442 - What I learned... Visiting GreenStalk: The Story You Don’t See Online
Release Date: 10/07/2025
448- 7 Thanksgiving Foods You Can Grow in Your Own Garden: the history, health, and homegrown roots behind your favorite holiday dishes.
The Beginner's Garden
Ever wondered how much of your Thanksgiving dinner could come straight from your garden? From potatoes to sage, your plate is packed with crops you can grow—and nutrients that nourish your body all winter long. In this episode, Jill shares seven Thanksgiving favorites you can grow yourself (plus one bonus!), and why each one deserves a spot in your garden plan. 🌱 Free Download: Seasonal Garden Task List Stay on track in every season with clear, simple garden to-dos. 👉 Key Takeaways Why Thanksgiving foods are some of the most nutrient-dense crops you can grow How potatoes, sweet...
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447 - November Garden Checklist: Protecting Cold-Sensitive Crops, Planting Onions for Spring, and Making the Most of the Final Garden Days
The Beginner's Garden
When November arrives, it can feel like the garden season is winding down—but there’s still so much happening if you know where to look. In this episode, Jill takes you on a walk through her own November garden to show what she’s harvesting, planting, and protecting right now. You’ll learn how she uses this in-between season to prepare for a strong start next spring while still enjoying small harvests and fresh herbs from the fall garden. Free Download: 5-Day Garden Audit Take time to reflect before you plan next year’s garden! The free 5-Day Garden Audit helps you assess what...
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446 - Overwintering herbs indoors and out
The Beginner's Garden
Worried about what happens to your herbs when frost arrives? In this episode you’ll learn which herbs survive winter outside, which to bring indoors, and simple steps to protect them. We’ll cover pruning timing, zone hardiness, and indoor care so you go into winter with confidence. Keywords: overwinter herbs, herb winter care, pruning. live workshop: 5-Day Garden Audit + Optional Live Q&A Reflect on your season and plan smarter for next year. Join the free 5-day email audit; add the live workshop on Thursday, November 6 for $15. free download: Herbs Quick Reference Chart One-page,...
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445 - What I Learned... about my capacity in this season of life
The Beginner's Garden
Feeling guilty that your garden doesn’t look like it used to? You’re not alone. In this episode, I share how my own season of life changed my garden—and how you can adjust yours with less stress and more joy. You’ll learn practical ways to right-size your garden for your time, energy, and goals (no shame required). Seasonal series (starts Nov 2): Garden Audit – free 5-day email Quick daily prompts + optional short videos to review what worked, what didn’t, and shape a vision for next season. Join here: free download: Garlic Planting Cheat Sheet Your first (or best) garlic...
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444 - What I Learned... from planning 10 fall gardens
The Beginner's Garden
If your fall garden isn’t producing the way you hoped—or if you’re wondering whether your plants will even mature before frost—this episode is for you. After helping 10 gardeners across the country plan their fall gardens, I noticed clear patterns that explain why some thrive while others struggle. You’ll learn what timing mistakes most gardeners make, how to simplify your plan, and how to maximize your space for more harvests before winter. Free Download: Fall Salad Garden Planning Calendar Plan your fall harvest with confidence—know exactly when to plant for fresh greens all...
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443 - What I learned... from the failures of this season
The Beginner's Garden
Feeling discouraged by garden failures? You’re not alone. In this episode, I walk through four issues I faced this year and how I’m troubleshooting each one so you can apply the same practical steps in your garden. You’ll learn simple ways to read plant stress, reduce disease and pest pressure, and plan smarter for next season. free download: Garlic Planting Cheat Sheet Your first (or best) garlic crop—timing, spacing, curing. Key Takeaways Why peppers sometimes need light shade in hot summers and when to add it What root-knot nematodes look like and how cover crops can help ...
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442 - What I learned... Visiting GreenStalk: The Story You Don’t See Online
The Beginner's Garden
Struggling to tell which garden products are worth your money? You’re not alone. Today I’m sharing what I learned on a behind-the-scenes visit to GreenStalk in Knoxville—how they design, test, and support a planter I’ve used for five years. You’ll leave with practical ways to use a vertical planter this fall for salad greens, herbs, and flowers. free download: Fall Salad Garden Planning Calendar Plant at the right time for fresh greens all season. Key Takeaways How a family-owned US company designs and tests products for real gardeners. Why quality materials and thoughtful...
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441 - Garlic Growing Timeline: Month-by-Month from Planting to Harvest
The Beginner's Garden
Worried your garlic sprouted too soon or won’t survive winter? In this episode, I walk you through a clear garlic growing timeline so you know what’s normal, what to expect by zone, and when to harvest. You’ll learn planting windows, mulch depth by zone, vernalization for warm climates, spring care, scapes, and curing. Primary keyword: garlic growing timeline. 🧄 Planting garlic soon? Get my free Garlic Planting Cheat Sheet → Garlic Mini Course On Sale NOW! - journeywithjill.net/garlicworkshop Chapters 00:00 – Why garlic confuses beginners 01:20 – When to plant by zone...
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440 - Let go or push through? (an unplanned, personal conversation)
The Beginner's Garden
This past week has been heavy — my dad’s heart surgery and walking with friends through hard times. Normally my garden is my refuge, but lately it’s been more discouraging than refreshing. From cutworms in the carrots to nematodes on summer crops, the struggles have piled up. In this episode, I’m sharing honestly about choosing whether to push through or let go, and why I’m focusing on easier, more rewarding crops like lettuce and greens. My hope is that my story encourages you if you’re facing setbacks of your own. Next week, I’ll be back with a garlic growing timeline. Until...
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439 - Stop Blaming the Weather: Clues Your Plants Are Giving You
The Beginner's Garden
How many times have you said, “It’s just been too hot,” or “We haven’t had enough rain”? Weather is an easy scapegoat when our gardens struggle — but is it really the whole story? In this episode, I’m sharing a personal parallel from my years in the car business to show how blaming outside factors (like the weather) can actually hold us back. We’ll talk about: Why observation is your most powerful gardening tool How to recognize when the weather really is to blame — and when it isn’t Other factors that might be affecting your crops (soil, sun, irrigation, pests) ...
info_outlineStruggling to tell which garden products are worth your money? You’re not alone.
Today I’m sharing what I learned on a behind-the-scenes visit to GreenStalk in Knoxville—how they design, test, and support a planter I’ve used for five years.
You’ll leave with practical ways to use a vertical planter this fall for salad greens, herbs, and flowers.
free download: Fall Salad Garden Planning Calendar
Plant at the right time for fresh greens all season.
http://journeywithjill.net/fallsaladgarden
Key Takeaways
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How a family-owned US company designs and tests products for real gardeners.
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Why quality materials and thoughtful R&D matter (and how that shows up in the planter).
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Practical fall ideas for your vertical planter: salads, herbs, pansies, and more.
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The role of good customer service—and how feedback shapes better products.
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When a vertical planter makes sense for beginners and for large-garden add-ons.
Chapters
00:02 – Why I only share vetted tools
01:45 – Welcome & what to expect in this series
03:06 – Why fall is the perfect time for this story
04:17 – My first GreenStalk in 2020
05:40 – Five years of testing: what’s worked
07:36 – Meet the family behind GreenStalk
09:06 – The affiliate weekend invite
11:31 – First impressions & thoughtful hospitality
13:48 – Community with fellow gardeners
16:02 – Touring R&D and prototypes
18:27 – Designing lids & the auto-watering system
20:34 – Quality over shortcuts
22:56 – Caring for employees in a tech-driven world
24:24 – US-made parts and sourcing
26:22 – Why this product helps new gardeners start
27:40 – My favorite fall uses (greens, pansies)
29:40 – Clearance event details + my code
30:40 – Final encouragement: why I recommend them
31:49 – What’s coming next week
Resource Links
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Fall Salad Garden Planning Calendar (free): http://journeywithjill.net/fallsaladgarden
Connect
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Friday Emails (newsletter): https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos
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Podcast archive: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/
Soft mention
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Complete Garden Planner – plan and track your season simply: https://shop.journeywithjill.net/
Sponsor(s) for this Episode
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GreenStalk Vertical Planter – Family-owned, US-made vertical planters I’ve used for five years. Use code JILL10 for $10 off a $75 purchase: https://journeywithjill.net/greenstalk. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Disclaimer
Gardening advice shared in this podcast is based on my own experience in Zone 8a (Arkansas) and from the feedback I receive from others in different gardening contexts. Your results may differ depending on your location, climate, and growing conditions. Always check your local extension service or trusted resources for region-specific guidance. Some links mentioned may be affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.