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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, mushrooms 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.
The Messed Up Gardener
Ep 173: Why Most Gardens Fail in the First 90 Days (And How to Avoid It)
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🎧Press Play to Listen to Today’s Episode
Free Gardening Resources at the bottom of the show notes
What if nothing has actually gone wrong with your garden…
But it just feels like it has?
Why do so many gardens start strong… Only to slow down, stall, and become confusing within the first few weeks?
And what if the problem isn’t what you’re doing… But when you’re expecting results?
In this episode of The Messed-Up Gardener, Esther Williams walks you through the stage most gardeners don’t fully understand — the first 90 days.
Not in a complicated or technical way…
But in a clear, practical way that helps you understand what’s actually happening beneath the surface.
Because the truth is, most gardens don’t fail because people stop trying.
They struggle because the early stages don’t behave the way people expect them to.
And without understanding that… it’s easy to start second-guessing everything.
In this episode you’ll discover:
🌱 Why early growth can be misleading — and what it actually means
🌱 What really happens between days 14–30 (and why things start to feel “off”)
🌱 The “Mistake Window” — where most gardens get overcorrected
🌱 Why gardens don’t respond instantly (and how this creates confusion)
🌱 The stage where confidence drops — and why this is completely normal
🌱 What successful gardeners do differently during this period
🌱 The simple 90-day framework to help your garden stabilise and start working
If your garden has ever started well…but then felt inconsistent, slow, or uncertain…
this episode will help you understand exactly why.
🎧 Press play above to listen.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a fellow gardener or leaving a review. It helps more people discover the show. And if you’d like to see what I’m working on behind the scenes — including our current greenhouse setup (yes… 5000 strawberry plants incoming 😅) — feel free to reach out.
📩 themessedupgardener@gmail.com 🌐 www.themessedupgardener.com
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🍄 Shesther’s Gourmet
🌱 Helpful Garden Resources
If you’d like to keep learning, you can explore some of my practical gardening resources:
🌱 Create Your Own DIY Self-Watering Planters
A step-by-step guide to building simple systems that help your garden thrive.
https://stan.store/EstherA/p/create-your-own-diy-self-watering-garden-planters
🌿 Free Gardening Resources
You can also grab a few of my free guides designed to help gardeners build confidence:
🌿 12 Essential Tips for a Thriving Garden
Practical guidance from planning through to harvest
🌿 Organic Gardening Cheat Sheet
Simple natural methods for chemical-free growing
🌿 Garden Goals Planning Worksheet
A simple worksheet to help you plan your garden with intention
https://stan.store/EstherA/p/get-my-garden-goals-planning-worksheet-now
Until next time, remember:
Gardening can happen in any space, in any place, and on any budget. 🌿
Gardening can happen in any space, in any place, and on any budget.