Christy Wilhelmi shares valuable insights for building and maintaining an organic home food garden.
Up to 80 percent of her family's produce comes from less than 300 square feet of her own garden.
We discuss her approach to designing gardens while understanding a gardener's specific needs and objectives.
Christy explains the importance for selecting appropriate materials and proper choices of soil, seed, and irrigation for a flourishing garden.
In addition, she addresses certain common misconceptions and shares the key lessons she's learned in her gardening journey.
Christy is the chief garden nerd and founder of the Gardenerd brand which is the home of abundant gardening resources.
She publishes newsletters, her popular blog, a top-ranked podcast, and YouTube videos. Her specialties are spreading the garden word to her clients and the world with small-space, organic vegetable garden design, consulting, and classes.
Much of Christy’s expertise to help you better plan and maintain your garden is captured in the online courses she’s developed. The waiting list for her new Garden Planning course.
She is the author of Gardening for Geeks , 400+ Tips for Organic Gardening Success, Grow Your Own Mini Fruit Garden and her debut novel Garden Variety with a sequel on the way.
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00:03 Introduction to the Garden Question Podcast
00:38 Meet the Host and the Guest: Christy Wilhelmi
00:55 Christy's Approach to Garden Design
01:21 Christy's Gardening Journey and Her Brand
01:48 Christy's Expertise and Her Books
02:30 Understanding the Gardener's Needs and Objectives
03:07 Choosing the Right Materials for a Flourishing Garden
05:55 Optimizing Irrigation for Your Garden
06:43 Avoiding Common Gardening Mistakes
19:34 Preparing Your Garden for Spring
25:59 Dealing with Unwanted Critters in Your Garden
29:09 Planning Your Garden: The Importance of Preparation
29:25 The Art of Mapping Your Garden
29:50 The Importance of Keeping Garden Records
30:33 Succession Planning in Small Space Gardens
31:34 Introducing the 'Plan Your Abundant Edible Garden' Course
32:49 The Benefits of Pre-Recorded Gardening Classes
33:27 The Journey of Writing Gardening Books
35:20 The Creation of the Garden Nerd Brand
36:07 The Many Aspects of Garden Nerd
37:00 The Joys and Challenges of Running a Garden Maintenance Division
40:27 The Truth About Companion Planting
45:05 The Importance of Learning from Gardening Mistakes
48:25 The Beauty of Letting Your Garden Grow Wild
49:12 Exploring the World of Grafting
49:40 The Endless Love for Kale
50:27 Final Thoughts and How to Connect with Garden Nerd