Master My Garden Podcast

John Jones
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Home & Garden
  • Updated Weekly

Master My Garden podcast with John Jones. The gardening podcast that helps you master your own garden. With new episodes weekly packed full of gardening tips, how to garden guides, interviews with gardening experts on many gardening topics and just about anything that will help you in your garden whether you are a new or a seasoned gardener. I hope you enjoy.John

  1. 6d ago

    EP341- 10 Essential Herbs To Grow In Your Garden: The Essential Herb List For Flavour And Health

    If your herb bed could only earn space for ten plants, which ones would actually make your dinners better week after week? We take a listener request from Ivy in Connemara and build a clear, usable shortlist of essential herbs for an Irish garden, balancing everyday cooking with what genuinely grows well in our climate. We start with the hardy, low-effort staples that keep giving: rosemary, sage and thyme. We talk about why free-draining soil matters so much for Mediterranean herbs in Ireland, how many plants you really need for a household, and the little details that turn a struggling herb into a reliable year-round picker. From roast potatoes to stuffing and simple midweek meals, these are the herbs that justify their place. From there we move into the heavy lifters and the seasonal favourites: chives for near-daily use, parsley as a biennial you can easily preserve by freezing into ice-cube trays, and Italian cooking essentials like oregano, basil and bay laurel. We also get honest about the love-it-or-hate-it herbs, including coriander and dill, plus the practical reality that coriander needs repeat sowing if you want a steady supply. To round things out, we mention a few brilliant medicinal herbs for teas and wellbeing, and share details of our upcoming herbal workshop with Laura Darcy on 5 September. If you enjoy practical growing advice and want more flavour from your garden with less effort, subscribe, share the episode with a gardening friend, and leave us a review. This weeks sponsor:  Crann From  Probio Carbon  https://www.probiocarbon.ie Support the show If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know. Email:  info@mastermygarden.com    Check out Master My Garden on the following channels    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/  Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/     Until next week   Happy gardening   John

  2. Jul 10

    EP340- Rhonda Fleming Hayes Discusses Her New Book Garden For life : Practical Ways To Keep A Big Garden Enjoyable

    A big garden can be a gift, right up to the day it starts to feel like a second job. We’re joined by American garden writer Rhonda Fleming Hayes to talk about her book *Gardening for Life* and the practical reality behind a question many of us avoid: how do you keep gardening as you age without letting the work take over the joy? We dig into strategies that make a garden more manageable without stripping away what you love. Rhonda shares a simple but powerful idea for accessible garden design: create zones, bring the most intensively planted beds closer to the house, and let the far edges shift towards lower-maintenance planting, native plants, and even rewilding. We also chat about raised beds, elevated planters, and vertical gardening, especially for anyone thinking about “right sizing” to a smaller space while still wanting fresh herbs, salads, and colour. Safety gets a proper spotlight too, because a fall can change everything. We talk through common trip hazards, why it’s worth reviewing paths and patios, and how to rethink pride around getting help, whether that’s hedge cutting, ladders, or tree work. Along the way we touch on smarter, more ergonomic tools that reduce strain and keep you gardening longer. If you’ve got a big lawn, long hedges, or a garden you want to enjoy for decades, this one is for you. Subscribe for more, share it with a gardener in your life, and leave a review to help others find the show. Support the show If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know. Email:  info@mastermygarden.com    Check out Master My Garden on the following channels    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/  Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/     Until next week   Happy gardening   John

  3. Jul 3

    EP339- Seed Sowing Guide For July: Stop Treating July Like The Finish Line

    This weeks sponsors:  Seeds Ireland High Quality Seeds: See link below for listener offer.  https://seedsireland.ie/master July is where a lot of edible gardens quietly lose momentum and it’s exactly why so many plots run out of steam in autumn. We’re keeping it simple and practical with a July seed sowing guide that helps you stay productive well beyond summer, even if your beds look full and you’re half in holiday mode. We talk through what’s genuinely worth sowing now for succession and speed: salad leaves like lettuce, spinach, rocket and spring onions, plus quick wins like radish and turnips. We also cover the “last chance” feel of July for crops such as beetroot and carrots, and how choosing the right timing and varieties sets you up for lifting and eating later in the year. If your germination has struggled in the heat, we share straightforward fixes, including avoiding trays baking in direct sun and keeping watering steady. The big focus is on brassicas for overwinter harvests and early spring rewards, from autumn cabbage and savoy to calabrese, kale, cauliflower and purple sprouting broccoli. We also get into the unglamorous but crucial side of mid-summer growing: protecting seedlings from cabbage white butterfly with netting, keeping polytunnels ventilated, watering tomatoes properly, and staying vigilant for aphids, slugs returning after rain, and potato blight warnings. There’s also a useful run-through of herbs you can still sow now and a list of flower seeds that can keep your borders moving. If you want your vegetable garden, polytunnel, or allotment to produce for as close to 12 months as possible, this is the moment to act. Subscribe, share the episode with a gardening mate, and leave a review with the one crop you’re committing to sow this July. Support the show If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know. Email:  info@mastermygarden.com    Check out Master My Garden on the following channels    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/  Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/     Until next week   Happy gardening   John

  4. Jun 26

    EP338- Carlow Garden Festival Preview With Eileen O Rourke CEO Carlow Tourism: Nine Days Of Garden Talks Across Carlow

    Carlow Garden Festival is back better than ever in 2026 with an amazing line up of speakers: a pick-and-mix week where you can build your own perfect gardening break. We’re joined by Eileen O’Rourke, CEO of Carlow Tourism, to walk through the programme day by day so you know exactly what’s on, where it’s happening, and how to choose the events that match your garden and your curiosity.  We talk biodiversity and working with nature, from lessons that come straight from the seasons to practical ways of supporting beneficial insects and healthier soil. We also dig into the design side: how to “paint with plants”, how to combine colour and texture for long-lasting borders, and why plants should stay the star of the show even when modern garden features try to steal the spotlight. If you’ve been searching for real-world planting design advice, sustainable gardening ideas, or a gardening event in Ireland that’s genuinely useful, this lineup is built to send you home with plans.  We also get into the fun bits that make the festival feel like a holiday: evening talks in garden settings, guided tours, great cafés, and a garden-party atmosphere at Altamont. There’s space for specialist interests too, including herbal medicine talks on Irish medicinal plants and hands-on botanical print workshops, plus an honest nod to the “plantaholic” urge we all understand.  Have a listen, pick your must-see talk, and then subscribe, share the episode with a gardening friend, and leave us a review so more people can find the podcast. You can get your tickets here:  https://carlowgardentrail.digitickets.co.uk/tickets Or phone:  Phone: 059-9130411 Support the show If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know. Email:  info@mastermygarden.com    Check out Master My Garden on the following channels    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/  Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/     Until next week   Happy gardening   John

  5. Jun 19

    EP337- Online Garden Consultations That Get You Unstuck

    June 2026 consultations available to book here  https://mastermygarden.com/consultation/ You can spend months staring at your garden and still not know what to do first, especially after a new build, a renovation, or a big change in how you want to use the space. We’re sharing a short, practical announcement episode about a service we’ve brought back: online garden consultations that help you move from ideas to a clear, doable plan. We explain exactly what you get from a one-hour-ish Zoom garden consultation, including a simple pre-call questionnaire to clarify your goals, what’s blocking you, and the budget you’re working with. This is not a garden design service. It’s hands-on garden coaching focused on actionable next steps, smart sequencing, and the kind of decisions that stop you wasting money on plants, trees, and materials that don’t suit your site. You’ll also hear real examples of what people bring to these calls: a 1970s house renovation needing boundary, pond and patio guidance; a steep, tricky site that needed a staged landscaping plan; a new build with a paper plan that didn’t match real conditions; and even an outdoor classroom garden designed to feel private, welcoming and rich in pollinator-friendly planting. We keep availability intentionally tight with only two slots per month, and we share the current booking details, price, and how to secure a time. If you want tailored garden advice you can act on straight away, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who’s stuck, and leave us a review. Support the show If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know. Email:  info@mastermygarden.com    Check out Master My Garden on the following channels    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/  Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/     Until next week   Happy gardening   John

  6. Jun 19

    EP336- One Problem Three Solutions: Why Seeds Fail After Germination.

    This weeks sponsor:  Crann From  Probio Carbon  https://www.probiocarbon.ie Your seeds are not “mysteriously bad” overnight. When carrots, peas, and lettuce fail again and again, the real culprit is usually the same thing we have all been living through: wild swings in soil temperature and moisture, plus bursts of intense sun followed by heavy rain. We break down what those swings do at the exact moment seeds try to germinate, and why the first few days after emergence are the most vulnerable stage of the entire growing season.  We get specific about the tricky crops. Carrots can sit in cold, wet ground and do nothing, or they can germinate and then vanish when the surface dries before roots establish. Lettuce brings a different problem: once temperatures climb above around 20°C, lettuce seed may refuse to germinate at all, especially in a polytunnel or greenhouse that can hit extreme heat. We also talk about the frustrating stuff that looks like a germination failure but is actually slug and snail damage, plus why seed quality is worth considering even if it is not the most likely cause.  Then we lay out a simple, practical rescue plan to save your season and avoid a harvest gap: sow peas and lettuce in trays and in the ground for a staggered backup, manage heat with shade during germination, keep compost evenly moist with quick daily checks, and use plug plants strategically to bridge missing weeks (with a clear warning on carrot plugs). If you have been doubting yourself, this is your reminder that even seasoned growers get failures, and the best growers adapt to what their own garden is doing.  Subscribe for more practical vegetable gardening advice, share this with a friend who is re-sowing for the third time, and leave a review so more growers can find the show. What crop is giving you the most trouble right now? Support the show If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know. Email:  info@mastermygarden.com    Check out Master My Garden on the following channels    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/  Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/     Until next week   Happy gardening   John

  7. Jun 12

    EP335- When The Rain Ruins The Roses. How To Save Your Summer Flowers.

    This weeks sponsor:  Crann From  Probio Carbon  https://www.probiocarbon.ie Rain that never seems to end, sunshine that vanishes in minutes, and wind that flattens the best-looking borders can make this June feel like a constant battle. We’re not trying to “beat” the weather, but we are determined to stop it stealing the best part of the gardening year, especially when roses, peonies and early summer perennials should be putting on a show. We talk through the real damage caused by this mix of warmth and moisture: flowers that hold water and rot, stems that snap after repeated rocking, and the rapid rise of fungal problems like mildew and botrytis. Then we get practical. We share a ruthless deadheading approach that protects the next flush of blooms, simple support methods for tall plants, and the key housekeeping that boosts airflow and reduces disease pressure. We also cover container gardening tactics that make a huge difference, from bringing hanging baskets into shelter for a “breather” to moving pots into a less exposed spot so they can recover and thrive. You’ll also hear how to spot the plants that are genuinely unbothered by rough weather, and how to use that information for smarter planting choices later. Finally, we explain the Chelsea Chop, when it still makes sense to do it in a late season, and which perennials respond best with bushier growth and a longer flowering season. If you want more flowers and fewer disappointments this summer, hit subscribe, share the episode with a gardening friend, and leave us a review so more people can find the show. What’s taking the biggest beating in your garden right now? Support the show If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know. Email:  info@mastermygarden.com    Check out Master My Garden on the following channels    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/  Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/     Until next week   Happy gardening   John

  8. Jun 5

    - EP334 Rethink Conifers In The Garden & Bloom Review: 10 great conifers.

    This weeks sponsor:  Crann From  Probio Carbon  https://www.probiocarbon.ie Conifers have spent years stuck in the “dated garden” box, but we’re starting to see them differently and for good reason. After spotting standout examples in show gardens and design work, we talk through why conifers are quietly making a comeback and how a single well-chosen evergreen can add structure, texture and calm to a border all year round. If you’ve ever thought “conifers aren’t for me”, this is the rethink.  We also unpack a very real gardening problem: weather whiplash. Going from cold conditions to near 30°C heat and then straight back into wind and heavy rain doesn’t just feel dramatic, it changes how plants grow. We share what we’re seeing on the ground, from scorched seedlings in polytunnels to onions, garlic and leeks starting to bolt after heat shock, plus why fluctuating moisture levels can push plants into stress.  With wetter conditions back, we flag what to watch for right now: slugs and snails appearing in big numbers and potato blight risk rising quickly, especially where soft growth has been knocked about by wind. Then we move into practical, listener-friendly conifer picks and care tips, including compact pines, classic trees like Cedrus deodara and Metasequoia, and evergreen staples such as Taxus baccata for hedging and clipping.  If you enjoy these practical garden check-ins and plant-focused deep dives, subscribe to the podcast, share the episode with a gardening friend, and leave a review so more people can find it. What conifer would you actually plant in your garden? Support the show If there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know. Email:  info@mastermygarden.com    Check out Master My Garden on the following channels    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/  Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/     Until next week   Happy gardening   John

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Master My Garden podcast with John Jones. The gardening podcast that helps you master your own garden. With new episodes weekly packed full of gardening tips, how to garden guides, interviews with gardening experts on many gardening topics and just about anything that will help you in your garden whether you are a new or a seasoned gardener. I hope you enjoy.John

Information

  • Creator
    John Jones
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    341
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Master My Garden Podcast
  • Show Website
    Master My Garden Podcast