Barnhoorn of Hadeco Bulbs. He demystifies what some see as the magic art of getting these hidden treasures to bloom while giving solid information on how to get the best out of them.