Shows
The Messed Up GardenerEp 123: Grow Your Own Smoothie Garden – The Ultimate Guide to Fresh, Homegrown IngredientsIn this energizing Easter episode of The Messed Up Gardener, host Esther Williams dives into one of the tastiest and most rewarding gardening projects you can start—your very own smoothie garden! Whether you're a complete beginner, a smoothie fanatic, or a backyard grower looking to bring more purpose to your edible garden, this episode is your guide to growing delicious, nutritious ingredients right outside your door.Esther shares why growing your own smoothie ingredients is a total game-changer—not only does it save you money, but it also boosts your health, enhances flavor, reduces waste, and supp...2025-04-1921 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 111 Planting the Seed: Easy Ways to Introduce Kids to GardeningIn this episode of The Messed-Up Gardener, host Esther Williams dives into the rewarding world of gardening with kids. Inspired by a conversation with a coworker who was unsure how to get their children involved in gardening, Esther shares practical tips, creative activities, and solutions for common challenges to make gardening a fun, engaging, and educational adventure for the whole family.From the many physical, mental, and emotional benefits of gardening to simple ways to get started with kid-friendly tools, plants, and sensory experiences, this episode is packed with actionable advice. Esther also explores themed garden ideas...2025-01-1122 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 110 Succulent Success: A Beginner’s Guide to Thriving PlantsWelcome 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:Watering Techniques: Learn how to avoid overwatering and master the "soak and dry" method.Choosing the Perfect Soil: Discover how to create or select well-draining soil that keeps succulent roots...2025-01-0422 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 108 Planter Perfection: Answers to Your Top 5 Outdoor Container Gardening QuestionsIn 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, veggies, and fruits in containers, and discover tips for keeping your plants healthy and productive all season long. Esther also shares practical ideas for repurposing items into creative planters, choosing the right soil and fertilizers, and using tools to...2024-12-2123 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 107 Subtropical Gardening Made Easy: Tips for Thriving Plants and a Lush Backyard ParadiseIn 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 climates to creating the perfect growing conditions with well-drained soil, microclimates, and proper maintenance practices like watering, pruning, and frost protection. She also addresses common challenges like pests and diseases, offering simple solutions to keep your garden thriving....2024-12-1427 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 106 Planting a Medicinal Garden with a Bonus Soothing Herbal Tea RecipeWelcome 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 art of plant-based remedies as we guide you through selecting, growing, and caring for medicinal herbs that are as beautiful as they are bene...2024-12-0728 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 105 "No Dig, No Stress: The Ultimate Hack for Effortless Gardening Success"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’ll explain the science behind No Dig gardening, inspired by nature’s way of building soil. We’ll explore its benefits, like less effort...2024-11-3021 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 94 Spring Planter Upgrades + A new FreebieHi 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 to address both. I’m going to dive into the spring planter upgrades 1st and I’m not j...2024-09-1416 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 93 The art of decluttering your garden.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 down and made a heap of notes as to how it would and could apply to my own garden this the...2024-09-0719 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 92 The composting fundamentals - anyone can compost at home Urban or ruralHi 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 hope you enjoy today's episode.Don’t forget to grab one of my gardening freebees. As always Gardening can b...2024-08-3120 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 91 What is the true cost of creating a vegetable garden.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 garden from start to finish. Of course there are other items that I could have included but for...2024-08-2423 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 90 Never go hungry with these Top 10 vegetable garden staples.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 and planters as well so in theory no matter where you are and regardless of your budget growing a...2024-08-1720 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 89 Heading into Spring at full throttle – Priority list.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, summer and autumn growing seasons.I hope you enjoy today's episode.Don’t forget to grab one of my gardening freebees. As always...2024-08-1021 min
The Messed Up GardenerEP 88 Oh dear the in-laws are coming - 5 quick garden colour up hacks that will turn your garden from bla to wow!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 ultimately the in-laws will never know how dreary it was before they arrived. I hope y...2024-08-0314 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 87 Hanging baskets for all seasonsHi 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 spacesI hope you enjoy today's episode.Don’t forget to grab one of my gardening freebees. As always Gardening can be d...2024-07-2717 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 86 Growing in & mastering Planter Boxes for all 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 lush, vibrant oases.I hope you enjoy today's episode.Don’t forget to grab one of my gardening freebees. As always Garden...2024-07-2032 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 85: 4 Low Maintenance Gardening Methods I use personally with Fantastic Results.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.I’m all about efficiency this week - I use all four of these low maintenance gardening methods that I talk about in this episode in my own garden and I assure you - I am time poor but I’m still harvesting year-round and my garden thrives. I do cover a number of both pros and cons for each of the 4 low maintenance methods which will hopefully give you an informed idea of what the requirements are if you do choose to instigate one...2024-07-1325 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 84: Mastering germination and seedling growth.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.If your thinking I can throw some seed into the soil and add a bit of water and poof I have germination and seedlings - how hard can it be – well your not wrong - it does work like that but if you really want to maximise your germination rates and get your best bang for your buck then this episode is for you 😊 I hope you enjoy today's episode.Don’t forget to grab one of my gardening freebees. As al...2024-07-0622 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 83: 5 Pro tips for managing your seeds from seed set to pre germination.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.In today’s episode we’re diving deep into the fascinating world of seed setting, harvesting, storage, the optimal storage materials and viability testing. Whether you’re a master gardener or just someone with a love for watching things grow, this episode is packed with pro tips and answers to your most pressing questions.Have you ever wondered why some seeds fail to germinate despite your best efforts? Or perhaps you're curious about the precise conditions needed for optimal seed setting in variou...2024-06-2919 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 82 Preserving your harvests & food storageHi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.Due to yet another massive grocery bill I started really thinking about some of the things I used to do to preserve our own food especially when I was growing up and even when I was saving up for my house deposit everything was preserved either frozen or dried and or dehydrated. I remember doing some preservation when my daughter was a Bubba putting Peaches in light syrup things like that. These are recipes & methodologies that the current generation are missing out on and...2024-06-2223 min
The Messed Up GardenerOrganic gardening 101.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.After talking to a property owner at work this week and their mission to turn their orchard into a certified organic orchard it inspired today’s episode. I’m covering some of the organic growing basics and I have also included a natural weedkiller recipe. DM me if you would like me to send it through to you. I hope you enjoy today's episode.Don’t forget to grab one of my gardening freebees. As always Gardening can be done i...2024-06-1522 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 80 Edible landscaping & how you can apply it into your garden.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.After harvesting a bucket full of persimmon fruit out of the garden I realized that most of my garden is made up of an edible landscape and this year we have had almost year round fruit and veg as well as a great amount of insects including butterflies and it fully inspired todays episode. Every day there has been something different going on in the garden. I hope you enjoy today's episode.Don’t forget to grab one of my gar...2024-06-0822 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 79 Regenerative gardening. What is it & how to apply it.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.After last week’s episode I was inspired to talk about healing my garden hence todays episode on regenerative gardening. Regenerative gardening is an approach to growing plants that focuses on enhancing the health and vitality of the entire ecosystem within the garden. This method goes beyond the principles of organic gardening by emphasizing the restoration and rejuvenation of the garden's soil, biodiversity, and overall ecological balance. The main goal of regenerative gardening is not only to produce healthy and sustainable crops but...2024-06-0135 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 78 Common Mistakes Made when Small Space Gardening.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.Gardening in small spaces, including urban areas, presents unique challenges that can lead to common mistakes. Understanding these pitfalls can help gardeners maximize their small-space gardens' potential. In this episode I cover ten of the most common mistakes made when conducting small space gardening and I cover ways in which to avoid and or remedy 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 a...2024-05-2532 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 77 Creating Climate-Resilient GardensHi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.Climate-resilient gardening is not just a trend but a necessary shift in how we approach our gardens amidst changing weather patterns and environmental challenges. As gardeners, adopting practices that enhance our gardens' resilience to climate variability brings numerous benefits, vital for both personal satisfaction and the broader ecological impact.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...2024-05-1826 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 76 The ongoing struggle with weeds - is it worth it?Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.Engaging in the ongoing battle against pests and weeds in a garden can sometimes feel like a never ending task, where the fruits of one's labour are often consumed by uninvited guests, or overgrown by opportunistic plants. However, this struggle is not only worth it but integral to the gardening process, in this episode I delve into why its worth the effort with tips and tricks to make it easier. I hope you enjoy today's episode.Don’t forget to gra...2024-05-1125 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 75 Cultivating Cash from Your GardenHi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.This episode goes deep into a number of questions asked by fallow gardeners as to ways you can monetize your garden with a number of them, I asked myself as I was going through this research journey which has led me to grow our mushrooms and currently looking at utilizing dead space to grow hydroponic lettuces for markets. A gardener might consider monetizing their garden for several compelling reasons. Firstly, it offers an opportunity to offset some of the costs associated with ga...2024-05-0432 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 74 Getting winter ready with Secrets to a Flourishing Cold-Season GardenHi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.Winter gardening presents unique challenges and opportunities, leading gardeners to seek advice on how to navigate the colder months successfully.In this episode I cover a number of gardening secrets that once revealed will totally help your wither garden thrive. 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 any budget. Freebies DM me...2024-04-2721 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 73 Mastering Indoor Winter Plant CareHi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.Maintaining indoor plants during the winter months can be a challenging task due to the lower levels of light, drier air, and cooler temperatures. However, with a few strategic moves, you can keep your green friends thriving even during the coldest season. Remember, each plant has its unique needs, so it's important to consider the specific requirements of your indoor garden inhabitants.I hope you enjoy today's episode.Don’t forget to grab one of my gardening freebees. As a...2024-04-2019 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 72 Rose care from planting to pruning.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.One of my nemesis in the garden has to be the Rose Bush and I say that with much love and affection. Roses love to hate me and I have had to work quite hard for some of my rose bushes to flower exceptionally well over the years. This episode goes over a number of pointers from planting to pruning and of course I had to pop in some equipment maintenance techniques.I hope you enjoy today's episode.Don’t fo...2024-04-1321 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 71 Garden structures that successfully enhance plant growth.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.Every year I tell myself I am not going to plant beef steak tomatoes and every year I end up planting them and creating an amazing mess for myself because the fruit are so big and the plants get too big and I end up putting supports in place too late in the season so my fruit sit on the ground and rot or the plants themselves get diseased. This year however I was a little bit more onto it and as such I...2024-04-0820 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 75 Cultivating Cash from Your GardenHi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.This episode goes deep into a number of questions asked by fallow gardeners as to ways you can monetize your garden with a number of them, I asked myself as I was going through this research journey which has led me to grow our mushrooms and currently looking at utilizing dead space to grow hydroponic lettuces for markets. A gardener might consider monetizing their garden for several compelling reasons. Firstly, it offers an opportunity to offset some of the costs associated with ga...2024-04-0632 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 70 Tired Gardens? No problem! here are a few easy ways to revive it.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.With the change in seasons gardens can get very tired looking. This episode looks at some simple ways to revive a tired old garden, 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 any budget. Freebies DM me for:Nasturtium Pesto recipe.If you are ready to grab a freebi...2024-03-3019 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 69 Passive gardening secrets revealed.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.With the jostle of todays pressures to get a million things done in a day - the garden is often the last thing that is managed. Especially in my household with a preteen, a partner that runs several business and my own endeavors. This episode looks at a number of ways to passively garden and still have it looking amazing and productive for the least amount of work.I hope you enjoy today's episode.Don’t forget to grab one of my ga...2024-03-2316 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 68 Effective ways to maximize garden harvests using recycled materials.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.I had an interesting discussion this week around using recycled materials in the garden and especially because I use a lot of recycled beehive boxes after the bees have finished with them. It prompted me to have a chat about some of the items that I use in our garden that saves me heap of money and in some cases highly benefit the environment. In this episode I go over a few different uses of how I do use the honey beehive boxes and...2024-03-1621 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 67 The top 10 plants to grow in your garden for home remedy utilization.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.Over the last few years I regularly get asked about growing herbs and making home remedies is something I just grew up with as a day-to-day regular event - little did I know that it wasn't the norm. So in this episode I cover 10 common herbs to grow in your garden especially for home remedy utilization and I also cover quite in-depthly how to utilize sage as a home purifier. I guess if it's not something you grew up with then it may be...2024-03-1019 min
The Messed Up GardenerEP 66 Thinking of Planting Subtropical’s in your garden? Then ask yourself these questions first.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.In today's episode I go into a little bit of depth around the type of questions you would be asking yourself if you are looking at growing subtropical plants in your gardens - now surprisingly subtropical plants are more popular then you think, I also cover a few very basic subtropical fruits you can grow in your garden with very little extra time or care required and you'll probably find you already have one of these 5 growing in your garden. I hope y...2024-03-0217 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 65 Creating the right privacy screen in your garden.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.As our population grows so does the housing density around our homes. What used to be a quaint small 2 bedroom home next door with the sweetest older couple has been rebuilt and is now a massive 3 bedroom home that looks straight into our section and lounge with new tenants that have filled every room. It has removed all of our and their privacy. It took my partner and I on a whole new gardening mission this week making it the perfect topic for this...2024-02-1716 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 64 Parks & Garden Tree Maintenance with or without Herbicides?Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.How many of our parks & gardens have their big majestic trees managed with the use of herbicides to suppress the weeds at the base of the trees which at the end of the day is mostly only completed / treated for aesthetics. We already know that there are several effective alternative methods for managing weeds around the base of a tree without resorting to using herbicides and this episode looks at some of these alternative methods of weed suppression. Let me know your t...2024-02-1019 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 63 Diabetic Friendly Gardening - What Vegetables to avoid & What to grow more of.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.When garden planning I have always promoted knowing what it is to grow enough for your family's needs and in this case grow what will benefit your family the most. With the health changes in my family situation I have had to take a good look at what to focus on and it isnt the normal staples. In todays episode I go deep into the what Im going to grow less of and what I'm going to grow more off especially as we now have a...2024-02-0421 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 62 The Hype Behind Edible Flowers.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.For that average family dinner its not common to add flowers into a salad.However, Edible flowers are a fun and unique way to add a burst of colour and flavour to your meals. Edible flowers can be grown at home and you would be surprised what you already have growing in your garden at home. You don’t have to go to a 5star restaurant to experience fine dinning you can do that in your own home from items found right her...2024-01-2815 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 61 Reflecting back over the last 4 Seasons and the lessons learned.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.No matter how experienced you are in the garden you are bound to mess up and because I know I make mistakes I will never claim to be a master Gardner. In this episode I cover 3 of my probably biggest Boo boos over the last year and I acknowledged with the bad weather that I haven't spent as much time in the garden as I would have liked but these are and were easily avoidable whoopsies ultimately they cost me time, money and several...2024-01-2015 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 60 Dry, Hot Garden? – Here are some Easy ways to conserve water while still maximizing your garden health.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.New Zealand lately has been experiencing some ridiculously hot days and as such of course the gardens are suffering. Water in New Zealand especially if you're in town can be quite expensive as well and although we have not yet been slammed with water restrictions we know that they're coming. So in this episode I have covered a number of ways to conserve water in your garden so that you can still maintain a healthy sustainable gardening crop. Let me know if you have...2024-01-1340 min
The Messed Up GardenerEp 59 Growing Garden Plants Ideal for Arts & Crafts.Hi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener.Todays episode is a bit of a general overview in growing garden plants that are ideal for arts and crafts. This is especially handy if you have young children or grand babies who love to create home made gifts. Why not teach them that the garden not only provides food but also resources for home made crafts such as dried flower arrangements and lotions & potions. Don’t forget to grab one of my gardening freebees. As always Gardening can be done i...2024-01-0620 min
The Messed Up GardenerAvoiding Gardening Burnout, Overwhelm & StressHi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. This year has been a bit of a hot mess and that includes my garden. In this episode I cover tips that can help a gardener avoid garden burnout, overwhelm and stress. Don’t forget to grab one of my gardening freebees. As always Gardening can be done in any space, in any place and on any budget. Freebies DM me for:Nasturtium Pesto recipe.If you are ready to grab a freebie...2023-12-0222 min
The Messed Up GardenerEP 56 Growing Citrus without DramaHi and Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener. In most gardens you will find a citrus tree and if you are not necessarily green thumbed then that can potentially be slightly problematic to grow. This episode covers a few growing tips that can help get you a most abundant crop of fruit regardless if it is being grown in a pot or in open soil.Don’t forget to grab one of my gardening freebees. As always Gardening can be done in any space, in any place and on an...2023-11-2519 min