Home Podcasts The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy
The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy

The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy

Jill McSheehy 565 episodes Nov 10, 2026

The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy is a podcast designed to help novice gardeners succeed. It offers easy-to-understand resources, tips, and information for starting a garden, whether big or small. The host shares her own gardening journey and explains gardening terminology in a clear way. The goal is to equip listeners with the knowledge they need for a successful gardening season.

Episodes

497 - Raised Bed Soil, Tomato Cages, Seed Starting, & More: Your Questions Answered
497 - Raised Bed Soil, Tomato Cages, Seed Starting, & More: Your Questions Answered Nov 10, 2026 35:45 Is your raised bed soil losing productivity, or are your seedlings struggling to grow? Wondering which tomato supports work best or when to transplant your vegetables? In this episode, I'm answering six common vegetable gardening questions from gardeners just like you. These questions come from my Dream to Garden students during our monthly coaching calls. We'll talk about refreshing raised bed so
496 - 5 Garden Projects in 2026: were they worth it?
496 - 5 Garden Projects in 2026: were they worth it? Nov 3, 2026 33:16 Have you ever spent time and money on a garden project, only to wonder if it was worth it? Some garden projects make growing easier, while others don't hold up as well as we'd hoped. This year, I tested five garden projects, including raised bed trellises, a garden washing station, irrigation upgrades, and a self-watering raised bed. In this episode, I'm sharing what worked, what didn't, and what
495 - 6 Accidental Lessons from 2026
495 - 6 Accidental Lessons from 2026 Oct 27, 2026 34:20 Ever wonder why one garden bed produces twice as much as another? Sometimes the biggest gardening lessons come from unexpected results. I'm sharing what I learned about sweet potatoes, raised beds, watering, and more. Free Download: The Beginner's Garden Resource Vault Get complimentary access to gardening guides, charts, and planning resources to help you grow more food with less overwhelm. http
494 -  Fall Broccoli and Tomatoes in a 100° September:: My Season of Adjustments (Part 2)
494 - Fall Broccoli and Tomatoes in a 100° September:: My Season of Adjustments (Part 2) Oct 20, 2026 36:56 Growing fall vegetables when temperatures won't drop can be frustrating, even for experienced gardeners. What can you do to help broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower survive extreme heat? And which crops might surprise you? After six weeks of 100-degree temperatures and drought in my Arkansas garden, I'm sharing what worked, what struggled, and what I'll change next year. We'll talk about planting d
493 - Fall Lettuce in a 100° September: My Season of Adjustments (Part 1)
493 - Fall Lettuce in a 100° September: My Season of Adjustments (Part 1) Oct 13, 2026 26:34 Struggling to keep your fall garden alive through unusually hot weather? If your lettuce seedlings are wilting or your fall planting schedule has fallen behind, you're not alone. I'm sharing practical fall gardening lessons from a season of extreme heat and drought in my Arkansas garden. After 13 years of gardening, I experienced something I'd never encountered before: weeks of triple-digit temper
492 - Where to Plant Garlic (next summer considerations)
492 - Where to Plant Garlic (next summer considerations) Oct 6, 2026 16:22 Not sure where to plant garlic without giving up valuable spring garden space? Garlic stays in the garden for months, so where you plant it now matters next spring. In this episode, I'll show you practical garlic planting layouts for raised beds and small gardens. Free Download: Garlic Planting Cheat Sheet Get the timing, spacing, and growing basics you need for your first (or best) garlic crop. h
491 - Should you plant onions in the fall?
491 - Should you plant onions in the fall? Sep 29, 2026 28:48 Planting onions in fall might give you an earlier harvest than you thought possible. If you garden in Zone 7 or warmer, overwintering onions may help you harvest sooner, reduce bolting, and spread your onion harvest across several months. In this episode, I'm sharing what happened when I tested fall-planted onions in my Zone 8a Arkansas garden and how to decide whether this method could work where
490 - Fall Crop Adjustments as the Weather Turns
490 - Fall Crop Adjustments as the Weather Turns Sep 22, 2026 21:18 Your fall garden may be growing the same vegetables you planted in spring, but that doesn't mean they need the same care. Shorter days, warm soil, changing temperatures, and slower growth all affect how you should water, shade, and protect fall crops. In this episode, I'll help you adjust your fall garden care so lettuce, carrots, broccoli, and other cool-season crops have what they need. Free Dow
489 - Using a Greenhouse to its Full Potential with Leslie Halleck
489 - Using a Greenhouse to its Full Potential with Leslie Halleck Sep 15, 2026 39:13 Thinking about getting a greenhouse but not sure what it can actually do for your garden? A greenhouse can extend your growing season, protect plants through winter, and give seedlings a head start, but only if you understand how temperature, light, and humidity work together. In this episode, I'm talking with Leslie about greenhouse gardening for beginners, including what I've learned from using
488 - Two Easy Cover Crops That Changed My Raised Bed Garden
488 - Two Easy Cover Crops That Changed My Raised Bed Garden Sep 8, 2026 31:05 Not sure what to cover your raised bed soil with this winter? Cover crops can build soil, suppress weeds, and even provide living mulch. In this episode, I'll help you choose a cover crop and get started without overcomplicating it. Free Download: Raised Bed Soil Options Learn practical, affordable options for building and improving healthy raised bed soil. https://journeywithjill.net/raised-bed-
487 - Fastest Fall Crops If You're Starting Late
487 - Fastest Fall Crops If You're Starting Late Sep 1, 2026 20:41 Think you've missed your chance to plant a fall garden? You may still have time to grow a harvest, even if September is already here. The key is knowing your average first frost date and choosing fall crops that can mature in the time you have left. In this episode, I'll help you figure out what you can still plant based on the number of weeks before your first frost. We'll cover fast-growing gree
486 - Making Space for Fall Crops (when summer crops are still growing)
486 - Making Space for Fall Crops (when summer crops are still growing) Aug 25, 2026 28:27 Trying to plant a fall garden when your beds are still full of summer crops? You don't have to clear everything at once. A simple bed-by-bed assessment can help you decide what stays, what goes, and where your fall crops can fit. In this episode, I walk you through how I transition my garden from summer to fall, including how I decide when to remove productive plants, prepare tired soil, add compo

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