Grow a Garden in the Desert with Martha Retallick | The Beet

In this week’s episode of The Beet, Jacques chats with backyard chicken expert Lisa Steele about why chickens might just be the hardest-working members of the garden team. From weed patrol to soil-scratching benefits, they discuss how chickens can boost your growing space while earning their keep. Plus, Lisa shares practical tips for getting started with a backyard coop without getting in over your head.

This week’s episode of The Beet mixes things up. Jacques sits down with author and historian Dr. Kate Brown to discuss her book, “Tiny Gardens Everywhere: The Past, Present, and Future of the Self-Provisioning City,” and the surprising origins of gardens back in feudal times. They explore how wage labor replaced self-sufficient life on the land, and how today’s gardeners are flipping the script. Even in cities, people are reclaiming that grounded, grow-your-own way of living.

In this week's episode of The Beet, Jacques chats with Kodiak, Alaska gardener Marion Owen, aka “The UpBeet Gardener,” about the thrill of growing in what she calls “zone zero.” She shares how she stretches her season by adapting raised beds with protective coverage for the coldest months. In summer, the sun can linger until midnight, giving her plants a surprising boost, but making hardening off even more important. Marion also reveals her secret sauce: blending volcanic-ash-rich native soil with homemade compost to make her garden pop.

This week on The Beet, Jacques sits down with Tanner Mitchell, aka “Tannner the Planter”: author, houseplant expert, and TikTok gardening celebrity from the nursery and gardening store Famous In Oregon. They discuss his move from Oregon to Texas and why the “trap of intuition” can sometimes lead growers astray. The conversation goes beyond the basics, unpacking why successful plant care is more about direct observation than subjective perceptions of growing conditions.

Looking to save money in the garden? This episode is for you! In this week’s episode of The Beet, Jacques chats with Stephanie Rose, Canadian master gardener, permaculturist, and herbalist. Together, they dig into what it really means to garden with nature, let go of perfection, and grow a thriving, beautifully wild space over time. They also discuss how gardening doesn’t have to be expensive at all.