Feeling guilty that your garden doesn't look like it used to? You're not alone. In this episode, I share how my own season of life changed my garden—and how you can adjust yours with less stress and more joy. You'll learn practical ways to right-size your garden for your time, energy, and goals (no shame required).

Seasonal series (starts Nov 2): Garden Audit – free 5-day email
Quick daily prompts + optional short videos to review what worked, what didn't, and shape a vision for next season.
Join here: https://journeywithjill.net/audit

free download: Garlic Planting Cheat Sheet
Your first (or best) garlic crop—timing, spacing, curing.
https://journeywithjill.net/garliccheatsheet

Complete Garden Planner – Plan and track your season simply: https://shop.journeywithjill.net/

Key Takeaways

• Your garden should fit your current capacity, not your past one.

• Define success for this season: a few crops you love may be enough.

• Scale systems, not just space—irrigation, succession planting, simple trellises.

• Use transitions (injury, grief, busy years) to pause, simplify, and reset.

• Fall is prime for planting garlic; set it up well and let it work all winter.

Resource Links

• Garlic Planting Cheat Sheet (free): https://journeywithjill.net/garliccheatsheet

• Friday Emails (newsletter): https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

• Recommended Brands & Products: https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/

• Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

• Podcast archive: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/

Sponsor(s) for this Episode

• Organic Rev – I mix Rev 50/50 with water to water in garlic trenches and often pre-soak cloves. Use code JILL10 to save 10%: https://journeywithjill.net/organicrev. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Disclaimer
Gardening advice shared in this podcast is based on my own experience in Zone 8a (Arkansas) and from the feedback I receive from others in different gardening contexts. Your results may differ depending on your location, climate, and growing conditions. Always check your local extension service or trusted resources for region-specific guidance. Some links mentioned may be affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase.

If your fall garden isn't producing the way you hoped—or if you're wondering whether your plants will even mature before frost—this episode is for you. After helping 10 gardeners across the country plan their fall gardens, I noticed clear patterns that explain why some thrive while others struggle.

You'll learn what timing mistakes most gardeners make, how to simplify your plan, and how to maximize your space for more harvests before winter.

Free Download: Fall Salad Garden Planning Calendar
Plan your fall harvest with confidence—know exactly when to plant for fresh greens all season long.
👉 https://journeywithjill.net/fallsaladgarden

• Why most fall gardeners plant too late—and how to fix it.

• The surprising reason fall gardening starts in the heat.

• How simplifying your plan leads to more success.

• Simple ways to double your space with interplanting.

• How to use light and microclimates to your advantage.

• Why observation beats perfection every time.

00:00 – Why fall gardens often fail
02:40 – Lesson #1: The planting window is earlier than you think
05:00 – Lesson #2: Start in the heat, protect seedlings
07:30 – Lesson #3: Simplify your plan to reduce overwhelm
12:30 – Lesson #4: Use interplanting to double your harvest
15:20 – Lesson #5: Map your sun and shade for better results
18:30 – Lesson #6: Observation over perfection

• Free: Fall Salad Garden Planning Calendar → https://journeywithjill.net/fallsaladgarden

• Shop the Greenstalk Vertical Planter Sale: https://journeywithjill.net/greenstalk – Use code JILL10 for $10 off $75+

• 2026 Complete Garden Planner: Plan your next season now → https://journeywithjill.net/shop

• Friday Emails (newsletter): https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

• YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden

• Podcast Archive: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast

Greenstalk Vertical Planter – Space-saving planters that water evenly from the top down. Use code JILL10 for $10 off $75+.
https://journeywithjill.net/greenstalk

Gardening advice shared in this podcast is based on my own experience in Zone 8a (Arkansas) and from the feedback I receive from others in different gardening contexts. Your results may differ depending on your location, climate, and growing conditions.
Some links may be affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Feeling discouraged by garden failures? You're not alone. In this episode, I walk through four issues I faced this year and how I'm troubleshooting each one so you can apply the same practical steps in your garden. You'll learn simple ways to read plant stress, reduce disease and pest pressure, and plan smarter for next season.

free download: Garlic Planting Cheat Sheet
Your first (or best) garlic crop—timing, spacing, curing.
http://journeywithjill.net/garliccheatsheet

Key Takeaways

• Why peppers sometimes need light shade in hot summers and when to add it

• What root-knot nematodes look like and how cover crops can help

• Signs of southern blight on peppers and prevention options

• Bitter vs. diseased cucumbers: what to change next season

• A gentle reminder to list your wins before planning fixes

Chapters

• 00:00 – Why failure grows better gardeners

• 02:18 – Reframe: successes you might be missing

• 04:12 – Failure #1: Bell peppers + full-sun stress

• 08:53 – Failure #2: Okra + root-knot nematodes

• 19:35 – Sponsor break: Organic Rev + garlic routine

• 21:28 – Time-sensitive: Greenstalk warehouse sale

• 23:06 – Failure #3: Jalapeños + southern blight clues

• 30:22 – Failure #4: Cucumbers—bitterness vs. downy mildew

• 34:36 – Reflect, note, and plan next steps

Resource Links

• Garlic Planting Cheat Sheet (free): http://journeywithjill.net/garliccheatsheet

• Friday Emails (newsletter): https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

• Recommended Brands & Products: https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/

• Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden — As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sponsor(s) for this Episode

• Organic Rev – I soak garlic cloves 50/50 Rev-to-water before planting and often water in at ~1 oz/gal during cool-season transplants. Use code JILL10 for 10% off: http://journeywithjill.net/organicrev. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Greenstalk Vertical Planter – Warehouse sale through October 21. Grab closeout colors while supplies last. Use code JILL10 for $10 off $75+: https://journeywithjill.net/greenstalk. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Soft Paid Mention
Complete Garden Planner – Plan and track your season simply: https://shop.journeywithjill.net/

Disclaimer
Gardening advice shared in this podcast is based on my own experience in Zone 8a (Arkansas) and from the feedback I receive from others in different gardening contexts. Your results may differ depending on your location, climate, and growing conditions. Always check your local extension service or trusted resources for region-specific guidance. Some links mentioned may be affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.