Latest / The Beanstalk : A Podcast for Gardeners / Episode 21 – Growing Together - A Thank You from The Beanstalk

Transcript

Episode 21 – Growing Together - A Thank You from The Beanstalk · The Beanstalk : A Podcast for Gardeners

• 0:28
  Welcome back to the Beanstalk, fellow Beans.
• 0:31
  My name's John, your neighborhood garden buddy, and
• 0:35
  today's episode is going to be a little different and honestly, a
• 0:39
  little special. We've hit a small milestone here
• 0:44
  on the Beanstalk, and I wanted to take a moment to just stop,
• 0:48
  breathe, and just say thank you. Now, this podcast started as a
• 0:54
  passion project, a way to share my love of gardening, growing
• 0:59
  food, and reconnecting with the earth.
• 1:02
  And thanks to all of you listening in from all around the
• 1:05
  world, it's starting to take root and grow into something
• 1:09
  much more than I ever expected. We've got about 20 regular
• 1:15
  listeners now, which may not sound like much to some, but to
• 1:18
  me it's absolutely amazing. It's men and women from all over
• 1:23
  the world, folks who understand the value of slowing down and
• 1:27
  watching something grow. We've got listeners tuning in
• 1:32
  from all across the United States, from Utah, Georgia,
• 1:37
  Texas, Virginia, Arizona, Michigan, North Dakota and New
• 1:43
  York, and from around the world in Canada, Australia, New
• 1:48
  Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Brazil, Poland,
• 1:56
  Finland, and even Russia. Just the thought of people
• 2:01
  listening in from some of these places, it's incredible to think
• 2:04
  about. It shows the gardening really is
• 2:09
  universal. No matter where we are or what's
• 2:12
  happening in the world, we all share this quiet passion for
• 2:15
  growing things. Let's talk about why we're here.
• 2:21
  I wanted to take this time to say a heartfelt thank you to
• 2:25
  everyone who's been listening in and supporting The Beanstalk.
• 2:29
  Whether you've tuned in from the very beginning or you just
• 2:32
  stumbled across the show recently, you're part of what
• 2:36
  makes this little project so special.
• 2:41
  I also want to give a special shout out to my wife Crystal,
• 2:44
  who's been so supportive of all my crazy garden projects and
• 2:48
  podcast nights. Thank you babes for believing in
• 2:51
  me and always standing by me. Also, a big thanks to my buddy
• 2:57
  Christian, who's been so active in the Facebook group, always
• 3:02
  jumping in to share his ideas and encouragement.
• 3:05
  You're an asset to this group and a true friend.
• 3:10
  And to Adrian, one of my wife's friends, who's also been an
• 3:13
  amazing part of the Beanstalk community, Your enthusiasm and
• 3:18
  positive energy really help keep the group thriving.
• 3:23
  Now, looking ahead, I'd love to do AQ and a episode in the near
• 3:26
  future. If you've got any gardening
• 3:29
  questions, tips, or even funny stories from your garden, hop on
• 3:34
  over to our Facebook group, The Beanstalk Garden Club, and leave
• 3:37
  me a comment or message. You might just hear your
• 3:41
  question featured in an upcoming episode.
• 3:45
  But before we get into the fun stuff, I want to take a brief
• 3:48
  moment to talk about something that's been on my mind.
• 3:52
  There's been just so much tension, division, and hardship
• 3:57
  going on in the world today. It feels like everywhere we
• 4:00
  look, people are at odds politically, socially, and even
• 4:06
  globally. But here's the thing.
• 4:10
  Gardening reminds us that growth happens when conditions come
• 4:14
  together, not when they're apart.
• 4:19
  And in a small but meaningful way, This podcast, this little
• 4:23
  gardening show, it's proof that people from all corners of the
• 4:28
  world, from different walks of life, can still come together
• 4:33
  around something simple, something human, something truly
• 4:38
  good. Even countries that might be in
• 4:43
  conflict right now have listeners tuning into the
• 4:45
  Beanstalk. And that tells me something
• 4:48
  powerful. It tells me that we have far
• 4:51
  more in common with each other than what we don't.
• 4:57
  If a tiny seed can find common ground and push through the soil
• 5:00
  toward the light, maybe we can too.
• 5:05
  Now on to my favorite piece, the recipe?
• 5:09
  Potato and leek soup. A warm bowl of comfort.
• 5:16
  Now, since today's theme is togetherness and gratitude, I
• 5:20
  thought we'd cook up something that feels just like a warm hug
• 5:24
  Potato and leek soup. It's hearty, simple, and the
• 5:29
  kind of dish you could easily imagine sharing with friends or
• 5:33
  neighbors, keeping that community spirit alive.
• 5:39
  First up is the ingredients, 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil.
• 5:49
  Three to four large leeks, trimmed and sliced, white and
• 5:55
  light green parts only. 3 to 4 medium potatoes, peeled and
• 6:02
  diced. 1 medium onion, chopped. Four cups of vegetable or
• 6:12
  chicken broth. One Cup of milk, cream or cream
• 6:18
  soup. Think cream of mushroom, chicken
• 6:22
  or celery salt and pepper to taste, and fresh parsley or
• 6:31
  chives for a garnish. And now for the instructions.
• 6:39
  In a large pot, heat the butter or oil over medium heat.
• 6:45
  Add the leeks and onions and gently cook until soft and
• 6:49
  fragrant, about 5:00 to 7:00 minutes.
• 6:55
  Add your diced potatoes and broth, then bring to a gentle
• 6:59
  simmer. Cover and cook until the
• 7:03
  potatoes are tender, around 15 to 20 minutes.
• 7:09
  For a creamy texture, blend some or all of the soup using an
• 7:13
  immersion blender or standard blender.
• 7:16
  Just be careful with the heat. Stir in the milk, cream or cream
• 7:23
  soup, season with salt and pepper and serve with a sprinkle
• 7:28
  of fresh parsley or chives on top.
• 7:33
  This soup is humble, hearty and wholesome.
• 7:37
  The perfect symbol for today's message.
• 7:39
  When simple ingredients come together with care, they create
• 7:43
  something truly special. And now for some fun facts.
• 7:49
  Gardening Around the World Gardening is the number one
• 7:54
  hobby worldwide. More people garden than play
• 7:58
  sports, fish, or even people who camp or hike plants can hear.
• 8:06
  Studies have shown that plants respond to vibrations and even
• 8:10
  specific frequencies of sound. Some grow faster when exposed to
• 8:14
  gentle music. Healthy soil contains more
• 8:20
  living organisms in one handful than there are people on earth.
• 8:24
  Talk about biodiversity. Community gardens improve local
• 8:31
  economies. Areas with shared gardens often
• 8:35
  see increased property values and stronger neighborhood ties.
• 8:42
  The oldest known cultivated plant is the fig tree, which was
• 8:46
  being grown over 11,000 years ago, long before agriculture as
• 8:51
  we know it even existed. And gardening can literally
• 8:56
  extend your life. Studies show that people who
• 9:01
  garden regularly have lower mortality rates and report
• 9:04
  higher happiness levels. And now for the garden Nerd
• 9:10
  Corner, the science and soul of gardening.
• 9:16
  Let's nerd out for a minute. Because as much as gardening
• 9:19
  feeds the body, it also feeds the soul.
• 9:25
  Did you know that spending just 30 minutes a day gardening can
• 9:28
  lower cortisol levels? That's the stress hormone, and
• 9:32
  boost your mood through exposure to beneficial soil bacteria like
• 9:36
  Mycobacterium vax A. It's literally nature's
• 9:40
  antidepressant. There's also something deeply
• 9:45
  psychological about tending a garden.
• 9:48
  It reconnects us with cycles of growth, decay, and renewal, the
• 9:53
  same cycles that govern life itself.
• 9:57
  When you plant something, nurture it, and watch it thrive,
• 10:01
  it reminds you that patience, care, and attention matter.
• 10:07
  And that's what I love most about gardening.
• 10:11
  It's an ongoing conversation with nature.
• 10:14
  You don't control it, You collaborate with it.
• 10:17
  You learn to adapt, to improvise, and to appreciate
• 10:21
  every small success, whether it's your first sprout or your
• 10:27
  biggest harvest. Thanks again for hanging out
• 10:31
  with me today on the Beanstalk, fellow Beans.
• 10:34
  Whether you're growing food, flowers, or just finding a bit
• 10:38
  of peace in the soil, know that you're part of a community that
• 10:41
  reaches across the globe, proof that even in a divided world,
• 10:47
  growth and kindness still connect us.
• 10:51
  If you'd like to keep the conversation going, come join
• 10:54
  the Beanstalk Garden Club on Facebook, share your garden
• 10:58
  photos, swap ideas, and maybe drop a question or two for the
• 11:02
  upcoming Q&A episode. If you're enjoying the podcast,
• 11:07
  don't forget to hit follow on Spotify so you never miss an
• 11:11
  episode. We also love to hear your
• 11:13
  feedback, ideas or stories from your own gardens.
• 11:18
  From our patch to yours, keep on climbing.