Garden Smart: Season one

A year in your garden

This season, we’re spending a year in your garden together. Each week, you’ll get timely tips to keep up with your garden’s changing needs—whether it’s breathing life into cool spring soil, guarding treasured plants from voracious summer pests, or savoring fall’s last harvest.

In ten minutes or less, you’ll get simple, science-backed tips that fit naturally into your routine. Each episode highlights what to focus on right now to keep your garden thriving and looking its best. It’s all about helping you stay organized, save time, and enjoy a garden that flourishes through every season.

So, join me each week, and let’s make gardening a little easier and more rewarding all year!

Season one episodes

Garden Smart Podcast, Season 1 Episode 1

Introducing the Garden Smart Podcast (Episode 1)

Corn Gluten Meal for Weeds: Is it an Effective Weed Killer?

Looking for natural or organic ways to control pesky weeds in your garden? If so, you may be wondering if corn gluten can help. Companies that sell organic weedkillers market corn gluten meal as a natural and safe pre-emergent herbicide. Some gardeners swear by it. While others say it doesn’t work at all. So,…

How to Grow Tons of Fresh Spinach [Even If You Don’t Have Much Space]

Thanks to the popularity of square foot gardening, the idea of growing food in a small and efficient space has taken hold. And spinach is one of the best vegetables to get you started with square foot gardening. Spinach is an easy-to-grow salad green that produces large yields of vitamin-rich,…

woman holding phone up to identify dandelions

How to Identify Plants With Google Lens: Quick, Easy + FREE

If you’re new to gardening, struggling to identify plants can feel like reading a foreign language without knowing any of the words. And after a long winter, even seasoned gardeners can struggle to identify some of the plants growing in their garden. But I have good news… With Google…

gardening venn diagram of gardening happiness

Low Maintenance Gardening

You want a beautiful garden, but you don’t want to spend all your free time pulling weeds, dragging your hose around from plant to plant, or drowning Japanese beetles in soapy water to keep them off your roses. Maybe you’re busy with work, a family, and piles of laundry, or you’re…

a suculent plant in a pot sitting on a desk next to a stack of books

11 Best Succulent Books Will Help You Grow Healthy Plants

We’ve all done it. You spot a cute succulent at the store. And think to yourself “I have the perfect spot for this at home!” So, you reach down, pick it up, and put it in your cart. But after you get it home you wonder things like: How much water does it…

lupines growing in a weed-free garden surrounded by mulch

The Best Mulch to Prevent Weeds

After years of gardening, I thought I had it all figured out. But then came what I call “The Summer of the Weeds.” If growing weeds was an Olympic sport, my garden would’ve taken home the gold! It was a humbling reality check. And it led me straight to my new best friend… The best…

Meet your garden smart guide

Cheryl Spencer

Founder of Simply Smart Gardening and the Garden Smart Podcast

Cheryl Spencer is a writer, podcast host, and Certified Gardener with 25+ years of hands-on experience. She believes you can grow your dream garden and still have time to enjoy it.

Yes! I want to grow my dream garden!

Garden Smart Podcast Season 1