The Beanstalk : A Podcast for Gardeners

Episode 76 – The Haunted Harvest – Strange Crops and Halloween Traditions! 🎃🌱

Halloween is almost here, fellow Beans, and we're taking a little detour into the stranger side of gardening history!

This week on The Beanstalk, we're exploring the fascinating connections between Halloween, the autumn harvest, and the crops that helped shape some of our favorite traditions. From the surprising origins of jack-o'-lanterns to unusual harvest customs and a little seasonal folklore, there's plenty hiding beneath the surface of this spooky holiday!

We'll also be whipping up some delicious old-fashioned spiced apple butter to celebrate the season.

So grab a warm drink, settle in, and join us for a special Halloween adventure!

From our patch to yours… keep on climbing! 🎃🌱

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Episode 75 – Artichokes – Prickly, Peculiar and Delicious

Ever wondered what it would be like to grow your own artichokes? These unusual vegetables might look a little intimidating, but there's a lot more to them than meets the eye!

This week on The Beanstalk, we're exploring the fascinating world of artichokes, from their surprising botanical origins to the challenges and rewards of growing them in your own garden. We'll also talk about what makes these plants a little different from your everyday vegetables and whether gardeners in colder climates can get in on the fun.

And of course, we've got a delicious garlic-butter roasted artichoke recipe to try!

Pull up a chair, fellow Beans, and let's get growing! 🌱

From our patch to yours… keep on climbing!

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Episode 74 – Currants – Colorful, Cold-Hardy and Curiously Controversial! 🌱

Small berries, big flavor, and a surprisingly interesting history!

This week on The Beanstalk, we're exploring the wonderful world of currants! These colorful little berries have been enjoyed for centuries, but their history in American gardens hasn't always been smooth sailing.

What makes these cold-hardy shrubs worth growing? And why were they once considered such a problem that restrictions were placed on growing them?

We'll explore these questions and more, along with a few tips for growing your own and a delicious homemade currant jelly recipe!

So pull up a chair, fellow Beans, and let's get growing! 🌱

From our patch to yours… keep on climbing!

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Episode 73 – Pineapples – Tropical, Tough and Totally Bizarre 🍍

Pineapples probably aren't the first thing that comes to mind when you picture a backyard garden—especially if your backyard happens to spend part of the year buried in snow.

But that doesn't mean we can't grow one.

This week on The Beanstalk, we're heading into the tropics to explore one of the strangest fruits we've covered yet. We'll find out how a pineapple actually grows, why the fruit itself isn't quite what it appears to be, and how something you'd normally toss into the compost might just become your next houseplant.

These plants are tough, weird, surprisingly patient, and they have a few tricks up their spiky sleeves that make them unlike almost anything else we've grown.

And once we finally get our hands on a pineapple, we're firing up the grill and putting it to good use with a simple dessert worthy of a Chill, Chat & Cook evening.

So grab a pineapple, fellow Beans—and whatever you do, don't throw away the top.

We're growing pineapples! 🍍🌱

From our patch to yours… keep on climbing.

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Episode 72 – Cabbage – Crunchy, Classic and Surprisingly Complicated

Cabbage might seem like one of the simpler vegetables in the garden, but there’s a whole lot hiding underneath those tightly packed leaves.

This week on The Beanstalk, we’re digging into one of the great cool-season classics and discovering just how strange its family tree really is.

We'll talk about growing beautiful heads of cabbage, dealing with the little critters that seem determined to eat them before we do, and some of the quirks that can make this seemingly simple vegetable a little more complicated than expected.

And once harvest time arrives, we're putting some of that cabbage to work in the kitchen with a homemade classic that lets some microscopic helpers do part of the cooking for us.

So make a little room in the cool-season garden, fellow Beans.

We're growing cabbage! 🥬🌱

From our patch to yours… keep on climbing.

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Episode 71 – Kiwis – Fuzzy, Feisty and Surprisingly Hardy 🥝

When you think of kiwis, chances are you picture those fuzzy little brown fruits sitting in the grocery store.

But there's a whole lot more growing beneath that fuzzy exterior.

This week on The Beanstalk, we're digging into the surprisingly strange world of kiwis—and finding out that this seemingly tropical fruit has a few relatives that might be tougher than you'd ever expect.

From massive vines and unusual fruits to some downright fascinating plant biology, kiwi has plenty of surprises waiting for us. And, of course, we'll eventually find our way into the kitchen and make something delicious with them too.

So grab your gardening gloves and find something sturdy to climb, fellow Beans.

We're growing kiwis! 🥝🌱

From our patch to yours… keep on climbing.

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Episode 70 – Fungi in the Garden – Hidden, Hungry and Incredible

🍄 This week on The Beanstalk, we're diving headfirst into the incredible world of garden fungi—and we're going deep.

We'll explore edible mushrooms you can deliberately cultivate, including wine caps in wood-chip beds, oyster mushrooms, shiitakes on hardwood logs, portobellos, lion's mane and more, before wandering into the world of famous wild mushrooms like chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, morels and chanterelles. Then we're heading underground to discover mycelium, decomposition, mycorrhizal fungi, and the ancient partnerships that help plants access nutrients and water through microscopic fungal networks.

We'll separate some of the science from the hype surrounding mycorrhizal products, talk about beneficial fungi versus fungal diseases, and explore ways to encourage a healthier fungal ecosystem in the garden. And because an episode this mushroom-heavy deserves an equally ridiculous recipe, we're making an absolutely loaded multi-mushroom bourguignon where the fungi are unquestionably the stars of the show.

If you've ever wondered what's really happening beneath the mulch after those mysterious mushrooms appear, this is the episode for you, fellow Beans. 🌱🍄

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Episode 69 – Questions & Answers – Growing, Learning and Sharing

🌱 This week on The Beanstalk, we're turning the microphone over to the fellow Beans for our first big Questions & Answers episode!

We're talking garlic scapes, favorite tomato varieties, why I grow an unreasonable number of cucumbers, my background with food and gardening, and the story behind why I started The Beanstalk in the first place. We'll also count down some of my greatest garden successes and most painful failures—including 250 pounds of tomatoes, a 150-plant cucumber jungle, a bean disaster, and the spearmint invasion that was ultimately defeated by a completely unrelated plumbing catastrophe. 😂

Instead of our usual recipe, we're talking about the importance of building strong communities and holding onto the good people who make our gardens—and our lives—better. Then we'll finish with gardening history, the rise of gardening podcasts and video, and a Garden Nerd Corner about how sharing gardening knowledge has evolved from conversations over the fence to conversations around the world.

Never give up, never surrender, and keep growing together, fellow Beans. 🌱

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Episode 68 – Edible Natives – Wild, Useful and Overlooked

This week on The Beanstalk, we're looking beyond the garden rows and exploring some of the edible plants hiding in plain sight. 🌿

From dandelions and purslane to dock, lamb's quarters, and other familiar wild plants, we're digging into what they are, how they've been used, and why some of the plants we call weeds are surprisingly useful. We'll talk about growing and harvesting them, safe identification, seed saving, and even turn a few properly identified wild greens into dinner.

Most importantly, we'll cover why knowing exactly what you've found—and where it has been growing—matters before you ever take a bite. You may never look at the weeds in your garden quite the same way again! 🌱

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Episode 67 – Melons – Sweet, Sprawling and Refreshing

Melons are taking over The Beanstalk this week! 🍈 We're digging into cantaloupes, honeydews, muskmelons, and some of the specialty varieties that make growing your own so much fun.

We'll talk about getting those vines through the summer, pollination, pests, figuring out when a melon is truly ripe, saving seeds, and why a vine-ripened melon can taste so different from one at the grocery store. We'll also put the harvest to work with a fresh Summer Melon and Cucumber Salad and dig into some surprisingly nerdy melon biology along the way.

If you've ever wanted to grow sweeter, better melons right out of your own garden, come hang out with your fellow Beans! 🌱

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Episode 66 – Zinnias – Bright, Cheerful and Blooming

This week on The Beanstalk, we're bringing a splash of color to the garden with zinnias! 🌼

Learn how to grow these easy, heat-loving flowers, keep them blooming all season, save seeds for next year, and attract butterflies and pollinators to your yard. We'll also whip up a colorful summer pasta salad inspired by the beauty of the garden and explore some fascinating facts about one of the easiest flowers you'll ever grow.

Whether you're planting your first flower bed or adding color to your vegetable garden, this episode is blooming with ideas! 🌱

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Episode 65 – Ornamental Flowering Trees – Elegant, Colorful and Timeless

Spring may only last a few weeks, but ornamental flowering trees can leave memories that last a lifetime! 🌸

This week on The Beanstalk, we're exploring some of the most beautiful flowering trees you can grow, from elegant Japanese cherries and colorful redbuds to classic dogwoods and wildlife-friendly serviceberries. We'll cover planting, care, common problems, and even mix up a refreshing Cherry Blossom Lemonade.

If you've ever wanted to transform your landscape with breathtaking seasonal color, this episode is for you! 🌳🌱

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Episode 64 – Honeysuckle – Fragrant, Colorful and Climbing

This week on The Beanstalk, we're climbing into the fragrant world of honeysuckle! 🌸

Join John as we explore the differences between native and invasive varieties, learn how to grow and care for these beautiful vines, discover why hummingbirds can't get enough of them, and even make a refreshing homemade honeysuckle lemonade. We'll also dive into fascinating history, fun facts, and the science behind one of the garden's sweetest-smelling plants.

Whether you're looking to add more pollinators to your yard or simply enjoy an incredible floral display, this episode has something for every Fellow Bean! 🌱

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Episode 63 – Blueberries – Sweet, Hardy and Mighty

This week on The Beanstalk, we're taking a closer look at blueberries! 🫐

We'll cover everything from creating the perfect acidic soil to harvesting sweeter berries, dealing with common pests, and growing healthy bushes that can produce for decades.

We'll also bake up a batch of homemade blueberry muffins, share some fascinating facts about these little superfruits, and dig into the science behind what makes blueberries so unique.

Whether you're planting your first bush or looking to improve an established patch, this episode has something for every Fellow Bean! 🌱

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Episode 62 – Blackberries – Bold, Juicy and Brambly

This week on The Beanstalk, we're diving into the sweet and productive world of blackberries! 🌱 From choosing the right variety and caring for your canes to harvesting perfectly ripe berries and tackling common pests organically, we'll cover everything you need to grow a thriving blackberry patch.

We'll also whip up a delicious homemade blackberry cobbler, share some fascinating berry facts, and finish things off with a deep dive into the science behind these incredible plants.

Whether you're planting your very first blackberry or managing an established patch, there's something here for every Fellow Bean. 🍇

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Episode 61 – Raspberries – Sweet, Simple, and Rewarding

🍓 The community requested it, and we're kicking off our new listener-inspired episode block with raspberries!

In this episode of The Beanstalk, we dive into everything you need to know about growing healthy, productive raspberry plants—from choosing the right varieties and understanding primocanes versus floricanes to pruning, harvesting, companion planting, and keeping your patch thriving for years to come.

We'll also bake up a simple homemade raspberry crisp and explore some fascinating facts about one of the garden's sweetest perennial treats. 🌱🍓

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Episode 60 – In-Ground vs Raised Beds vs Containers – The Great Garden Debate

In Episode 60 of The Beanstalk, we tackle one of the biggest gardening debates: in-ground gardens, raised beds, or containers. 🌱

We break down the advantages, disadvantages, hidden costs, water needs, soil realities, accessibility concerns, and practical differences between each growing method. We also look at small backyard gardens, larger homesteads, indoor container growing, and why large-scale farms usually think about these systems differently.

Whether you’re just starting out or rethinking your whole garden setup, this episode is all about choosing the growing space that actually fits your life.

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Episode 59 – Peanuts – Peculiar, Productive, and Underground

This week on The Beanstalk, we're digging into one of the strangest crops you can grow: peanuts! From their surprising underground fruiting habit to their connection with soil health and nitrogen fixation, peanuts are far more fascinating than most people realize.

We'll talk varieties, growing tips, harvesting, seed saving, common challenges, and even make a batch of homemade peanut butter.

Whether you've grown them before or are just learning how they actually develop, this episode is packed with practical advice and a few surprises along the way. 🌱🥜🌿

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Episode 58 – Turnips – Humble, Hardy, and Helpful

Turnips might just be the most misunderstood vegetable in the garden, and in this episode of The Beanstalk, we're setting the record straight. 🌱

We'll explore sweet Japanese salad turnips, classic heirlooms, growing tips, common problems, and why this humble crop has been feeding people for thousands of years. Plus, we'll roast up some maple-glazed turnips and give those often-overlooked greens the attention they deserve.

Whether you're already a turnip fan or a lifelong skeptic, this episode might just convince you to give them another chance. 🥕✨

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Episode 57 – Fruit Trees – Patient, Productive, and Rewarding

In this episode of The Beanstalk, we're heading into the orchard to explore the world of fruit trees. 🌳

From apples and pears to peaches, plums, and nectarines, we cover choosing varieties, planting, watering, pruning, and dealing with common challenges. I also share some thoughts from this unusually warm winter and how it had me paying closer attention to chill hours and the health of my own trees.

Whether you're planting your first backyard fruit tree or already dreaming of a small orchard, this episode is packed with practical advice for the long haul. 🍎🍑🌱

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