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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 174: Stop Growing the Wrong Crops (This Is What Actually Saves Money)
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🎧 Press Play to Listen to Today’s Episode
Free Gardening Resources at the bottom of the show notes
What if your garden isn’t failing…
it’s just not built to return anything?
Why do so many gardens look productive…
yet still don’t reduce your grocery bill?
And what if the problem isn’t how you’re growing…
but what you’re choosing to grow?
In this episode of The Messed-Up Gardener, Esther Williams breaks down one of the biggest blind spots in gardening.
In this episode you’ll discover:
🌱 Why most gardens feel productive — but don’t actually deliver results
🌱 The “illusion of productivity” and how it keeps gardeners stuck
🌱 Why crop selection matters more than soil, watering, or technique
🌱 The difference between crops that carry your system… and crops that don’t
🌱 The 3 crop roles (Anchor, Accelerator, Passive) and how to use them
🌱 The hidden cost of growing the wrong crops (time, space, and effort)
🌱 Why most gardeners choose low-impact crops (and don’t realise it)
🌱 What actually saves money — and how to structure your garden properly
🌱 The simple 3-question filter to instantly improve your garden
If you’ve ever felt like your garden should be doing more…
but you can’t quite figure out why it isn’t…
this episode will show you exactly where things are going wrong.
And more importantly…
👉 how to fix it.
🎧 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.
Feel free to reach out.
📩 themessedupgardener@gmail.com
🌐 www.themessedupgardener.com
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🌿 The Messed Up Gardener
🍄 Shesther’s Gourmet
Episode links mentioned in the episode:
Ep 168: If Supermarkets Closed Tomorrow, Could Your Garden Feed You? https://www.buzzsprout.com/2076652/episodes/18845048
Ep 171: Why Your Garden Isn’t Saving You Money (And How to Fix It)
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2076652/episodes/18960724
Ep 172: What a $100 Garden REALLY Looks Like (And Why Most People Get It Wrong) https://www.buzzsprout.com/2076652/episodes/18987083
Ep 173: Why Most Gardens Fail in the First 90 Days (And How to Avoid It) https://www.buzzsprout.com/2076652/episodes/18987118
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
https://stan.store/EstherA
🌿 Organic Gardening Cheat Sheet
https://stan.store/EstherA
🌿 Garden Goals Planning Worksheet
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.