Kathy Jentz: Gardening Is Local, Media Matters, and Growing What You Love

On this episode of I Dig Your Story, Ellen talks with Kathy Jentz — journalist, podcaster and founding editor and publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine. Kathy shares how a lifelong love of reading and telling stories led her to study journalism in college, but it wasn’t until she bought a small house with a big garden that gardening truly became a passion. Eventually, noticing the lack of reliable regional information for Mid-Atlantic gardeners, she launched her own publication — and later the GardenDC podcast — to connect gardeners with trustworthy, local expertise. Ellen and Kathy talk about how garden media has evolved from printed newsletters and magazines to blogs, podcasts, and social media — and what that shift means for today’s home gardeners. With so much information circulating online, Kathy explains why finding credible, regionally relevant advice is more important than ever, especially as AI-generated content, misleading graphics, and viral gardening “hacks” spread across the internet. In this conversation, they dig into: Kathy’s path from feature writer and association communicator to magazine founder and podcaster How gardening trends have shifted from primarily ornamental plants to growing interest in edibles and native plants The pandemic-era gardening boom and what has stuck with new gardeners Why Kathy says “all gardening is local” and how gardeners can find reliable advice in their own region Viral gardening trends — like snail-spiral seed starting and banana peel fertilizer water — and whether they actually work   Learn about Kathy’s most reliable tools and how she protects them, why roses do not have to be scary, and her believe that we should all grow what we love and tackle garden projects in small, manageable pieces. If you’ve ever wondered how someone builds a career telling gardeners’ stories — or how to separate helpful gardening advice from online noise — this episode is full of insights and practical wisdom.   Where to Find Kathy Instagram/X/BlueSky/Threads: @WDCgardener LinkedIn: Kathy Jentz Facebook: Kathy Jentz and Washington Gardener Magazine Website: www.washingtongardener.com Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com Podcast: GardenDC available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other major platforms