The Messed Up Gardener
Hello and Welcome to The Messed Up Gardener. This podcast covers all areas of gardening from a beginner, intermediate to advanced level. It covers gardening on any budget, any space, any place. There are no rules when it comes to me, and my gardens and I do it messy. There is nothing more fun than getting your hands dirty and creating that space that gives you joy and abundance. This podcast will give tips, tricks, hacks and methodology’s to make any space work from the tiny indoor garden to the rolling meadows with even a dash of bees, mushrooms and hydroponics thrown in. I have been a horticulturist for as long as I can remember and in the industry since I was 15 so that’s nearly 30 years of hands on gardening experience. I am really looking forward to being on this journey & doing it messy with you.
Episodes
184 episodes
Ep 169: Why Knowing How to Grow Food Changes the Way You See the World
🎧 Press Play to Listen to Today’s Episode Free Gardening Resources at the bottom of the show notesWhat if the way you see food… isn’t the full picture?Most people experience food as something finished....
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26:29
Ep 168: If Supermarkets Closed Tomorrow, Could Your Garden Feed You?
🎧Press Play to Listen to Today’s EpisodeFree Gardening Resources at the bottom of the show notes What would actually happen if the supermarkets shut tomorrow?Would your garden feed you?Or wo...
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20:40
Ep 167: Why Sustainable Gardens Get Easier Every Year (And Why Some Get Harder)
🎧 Listen to Today’s EpisodeSome gardens quietly become easier every year.Others slowly become harder — and before you realise it, you feel like you’re constantly catching up… watering more, fixing more, rescuing more.
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27:38
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Ep 166: The Hidden Mistake Most Gardeners Don’t Even Realize They’re Making
Why Strategic Gardening Always Beats Reactive GardeningSometimes the most damaging thing you can do in a garden… is intervene too quickly.In this episode of The Messed-Up Gardener, Esther unpacks the hidden mista...
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21:36
Ep 165: Autumn Is Where Smart Gardens Win - What to Do Before It Gets Cold
Autumn isn’t the end of the season — it’s leverage season.In this episode, Esther breaks down how smart gardeners prepare before the cold really hits. You’ll learn the key mindset shift for autumn, the five strategic moves that se...
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22:41
EP 164: Transplant Shock Isn’t About Transplanting — Here’s A low-stress system for seedlings that flop after planting out
Have you ever planted out a seedling, stood back proud… then come out the next morning to find it flopped over like it’s regretting all its life choices? 😅In this episode of The Messed-Up Gardener, we’re breaking down “transplan...
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21:11
Ep 163: Slugs & Snails Are Back — Here’s the Calm Plan That Actually Works
Ep 163: Slugs & Snails Are Back — Here’s the Calm Plan That Actually WorksA targeted, low-tox slug strategy for seedlings and soft growthSlugs are back — and if you’ve walked outside to find seedlings ch...
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21:36
Episode 162: Tabletop Veg Is the 2026 Trend — Here’s How to Actually Make It Work - Tiny pots, real harvests, and the few things that matter
Growing food is changing — and this episode explains why tabletop veg is having a real moment, not just a social media one.In Episode 162 of The Messed-Up Gardener, Esther Williams breaks down how growing edible plants at...
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26:16
Ep 161: Most Gardening Advice Sounds Helpful — Here’s What Actually Is 5 myths, 5 truths, and the things that make a real difference
5 myths, 5 truths, and the things that make a real differenceGardening advice is everywhere — and a lot of it sounds helpful. But for many gardeners, it quietly creates more pressure than progress.In t...
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23:34
Ep 160: What to Plant in January: Back to Basics — The Most Reliable Plants for This Month, Wherever You Live
January gardening can feel deceptively simple… and strangely exhausting.Whether you’re dealing with peak summer heat in the Southern Hemisphere or deep winter planning in the Northern Hemisphere, this episode is a calm, practical reset f...
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25:48
Ep 159: The 3-List Garden Permission Slip. What you’re allowed to quit, ignore, and do badly
Gardening doesn’t always need motivation — sometimes it needs permission.In this quieter episode of The Messed-Up Gardener, Esther shares a gentle reset for overwhelmed, tired gardeners: three things you’re allowed to quit, thre...
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21:03
Ep 158: When the Weather Cries Wolf
The forecast has been acting like that dramatic friend who’s “being such a diva” every second day… and if you’ve ever rearranged your whole garden plan for “rain at 3pm” that never arrived, this episode is for you.In this mini masterclas...
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17:52
Ep 157: The 3-Goal Garden Rule (Because You’re Not a Garden Employee)
It’s Twixmas… that weird in-between week where time doesn’t exist, your diet is 80% snacks, and your garden has decided to grow 9cm overnight just to humble you.In today’s episode, I’m sharing what we’ve been up to on our little modern-h...
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16:06
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Ep 156: Outsource to Nature — Plants That Do the Work While You’re at Work
If your garden currently survives on “thoughts and prayers” because you’re flat out with work, life, Christmas chaos, kiwifruit, H&S… and maybe even relocating a 8m plastic house because it’s basically a solar oven… this one’s for you. 😅
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24:06
Ep 155: "Batch Gardening — Do the Work Once, Coast All Week”
Batch Gardening — Do the Work Once, Coast All Week - How to garden like meal prep — one big push, lots of lazy wins. If you only have one decent chunk of time each week (or fortnight) to garden, this episode is your permission slip ...
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25:48
Ep 154: The Bare-Minimum Watering Plan — Keeping Plants Alive When You’re Running on Fumes
The Bare-Minimum Watering Plan — Keeping Plants Alive When You’re Running on Fumes” A realistic survival guide for tired, overcommitted gardeners.You meant to water… and then work, kids, pets, emails, and li...
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24:49
Ep 153: “The ‘Someday Garden’ Trap — How to Start with the Garden You Actually Have”
Stop waiting for perfect conditions and grow something now.“We’ll really garden when we move.” “Once we build the raised beds.” “When I’ve got more time… next season.”If that sounds like you, this episod...
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24:32
Ep 152: Lazy Mulching — How to Protect Your Soil Even When You’re Too Busy to Garden
Feeling like your garden is either drowning or turning into crunchy toast — sometimes in the same week? 😅In this episode of The Messed-Up Gardener, I’m talking lazy mulching: the simple, real-world way to protect your soil,...
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18:15
Ep 151: The 3-Bucket System — Never Waste a Weed, Leaf, or Kitchen Scrap Again
Ever stared at a pile of weeds or kitchen scraps and thought, “Now what?” In this episode, Esther shares the simple 3-Bucket System — a no-stress, no-science-degree method for turning everyday garden mess into free, nutrient...
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19:34
Ep 150: “The Odd Rule — Why Uneven Planting Looks So Darn Good”
Ever notice how some gardens just feel right? In this short and sunny episode, Esther unpacks one of gardening’s simplest design secrets — the rule of odd numbers. Discover why planting in threes, fives, or sevens creates flow a...
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19:06
Ep 149: “Beehind Closed Doors: What Really Happens When You Grow Under Cover”
Hello and welcome to another episode of The Messed-Up Gardener!Today, we’re pulling back the netting (literally) to talk about the sneaky pollination problems that happen in greenhouses, tunnel houses, and bird-netted space...
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24:32
Ep 148: “Chaos Gardening: Why Letting Go Might Grow More Than You Think.”
Hi & Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up GardenerSpring is in full swing here at The Messed-Up Gardener HQ—sunflowers about to pop, kiwifruit vines gearing up to flower, bees on overtime, and the greenhouse going bonkers. All...
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24:01
Ep 147: “Barrel Dreams: The Pros and Cons of Growing Nursery Trees in Big Pots While You Wait for Your Land”
Ever wandered through a nursery, spotted the perfect tree, and thought, “One day… when I have my own land”? In this heartfelt episode, I share how hubby and I are building our future orchard right now — one barrel at a time. With o...
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21:29
Ep 146 Hot House Secrets — How to Grow Smarter in Pots & Soil
It’s been one of those weeks washing almost dry… and then it rains. Hubby’s flat-out with the bees, and I’ve been fighting off a chest/sinus bug (would not recommend). The silver lining? My happy place under plastic. Even on the rough day...
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38:35
Ep 145: The Harvest Hustle - 6 Things to Pick Now Before They Go to Waste (Save your crops and your sanity with timely harvesting)
Spring is in full swing here at Shesther’s, and while the frosts are just behind us (fingers crossed past Labour Day!), the gardens and orchard are pumping out produce faster than we can keep up. Hubby’s been on frost duty with the inc...
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21:51
