Spring has returned and we're ready to celebrate! This is the season of renewal and we're talking about some of our favorite spring plants.. What are we planting and what's popping up in the wild? We also dig a little deeper into one of our favorite spring herbs - stinging nettles! Learn more about this important plant - where it grows, how to harvest it plus the many ways that we can make use of this powerful ally in the kitchen and the apothecary. Have you ever wondered what th...

It's time to start planning and planting the garden! This is one of the most exciting times of year - dreaming and scheming for our best garden yet! In this episode we cover three simple steps to get the garden growing, from sun and soil to seeds and lights. We talk about soil testing, seed starting mix, transplanting schedules and germination tests. We also dig into the seed stash and talk about all the seeds we're planning to buy this year, and the seed companies we're shopping with! ...

We're kicking off our third season with something new and different. Today we're celebrating SEED SWAP DAY! What's seed swap day? We're glad that you asked - you'll learn all about this national seed sharing initiative when we travel back in time to the year 2021!Learn more about National Seed Swap Day on Youtube: https://youtu.be/dzORyZTYmjA?si=_PEYsKtzpFDNdLBlConnect with the Community Seed Network and Seed Savers Exchange:https://www.communityseednetwork.org/https://seedsavers.org/Check ou...

Grab a pillow - this episode is going to put you to sleep! ;) Maria Noël Groves, clinical herbalist and award-winning author, is here to talk about her new book, Herbal Remedies for Sleep. Learn about adaptogen and nervine herbs - how they're different and when to use them, plus Maria will share some of her favorite ways to work with herbs like lavender, lemon balm, holy basil and blue vervain! Find Wintergreen Botanicals and explore Maria's classes and herbal courses at https://wintergreenbo...

Grow, harvest and enjoy exotic and interesting herbs and edibles - even in the smallest spaces! Garden educator and Youtuber Wendi Phan joins us to talk about growing exotic plants in her suburban garden in Los Angeles, some of her most popular Youtube videos and she shares tips and advice for those of us interested in growing exotic plants in our gardens. We also sample some of Wendi's classic jasmine green tea. Hear our tasting notes and learn more about harvesting and processing green tea....

Grow your best garlic ever with farmer Kristin Graves! Kristin will tell us about planting, growing and harvesting garlic and will share tips to help us produce abundant harvests of this pungent allium.She also talks about using garlic to create value-added products, how to properly dry and cure garlic, black garlic cheesecake, The Garlic Goddess and so much more!Kristin Graves is a fifth-generation farmer in Alberta, Canada and the author of The Garlic Companion. In addition to her vegetable...

A special bonus episode of Seeds & Weeds! From 2021-2024, our friends at Hobby Farms hosted the Growing Good Podcast, a program about small-scale, sustainable farming. Bevin was a guest on the show in 2022 to talk about his book, The Complete Guide to Seed & Nut Oils. Unfortunately, Hobby Farm as decided to discontinue the show, but generously gave us permission to rebroadcast Bevin's episode here on Seeds & Weeds!Please enjoy this encore episode of Growing Good. Host Lisa Munniks...

Grow and harvest fragrant lavender for the kitchen and apothecary!Author, chef, and lavender farmer Terry Vesci joins us to talk about her new book The Lavender Companion. We'll learn how to grow and harvest lavender, the best cultivars for culinary and medicinal uses and some of Terry's favorite ways to use lavender. She'll also share some tips to help us overwinter our lavender plants!Terry Vesci is the co-owner of Pine Creek Canyon Lavender Farm in Pine, Arizona, which welcomes thousands o...

Let's dig into the wild world of fungi to explore the magic of mushrooms. We'll talk about growing and harvesting mushrooms and using the mushrooms as both food and medicine - plus recipes for double mushroom extract and delicious shiitake duxelles. This is a mushroom laced episode of Seeds & Weeds! Learn how to grow shiitake mushrooms on logs!Video 1: https://youtu.be/wh6PeZDriNU?si=yUwWQqLY3DUX7E6EVideo 2: https://youtu.be/Xr5UzHWQusM?si=qlSj780YmRajCjx6Listen to our interview with Erin...

Which came first - beer or bread? Let's explore fermentation, the history of food, and the work of Dr. Julia Skinner. Julia Skinner is a food historian, educator and founder of Roots, a fermentation and food history company that bridges the gap between modern people and historic food. Dr. Skinner holds a PhD in Library and Information Science and is the only historian or food writer in the US to win two 40 under 40 awards in one year. Julia is joining us on the show today to talk about her fe...

Let's get wild! Herbalist Megan Edge joins us to talk about foraging, ethical harvesting, working with invasive plants, wild lettuce, medicinal mushrooms and so much more! Megan Edge comes from a long line of foragers and, having foraged across Canada in both wild and urban settings, she has a wealth of experience to share. A generational forager, Megan has ethically harvested from the forest since a child and now, through her shop, Beyond the Garden Gate, she shares Mother Nature’s healing b...

We've got tomatoes on our mind! Bevin shares a story of Thane Earle, famed Wisconsin seed saver most well known for introducing the world to the Amish Paste tomato! Hear about Thane's incredible collection of seeds; more than 1000 varieties of tomatoes and hundreds of beans! We dig into the history of the classic Amish Paste tomato and meet other dedicated seed savers including Lee Stoltzfus from the Landis Valley Museum in Pennsylvania and Tom Hauch, founder of Heirloom Seeds. Bevin was rece...

Want to make your own Vitamin A oil from homegrown carrots? Learn how to do it, plus so much more, from Zehra Murthy, UCSF scientist and owner of Belfiore Herbal!Let's take a deep dive in homegrown botanicals, working with hydrosols and the science of skincare. Zehra Murthy is a scientist at University of California where she’s spent the last 40 years studying cellular and molecular biology and she’s applied that knowledge to the creation of Belfiore Herbal, a line if botanical skin care prod...

You've harvested some amazing produce from your garden - Now what? Author and TikTok sensation Sarah Thrush joins us to talk about canning, food preservation and her new book, Preserving With A Purpose. Sarah is a third generation canner and and expert in home food preservation. She shares some tips and tricks to help us succeed with our canning projects as well as some of her favorite recipes!Sarah Thrush is known for her passion for canning and preserving food. She shares her knowledge and ...

Hydrosols are aromatic waters produced by steam distillation of botanicals. Learn about these unique herbal products, the distillation process, and more with clinical aromatherapist Liz Fulcher. Liz also shares her Top 5 hydrosols and how to use them!Liz Fulcher brings over 33 years of essential oil experience, research, and education to her work as a clinical aromatherapist, educator, podcast host, and distiller.Since 1997 Liz has been teaching and making it easy for others to safely and eff...

Garden to glass beverages can bring joy and relaxation into your life. Learn how to make seasonal botanical cocktails (and mocktails) with author and herbalist Tenae Stewart!Tenae Stewart is a certified astrologer and spiritual coach. She is on a mission to embody simplicity in daily rituals and self-care practices, as these can be such supportive tools in our busy, modern world. Her work empowers others to create rituals and to connect with the earth in ways that fit effortlessly into their ...

Grow your best garden with seeds adapted to your climate, your soil and your culture. Dr. Matthew Kost talks about the benefits of growing regionally adapted seeds; why these seeds are so important, how to develop adapted seeds, creating and maintaining landraces, where to purchase quality seeds and so much more!Dr. Kost, and his wife Nancy, launched the Buffalo Seed Company in October 2018. Matthew is originally from Kansas City and has returned after obtaining a Bachelor in Ecology an...

Are you ready to build and use your own herbal apothecary? Herbalist, author and educator Mary Colvin joins us to talk about her new book, The Herbalist's Guide; how to build and use your own apothecary. We also dig into herbal energetics, working with local herbs and so much more!Mary is a registered herbalist of the American Herbalists Guild and the owner of Ancestral Herbology. She wants to inspire a new generation of herbalists and provide education and mentorship in the study of herbalis...

Gardening in a changing climate can be challenging. Learn how to adapt and overcome these challenges with author and garden educator Kim Stoddart. Kim talks about her new book The Climate Change Resilient Vegetable Garden and we cover important topics like building soil, resilient garden design, working with perennial plants and seed saving. Kim even shares some of her favorite variety recommendations for your gardens!Kim Stoddart, co-author of The Climate Change Garden, writes about climate ...

Garden for the birds! Important members of the food chain, birds offer natural pest control, are fun to observe, and they need our help! Learn how to create a beautiful, bird friendly garden with author Jen McGuiness. Jen will also share some tips on how to attract more beneficial insects to the garden as well as a list of plants that will deter deer.. awesome! We'll also learn about small-space gardening, the importance of native plants and how to grow birdseed. Jen McGuinness is a writer, e...