Well hey there Garden Gabbers! Love is in the air in this episode. With all the ice and emotionally distressing temperatures Molly and Tessa hath been enduring in the South, they pretty much jump straight into the reason we are all here... GAMES! *Botanical* dating games to be exact.

Molly the *Botanical* Game Master has conjured up some horticultural love exercises starting with Plant Matchmaking. Each host pitches a plant and the other marinates on the best match. Will it be a power couple, a toxic relationship, all the above?? You'll have to listen to find out. Next up... SPEED DATING!!! Molly and Tessa come to the speed dating table both completely taking on the persona of their chosen mystery plant, forcing the other to ask the right things to uncover their identity. Naturally they are asking questions like, how tall are you after 10 years? Do you have any notable features in spring? Do you like things boggy (you’ll have to listen for context here)... There might also be a little unpacking of plant childhood trauma as well and preferred pruning methods. Butttt are we a match? You will have to listen! 

The girls also dive into their deepest most philosophical thoughts on pink and red, in honor of Valentines. Did you know who the pink girls were in your elementary classes growing up? How do we thoughtfully wield deep bold colors like pink and red in the garden?? They finish out the episode discussing the glory of stick on nails, bathtub caulk, and a magical shower lamp.

Thanks for joining the Gab! Subscribe to the show Substack HERE and drop us a comment. What are you in love with in your garden this Valentines season?? 

Show Notes:

+ Here is a link to Samin Nosrat's Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. And remember folks, COOKING IS GARDENING!

+ Here is a link to where you can sign up to receive the video on Floret's potting mix experiment as well as her recipe!

+ If you want to be twinsies with Tessa and Molly, here is the link to the Olive and June press on nails!

+ And if you want to shower in style like Molly, she highly recommends this waterproof shower lamp for ambiance...

What's up Garden Gabbers?? Were you expecting the normal Out and About update?? Well, in today's episode you will learn that Molly and Tessa are leaning hard into hibernation this January, so Out and About is getting the ole boot! But never fear, there is lots of gab about what you can be doing Down Home in your garden this winter! Does pruning feel like a daunting task?! Think again! Dreaming of the warmer brighter months?? Channel that into a seed order!! Want to really become one with this colder weather?? Then by golly you have some mulching to do!! The girls also chat through what is inspiring them... who knew reading goals and wellness challenges could instigate so many pensive thoughts! Tessa and Molly also bring back Garden Brag (Tessa is well on her way to being a willow wizard) and Garden Busts (Molly is well on her way to consistently making you feel better about being behind on garden to do's!).

Sit back, relax, and hibernate with us this January... perhaps with some new house shoes like Molly?! Thanks for joining the gab! To stay in the know with all things Garden Gab, be sure to subscribe to our Substack HERE! 

Show Notes:

+ Tessa's seed resources, get your horticultural hormones ready to shop!

Select Seeds, Johnny's Seeds, Rare Seeds, High Mowing Seeds, 3 Porch Farm

+ Tessa purchased her willow whips from Living Willow Farm if you want to join in the coppiced fun!

+ Molly is currently deep in thought after reading Fredrik Backman's My Friends

+ If you are a lover of Floret like Tessa and Molly, you will love this recap of their year on the farm! Be sure to catch Erin's cork board wall that has us green with envy!

+ Today's closing quote comes from a book Tessa recommended called A Pattern Language, by Christopher Alexander and Mike Fraser, and it is currently on Molly's to buy list!

The Garden Gab girlies are back in action baby! In this episode Tessa kicks us off with a porch chicken update (murder mystery style) and lessons are learned about *protection.* Then it is time to swing straight into Out and About because Molly is back from her Kiwi Christmas adventure with stars in her eyes and tales of magical mossy hikes, Fjordland tromps, and anecdotes from two weeks driving on the wrong side of the road. Let’s just say, New Zealand doesn’t really care for railings on sheer cliff faces. Before launching into their New Year gab, Tessa and Molly decide to pop the confetti on things they are proud of from the year before. They also discuss things that are better left on the compost pile heading into the new year. The girls turn the corner into 2026 with some *intentions* rather than concrete resolutions, because while we have a rule breaker and a rule follower on our hands,  it’s all about PROCESS people!! Here's to a new year with all the messiness of things in motion! You will leave this episode ready to pop the confetti on your own accomplishments in 2025 with a gentle embrace for what 2026 can hold. Thanks for joining in on another year of the gab!

Show Notes:

+ Visit the show substack HERE to see pictures of Molly's Kiwi Christmas Adventure, Tessa's family outing to the Carl Sandburg House, and other holiday musings!

+ Molly hath inspired Tessa to murder board her New Year, and you should do the same with this sticky chart paper! And while you are at it, indulge in some fun markers (like these!)

+ If you, like Molly, foster a deep love for sheep... you might be interested in this book she discovered in her Shepherds Hut airbnb in NZ! 

Deck the halls with Tessa and Mollyyyy, fa la la la laaaa la la la laaaaa!!! Our gift to you this holiday season is gabbing some Christmas decorating gab in a special breakout session! While earlier this fall we divulged that we both aren't huge seasonal decorators, all bets are off when it's holly jolly season!!! Now there are some very deep questions the girls are asking... are you a real tree or fake tree person? Do you do color lights or white lights? Outdoor lights, yay or nay? Do you stay traditional or change things up each year? What are we foraging for to bring some of that outside magic in? While these aren't life's biggest questions, we feel they are still rather important. Listen till the end to hear about a potato wreath... That's right!! Could a potato be the answer to all your wreath needs this holiday season? 

This episode wraps up our gabbing for the 2025 year, and we want to thank each of you who have listened, downloaded, left a review, and subscribed to the Garden Gab Club Substack! This has been one of our most fun endeavors of the year, and we are looking forward to another year full of garden gabbing!! Wishing each of you the warmest of wishes this holiday season! Thanks for joining the gab!

Show Notes:

+ Molly's ribbon garland inspiration from Aesme Studio, one of the dreamiest follows one can find on instagram! 

+ Potato wreath tutorial from @Anya_thegarden_fairy!

Check out the show Substack page HERE to see more of the Christmas decorating pics from the garden gab girls!

Alright Garden Gabbers, the pod has officially entered the double digits... aka... the dawn of Garden Gab's pre-teen years!! In today's episode Tessa and Molly review their family Thanksgiving festivities which included pecan whacking research, Pauline the porch chicken update, and dahlia dividing and storage insights. Molly makes a motion from the floor to celebrate their 10 favorite things about winter gardening to celebrate 10 episodes of Garden Gab! Do you know the joy of cold air in your lungs or a well layered gardening outfit? Have you savored the stillness and quiet of a winter day?  Have you felt the ferocity of horticultural hormones that make you want to sow your seeds entirely too early? Well, Molly and Tessa have. They also discuss the importance of using winter to look back on the gardening year that passed and plan for the one ahead... tasks that are best completed curled up next to the fire with your wool socks and hot tea in hand. The girls then review their Black Friday shenanigans, which perhaps included some sexy elemental sulphur purchasing?! Stay tuned for a special breakout session on Tessa and Molly's Christmas decorating thoughts and feelings!

Goeth forth and warmeth thy heart in your garden! Thanks for joining the Gab!

Show Notes:

+ Molly and Tessa declared that one must find local flower farmers to learn from, because nothing can substitute niche local knowledge! For Greenville listeners, Tessa mentions Fraylick Farm. For Birmingham listeners, check out Stonehollow Farm!

+ Tessa's show closer quote is from "A Growing Gardener" by Abbie Zabar!

Check out our show Substack and subscribe HERE for more pictures from Tessa and Molly's gabbing!

Gird your loins, it is pecan whacking and turkey season Garden Gabbers!! Today on the pod Tessa and Molly *finally* announce the giveaway winners (congrats Kim and Bailee!) They also announce that the Garden Gab Gift Guide is now LIVE on the show substack, which you can subscribe to below to get inspired for all your garden gifting needs! The ladies also unpack their time down home... For Tessa it included wrangling children while Brian was away, pecan whacking (perhaps the show's new favorite activity?), and herding chickens. For Molly it included the stomach bug, which really derailed any other plans she had. However! Tessa rallied for a (rather tragic) Shakespeare Play with her niece, and Molly rallied to make it to her friend's annual Dipsgiving in which her tiramisu dip triumphantly won!!

To round out the show Tessa and Molly deep dive all things gratefulness. What does it mean to give and to receive? What is the difference between entertaining and hospitality? How does actually speaking the things we are thankful for change us? And what does all of this deep question asking have to do with your garden?! The girls also introduce a live DM report bringing you a taste of the garden shenanigans they have been up to behind the curtain on instagram! And of course, they never miss a good ole fashioned door prize, aka... Things they bought themselves!

Have a Pecan Whacking Good Thanksgiving, from the Garden Gab Girls!!

Show Notes:

+ Molly's AWARD WINNING Tiramisu Dip Recipe!!

+ The girls marveled at the "The Farm is the Table" post on instagram and also perhaps ask... have we taken it too far??

+ Tessa's limoncello recipe and cute floral Band Aids!!

To catch pics of pecan whacking, Molly's family pecan orchard, limoncello, rogue chickens, and every color mum you can imagine head over to our show substack page HERE!!

Calling the eighth Garden Gab Club meeting to order! Today, Tessa and Molly step up on their arboricultural soapbox to proclaim the virtues of all things trees! If you have found yourself swooning over the burst of this year's fall color or have pondered "how would I even go about planting a tree..." then today's meeting is for you!! Tessa was recently a part of a fundraiser for Trees Upstate, an organization that advocates for the planting, promotion, and protecting of trees in the Upstate region of South Carolina. She also planted two new black gum friends to keep her sad black gum company, and it has the girls deeply pensive about the importance of trees in our lives. What would our childhoods be without trees?! Are you actually planting a tree for yourself? And in the words of Taylor Swift... why do the leaves change in the fall?! 

Speaking of questions, in a sad Wildlife Committee update Molly was left asking where one of her bee colonies went. Never ones to end on a downer, be sure to stick around for a round up of inspiring tree quotes to send you out on your own tree soap box! WE MUST HAVE TREES!!

This is the last week to sign up for our give away by subscribing the show substack HERE and leaving a comment!

Show Notes:

+ This winter Molly is sowing THIS seed to repair her hard compacted clay soil over the winter months.

+ Check out Trees Upstate and their amazing mission with Tessa is a part of!

+ Check out Molly's guest appearance on the Plantastic Podcast with Dr. Jared Barnes where they (surprise!) talk a lot about TREES!

+ If this convo sparked your interest in all things trees, might we recommend you grab a copy of Urban Forests by Jill Jonnes which Tessa has been devouring!

+ Check out Tessa's video on TREE PLANTING, and while you are at it subscribe to her channel for more incredible gardening tips!

+ Molly has been diving in The Modern Professional Planting Designer by Andrew Fisher Tomlin and it is a wealth of inspo.

+ To see more pics from the episode, check them out on this episode's Substack page!

Dearest Garden Gab Clubers, Molly and Tessa were reunited in Charleston and it was good for the soul, and Molly’s immune system! They know you all were on the edge of your seat waiting to hear the live experience of Molly’s inaugural Fire Cider baptism, and it delivered. In this club meeting Molly and Tessa also dive into their favorite question as a designer… how do you know what stays and what goes?? They also discuss the merits of listening, collaborating, and letting the **flow** of the design process whisk you away to an inevitable conclusion. Speaking of inevitable things, Molly and Tessa revel in the charm that Charleston exudes, from cute courtyard gardens to window boxes that show us constrained spaces can still hold magic! However, there is something that the girlies will argue doesn’t hold much magic at all, and that is your porch mums. But never fear, they have a solution and it starts with *Ryan’s Pink heirloom* and ends with *mum*. But at the end of the day, Tessa and Molly want you to do what makes your heart happy. And speaking of happiness, the girls have twin herb scissors for all their clipping needs!!! Talk about JOY. Ok, that’s all for today folks, thanks for joining the gab!

SHOW NOTES!

+ If you enjoyed the audio experience of the Fire Cider Tasting, you might be interested in experiencing the video recording as well to see the facial expressions.

+ Molly gabbed a lot about her fun project at Colonial Lake in Charleston that culminated in the inaugural BLOOM Charleston event last weekend where Tessa and Molly were reunited! If you are curious to read more, there is a cool little video HERE

+ If you too want to find an herb scissor twin, or perhaps you want both to yourself... check them out HERE!

+ See the photo of Ryan's Pink Mums that Tessa gasped at, pics of Charleston Window boxes, and Molly's new vase with Trader's lilies HERE

Welcome back to the Garden Gab Club! Today Tessa and Molly are discussing everything from apple picking to our **funky fall feelings** As our girl Bridget Jones once said, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces.” We couldn't agree more Bridget. Everyone needs an existential crisis every once in a while, right?

Tessa's **feelings** were triggered by a recent birthday and has left her staring wistfully out her kitchen window at her languishing Black Gum tree asking some life's deepest questions while researching Japanese mending techniques (it all connects, we promise). Molly's **feelings** were drudged up from a gloriously inspiring summer at various conferences and has left her asking some cute little existential questions like... is she doing work that even matters, is she even good at this planty/garden thing, and how do you pluralize words that end in "s"?? Thankfully, Molly and Tessa are not left in the deep dark cavern of their feelings and are brought back into the light with a game of "I thank you for these truths," a game that has served Molly well now for over a decade (please listen to episode for playing instructions...) Tessa and Molly do make it out of the quagmire of feels into some plant chat, basking in the glow of their favorite fall plants of the moment. This episode is a reminder that sometimes all those funky feelings need is a friend that grabs you by your shoulders, looks you in the eye, and tells you what is true! Now go forth and find someone to play I thank you for these truths with, and let Tessa and Molly know how it goes :)

Thanks for joining the gab! Don't forget to subscribe to the show HERE to stay in the loop on all things Garden Gab! If you want to enter the giveaway, be sure to subscribe and leave a review! 

SHOW NOTES!

+ For a crazy episode 003 and 006 crossover, read about the making of the Practical Magic House by our Big Rock Muse!

+ Tessa's *magical* Fire Cider recipe, let whip those immune systems into shape people!

+ Tessa introduces Molly to Tatarian Asters and we think you should know about them too!

Well dear listeners, we gabbed a little too hard on the Italy front in episode 5... So, in true Italian fashion, we decided to serve an extra course with a BONUS Breakout Session to sneak in all those motions from the floor! In "Inspiration Station," Molly basks in her deep love of pro tennis and explains what in the world that has to do with garden design. As we enter spider season, Tessa enlightens us on Joro spiders vs. their pet Mr. Garden Spider. In "Garden Brag or Bust," Molly and Tessa discuss how what appears as garden busts can sometimes blossom into some garden brags. Although Tessa's brag is more readily available for consumption (see recipe below)... To round out the show the girls bemoan the dry spell that is currently afflicting their gardens, but discuss what they are observing that they can take into future garden decisions! So in summary, when life gives your garden lemons, make warm fig and bacon salsa!!! 

Thanks for joining this second helping of Episode 5 gab!

Show Notes:

+ If you are a documentary junkie like Tessa and Molly, here are trailers for some must watches on Netflix (discussed with such enthusiasm on this episode)

- Break Point Trailer

- Chef's Table Trailer

+ Tessa's Warm Fig and Bacon Salsa Recipe:

Warm Bacon Fig Salsa (adapted from a Publix recipe, if you can believe it!) I am almost incapable of actually following a recipe, so I couldn't share that one because I made so many edits. But I do owe dear old Publix for the flavor combo idea.