Sachi, left, and Fleur are childhood friends who share a passion for garden design.
28 September 2023
Childhood friends Fleur Froggatt and Sachi Wimmer had never recorded a podcast before.
Their shared passion for garden design, combined with a post-COVID desire for a new career direction, prompted them to start their podcast On Garden Design.
They do this from The Hive – the professional podcast studio at Woden Library.
“It’s amazing for a free facility,” they said.
“The support is first rate and the facilities are exactly what we need. We book ahead and can always get the time we want. It’s convenient, accessible and easy to use. And while this is new technology to us, it’s been a great learning journey in every way.”
Fleur and Sachi now release a half-hour episode each fortnight.
While focused on the east coast of Australia, the podcast’s content translates internationally.
They now have subscribers in 27 countries.
“Garden design is ubiquitous to every culture and style,” they said.
“We have listeners from places you wouldn’t think of. In fact, the one that really surprised us was Dubai.”
Since opening in 2021, The Hive has welcomed a host of intrepid broadcasters keen to take advantage of the free facility.
Accommodating busy schedules, the studio is available outside regular library hours – from 9am to 9pm, seven days a week.
While the equipment is easy to use, library staff provide a studio induction tailored to new podcasters’ abilities.
“One thing people always comment on is the excellent audio quality,” Fleur and Sachi said.
“We’re not aiming at a professional market, but we have a broad church of listeners. We’ve even had professionals in the industry saying thank you for doing it.”
The pair don’t hesitate to recommend the studio to anyone considering starting a podcast or elevating an existing one.
“There are so many reasons we’d recommend it,” they said.
“It’s a nice evolution, being Canberra girls and library users. We came to the library as kids, and with our kids, and it’s really great to take that to the next level now.”
Book a spot at The Hive podcast studio
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