Very Good Gardening

How is my garden really doing this year? In this episode of the Very Good Gardening Podcast, I'm giving my garden a full report card. From tomatoes and peppers to broccoli, strawberries, and everything in between, I'm grading each crop based on production, health, pest pressure, and whether it's actually earning its spot in the garden. Some crops are exceeding expectations. Some are st...

What if you could only grow food in a single 4x8 raised bed? In this episode, I'm taking on a gardening challenge: designing the ultimate raised bed for maximum harvests. I'll walk through the crops I'd choose, how I'd arrange them, what I'd plant together, and the strategies I'd use to keep fresh food coming all season long. Whether you're working with a small garden,...

Everyone says gardening saves money… but does it really? In this episode, I break down the real costs of gardening — seeds, soil, supplies, raised beds, water, and time — and compare them to what we actually harvest from our garden. Some crops save us a ton of money, while others honestly might not be worth growing financially. I also talk about the things that are harder to put a price on: • fres...

Check out my FourthWall shop for some really fun garden merch. Gardening advice is everywhere… but not all of it actually matters. In this episode, I’m talking about the gardening “rules” I break regularly and why learning to adapt your garden to YOUR life is far more important than following every tip perfectly. We talk about: Why perfectionism hurts new gardeners Common gardening advice that isn...

Everyone asks me the same question: “How do you have time for all of this?” In this episode, I’m sharing the real answer. Between teaching, raising 3 kids, filming content, editing videos, and managing a productive garden in Maryland, I’ve had to figure out systems that actually work in real life, not just on social media. I’m talking about: How I structure my gardening tasks What I DON’T do anymo...

If I had to start my entire garden over again in the beginning of May… this is exactly what I would do. In this episode, I’m breaking down the biggest mistakes gardeners make this time of year—and how to recover quickly so you can still have a successful season. In this episode: What I would plant (and skip) in early May The mistakes I’d avoid if I could start over How to catch up if you feel behi...

In this episode of the podcast, I’m walking you through a full late April garden update and what it actually looks like to get warm-weather crops into the ground at the right time. We’re talking real timing, real conditions, and what I’m doing right now in my own garden to set up a strong summer harvest. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s “too early” or “too late” to transplant things like tomat...

Episode 19 is your full April garden tour, where I walk you through everything that’s happening right now in real time. From what’s thriving to what’s just getting started, I’m breaking down exactly what’s growing in my Zone 7b garden and what I’m focusing on this month. We’ll take a look at the beds, talk about what’s ready to harvest, what’s been recently planted, and what’s coming next. I’ll sh...

What should you be planting right now and what should you wait on? In this video, I break down exactly what to plant right now in Maryland, Zone 7b, and across the United States, based on timing, soil temperature, and what actually works in a real garden. I also cover the crops that might be tempting to plant too early and why waiting can make a huge difference in your success. If you have ever ru...

If I had to start my garden all over again… what would I do differently? In this episode, I’m walking you through exactly how I would approach gardening if I were a complete beginner today—no experience, no overwhelm, just a simple, practical plan that actually works. We’ll talk about what I would focus on first, what I would completely ignore, and the biggest mistakes I’d avoid if I could go back...

In this episode, we’re breaking down one of the most common questions gardeners have this time of year: which seeds should you start indoors, and which ones are better off going straight into the garden? I’ll walk you through the difference between crops that thrive with an early indoor start versus those that actually perform better when directly sown outside. We’ll talk about timing, common mist...

Welcome to Episode 15 of the Very Good Gardening Podcast. In this episode I am answering your gardening questions in a community Q and A using questions submitted from my social media pages. We cover a wide range of beginner and intermediate gardening topics including how to grow garlic, when to harvest common garden vegetables, how to plant potatoes, and what gardening zone I grow in here in Mary...

In this episode of the Very Good Gardening podcast, we’re talking all about peppers. Whether you want to grow sweet peppers, hot peppers, or a mix of both, peppers are one of the most rewarding crops you can grow in your garden. I’m breaking down the differences between sweet and hot peppers, how I start my pepper seeds using heat mats, and why peppers need such a long growing season. I’ll also ta...

In Episode 13 of the Very Good Gardening podcast, I’m walking you through everything I do in my Maryland Zone 7b garden during the month of March. March is one of the busiest and most important months of the entire gardening season. This is when I clean and organize my greenhouse and garden shed, fertilize my garlic, start tomatoes, herbs, and flowers indoors, order and spread mulch throughout the...

Episode 12 is all about prepping for the garden and setting yourself up for a smooth, productive growing season. In this episode, I’m walking through exactly what I’m doing right now to get ready for spring. We’re talking about planning layouts, checking seed inventory, starting seeds on schedule, refreshing soil, organizing supplies, and making sure your garden systems are ready before things get...

In this episode, I’m talking all about herbs and how they can completely transform your garden and your kitchen. We’re diving into perennial versus annual herbs, which ones are worth planting once and enjoying for years, and which ones I replant every season. I’m sharing how I start my herbs from seed, which varieties I choose and why, and how herbs can support pollinators while also filling your...

This is the tenth episode of the podcast, and today I’m talking all about gardening mistakes. Not the dramatic, garden-ending kind, but the very real, very common mistakes that almost every gardener makes at some point, including me. From planting things too early, to overwatering, to growing crops you don’t actually like to eat, I’m walking through the lessons that only come from doing this year...

Seed starting can feel overwhelming, especially when every chart and calendar seems to say something different. In this episode, I walk through exactly how I approach seed starting at home and what actually matters for beginner gardeners. I share what I have already started, including onions and brassicas, what I start later like peppers and tomatoes, and how I decide which herbs and flowers get a...

This episode describes all of the way I use my garden preserves during the winter. From canning to freezing to dehydrating, I use a variety of ways to make sure my garden harvests last throughout the year. If you'd like to support the podcast, visit my fourthwall shop for some fun garden merch: https://verygoodgardening-shop.fourthwall.com

*I recorded this episode back in the beginning of December. You may hear references to Thanksgiving and the holidays and that would be why. New updated episodes will be coming out next weekend* This episode walks you through how to figure out how much to plant in order to get the yields you desire. At this point in my gardening journey I use trial and error but if you're a new gardener, you do...

This episode is a true deep dive into the humble onion. I talk about what kind of onion to plant, when to plant, how to plant, and how to harvest once you've been successful. I also get into myths and history surrounding the onion. This episode was recorded before the holidays so you may hear some mention of "the upcoming holidays" but you can always purchase garden merch here: https...

Cold Weather Gardening: What You CAN Grow When It’s Freezing In this week’s episode, we’re diving into one of my favorite topics, cold-weather gardening. Whether you’re working with a greenhouse, cold frames, or just a few containers up against the house, winter doesn’t have to mean the end of fresh produce. I’ll walk you through my own winter garden setup here in Maryland (zone 7b), the crops tha...

In this episode, we’re diving deep into one of the most rewarding crops you can grow:  garlic . Whether you're planting your very first clove or you’ve been growing for years, this episode breaks down everything you need to know about Garlic, from choosing the right varieties for your climate to prepping the soil, spacing your cloves, preventing common problems, and harvesting at the perfect time....

Discover why pollinators are one of the most important parts of a successful garden. In this episode of the Very Good Gardening Podcast, I talk about bees, butterflies, hoverflies, hummingbirds, and all the tiny workers that keep your garden alive. I also share how I went from being scared of bees as a kid to respecting them as essential partners in my garden. You will learn the best flowers, herb...

Today's episode of the Very Good Gardening Podcast is All About Tomatoes! Explore the queen on the summer garden from seed selection to harvest and beyond. In this episode I talk about my use of club soda. If you'd like to know a little more about how I use it in my garden, watch this video: https://www.tiktok.com/@verygoodgardening/video/7355235986403593515 If you'd like to purchase s...