The Better Show
Starting a Garden with Carmen Johnston
Episode Summary
This week we speak with master gardener, Carmen Johnston, of Carmen Johnston Gardens to learn all about starting a home garden. We learn about the benefits of gardening and get tips for how to make starting a garden easier so we can enjoy fresh vegetables all year round.
Episode Notes
Show Notes
- 0:58 — Ian gets hungry for fresh veggies and Darren realizes that he knows someone who can help.
- 4:58 — Darren welcomes Carmen Johnston to the show.
- 7:19 — Darren learns a French term for a “kitchen garden”.
- 7:59 — How gardening has become more popular since the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 9:02 — Carmen gives us all permission to kill plants on the journey of learning how to do it.
- 10:01 — How to get started without the need for a lot of space.
- 12:30 — How to tell whether you are buying good soil.
- 14:50 — Carmen weighs the pros and cons of use seeds versus starters.
- 16:41 — Identifying the easy veggies to start growing.
- 17:33 — Gardening as an exercise for home schooling.
- 19:27 — Why you really want to grow tomatoes at home if you can and tips for growing tomatoes.
- 23:22 — How to keep your herbs from “going to flower”.
- 26:48 — How to know when (and how much) to water your plants.
- 31:30 — How to know which plants will grow in your area.
- 35:26 — The social aspect of gardening and how to leverage your local community to expand your knowledge and share your produce.
- 38:21 — The magic of gardening in motivating kids to try new foods.
- 41:40 — Carmen gives us her email and offers to provide personal advice to The Better Show community.
- 44:29 — Ian, March, and Darren reflect on the tips from Carmen.
- 46:19 — March makes a connection between gardening and venture capital.
- 48:20 — The incredible growing environment of Ireland.
- 52:40 — March reflects on the tips from Carmen that stood out most to him.
- 55:16 — Ian is surprised at how many aspects of life can be improved by gardening.
- 58:08 — Darren is inspired by the community aspect of gardening and how it can help strengthen our social fabric.
- 59:20 — March shares resources for community gardening and community supported agriculture.
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