Preservation is a great way to reduce waste in the garden. In this episode, Jacques and Kris discuss all their favorite (and not so favorite) ways to preserve the food they grow in their gardens. From freezing, to drying, these two have some pretty awesome secrets to share.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3W17SVHBotanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3xQO3pQBook Collection Page:https://growepic.co/4aH4iEuEG Homesteading Book:...

Kris has a consulting business, called Grow a Little Garden where she teaches people to garden in raised beds. Jacques truly enjoys teaching people how to grow food at home with his Jacques in the Garden channel. Both of them love their vocations, in and out of Epic Gardening, because growing food is such an important and empowering skill to have. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3vRiEDoBotanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3U7CnXnBook Collection Page:...

Jacques and Kris are two of the first employees of Epic Gardening, and both of them got into growing their own food around the pandemic. Both of them truly love food, cooking, and most of all, eating. These interests sparked their jobs teaching other people how to garden.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3Q9rTFOBotanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3vRhoQGBook Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3w7A1QbEG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/3UoDrHzLearn...

Growing dahlias from seed is very different from cultivating them in their tuber stage. The difference lies mainly in that they produce a whole new variety, genetically. This doesn’t dampen their ability to feed the bees, and attract pollinators, but it does shorten their vase life.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3xy27o9Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/43VJVkCBook Collection Page:  https://growepic.co/4aKvPVyEG Homesteading Book:...

When should you plant dahlia tubers, and what are the best ways to care for them? Jennifer Gulizia, head farmer at The Flowering Farmhouse has a lot of experience growing dahlias. And she has all the information you need to grow your own here! Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3Uh7elJBotanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3vQsEfWBook Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3Q0hPikEG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/3JC9VIxLearn More: How to plant, grow, and...

If you try to grow what’s popular, and you don’t love it, you won’t have the motivation to care for it! This is the key to cut flower farming according to Jennifer Gulizia. If you’re passionate about a type of flower, focus on growing that first, and then expand to caring for other species.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3PZqK3zBotanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/49Qz4dbBook Collection Page: https://growepic.co/4aSn6k1EG Homesteading Book:...

How does one start their own cut flower farm? Jennifer Gulizia of the Flowering Farmhouse is a seasoned flower farmer, and she has expert advice on this very topic. It all starts with a thought-out business plan that is tailored to your lifestyle. Remain practical, and flexible, and you’ll be set up for success. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3xxyd3sBotanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/4aA8tC8Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3VRTAXnEG...

Jennifer Gulizia of the Flowering Farmhouse didn’t start her career in cut flower growing first thing. It wasn’t until after she did a stint in the corporate world and worked as a wedding photographer that she was inspired to cultivate gorgeous blooms. Hear her story about how she got there, and her advice about starting a cut flower farm.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3PYCWRWBotanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/4axALgvBook Collection Page:...

Mention that you like gardening, and you’ll spark someone’s interest. Occupational Horticulturalist, Perla Sofía Curbelo Santiago experiences this with her friends and neighbors on a regular basis. Though gardening can be a solitary practice, it brings people together.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3U589Fx Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3vIeFJ8 Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3PRAb4O EG Homesteading Book:...

There are ways to adjust what you do in the garden to make the practice of gardening safer and more enjoyable. Sometimes it’s as small as winding up a hose. Other times it’s a matter of moving some of the garden’s main features. These minute changes can make so much difference. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/49quSk1 Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3PSl9fr Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3vCUCvJ EG Homesteading Book:...

There are small ways to make massive gardening projects much easier. Divide your projects into their main parts. Plan out how you’re going to work through your project. Ask for help from friends and family. Overall, have fun! That’s how it’s supposed to be. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/4aA2CfW Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/4aENk9x Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/4aIKmAR EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/3VNIi6r Learn...

Sometimes the garden can actually be a source of stress. But there are ways to mitigate your garden stresses with garden joys. The source of this joy is shifting towards a #GardenBreak. Relax, restore, do nothing sometimes, and tackle plant problems as they arise. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage:  https://growepic.co/4cOKq43 Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/4aoijaf Book Collection Page:  https://growepic.co/43L8pwE EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/4aKQoAP Learn...

Gardening is not just about epic yields. It also benefits your overall well being. This fact is the reason that Perla Sofía Curbelo Santiago decided to pursue a career in Horticultural Therapy. With conscious adjustments, people can glean so much more than great food from their gardens. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/4cMPmpM Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/49qt76pBook Collection Page:  https://growepic.co/49rWTHYEG Homesteading...

Humans don’t just grow plants because they are beloved. They have functions in the garden as well. Whether they’re grown for trap cropping, companion planting, or for cultivation, there are social and cultural elements that led us to co-evolve with plants.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/4czYgHg Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/4cG9ev1 Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/49gaiCWEG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/49hadi7 Learn More: 5...

If you have ever wondered how humans learned what wild foods were edible, you’re not alone! It took a lot of involved, sustained effort by our ancestors, who gnawed on plants for eight to ten hours per day. The story of how we consumed beans is one fascinating example of how we learned to cook foods.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage:  https://growepic.co/4aA3wc5 Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3vxuKkN Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3vxrfuAEG Homesteading...

Did you know that melons weren’t the lucious sweet fruit we adore today? The melons of medieval times were more like gherkins. It wasn’t until growers cultivated melons and cross-bred them enough that they ripened to sweetness. This caused a massive melon craze. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage:  https://growepic.co/3TCIWAY Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3THggqu Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3TFvX1j EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/43GyAES Learn...

Interestingly, pandemics were much less common before the development of agriculture. As we gained proficiency growing food, we dealt with various offsets that led to higher incidences of disease. Margot discusses the factors related to these here.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/4ahMPma Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/4aeIIHc Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3TUJeVhEG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/4ahMUGu Learn More: 5 Ancient...

The COVID-19 lockdown changed the way Margot Kelley practiced gardening. Not only did it become the most hardcore gardening year for her, it also gave her more motivation to cultivate life. By buckling down in the summer, she was prepared for winter.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage:  https://growepic.co/49bq2XG Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3TXjOGu Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3vw9iwC EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/3vyHszK Learn More: 5...

As a leader of marketing at Bailey Nurseries, Ryan McEnaney is in the know about the hottest trends in landscape design. While nostalgic plant varieties are always of interest, new and unique landscape designs are also important.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3vpwi06 Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/4aiLRWi Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3VzJJFo EG Homesteading Book:  https://growepic.co/3xdgyOw Learn More: 13 Low Maintenance Hydrangeas...

Because nurseries can be such a huge operation with plenty of offsets, having sustainable practices looped into their daily activities is important. At Bailey, Ryan and his team use different production techniques, from rainwater capture, to using recycled materials. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3TNf71Z Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3PzXbVT Book Collection Page:  https://growepic.co/3TRcNqw EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/43vmVIS Learn...

While propagating plants is fairly easy, developing cultivars with desired traits can take several generations. There are a lot of surprises in the process, too. Ryan McEnaney of Bailey Nurseries provides a little BTS look at the company’s focus on creating new plants. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3vsgw4M Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/497ZvKY Book Collection Page:  https://growepic.co/3voLASU EG Homesteading Book:...

How do plants get to the nursery, and into home gardens? Wholesale nurseries are the source! Behind every nursery is a huge operation, usually with a focus on particular types of plants. Bailey Nurseries is one example of this model. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3TziF6u Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3Tyugmf Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3IU6Wux EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/3vpNbYw Learn More: 13 Low Maintenance...

Horticulture is an industry full of opportunity. Many of the people working at Bailey Nurseries, for instance, started their careers simply from their love of plants. A job in Horticulture does not require a degree. Ryan McEnaney of Bailey Nurseries is a testament to this statement. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3TOYuTp Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3xh4rj7 Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3TOYEKv EG Homesteading Book:...

How do you get those really large leaves on your houseplants? Aside from the obvious foundation of proper conditions, you can water slightly more frequently, and provide a highly diluted liquid fertilizer. Add a moss pole, and you won’t struggle to build your own thriving indoor garden.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/493zsUV Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3PpYZ3J Book Collection Page:  https://growepic.co/3x1n4YA EG Homesteading Book:...