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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 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.
177 Episodes
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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...
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 and balance, how our brains naturally prefer a little imperfection, and when it actually pays to break the rule entirely. From hydrangeas to veggie beds, Esther shares real examples from her own garden that prove small tweaks can make a big difference. You’ll walk away ...
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 spaces — and the easy fixes that bring the buzz (and the fruit set) back. We’ll celebrate a little milestone too: this week marks three years since the show launched in November 2022. If you’ve been here since the messy early days — thank you! 💚 🌸 What You’ll Learn • Why flower...
Hi & Welcome to another episode of The Messed Up Gardener Spring 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 that colourful, buzzy beautiful mess got me thinking about the trend taking root across NZ: Chaos Gardening. In this episode, I share what it is, why the wild works, and how to try it (without losing your mind). In this episode you’ll learn What chaos garden...
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 over 100 tubs of citrus, raspberries, blueberries, feijoas, lilies, and dahlias thriving in pots, we’ve turned our rental into a “Barrel Army” and learned a ton along the way. You’ll discover the real pros and cons of on-growing trees in large barrels — from saving ...
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 days, a quiet potter in the greenhouse resets everything — which is exactly why today’s episode is all about unlocking the secrets of growing under cover. Step inside with me: warm, earthy air, tomato-leaf scent, fat drops of condensation, and two kinds of...
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 incinerators, the kiwifruit are looking promising, and thanks to all that late-night effort, the veggie and flower beds are thriving too. But here’s the catch — harvest timing is everything. One day you’ve got tender lettuce, the next it’s bolted. A zucchini hides ...
This week in the garden has been full of surprises — tomato flowers already popping, zucchinis producing their first harvest despite frosty mornings, and hubby’s sunflowers growing like they’re on steroids. We’ve even adopted a scruffy little black kitten who’s decided my husband is “his person” (much to his delight and my eye-rolling amusement). Between all that chaos and progress, I’ve been reminded of something important: our surroundings deeply affect how we feel. A thriving zucchini, a c...
What a week it’s been! Between wild spring winds rattling our roof, chasing runaway bins down the orchard driveway, and watching trees topple across town, it’s been chaos out there. But amidst the gusts and garden madness, there’s also been joy—sunflowers planted, dahlias popping, capsicums cranking in the greenhouse, and the chickens back in full laying mode. This week’s episode is all about weekend wins—the little jobs that make your garden look like you’ve spent days working, when really i...
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