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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.
185 Episodes
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🎧 Listen to Today’s Episode Most people don’t give up gardening because they didn’t enjoy it. They give up because the first year feels harder than they expected. Because what most people don’t realise is this: The first year isn’t about success. It’s about learning. And many gardeners stop just before everything starts to get easier. In this episode of The Messed-Up Gardener, Esther Williams explores what’s really happening during that first season — and why it can feel frustrating, co...
🎧 Press Play to Listen to Today’s Episode Free Gardening Resources at the bottom of the show notes What if the way you see food… isn’t the full picture? Most people experience food as something finished. Packaged. Convenient. Ready to cook. But the moment you start growing your own food… that perspective begins to shift. Because once you understand how food is actually grown — you don’t just change what you eat… you change how you see the world. In this episode of The...
🎧Press Play to Listen to Today’s Episode Free Gardening Resources at the bottom of the show notes What would actually happen if the supermarkets shut tomorrow? Would your garden feed you? Or would it simply provide a few fresh ingredients for dinner? In this episode of The Messed-Up Gardener, Esther Williams explores a question most gardeners never stop to ask. Not in a dramatic or doomsday way — but in a practical, thoughtful way. Because the truth is, many home gardens are beau...
🎧 Listen to Today’s Episode Some 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. But the difference usually isn’t effort. It’s strategy. In this episode of The Messed-Up Gardener, Esther Williams resets the idea of “sustainable gardening” and explains why the gardens that thrive long-term are almost always built on a few simple systems working together. No...
Why Strategic Gardening Always Beats Reactive Gardening Sometimes 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 mistake most gardeners don’t even realize they’re making — reacting to symptoms instead of strengthening systems. We explore: • The difference between reactive and strategic gardening • Why plants respond better to stability than overcorrection • The biology of “stress stacki...
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 set your garden up for winter success, and the common mistakes that quietly create stress later. No hype. No overwhelm. Just steady, practical preparation. Because winter doesn’t defeat gardeners — winter reveals preparation. 🌿 If you enjoyed this episode, please shar...
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 “transplant shock” in a way that actually makes it feel manageable — because most of the time, it’s not about you doing something wrong… it’s about your plant adjusting to a sudden environmental reset. You’ll learn how to tell the difference between normal transplant stress and...
Ep 163: Slugs & Snails Are Back — Here’s the Calm Plan That Actually Works A targeted, low-tox slug strategy for seedlings and soft growth Slugs are back — and if you’ve walked outside to find seedlings chewed overnight, this episode is for you. In this calm, practical mini-masterclass, Esther breaks down a low-stress, realistic approach to managing slugs and snails without turning your garden into a chemical zone or exhausting yourself trying to “fix everything.” This episode isn’t about...
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 waist height — on tables, benches, decks, balconies, and patios — is becoming one of the most practical, accessible ways to grow food in 2026 and beyond. This episode is calm, practical, and designed for real life. No hype. No pressure. Just clear guidance for anyone who wa...
5 myths, 5 truths, and the things that make a real difference Gardening advice is everywhere — and a lot of it sounds helpful. But for many gardeners, it quietly creates more pressure than progress. In this episode of The Messed-Up Gardener, Esther slows things right down. After a week shaped by extreme weather, disrupted travel, and a reminder of how quickly conditions can change, this episode becomes a steady, grounding pause — not a push to do more. This is a calm, supportive reality chec...
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 for tired gardeners who want clarity without pressure. In this episode, Esther walks you through seven reliable plants you can plant in January, no matter where you live — plus how to choose what actually fits your energy, space, and season right now. This isn...
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, three things you’re allowed to ignore, and three things you’re allowed to do badly — without guilt. Recorded during a heatwave and a low-energy day, this episode is a reminder that you don’t need to earn your place in the garden. Showing up imperfectly still counts. If yo...
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 masterclass, Esther breaks down a simple, realistic system for gardening when the weather is unreliable — without becoming a full-time meteorologist, and without your garden turning into chaos. We cover the real reason weather chaos feels exhausting (decision fatigue),...
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-homesteading adventure — harvesting elephant garlic, drying it in our very glamorous garage drying room, and turning not-quite-perfect dahlias into something surprisingly magical: air-dried petal confetti. But the real reason you need this episode? Because if ...
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. 😅 In this episode, we’re talking about how to design a garden for real life — not a gardening show. A garden that still looks good and produces food… even when you miss a weekend (or three). In this mini masterclass, you’ll learn: ✅ What “self-maintaining”...
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 to stop feeling guilty and start gardening smarter. Esther breaks down “batch gardening” — a meal-prep style approach where you do the heavy lifting in one focused session, then let your garden quietly coast until you’re back. In this episode, you’ll learn ho...
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 life happened. By the time you remembered, it was dark and the guilt had already kicked in. If that sounds painfully familiar, this episode is for you. In this mini masterclass, I walk you through a realistic, no-perfection-required watering plan for tired, overcommitted gardeners who ...
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 episode is your loving smack on the hand with a trowel. 💚 We’re talking about the gap between the perfect garden in your head and the scruffy reality out the back — and how to start now with just one messy square metre. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: · ...
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, keep plants alive, and save your future sanity… even when you’re absolutely shattered. Between overflowing water tanks, heat waves, a shed-that’s-pretending-to-be-an-office, 2kg strawberry harvests and butter beans for days, our place is busy, messy, and very real. That’s...
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-rich compost and fertiliser. From overflowing water tanks to feijoa flowers and hubby’s booming flower beds, Esther kicks off with a real-life update from her own messy, abundant garden before diving into how three humble buckets can transform the way you handle waste: W...
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