The Messed Up Gardener

Welcome to the first episode of The Messed-Up Gardener for 2025! In this episode, Esther dives into the fascinating world of succulents, covering everything you need to know to keep these hardy, beautiful plants thriving. Whether you're new to succulents or looking to expand your collection, this episode is packed with practical tips and advice. Esther explores six key areas of succulent care...

Welcome back to The Messed-Up Gardener podcast, your go-to show for all things gardening! I’m Esther Williams, your host, and today’s episode is all about setting your garden goals for the new year. Whether you’re just starting out, have a bit of experience, or are a seasoned gardener, this episode is packed with tips to help you create a plan for your garden that feels manageable and inspiring. W...

In this episode of The Messed-Up Gardener , host Esther Williams dives into the most-asked questions about outdoor planters. Whether you're new to gardening or a seasoned pro, you’ll find helpful advice on choosing the best materials for planters, preventing overwatering and underwatering, and creating beautiful container gardens in small spaces. Learn how to grow edible plants like herbs, ve...

In this episode of The Messed Up Gardener , host Esther Williams dives into the world of subtropical gardening. With the holiday season just around the corner, Esther shares her excitement about upcoming projects, including greenhouses, chickens, and her latest eBooks. But today’s focus is all about growing and maintaining subtropical plants. Esther covers everything from understanding subtropical...

Welcome back to The Messed Up Gardener ! I’m Esther Williams, your host, and today. Imagine stepping into your garden, where every plant holds the power to heal, soothe, and rejuvenate. In this transformative episode of The Messed Up Gardener , we reveal how you can create your very own medicinal garden—a living sanctuary of wellness that nurtures your body, mind, and spirit. Discover the ancient...

Welcome back to The Messed Up Gardener ! I’m Esther Williams, your host, and today we’re diving into the No Dig Gardening Method . This simple, sustainable approach transforms your garden without the back-breaking work of digging or tilling. Whether you’re working with a lawn, a weedy patch, or even an old paddock, No Dig gardening makes it easy to grow healthy, thriving plants. In this episode, I...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. Imagine a vibrant stream lined with lush greenery, where birds sing, fish swim, and the air feels pure. This is the magic of healthy riparian zones. In this episode, we explore how restoring these vital areas can transform both rural and urban landscapes. Learn how riparian planting improves water quality, prevents flooding, and creates...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. Join me in today’s festive episode of The Messed-Up Gardener ! If you’ve ever struggled to find the perfect Christmas gift for the gardener in your life, this episode is tailor-made for you. I kick off the show with a buzz about our kiwifruit orchard in full bloom, bees buzzing in overdrive, and an exciting announcement— The Messed-Up Ga...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. In today's episode, we've explored the creative, sustainable world of repurposing pallets and other recycled materials to build unique, rustic garden furniture, storage solutions, and planting structures. We've looked at everything from why using recycled materials is a fantastic eco-friendly choice, to the practical steps...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. In this episode of The Messed Up Gardener , we're diving into one of the most fulfilling parts of gardening—growing and maintaining your own fruit trees! Whether you have space for an orchard or just a cozy corner on your patio, this episode covers the essential steps for ensuring your trees flourish and bear fruit season after seas...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. today we have a spooky, fun-filled episode in honour of Halloween. I completed a bit of a deep dive to discover the most-asked questions about Halloween gardening, from growing the perfect pumpkins to creating an eerie, haunted atmosphere right in your backyard." This is something I absolutely love about doing this podcast the resea...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. "Today, I'll be answering the top 10 most-asked questions by gardeners on ornamental gardening, with tips that can really make a difference—especially for beginners. These tips are easy to follow, but they’re often overlooked, even though they solve some of the biggest problems gardeners are struggling with. "Let’s start w...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. Today’s episode which is all about something special: creating scented gardens that fill your space with delightful fragrances, whether you’re in the countryside or living in a city apartment. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned gardener, I have got some unique tips you probably haven’t heard before—tips that will make a real differenc...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. In today’s episode I cover a few of the key questions I remember being asked back in my garden centre days, and touch on the gardening tools that are useful when gardening around your bulbs and towards the end of today’s episode I also give you an organic home insect recipe that you can use on your bulbs that I have had some success with...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. Todays episode covers some of the most versatile spring vegetables that from experience are easy to grow and harvest in a relatively short time and how to easily cook with them.  I hope you enjoy today's episode. Don’t forget to grab one of my gardening freebees.    As always Gardening can be done in any space, in any place and on a...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. Thank you to the person who asked me about stump removal this week – it felt a bit like when I was working in the garden centers again in my youth. In this episode I bust 5 stump removal myths and give you effective strategies for tree stump elimination.  Even if you don’t have any stumps in your garden its worth a listen.  I hope you en...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. While out and about this week I bumped into a friend of a friend that also happens to listen to the podcast and she asked me two key questions the 1st was for some advice regarding her planters, more specifically how she could get them looking good over spring and the 2nd was she asked me what a gardening coach actually was so I decided...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. This week I was listening to a law of attraction podcast and the host was talking about decluttering and specifically mentioning Marie kondo who is highly regarded in the world of decluttering. Now I had a thought at the time why can this not be applied to the garden and it got my creative juices flowing so putting pen to paper I sat dow...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. I originally had three questions proposed to me around composting and as such I found myself going quite in-depth with their answers. In this episode I cover the fundamentals of composting and also a list of materials and what they are for to get yourself set up with a composting capability in both an urban and a rural environment.  I ho...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. If you are new to the garden scene or you have moved into a new place or are just looking at creating a new vegetable garden - then this episode is for you. I cover a number of pros and cons of establishing your vegetable gardens and cover a list of the top items and roughly their associated costs you will need to create a vegetable gard...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. Basically I discussed vegetables that you can grow all year round with most of them if you grow them in excess - you can easily store and or freeze the produce with a bit of preparation and fill the freezer for those months that may be a bit lacking in the vegetable garden growth department.  Most of these vegetables can be grown in pots...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. Creating my spring priority list is probably the most important part of my growing season. The priority’s I cover in today's episode I can't stress enough how important these priorities are for me and my garden. It's the difference between getting it right for my family so we do have enough produce throughout the spring, s...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. I loved recording this episode - the person that asked me this question was in a real pinch and we ended up coming up with a number of different methodologies to get her garden looking pretty sharp in a very short amount of time ready for her in-laws. Some of it can be done on the cheap and yes she may have to spend some dosh but ultimat...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. This particular episode as a very casual look at some of the key points you need to grow a successful and vibrant hanging basket basically throughout the whole year. Hanging baskets do require a little bit more maintenance than the average planter box or pot plant but they are worth it especially if you're limited in growing spaces...

Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. In today's episode, we're diving into the world of planter boxes—your ticket to a flourishing garden, which can happen in any space and in any place and on any budget. Whether you're a budding gardener or a seasoned green thumb, join us as we explore the secrets to growing and mastering planter boxes, turning areas into lu...