453 - How to Plan a Garden That Fits Your Life in 2026
Release Date: 01/06/2026
468 - Pollinators: Are They Telling You Something About Your Garden? — with Disney Conservation Scientist Morgan Belle
The Beginner's Garden
Struggling with pests or poor pollination in your garden? Wondering how to attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects naturally? In this episode, you’ll learn simple, practical ways to support pollinators and grow a healthier vegetable garden. I’m coming to you from Disney World’s Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, where I had the chance to talk with entomologist Morgan Bell at Butterfly Landing. She shares how pollinators like bees, butterflies, and even wasps play a vital role in your garden ecosystem—and how the small choices you make can have a big impact. We talk...
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467 - Planting Day: Tomatoes – when to plant and exactly what to do step by step
The Beginner's Garden
Struggling to know when to plant tomatoes without risking frost? Wondering how deep to plant or what actually matters on planting day? In this episode, you’ll learn a step-by-step tomato planting process so you can start strong and grow a healthy harvest. Tomato planting day can feel exciting… and a little uncertain. In this episode, I walk you through exactly how I decide when it’s safe to plant, how I prep my planting holes, and what I do right after planting to give my tomatoes the best start possible. Free Download: Tomato Diseases Guide Quickly identify common tomato problems and...
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466 - Soil: What to Do Before You Plant Anything
The Beginner's Garden
Struggling to figure out what your garden soil actually needs? Confused by compost, topsoil, and raised bed mixes? In this episode, you’ll learn simple, practical soil basics to grow healthier plants and improve your garden naturally. Dream to Garden (Now Open!) My step-by-step garden planning course with optional monthly coaching calls to help you plan and grow with confidence. 👉 Key Takeaways Understand the difference between topsoil, compost, and raised bed soil Learn how to build healthy soil for raised beds or in-ground gardens Know how and when to add compost for best...
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465 - Companion Planting While You’re Actually Planting Your Garden
The Beginner's Garden
Feeling unsure about companion planting when you're actually standing in your garden? You’re not alone. It’s one thing to read charts, but another to decide what goes where in real time. In this episode, you’ll learn how companion planting really works, including spacing, timing, and practical garden layout strategies that make sense. Free download: Companion Planting for Pest Control A simple, practical guide to pairing plants that help naturally reduce pests. 👉 If companion planting has ever felt confusing or overly complicated, this episode will walk you through step-by-step...
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464 - Planting Day: Potatoes – how to plant and what to expect as they grow underground
The Beginner's Garden
Struggling with poor potato harvests or slow growth? You’re not alone. In this episode, you’ll learn how to plant potatoes step-by-step for stronger plants and better yields. From choosing seed potatoes to soil prep and spacing, this potato planting guide will set you up for success. Potatoes are one of the most rewarding crops you can grow, but planting them correctly makes all the difference. In this episode, I walk you through exactly what to do before planting day, including how to choose the right seed potatoes, whether to chit them, and how to prepare your soil. I’ll also share...
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463 - Planting Day: Carrots - how to plant and what to expect the first few weeks
The Beginner's Garden
Struggling to get carrot seeds to sprout or size up well? In this episode, you’ll learn how to plant carrots with better timing, spacing, watering, and thinning so they grow straight, sweet, and strong. If carrot germination has felt unpredictable, this step-by-step planting guide will help you start with confidence. Carrots can feel simple until you plant them and wait... and wait... and still see bare soil. In today’s Planting Day episode, I’m walking you through exactly what to do before and after sowing carrot seeds so you can improve germination, avoid common mistakes, and set...
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462 - How Early Is Too Early? Planting Cool-Season Crops With Confidence
The Beginner's Garden
Spring weather can make planting decisions confusing. Should you plant your cool season crops now, or wait a little longer? In this episode, you’ll learn how to decide the best time to plant lettuce, broccoli, carrots, peas, and other cool season crops with confidence. If you’ve ever worried about planting too early or too late, this practical guide will help you read the signals your garden is giving you. free download: Garden Cheat Sheet New to edible gardening or restarting after a break? Download my free Garden Cheat Sheet—a simple path to plan, plant, and stay on track. Key...
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461 - Seedlings Not Growing? Why Mine Stalled (and the Fix)
The Beginner's Garden
Struggling with indoor seed starting because your seedlings stopped growing? Are they stuck with only seed leaves, turning yellow, or just frozen in time? In this episode, I share how a simple seed starting mix mistake stalled my broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce—and exactly how I fixed it. Free download: Seed Starting Troubleshooting Guide Clear, simple fixes for common indoor seed starting problems. Download it here → After 13 years of starting my own seeds, I made a mistake I didn’t even realize—until my brassicas refused to grow for nearly two weeks. What looked like a nitrogen issue...
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460 - How to Grow Better Potatoes: What Matters Most (and What Doesn’t) with Jim & Caleb Gerritsen of Wood Prairie Family Farm
The Beginner's Garden
Struggling to get a big potato harvest, especially in heat or grow bags? In this episode, Jim and Caleb from Wood Prairie Family Farm break down what actually matters for growing potatoes successfully. You’ll learn practical potato growing tips for choosing seed, watering, fall planting, and avoiding common beginner mistakes. If you’ve ever felt unsure about which potatoes to plant, how to store them, or why your yields were disappointing, this conversation will clear it up. We talk certified seed vs. grocery store potatoes, how to think about short-season varieties (especially in the...
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459 - Can You Trust AI With Your Garden? How to Avoid Bad Advice
The Beginner's Garden
Struggling to know whether you can trust AI for garden planning? Wondering if ChatGPT can actually help you grow better vegetables—or if it might quietly steer you wrong? In this episode, we talk through the real benefits and real risks of using AI in your vegetable garden. Dream to Garden – Plan your garden faster with AI tools without giving up your own judgment. Learn the why behind your planting decisions and get step-by-step guidance plus custom GPT support. 👉 Learn more here: In this episode, I share what’s worked in my own garden using AI and where I’ve had to push back....
info_outlineFeeling excited about garden planning but worried about burnout before summer even hits?
If last season felt overwhelming, disappointing, or heavier than you expected, this episode will help you reset.
You’ll learn how to plan a garden that fits your time, energy, space, and season of life so gardening feels peaceful, productive, and enjoyable in 2026.
Free Training: Before You Sow
Learn the four seed-growing principles every gardener needs to know before planting anything.
This mini course walks you through when to start seeds indoors, when to buy transplants, and when to direct sow.
Free through January 19.
👉 https://journeywithjill.net/before-you-sow
Key Takeaways
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Why garden burnout often comes from planning, not pests or weather
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How to match your garden to your real time and energy
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Why smaller gardens are often more productive and enjoyable
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How your season of life should shape what you grow
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Questions that clarify what truly matters in your garden this year
Chapters
00:00 – Why garden plans fail
02:10 – Planning before seed catalogs
04:30 – When gardens become overwhelming
07:45 – Learning from scaling back
10:55 – Is it worth growing this crop
13:40 – Time realities in gardening
15:55 – Physical vs emotional energy
19:30 – Harvest decisions and burnout
22:10 – You need less space than you think
25:15 – Making small spaces productive
27:30 – How life seasons affect gardens
31:05 – Choosing a clear garden focus
34:15 – What a right-sized garden feels like
37:20 – Three crops clarity question
39:10 – Grounding your 2026 garden plan
41:30 – Seed starting basics beginners miss
44:10 – Free Before You Sow training
Resource Links
Free Training: Before You Sow
https://journeywithjill.net/before-you-sow
Friday Emails (Newsletter)
https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup
Recommended Brands & Products
https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/
Amazon Storefront
https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden
GreenStalk Vertical Planters
Grow more food in less space with vertical planters that make gardening easier to manage.
Use code JILL10 for $10 off a $75 purchase.
👉 https://journeywithjill.net/greenstalk
Disclaimer
Gardening advice shared in this podcast is based on my own experience in Zone 8a (Arkansas) and from 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. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.