In this episode of the Seeds and Weeds podcast, we are sharing our carefully curated list of the ten plants we believe every gardener should grow. With so many amazing crops to choose from, narrowing it down wasn’t easy — but we selected plants that are reliable, beautiful, productive, and useful in more than one way. Many of these crops offer dual or even triple purposes, giving you food, medicine, pollinator support, and garden beauty all in one plant.

We begin with powerful herbs and flowers like calendula, a cold-tolerant annual that thrives in the garden, self-seeds readily, supports pollinators, and offers both culinary and apothecary uses. We also talk about comfrey, a perennial powerhouse known for its deep taproot, dynamic accumulation of nutrients, and incredible value as a natural fertilizer — along with its traditional medicinal applications. Another standout is echinacea, a native perennial that supports local ecosystems while providing beautiful blooms and versatile medicinal parts from root to flower.

From the vegetable world, we highlight staples like tomatoes and peppers, two of the most popular garden crops for good reason. Tomatoes bring unmatched flavor and diversity, while peppers offer ease of growing, container-friendliness, and a wide spectrum of sweetness and heat levels. We also discuss beans, one of our foundational crops here at the farm — whether pole or bush varieties, beans provide fresh harvests, dry storage staples, pollinator support, and educational opportunities for gardeners of all ages.

To bring in additional perspective, I’m joined by Enoch Graham from The Urban Gardener, who specializes in small-space gardening. Enoch shares his favorite compact varieties, including leafy greens perfect for containers, multi-use crops like peas and beets, and quick-growing favorites such as radishes. His approach emphasizes maximizing space, stacking functions, and choosing plants that deliver multiple benefits — a philosophy that aligns beautifully with our own.

Shop Herb, Flower, and Veggies Seeds
https://www.smallhousefarm.com/seed-collection/

Our Totally Tomatoes Episode:
https://seedsandweedspodcast.com/totally-tomatoes/

Our recent Episode All About Peppers:
https://seedsandweedspodcast.com/all-about-peppers-in-the-garden-kitchen-and-apothecary/

Enoch's last visit to Seeds & Weeds:
https://seedsandweedspodcast.com/jon-jackson-enoch-graham/

Check out Enoch's Youtube channel and Let's Get Growing Show
https://www.youtube.com/@theUrbanGardener

Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/c/smallhousefarm

Support for the Seeds and Weeds Podcast comes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Baker Creek offers America’s largest selection of heirloom and open-pollinated seed varieties from around the world – and right here at home. For more than 25 years, saving, sharing, and celebrating heirloom seeds has been their mission and their passion. Find out more at rareseeds.com.

Support the show

In this flavor-packed conversation, we dive deep into the vibrant world of peppers—from seed to harvest, kitchen to apothecary. Timed perfectly for late-winter seed starting, this episode walks you through everything you need to know to successfully grow thriving pepper plants, including seed-starting tips, heat and light requirements, transplanting, and maximizing yields in the garden.

But the journey doesn’t stop at the harvest. You’ll explore how peppers transform in the kitchen—fresh, dried, fermented, or smoked—and how heat levels (thanks to capsaicin) influence both flavor and culinary creativity. We share our personal experiences crafting unique hot sauces and spice blends straight from the garden.

Finally, discover the powerful medicinal side of peppers, including their role in circulation, digestion, and topical pain relief, along with simple ways to incorporate them into your home apothecary.

Whether you love sweet bells or fiery super-hots, this episode is your complete guide to growing, using, and benefiting from one of the most versatile plants in the garden. 🌶️

Dive further with more information:

Planning your garden in 3 Simple Steps (featuring info about seed starting equipment): previous podcast episode: https://seedsandweedspodcast.com/planning-your-garden-in-three-simple-steps/

Seed Starting Tips & Tricks on Youtube: https://youtu.be/pEvbvYLrPa0?si=ZQByYqYKPjktINx4

Tabasco Seed Story on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EJQM_U2v5Zs?si=Wtg8Fh2WZZ-sQSdR

Shop Pepper Seeds in the Small House Seed Collection: https://www.smallhousefarm.com/product-category/seeds/peppers/

Shop Small House Salves made with Capsicum: https://www.smallhousefarm.com/product-category/herbal-body-care/salves/

✨ Join our Patreon community for exclusive content, seasonal herb boxes, and more! ​www.patreon.com/smallhousefarm

Connect with us!
IG: @small_house_farm
FB: @smallhousefarm

Learn more about the plants in your yard and garden! Join our Patreon community to discover our Plant of the Month and learn how to work with herbs in the kitchen, garden, and apothecary!

https://www.patreon.com/c/smallhousefarm

Support for the Seeds and Weeds Podcast comes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Baker Creek offers America’s largest selection of heirloom and open-pollinated seed varieties from around the world – and right here at home. For more than 25 years, saving, sharing, and celebrating heirloom seeds has been their mission and their passion. Find out more at rareseeds.com.

Support the show

Unlock the secrets to a low-maintenance, high-yield garden. Gardening expert and author Charlie Nardozzi shares how his book The Continuous Vegetable Garden helps growers maximize harvests while reducing time and effort.

From perennial vegetables and self-seeding crops to succession planting, overwintering, and season extension, this episode delivers practical, approachable techniques to help gardeners enjoy fresh food from early spring through late fall—no matter their garden size or experience level.

Learn more about Charlie and order his book:

https://www.gardeningwithcharlie.com/

Sign up for Charlie's gardening webinar:

https://www.gardeningwithcharlie.com/webinars/the-continuous-vegetable-garden-webinar/

Order The Continuous Vegetable Garden from Amazon:

https://amzn.to/4qj15SG

Learn more about the plants in your yard and garden! Join our Patreon community to discover our Plant of the Month and learn how to work with herbs in the kitchen, garden, and apothecary!

https://www.patreon.com/c/smallhousefarm

Support for the Seeds and Weeds Podcast comes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Baker Creek offers America’s largest selection of heirloom and open-pollinated seed varieties from around the world – and right here at home. For more than 25 years, saving, sharing, and celebrating heirloom seeds has been their mission and their passion. Find out more at rareseeds.com.

Support the show

In this first episode of Season 4, we dive into the art and science of herbal extracts—simple, powerful ways to turn the plants you grow, forage, or purchase into food, medicine, and everyday remedies. Explore how the dormant season is the perfect time to slow down, take stock, and work with herbs in the kitchen and apothecary.

This episode breaks down four essential extraction methods—water, fat, alcohol, and vinegar—explaining what each one extracts best and how to use them in real life. From teas, syrups, jellies, and broths to infused oils, salves, tinctures, fire cider, and oxymels, you’ll learn how to pull flavor, color, minerals, and medicinal benefits from plants using accessible, at-home techniques.

Along the way, the conversation is filled with practical tips, seasonal inspiration, and creative ideas for reducing waste, using garden leftovers, and crafting herbal remedies that support stress, sleep, digestion, skin health, and more. Whether you’re brand new to herbalism or deepening your practice, this episode offers approachable guidance and plenty of encouragement to experiment.

If you’ve ever wondered how to get more from the plants in your life—or how to start building your own home apothecary—this episode is a cozy, empowering place to begin. 🌿

✨ Links mentioned in this episode:

Make the Perfect Cup of Herbal Tea https://youtu.be/2q452gOBY3k?si=9XwommsPz5Cgjzpq

Making a Herbal Salve https://youtu.be/Rdq-ccoiBdg?si=-LS-ECsz4o3isv9O

Make Fire Cider https://youtu.be/yUYsSSHdygU?si=4Fwl-aZZDUuOJok8

Shop for Herbal Tinctures: https://www.smallhousefarm.com/herbal-tinctures/

Harvest Spruce Tips with us! https://youtu.be/qT0GRRM7zXY?si=xboRaEFR7JkXEK56

✨ Join our Patreon community for exclusive content, seasonal herb boxes, and more! ​www.patreon.com/smallhousefarm

Connect with us!
IG: @small_house_farm
FB: @smallhousefarm

Learn more about the plants in your yard and garden! Join our Patreon community to discover our Plant of the Month and learn how to work with herbs int he kitchen garden and apothecary!

https://www.patreon.com/c/smallhousefarm

Support for the Seeds and Weeds Podcast comes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Baker Creek offers America’s largest selection of heirloom and open-pollinated seed varieties from around the world – and right here at home. For more than 25 years, saving, sharing, and celebrating heirloom seeds has been their mission and their passion. Find out more at rareseeds.com.

Support the show

✨ Celebrate the Season of Rest and Reflection ✨

In this Winter Solstice special of Seeds & Weeds, we slow down, look back, and dream forward. As the longest night of the year arrives, we reflect on a season of growth—both in the garden and beyond—celebrating milestones, lessons learned, and the rhythms that guide a life rooted in the land.

This episode weaves together solstice traditions from around the world, personal highlights from a banner year for the podcast, and an exploration of juniper, the evergreen herb of winter. Discover juniper’s medicinal magic, cozy culinary uses, and how it can support respiratory health, sore muscles, and seasonal rituals—plus a festive juniper mocktail (or cocktail) recipe to toast the returning light.

Thoughtful, grounding, and inspiring, this episode is an invitation to pause, honor the quiet of winter, and plant seeds for the year ahead. 🌲❄️

Seeds & Weeds recap:
Most downloaded episode of season 3 (2025) : All About Lemon Balm + Mulch in the Garden: https://seedsandweedspodcast.com/summer-solstice-2025-special/

We also mention this great episode: Let’s Chat w/ Jere Gettle: https://seedsandweedspodcast.com/jere-gettle-baker-creek/

GoodPods Podcast of the Month in November 2025!

Bevin received the Seed Stewardship Award in January 2025 from the Central Indiana Seed Swap. Make a plan to attend this awesome event in 2026 if you're in the area. More information at https://hcmga.org/central-indiana-seed-swap

2025 was the year for Herbs in Every Season, which was released in March. We celebrated all year with our Patreon community by crafting seasonal boxes built around the book and inspired by its recipes and content. Get your copy here: https://www.smallhousefarm.com/product/herbs-in-every-season/

✨ Join our Patreon community for exclusive content, seasonal herb boxes, and more! ​www.patreon.com/smallhousefarm

Connect with us!
IG: @small_house_farm
FB: @smallhousefarm

Learn more about the plants in your yard and garden! Join our Patreon community to discover our Plant of the Month and learn how to work with herbs int he kitchen garden and apothecary!

https://www.patreon.com/c/smallhousefarm

Support for the Seeds and Weeds Podcast comes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Baker Creek offers America’s largest selection of heirloom and open-pollinated seed varieties from around the world – and right here at home. For more than 25 years, saving, sharing, and celebrating heirloom seeds has been their mission and their passion. Find out more at rareseeds.com.

Support the show

From soothing teas to immune-boosting brews, this episode is a winter wellness treasure chest.

Listeners get an exclusive behind-the-scenes moment as we celebrate submitting a ginormous new manuscript— a major project set to hit bookshelves in July 2027.

From there, it’s all about the herbs:

Peppermint & Spearmint for digestion, mocktails, and holiday calm
Ginger for warming tea blends and digestive support
Fennel & Thyme for soothing sore throats
Sage & Rosemary for memory, flavor, and festive recipes
Cinnamon for aromatic comfort and anti-inflammatory power
Echinacea for winter immune strength
Garlic — the bold, wellness-boosting staple we swear by
Shiitake Mushrooms for wintertime vitamin D and mood support

Every herb comes with real-life recipes, practical how-tos, and creative ways to incorporate plant medicine into holiday cooking, daily rituals, and family wellness.

And of course, the episode ends with a fan favorite — Heather’s iconic Fire Cider, a customizable, immune-boosting vinegar infusion beloved by the herbal community. Whether you’re new to fire cider or ready to level up your recipe, this segment gives you everything you need to brew your own powerful winter tonic.

Shop Herbal Teas (including Choco-Latte): http://smallhousefarm.com/product-category/herbal-wellness

Find more herbal recipes in Bevin's book, Herbs in Every Season: https://www.smallhousefarm.com/product/herbs-in-every-season/

Learn how to grow your own Shiitake mushrooms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh6PeZDriNU

Watch Heather's famous Fire Cider video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUYsSSHdygU

Try Small House's Fire Cider: https://www.smallhousefarm.com/product/fire-cider/

✨ Join our Patreon community for exclusive content, seasonal herb boxes, and more! ​www.patreon.com/smallhousefarm

Connect with us!
IG: @small_house_farm
FB: @smallhousefarm

Learn more about the plants in your yard and garden! Join our Patreon community to discover our Plant of the Month and learn how to work with herbs int he kitchen garden and apothecary!

https://www.patreon.com/c/smallhousefarm

Support for the Seeds and Weeds Podcast comes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Baker Creek offers America’s largest selection of heirloom and open-pollinated seed varieties from around the world – and right here at home. For more than 25 years, saving, sharing, and celebrating heirloom seeds has been their mission and their passion. Find out more at rareseeds.com.

Support the show

From growing and harvesting to seed saving and cooking, we’re exploring everything you need to know about squash!​ Learn the difference between summer and winter squash, how to cure them for long-term storage, and discover creative ways to use squash in the kitchen—from roasted seeds to pumpkin puree and even edible leaves and flowers! 🍂

Plus, we’re sharing the incredible benefits of nutrient-rich pumpkin seed oil, including its uses in cooking and natural body care products. ​Did you know pumpkin seeds were once used as medicine for parasites? ​ 🐖

🛒 Shop:

Small House Pumpkin Oil,

Lipbalm made with Pumpkin Seed Oil,

Bevin's book; The Complete Guide to Seed & Nut Oils

📺 Learn how to save your squash seeds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33L-dYWiG34

Don’t miss this fun and informative episode packed with gardening tips, delicious recipes, and even a few squash-inspired jokes! 🎃

✨ Join our Patreon community for exclusive content, seasonal herb boxes, and more! ​www.patreon.com/smallhousefarm

🎧 Listen now and squash your curiosity!

Connect with us!
IG: @small_house_farm
FB: @smallhousefarm

Learn more about the plants in your yard and garden! Join our Patreon community to discover our Plant of the Month and learn how to work with herbs int he kitchen garden and apothecary!

https://www.patreon.com/c/smallhousefarm

Support for the Seeds and Weeds Podcast comes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Baker Creek offers America’s largest selection of heirloom and open-pollinated seed varieties from around the world – and right here at home. For more than 25 years, saving, sharing, and celebrating heirloom seeds has been their mission and their passion. Find out more at rareseeds.com.

Support the show

🍂 Celebrate the Season of Transition with Seeds and Weeds! ​ 🌱

In this special Autumn Equinox episode, the Seeds and Weeds podcast dives into the magic of fall! ​ From the crisp air to the golden hues, we embrace the beauty of the season while sharing practical tips and inspiration for gardeners, foragers, and herbalists alike. 🌻

✨ Highlights include:

• A deep dive into the versatile herb sage—its culinary, medicinal, and gardening wonders. ​ Learn how to make sage-infused compound butter, fried sage leaves, and even a cozy apple juice mocktail! ​ 🧄🍎
• Expert garlic-growing tips from special guest Kristin Graves, author of The Garlic Companion. ​ 🧄 Listen to her full episode: https://seedsandweedspodcast.com/all-about-garlic-kristin-graves/
• Fall gardening activities like seed saving, planting autumn crops, and propagating herbs to prepare for next season. ​ 🌱
• The importance of slowing down, reflecting, and connecting with nature during this season of balance. ​ 🌎

Whether you're harvesting, planting, or simply enjoying a cup of tea on the porch, this episode is packed with inspiration to help you make the most of autumn. ​ 🍁

🎧 Tune in now and let’s grow together! Happy Equinox! ​ 🌟

Support the podcast by joining our Patreon for as little as $3/month at www.patreon.com/smallhousefarm

Connect with us!

IG: @small_house_farm
FB: @smallhousefarm

Support for the Seeds and Weeds Podcast comes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Baker Creek offers America’s largest selection of heirloom and open-pollinated seed varieties from around the world – and right here at home. For more than 25 years, saving, sharing, and celebrating heirloom seeds has been their mission and their passion. Find out more at rareseeds.com.

Support the show