Interview with podcast host Elias from Garten Ede  "As an Untrained Gardener, I Make a Lot of Mistakes"

In this interview, podcast host Elias explains how he got into gardening, what makes his podcast special and what tips he has for future gardeners.

In his youth Elias was called Eddy, later it became Ede. Four years ago, this play on words gave rise to the podcast "Garten Ede", which is all about one thing: Elias' garden.
Elias has now produced xy episodes - when we met for an interview in mid-February, he was still working on episode 336. There's a lot to tell about the garden, the rabbits, chickens, tomatoes, snails and truffles (!).

Elias, how did you come to produce this particular podcast? And what's so special about it?

I've been a passionate podcast listener for years and have been looking for a gardening podcast with a personal touch, but all I've heard is how wonderful gardening is. So I thought: maybe this is my thing! As an untrained gardener, I make lots of mistakes that I and others can learn from. That's how it all started, and for two years I more or less had a monologue about what was going on in my garden. Since this year, however, I have had regular guests - from hobby gardeners to garden centre owners.

So your podcast has changed. Has the 'personal touch' of the podcast changed as well?
 
No. What's still special is that I don't just tell you how to plant tomatoes, for example, but the whole journey from seed to tomato harvest - or the journey of the seed that gets eaten by slugs as a plant.

How did you become a hobby gardener?

When I became a father in my mid-20s, I had the idea of thinking about nutrition and growing my own vegetables. Tending the garden as a family not only meant that we enjoyed the unsprayed vegetables - growing and harvesting plants also became an integral part of our everyday family life.

When you look at your kitchen garden now, what do you see?

At the moment I see a lot of chaos and a lot of work. It's always been like that for me. There are also a lot of corners where everything grows. Now, in February, the beds need to be rejuvenated and biochar and compost spread. The fruit trees are also starting to sprout. So I see a lot of work to do, but I am very confident about this year's gardening season.

What are your next gardening projects?

I'll start growing chillies, peppers and physalis in February. The pots have to be kept warm for a long time. The plants are then planted out in May. Further, there are things that have been on my wish list for a long time. For example, I would like a stone oven to bake pizza, tarte flambée and bread.  

You have now made 336 episodes. Do you ever run out of ideas?

Not really, because I can always report on what's happening in the garden. I'm also always learning from the people I talk to. That alone means I always have something new to talk about.

Who has been your most exciting interviewee?

It's hard to say, many are very interesting. Now that I'm trying to grow truffles myself, it's very exciting to talk to experts like Tassilo from Teutotrüffel. I also had Robert Höck as a guest once - an influencer from the poultry sector. The conversation was very informative because I was hatching chicks at the time. However, I can't say that one guest was the most exciting.

Do you have any tips for anyone who wants to start gardening?

My main tip is to just get started! You can read a book about gardening or get information from experts, but in the end you just have to start. If it doesn't work, try something else.
In the beginning, for example, I thought that everything you can buy in a plant store should be in season. So at the end of January I planted a kiwi tree in my garden. Who would have thought: the little tree froze to death during the night. I was annoyed, of course, but I also learnt something. So my best tip is this. Start and don't be deterred.

April 2025