Garden Girls Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 94:Why Calendula Belongs in Every Garden - Its History Is Wild Nov 05, 2026

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This week we’re digging into the history of calendula, the cheerful orange flower that’s been in gardens, kitchens and medicine cabinets for centuries. From the Romans naming it, to medieval cooks tossing petals into the soup pot, to Civil War doctors using it on battlefield wounds, this little “pot marigold” has seen it all.In this episode:How calendula got its name, and why it’s called pot marigold“Poor man’s saffron”: using the petals to color cheese, butter and foodCalendula on the Civil War battlefieldWhere the name “marigold” (Mary’s gold) may come fromWhy it’s still one of our favorite easy flowers to grow🌼 Join us at the Garden Girls Tea Garden Retreat in Maine, August 26 to 29, 2027: gardengirlspod.com/pages/tea-garden-retreatOur website:https://gardengirlspod.comOur main accounts:@meggrowsplants @thecottagepeach Listen on Spotify:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-garden-girlsFollow us on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garden-girls-podcast/id1763113032Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gardengirlspod/Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@gardengirlspod***Links***Dagny's Tea Garden E-Book:https://shop.thecottagepeach.com/products/growing-your-own-tea-garden-ebook-copyMeg's Planting Calendar:https://meg-grows-plants.myshopify.com/collections/allSupport our podcast and get exclusive bonus content:https://www.patreon.com/c/GardenGirlsPodcastEpic Gardening:https://shop.epicgardening.com/GARDENGIRLSCode for 5% off!GARDENGIRLS*These codes are affiliate links that we receive commissions from and help to support the podcast!*

Episode 93: Flowers That Love the Cold?! Hardy Annuals to Plant Now Oct 28, 2026

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Most flowers sulk when it gets cold. Hardy annuals are the ones that actually like it.This week we’re talking all about hardy annuals: the flowers that can handle frost, grow roots through the cool months, and bloom earlier and bigger than anything you plant in spring. We cover what makes an annual “hardy,” how timing changes in a warmer zone like Meg’s 8a versus a colder garden like Dagny’s, and our favorites to start with, like snapdragons, sweet peas, larkspur and bachelor’s buttons. If you’ve only ever planted flowers in May, this one might change your whole garden calendar.🎧 New podcast episodes every week.Our website:https://gardengirlspod.comOur main accounts:@meggrowsplants @thecottagepeach Listen on Spotify:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-garden-girlsFollow us on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garden-girls-podcast/id1763113032Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gardengirlspod/Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@gardengirlspod***Links***Dagny's Tea Garden E-Book:https://shop.thecottagepeach.com/products/growing-your-own-tea-garden-ebook-copyMeg's Planting Calendar:https://meg-grows-plants.myshopify.com/collections/allSupport our podcast and get exclusive bonus content:https://www.patreon.com/c/GardenGirlsPodcastEpic Gardening:https://shop.epicgardening.com/GARDENGIRLSCode for 5% off!GARDENGIRLS*These codes are affiliate links that we receive commissions from and help to support the podcast!*

Episode 92: The Wild History of Pumpkins (They Were Almost Extinct) Oct 21, 2026

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Pumpkins should be extinct. Wild squash was so bitter that only mastodons could eat it, and when the mastodons died out, the only animal left to save it was us.This week on Garden Girls, we dig into the surprisingly wild history of pumpkins. Botanically, there's no such thing as a pumpkin: it's five squash species sharing one nickname, and it's technically a berry. We go back 10,000 years to a cave in Oaxaca, follow the squash bees north, and land in colonial New England, where people had "pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon" and one Connecticut town moved Thanksgiving over a molasses shortage.Then the fun stuff: why the first jack-o'-lanterns were terrifying carved turnips, what's actually in your can of pumpkin, how nutmeg once beat Manhattan, why the pumpkin spice latte had no pumpkin in it for twelve years, and the giant pumpkin growers chasing a 2,819-pound world record. 🎧 New podcast episodes every week.Our website:https://gardengirlspod.comOur main accounts:@meggrowsplants @thecottagepeach Listen on Spotify:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-garden-girlsFollow us on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garden-girls-podcast/id1763113032Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gardengirlspod/Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@gardengirlspod***Links***Dagny's Tea Garden E-Book:https://shop.thecottagepeach.com/products/growing-your-own-tea-garden-ebook-copyMeg's Planting Calendar:https://meg-grows-plants.myshopify.com/collections/allSupport our podcast and get exclusive bonus content:https://www.patreon.com/c/GardenGirlsPodcastEpic Gardening:https://shop.epicgardening.com/GARDENGIRLSCode for 5% off!GARDENGIRLS*These codes are affiliate links that we receive commissions from and help to support the podcast!*

Episode 91: Are Garden Festivals Worth It? An Honest Recap ft. Kelsey Segaloff Oct 15, 2026

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This year our friend Kelsey ( ⁨@sproutsnstories⁩ ) went to more garden festivals than most of us go to in a lifetime, so we had to sit her down and get ALL the details. 🌷In this episode we chat about which festivals were actually worth the trip, the best plant hauls, what to bring (and what to leave at home), and the one festival she'd go back to in a heartbeat. If you've ever wondered whether a garden festival is worth the drive, this one's for you. Grab a coffee and hang out with us!

🎧 New podcast episodes every week.

Check out Kelseys Podcast: Garden Like PodcastOur website:https://gardengirlspod.comOur main accounts:@meggrowsplants @thecottagepeach ⁨

@sproutsnstories⁩ Listen on Spotify:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-garden-girlsFollow us on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garden-girls-podcast/id1763113032Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gardengirlspod/Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@gardengirlspod***Links***Dagny's Tea Garden E-Book:https://shop.thecottagepeach.com/products/growing-your-own-tea-garden-ebook-copyMeg's Planting Calendar:https://meg-grows-plants.myshopify.com/collections/allSupport our podcast and get exclusive bonus content:https://www.patreon.com/c/GardenGirlsPodcastEpic Gardening:https://shop.epicgardening.com/GARDENGIRLSCode for 5% off!GARDENGIRLS*These codes are affiliate links that we receive commissions from and help to support the podcast!*

Episode 90: The Weevils Had a Lawyer (And Other Crop Rituals) HALLOWEEN EP Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

For thousands of years, one late frost could mean a hungry winter for a whole village. So people tried everything: singing to apple trees, braiding the last of the harvest into straw dolls, leaving fields unplowed for the spirits. Some of it sounds unhinged now, but a surprising amount of it was good agricultural science dressed up in folklore.In this video we dig into the history, the magic, and the plain necessity behind old garden rituals. We look at which ones worked and why, which ones didn't (sorry, Pliny), and what the so called witch's garden was really growing.https://gardengirlspod.com🎧 New podcast episodes every week.Our main accounts:@meggrowsplants @thecottagepeach Listen on Spotify:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-garden-girlsFollow us on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garden-girls-podcast/id1763113032Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gardengirlspod/Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@gardengirlspod***Links***Dagny's Tea Garden E-Book:https://shop.thecottagepeach.com/products/growing-your-own-tea-garden-ebook-copySupport our podcast and get exclusive bonus content:https://www.patreon.com/c/GardenGirlsPodcastMeg's Planting Calendar:https://meg-grows-plants.myshopify.com/collections/allEpic Gardening:https://shop.epicgardening.com/GARDENGIRLSCode for 5% off!GARDENGIRLS*These codes are affiliate links that we receive commissions from and help to support the podcast!*

Episode 89: We Built Mini Ponds (you should too) Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Most people think a pond means digging, liners, pumps, and a weekend you don't have. We're breaking down why a mini pond is the opposite of that, and what it does for your garden once it's in.In this episode of the Garden Girls Podcast, we talk through how we each built our DIY mini ponds, what we'd do differently, and why a few gallons of standing water changes who shows up in your yard. Pollinators, dragonflies, birds, and the occasional frog all start treating your garden like a destination.We also get into the part nobody warns you about: mosquitoes, algae, and what actually keeps a small pond balanced without constant fiddling.🎧 New podcast episodes every week.Our main accounts:@meggrowsplants @thecottagepeach Listen on Spotify:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-garden-girlsFollow us on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garden-girls-podcast/id1763113032Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gardengirlspod/Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@gardengirlspod***Links***Meg's Planting Calendar:https://meg-grows-plants.myshopify.com/collections/allEpic Gardening:https://shop.epicgardening.com/GARDENGIRLSCode for 5% off!GARDENGIRLS*These codes are affiliate links that we receive commissions from and help to support the podcast!*

Episode 88: Yes, You Can Still Plant in October! Here’s What We’re Growing Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

October is here, but the garden definitely isn’t done yet! This week, we’re chatting about everything we’re growing, planting, and planning in our October gardens.Meg gardens in Zone 8a in North Carolina, while Dagny gardens in Zone 6, so we’re comparing what October looks like in two very different fall gardens—from cool-season veggies and flowers to garlic, overwintering crops, and all the little garden tasks on our lists right now.Grab a coffee and come hang out with us while we talk about what’s going in the ground this month, what we’re still harvesting, and what we’re doing to get our gardens ready for the colder months ahead.

🎧 New podcast episodes every week.Our main accounts:@meggrowsplants @thecottagepeach Listen on Spotify:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-garden-girlsFollow us on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garden-girls-podcast/id1763113032Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gardengirlspod/Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@gardengirlspod***Links***Meg's Planting Calendar:https://meg-grows-plants.myshopify.com/collections/allEpic Gardening:https://shop.epicgardening.com/GARDENGIRLSCode for 5% off!GARDENGIRLS*These codes are affiliate links that we receive commissions from and help to support the podcast!*

Episode 87: You Don't Need a Green Thumb to Grow a Garden Sep 16, 2026

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A green thumb isn't a trait. It's a myth that's kept more people out of gardens than any actual plant ever has.In this episode of Garden Girls, Dagny gets into why "some people just have it and some people don't" is one of the most damaging ideas in gardening. We talk through the difference between talent and pattern recognition, and the specific mental shift that turns "I ruin everything" into "I'm learning what this plant needs."🎧 New podcast episodes every week.Our main accounts:@meggrowsplants @thecottagepeach Listen on Spotify:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-garden-girlsFollow us on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garden-girls-podcast/id1763113032Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gardengirlspod/Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@gardengirlspod***Links***Meg's Planting Calendar:https://meg-grows-plants.myshopify.com/collections/allEpic Gardening:https://shop.epicgardening.com/GARDENGIRLSCode for 5% off!GARDENGIRLS*These codes are affiliate links that we receive commissions from and help to support the podcast!*

Episode 86: The Flower You Think Is Soap Sep 09, 2026

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Lavender shows up on every candle, hand soap, and pillow spray you own, but its real history runs through Roman bathwater, door-to-door lavender sellers in Surrey, and a French chemist who accidentally named the entire practice of aromatherapy after burning his hand in a lab. We're getting into where English lavender actually comes from, what the science behind linalool tells us about why this plant has been used medicinally for over two thousand years, and what gets lost when a plant this interesting becomes an aesthetic instead of a subject.🎧 New podcast episodes every week.Our main accounts:@meggrowsplants @thecottagepeach Listen on Spotify:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-garden-girlsFollow us on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garden-girls-podcast/id1763113032Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gardengirlspod/Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@gardengirlspod***Links***Meg's Planting Calendar:https://meg-grows-plants.myshopify.com/collections/allEpic Gardening:https://shop.epicgardening.com/GARDENGIRLSCode for 5% off!GARDENGIRLS*These codes are affiliate links that we receive commissions from and help to support the podcast!*

Episode 85: The Case for Backyard Wildlife with David Mizejewski Sep 02, 2026

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David Mizejewski, naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation, has spent over two decades making wildlife accessible for families and is the co-creator of Wild Critters USA with PBS Nature and Orbit: Science for Kids. His argument is simple: the most important wildlife you can connect with is already outside your door.We talked about why local wildlife matters for building real conservation values in kids, how habitat gardening works (and why your garden might already qualify as certified wildlife habitat without you knowing it), and what actually happens when kids get to ask a wildlife expert anything.Find David at: https://naturalist.nwf.orgWild Critters USA on YouTube: https://National Wildlife Federation: https://nwf.orgNWF Certified Wildlife Habitat program: https://certifiedwildlifehabitat.nwf.org/🎧 New podcast episodes every week.Our main accounts:@meggrowsplants @thecottagepeach Listen on Spotify:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-garden-girlsFollow us on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garden-girls-podcast/id1763113032Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gardengirlspod/Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@gardengirlspod***Links***Meg's Planting Calendar:https://meg-grows-plants.myshopify.com/collections/allEpic Gardening:https://shop.epicgardening.com/GARDENGIRLSCode for 5% off!GARDENGIRLS*These codes are affiliate links that we receive commissions from and help to support the podcast!*#backyardwildlife #habitatgardening #nativeplants #wildlifegarden #gardeningpodcast
The Case for Backyard Wildlife with David Mizejewski

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