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StitcherDoes creating a garden sound magical and fairytale-like to you? But you always end up killing your plants, demotivating you to build one? Well, we all had the same experience as you do. In this episode, Jen and Jill talk all things gardening for beginners and to those who are hesitant to start with Nicole Johnsey Burke, founder of Gardenary, Inc. and an author.
Go deep instead of going wide. Take some time to pick some method or teacher because we don’t need any more ideas, we just need to practice.
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- Weeds. They grow very fast and some people even think that herbs like basil are weeds. Sometimes we don’t like them, sometimes we want to get rid of them. Sometimes if you think basil is a weed, we should welcome them. You should welcome these weeds that we can eat, especially if they grow really well. Kinda like keeping your money in a high-yield saving account like CIT, it got 4% APY, it is going to be growing like a weed. That is a weed we’re going to gladly accept. Start your garden in your savings account!
Check out some relevant episodes
Nicole Johnsey Burke is the Founder of Gardenary, Inc. and the author of Kitchen Garden Revival (2020) and Leaves, Roots and Fruit (2023).
Since starting her first company, Rooted Garden, in Houston in 2015, Nicole has helped design and create more than 500 kitchen gardens. In 2017, she used the lessons she’d learned from her work in so many unique backyards and growing spaces to start Gardenary, Inc, an online company that certifies garden consultants around the world and teaches thousands of students to garden through books, online classes and top of the line garden supplies.
Now, with an online community of over 1,500,000, more than 6,000 students in her Kitchen Garden Academy and Garden Consultant Certification courses, nearly 1,500 Garden consultants around the country and across the world, Nicole’s vision for a kitchen garden revival is truly gaining momentum.
The Green Thumb Theory is a Myth
Nicole highlights that gardening isn’t an innate talent but rather a skill to be learned, similar to budgeting or other acquired skills. The “Green Thumb” Theory is a myth for asserting that success in gardening comes from practice, not innate talent. Selecting a method or teacher and committing to regular practice, cautioning against impulsively buying plants before mastering the basics are significant in starting. Instead of overwhelming oneself with various ideas, Nicole advises focusing deeply on one method then branching out from there. Pay attention to your favorite food and the type of plants you use for ingredients then start building your garden with that one specific plant you commonly use and love in your food.
Seeing Value in Gardening
Common challenges we often face whenever we plan on starting a garden are usually about busyness, stress, and an overall disconnection from food production. Nicole reflects on historical shifts from local food production to grocery stores, she highlights the importance of reconnecting with the earth and seasonal eating to combat these challenges we are currently facing. Gardening offers a solution to these issues and should not take up a lot of our time every single day.
It’s All About Timing
Nicole emphasizes the importance of understanding seasons over frost dates and encourages planting a variety of plants to deter pests and promote healthier soil. Instead of planting for the season NOW, plant for the next season. Taking a proactive approach, she advises closely monitoring young plants for susceptibility and promptly removing plants beyond their prime to prevent disease spread. Rather than fixating on potential problems, Nicole focuses on positive actions and partnering with nature to address issues, advocating for minimal intervention and leveraging natural solutions like composting.
Finding Where To Begin in Gardening
Nicole recommends starting with plants that are easy to maintain for beginners. Beginning with leaves, such as salad greens, followed by herbs, roots (like radishes, beets, and carrots), and finally fruits. For a simple start, she advises setting up the garden thoughtfully, making it as visually appealing as possible within your means, as this encourages more frequent visits and finding worth in building the garden. Nicole also suggests her books Garden Revival (2020), for setting up your garden nicely and Leaves, Roots and Fruit (2023) for a step by step system on learning how to garden.
Your favorite plant to grow and why
- Nicole: Parsley and tomatoes on an arch.
- Jill: I’ll be passing this question to Nicole.
- Jen: Ivy because it’s easy to propagate and hard to kill.
Get more from Nicole
Check out discounted to FREE resources from Nicole!
Nicole’s Instagram
Bill of The Week
Thank you Nicole for sharing your bill about your grocery bill and how there are no greens and herbs on the list!
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