Ep 156: Outsource to Nature — Plants That Do the Work While You’re at Work Artwork

The Messed Up Gardener

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.

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The Messed Up Gardener

Ep 156: Outsource to Nature — Plants That Do the Work While You’re at Work

December 21, 2025 • Esther Aitken

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” actually means (not zero work… just less work)
✅ The 3 types of “nature helpers” that reduce effort without reducing results:

Groundcovers (weed blockers + moisture savers)
Self-seeders (salad + herbs that return like unpaid staff)
Perennials (plant once, harvest and admire for years)
✅ The big game-changing swap: bare soil → living mulch (mulch + plants = less weeds, less watering, less guilt)
✅ A simple starter plan so you can do this without turning it into a giant weekend project

✨ Don’t forget — you’ll find my free gardening guides linked below in the show notes.
Whether you’re after a step-by-step plan, a cheat sheet for growing chemical-free, or even my mini lawn care masterclass, they’re waiting to make gardening easier, lighter, and a whole lot more fun.

🎧 Press play, grab your notebook, and get ready to uncover the riches hiding in your garden! If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss a new garden chat.

And if you have a gardening question or topic you’d love me to cover, send me a message — I’d love to hear from you.

🌻 Until next time: remember that gardening can happen in any space, any place, and on any budget. Have an incredibly abundant week — and I’ll buzz you later. 🐝

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The Messed Up Gardener Or Shesther’s Gourmet

Or Grab

· A Step by Step guide on how to create your own DIY self-watering planters

https://stan.store/EstherA/p/create-your-own-diy-self-watering-garden-planters

Don’t forget to grab one of my gardening freebees.

Freebies: Grab the

- "12 Essential Tips for a Thriving Garden: From Planning to Harvest" Practical Tips to Help You Grow a Flourishing Garden

- https://stan.store/EstherA

- Organic gardening Cheat Sheet: Natural methods for chemical free cultivation https://stan.store/EstherA

- Garden Goals Planning Worksheet https://stan.store/EstherA/p/get-my-garden-goals-planning-worksheet-now

- Mini Masterclass Audio Lawncare basics which has included the Lawn care Mini Masterclass Audio & a Lawn Love Mini Masterclass Companion Guide. https://stan.store/EstherA

Gardening can happen in any space, in any place, and on any budget.