A MD/PhD student runs our school garden. Made a club so 2 of us water it daily on a rotation and ~5-10 of us maintain it on the weekends. We all bring the harvest home whenever we want :)
Apply to become an Epic Collaborator: form.typeform.com/to/TXQZsKU4 - I'm so grateful to have Jacques on our team and count him as a dear friend as well as a fantastic gardener. Thank you all for embracing him into the Epic Gardening community - Kevin
Поздрави от другия край на света! :) Гледам си всякакви неща на балкона - праз лук, ягоди, подправки, включително и драконов плод. :D Стискайте палци и благодаря за видеата и уроците! :)
After I got two stem degrees I was in an accident and became partially disabled. I will never work in my chosen field, and life had some dark moments in store for me. I somehow made it through the other side and have found a renewed purpose again working with plants. I feel like I have a reason to get up in the morning, and a reason to learn things once again. By far the best free therapy I could ever envision. If I could, I would try to work with you in a hot second. Thanks for the 6-cells btw, easily the best trays I've ever tried. Will never purchase any others.
My mind is blown. Two years, Jacque?!?! It's inspiring to see what's possible when you commit to a vision and go full out for it. Thanks for sharing your story and keep producing great content, guys!
I can relate to what Jacques about consuming knowledge. When I discover something that clicks with me I cant learn enough. No phd here but I tell everyone I have a RUclips degree in gardening. Thank you Kevin and Jacques.
I've been waiting on this story!! I love hearing how two of my favorite gardeners met and developed a working relationship. Gardening with you two helped me get through my PhD in 2020!
I finished my PhD in 2019, didn't land a tenure-track position, and now all I want to do is figure out how to make my church community garden my job. You made the right decision Jaques! 👏
So cool how Jacques got started! I currently am living at my parents house and convinced my dad to let me start a garden. Last summer, all I had was pots to grow in and this year I convinced him to let me put in two garden beds! I bought a tall and a short Birdies beds and filled them with flowers, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and watermelon. This channel has inspired and helped me learn to garden. In my own future house, I want to turn the entire property into a garden.
I've been in grad school for six years, got my master's in Sustainability Management, started a PhD, and it's been a downhill grind for four years. I feel the need for passion again in something and definitely relate with growing things, being practical, being outside, and being engaged with the "work" or day to day activities. It sucks your soul out of your nostrils and leaves you burnt out if you can't constantly perform. I'm leaving my PhD, and I'm really happy to have finally decided to do so.
It's truly a grind and a soul crush, I could have finished but saw no path on the other side. Glad to hear you found your path out since it didn't work for you as well! - Jacques
If you’re not ready for a full-time gardening gig like Jacques 😉, you should look into jobs in energy efficiency. If you get a job implementing new projects, it’s a good balance of desk and field work.
Six years is enough time in grad school. If the school can't turn out a PhD in six years, then they are probably short of teaching assistants so they are keeping students around to teach. I left after getting my Masters and it was the best decision I ever made.
Started gardening during my PhD too. Made the other choice, and now my garden's pretty much dead and I'm completely stressed about my dissertation getting finished on time. Current verdict- Jacque chose wisely.👏🌱❤
My labmates and I genuinely talk about all quitting our PhDs and starting a bakery + farm + stationary store together. Our PI panics every time we start talking about it because the three of us are his ONLY PhD students and also the only grad students who get stuff done in lab. 😅
Your never too old or too injured to start a garden. I just turned 70 and due to a pretty bad car accident couldn't do the usual garden but around 2020 took it up again. I am focusing on a food and medicinal garden now and it brings me joy to give food and well as natural medicine to people. Not easy when it turns 100 like today. I did up my own dirt and supplement it, keeps me strong. 😅
It's wild seeing those beginning clips with you two together. I remember watching every single one of those. To see how much the gardens have changed is pretty cool. To see how far the Epic Homestead also is just pretty darn cool
I'm in grad school right now for something different from what I did in undergrad and I really feel you on walking away from academia, Jacques. At the end of undergrad I realized what I got my BA in was really more of an interest than a complete passion, and if I continued mostly the only jobs were in academia and I didn't feel like that was for me. Switched to teaching and I am loving it even though it's hard. Good on you for realizing it was time to step away. It can be very hard to do when you've invested so much.
It's tough as I definitely loved geology but the path I took in academia was leading me down a one way road of staying in academia. After being in it for that long I knew I didn't want to do that for the rest of my life. Glad to hear you found your path as well! - Jacques
@@epicgardening I did the same thing...... I quite a PhD Prog w 3 courses to go. Actually was well on my way with the Dissertation, cause I love writing. LOL
Yeah, I wish I had your life. The life of a scientist and engineer is very rewarding, but it can really take the joys of life away. I wish I could garden for life!!!!!
It's NEVER to late to pivot to your passion! At 65 yrs, I am gardening, singing more, reading (gardening books, romantic thrillers) more, and spending every minute possible wit kids and grandkids. Life is joyful and fulfilling!
My daughter and I love these videos. She was very excited to see the tomatos. She only lasted 8 mins before falling asleep.😴 works everytime. Thanks guys.
RUclips and channels like yours, have gotten me addicted to gardening, i started when i was around 14, from a random recommendation to your channel and ive kept at it since, never stop!
Kevin and Jacques, both of you are so informative and provide gardening know-how. My dad was a master gardener of vegetables. Since I retired from teaching high school choral music, I have been expanding my garden knowledge for the last 10 years, continuing my dad's methods and learning so much from you guys. Definitely my favorite and most entertaining gardening channel!😅 from Southeast Missouri (totally different climate than Southern Cal).
Kevin...u are awesome. I love the way u promote Jacque. You aren't promoting just yourself. Obviously, you were fine on your own. But you were smart enough to know u cannot do it all on your own. You two together are such a kick. So entertaining. I laugh so much watching u two. Thank you. I wish i lived in your neighborhood. Bye & hugs from Sequim WA... formerly from Temecula
As someone who made the dumb decision to actually get a biochemistry PhD, I’m now in the process of trying to figure out how to get out of the lab and into a garden for a living. I’ve been thinking of a second PhD-in horticulture. Jacques, I think you are my spirit animal. 😂😭😭
Gardening runs in my family. One of the things my older brother taught me was to grow flowers in the vegetable patch, he said "Just when tired, and hot, and you need to stretch your back you stand up and look across the garden and the flowers bring enough cheer to keep you going and he's right. I've planted flowers in the garden for years now but as I learned I now plant flowers that attract pollinators and beneficial insects, it's still beautiful.
Love you, Jacques!! Your backyard space is amazing and what you’ve done with it is gorgeous. It’s inspiring to know you’re only a few years in on your gardening experience.
You guys are so laid back and chill but ironically very much on-point with so many horticultural topics. The vibe between you two is a pleasure to witness for sure. A respectable #bromance is what I call it.🤠🤓
I loved your plea for people to share their gardening skills with others. We started our first real garden in 1978 in CT. Each year, we learn something new. Living on cement just south of LA is a challenge, but we manage to grow enough to can/freeze, dehydrate and freeze dry our extras. We try and teach our neighbors and kids how to grow your own.
Love this story! Makes me feel better knowing I gave up on what my degree should have done for me, but has yet to even do a fraction of, because clearly you can still live a very fulfilled life. I can't find employment (I've been underemployed since graduating), so I've been gardening a lot.
Was waiting for this video for over a month, you have changed so many lives including mine Jaque, you guys have been helping me through Depression 😢, I started watching the channel a yr a go not knowing anything about Gardening, Fast-forward 1yr I have 69 dragon-fruit Types, and 3 Birdies beds, and. A Beautiful flower garden for my wife.
You guys are GREAT!! I'm on my first year of gardening. I have stuff growing like MAD!! I just jumped in and haven't stopped. I hope to have what the phd guy has one day. 🌻🌿🥀
You guys inspire me so much! Jacques I love your aquarius spirit and approach to garden. I totally vibe with it. Thanks for all you do and the honesty in your approach. It helps me feel more confident as a non-traditional gardener!
Jacques is the best! Love his channel. He is such a great teacher and just a nice guy with a great sense of humor. Glad you both do videos together as well---those are my favorite videos. Fun times.
I had an earwig infestation in my vegetable garden and I asked Jacques for some tips and how to get rid of it,I did it and it worked ❤❤,thank you Jack 😊!!!
I started my garden around the same time as Jacques and now have experienced gardeners coming to me for advice. I also literally spend most of my free time absorbing as much knowledge as I can. You can make up a lot of ground if you have time and energy to dedicate to learning a craft or skill. That being said, I still have so much to learn. I only have about 70 sqft of garden space in my front yard and hope to have nearly double that next year as I am taking back a part of my parking lot to expand the garden as I am working with very limited space. People on my block thought I was insane the first year, now I get compliments weekly as there are about 15-20 variety of flowers where grass used to be. I mean, they probably still think I am crazy but at least I'm the crazy man with the nice garden and flower patch
Epic Gardening was the first gardening channels i stumbled across after i killed my first set of storebought starts 4 years ago. From those original 5 blue Lowes buckets to the 50+ containers holding 72 plants i started entirely from seed this year ive used so much of what ive learned off Epic brand channels to make myself a better gardener. I was never a PHD student but i am an engineering school dropout and a self professed research nerd. I want to know how and why things work. Gardrning is sort of like a big science fair project to me. Im 53 and living proof its never too late to start, and that trying something new can be unbelievably rewarding. Gardening has awakened me from my mid life doldrums. Without being too melodramatic, its changed my life. Thanks Kevin and Jacques for giving your knowlege so freely.
This is very motivational! 2 years! Impressive. I started my channel last year and it is starting to show some promise. Continued success for the entire Epic Gardening family.
Love this story! And the chicken orchard is an amazing idea! I'll have to copy that in the future! I love these little tricks! Way to think out of the box
After I went to college I became a life long learner. I dive 100% into everything I want to know. Including gardening. I'm with you. I spend hours on RUclips these days learning.
Kevin, I remember being so delighted when I discovered you, pre Homestead days! Once Jacques came on board I became a true devotee. Something about his low key encouragement & reuse & recycling of materials that inspires creativity.
Long shot Jacques, but would you be happy sharing some of the research you were doing whilst you were a PhD student? Even on a 1:1 basis if not publicly. I paused to read your academic poster on icthyoliths but my eyesight was really not on my side today! I too chose to move away from academia, but I find so much joy in engaging with science and research in my free time. Sending love from my balcony in the UK!
You two are the perfect complement to each other and I love how both of your styles and gardening perspectives have gradually influenced each other’s design. Awesome to learn from you both and even better when you collaborate!
Love my Epic 6-cell trays. I start almost everything for our 50’x50’ no-dig garden in them. They are even good when I have my little 3 and 5-year-old garden helpers around.
Wow thank you - I changed from a Pharmacist that was burnt out after 2020 and turned to gardening - I love how we ADHD hyper focus on everything - I did the same thing haha
@@epicgardening hahahaha I just had to force myself to clean up my mess from pruning before some storms. I quote you all day everyday in the garden “ sweet sweet air flow “ hahaha I’m such a dork and get super exited about air flow and spacing.
hi kevin & jacques 🤗 ive enjoyed watching jacques over the years on both of your channels. im also a phd student. gardening in my genes 😁. while both are hard work, most days gardening is much more enjoyable and rewarding. im still hanging in there with school, and trying to balance both, but i can see myself turning "jacques" in an instant. tfs
My 2 favorite gardening guys! I have learned so much from you both. Your style is down to earth REAL living. Keep up the great work! I am 72 so you can teach an old dog new tricks! ((((hugs)))
I love hearing your story of how you two became garden buddies! I've been following along for years and it's always fun to hear the story as a "refresh". Love the content, love the team. I too am an epic gardener.
Just ordered The Sustainable Vegetable Garden by J Jeavons from my library! They didn't have How To Grow More Vegetables but this one will be a good start. Thanks for putting the picture on the screen!
Doing the hard work of double digging is what gives those great results seen with the corn. I grew paint corn that was supposed to grow 6 feet tall, but it grew to about ten feet or more. Cobs were 12 inches long. Hard work pays off in the garden, especially with hard-pan baked desert soil and the sweltering heat of Western Colorado! I double dig my cannabis gardens every year so I get the best results.
Right there with Jacque, addictive knowledge consumption. I started with growing pumpkins and sunflowers for my daughter one year ago and now I help my local community garden and read at least 10 books and countless hours on RUclips with a variety of channels collecting every little piece of info I could find
Love watching and learning from you both. I do mainly container gardening and started trying a couple things 3 yrs ago. I've branched out and this year am trying several new things due to jacque and his enthusiasm. But also a big part is learning what can be made with the vegetables as we were raised on canned corn and cream corn and occasionally canned peas. Not a fan of the latter but now love my sweet peas. I'm in my 50s and am just discovering new things due to gardeners like you. Thanks for all the great content!
Jacques, if you were in the lab all day in your Geology program, you were in the wrong program. I became a geologist because I found out I could get paid to hike. Twenty five years later I'm *still* getting paid to hike (although I'm in the classroom more now). You clearly made a good decision, though! I've learned a lot from you and Kevin and my veggie garden is the better for it. And you weren't the only one who read the textbood cover to cover.
I have doubled dug most of my mother's yard in OC, and because her soil was so poor, I felt it really needed it. It is a LOT of work and time. I have had only a few plant failures (it's not an edible garden) so I feel it was worth the effort.
Personally, I would LOVE to see you involve someone who specializes in native plant gardening! Ps.I have gotten so much inspiration from your channel. Thanks guys!
🌺I've been following the two of you from your beginnings. I just started two years ago too and my husband and I are still developing and growing in our garden. We started from scratch and repurpose most of our materials. Congrats on a successful team.
I feel the Grad School Burnout for sure! I fished my Masters and, luckily, was still able to get a teaching position. Teaching is so much fun! Also, excited to move into my first house next month and really looking forward to having a yard with sun! I have grown in containers off and on with varying degrees of success - never had a very sunny spot! I feel like I am pulling a Jacque and binging as much info as I can right now in preparation to tackle my new garden! I come from a traditional Florida Agriculture family, but I am interested in looking at several different none traditional methods for different parts of the yard - part permaculture and part no dig/organic. Thank you all for all the info!
Kevin & Jacques - two of my favourite and regularly watched gardeners. I have been watching Kevin for 3 yrs now (under my actual name) and I have started my own channel on July 1,2023 to document my journey in creating my Produce Garden (Ontario, Canada) Love how you present your knowledge with humour.
Would love more of an update of the chicken orchard! Bought 6 of the tree surrounds since seeing that original video. Figs are growing out nicely here in the Central Valley!
Hey! It’s the Rainbow basin syncline! I’ve been there for a few geology field trips too. Love to hear Jacques story. As former geology graduate students now turned farmers, my partner and I can definitely relate. We just bought a house with a bit of land in Westminster, Colorado, and we have big farm plans. @jacquesinthegarden, maybe one day we can share stories about grad school woes and how farming is so much better. The healing process is just beginning! Keep up the great work.
Fantastic! Raccoons are very smart. We lost 10 of our 17 chickens to raccoons before we were able to remediate the access points. The lumber in front of the doors is NOT overkill!
The best tree to put in a 'chicken orchard' is white mulberry. The berries fall down on the ground for 150 days a year, and chickens can eat the leaves.
Thank you Kevin for this story 😊, I didn’t know how Jacques started as a gardener. I love both channels,you guys are so much fun and always giving very helpful tips,❤
Thanks a bunch to the both of you... 1+1=10 in your guys' case. I'm a 50yr old dude in the SF Bay Area who just started gardening for consumption over the past couple years. The both of you have taught me so much and done so in an entertaining fashion. Cheers!!
Jacque - As a geologist, you would be great at utilizing non-organic parts of the homestead. For instance, making your own bricks from your own soil. Its an area of homesteading which needs leaders, Thanks for the video.
Compare this to Jaques first introduction on this channel with his pandemic garden tour 2 years ago. The confidence has truly jumped out and we love to see it!! It's been so awesome watching your channel grow, as well as you and Kevin's Epic Bromance. I've learned so much from both your channels and always look forward to new content. Congrats to you both on all the success, and KEEP ON GROWING! 🎉
Awesome stuff! My wife and I have learned a lot from watching you and Jacques. We live in Canada, Zone 5a and have been using your guides as well as many others to get a basic understanding about growing food. We've been expanding our raised bed gardens every year since 2019. We are now up at about 35 to 40 beds! We love your information and videos! Thank you for sharing!
As someone who has considered quitting my PhD to garden I FEEL THIS SO MUCH
Do not quit.
Same here.
I finished PhD and saving money for herbal gardening. It’s a great for mental peace and happiness.
Same here
A MD/PhD student runs our school garden. Made a club so 2 of us water it daily on a rotation and ~5-10 of us maintain it on the weekends. We all bring the harvest home whenever we want :)
Apply to become an Epic Collaborator: form.typeform.com/to/TXQZsKU4 - I'm so grateful to have Jacques on our team and count him as a dear friend as well as a fantastic gardener. Thank you all for embracing him into the Epic Gardening community - Kevin
Поздрави от другия край на света! :) Гледам си всякакви неща на балкона - праз лук, ягоди, подправки, включително и драконов плод. :D Стискайте палци и благодаря за видеата и уроците! :)
He's the brother from another mother 😂
Jacques was a sweet transplant into our EPIC GARDENING ecosystem 🌱🌎❤️
🙋🏾♀️ I would LOVE to work with Epic Gardening!! 🌱🤓❤️
Hey Epic team, I looked for a link in the description on how to work together but I think I missed it, just wanted to make sure I didn't overlook it.
After I got two stem degrees I was in an accident and became partially disabled. I will never work in my chosen field, and life had some dark moments in store for me. I somehow made it through the other side and have found a renewed purpose again working with plants. I feel like I have a reason to get up in the morning, and a reason to learn things once again. By far the best free therapy I could ever envision. If I could, I would try to work with you in a hot second. Thanks for the 6-cells btw, easily the best trays I've ever tried. Will never purchase any others.
Jacques left his PhD program & chose THE BEST school ever - nature‼️ Bravo 🌱🤩
My mind is blown. Two years, Jacque?!?! It's inspiring to see what's possible when you commit to a vision and go full out for it. Thanks for sharing your story and keep producing great content, guys!
I wish! Haha! I’m so inspired
I appreciate it! Luckily the San Diego seasons gave me the whole year to learn! - Jacques
I can relate to what Jacques about consuming knowledge. When I discover something that clicks with me I cant learn enough. No phd here but I tell everyone I have a RUclips degree in gardening.
Thank you Kevin and Jacques.
Those RUclips degrees are real, so much great knowledge on here!
Fr. One of the things that my PhD taught me was how to research. Even if the content is different, I know I can always do the work and learn.
I've been waiting on this story!! I love hearing how two of my favorite gardeners met and developed a working relationship. Gardening with you two helped me get through my PhD in 2020!
Working relationship?
Congrats on finishing 🎉 - Jacques
@@88jameson88 yes. Working, and good friendship. This was addressed in a Q n A video. They both have partners. Female in nature
I finished my PhD in 2019, didn't land a tenure-track position, and now all I want to do is figure out how to make my church community garden my job. You made the right decision Jaques! 👏
So cool how Jacques got started! I currently am living at my parents house and convinced my dad to let me start a garden. Last summer, all I had was pots to grow in and this year I convinced him to let me put in two garden beds! I bought a tall and a short Birdies beds and filled them with flowers, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and watermelon. This channel has inspired and helped me learn to garden. In my own future house, I want to turn the entire property into a garden.
I've been in grad school for six years, got my master's in Sustainability Management, started a PhD, and it's been a downhill grind for four years. I feel the need for passion again in something and definitely relate with growing things, being practical, being outside, and being engaged with the "work" or day to day activities. It sucks your soul out of your nostrils and leaves you burnt out if you can't constantly perform. I'm leaving my PhD, and I'm really happy to have finally decided to do so.
It's truly a grind and a soul crush, I could have finished but saw no path on the other side. Glad to hear you found your path out since it didn't work for you as well! - Jacques
If you’re not ready for a full-time gardening gig like Jacques 😉, you should look into jobs in energy efficiency. If you get a job implementing new projects, it’s a good balance of desk and field work.
No!!! Finish what u start!!!
Six years is enough time in grad school. If the school can't turn out a PhD in six years, then they are probably short of teaching assistants so they are keeping students around to teach. I left after getting my Masters and it was the best decision I ever made.
people really do need to wake up and smell the roses.
I always say things in life all happen for a reason! He's an asset to your garden, and you've gained a great friend in the process 🙌🏼
This definitely felt like a fortuitous event and we have definitely become great friends along the way! - Jacques
Started gardening during my PhD too. Made the other choice, and now my garden's pretty much dead and I'm completely stressed about my dissertation getting finished on time. Current verdict- Jacque chose wisely.👏🌱❤
My labmates and I genuinely talk about all quitting our PhDs and starting a bakery + farm + stationary store together. Our PI panics every time we start talking about it because the three of us are his ONLY PhD students and also the only grad students who get stuff done in lab. 😅
@@ellenkuang8853 let me know if you all ever do 😉
Your never too old or too injured to start a garden. I just turned 70 and due to a pretty bad car accident couldn't do the usual garden but around 2020 took it up again. I am focusing on a food and medicinal garden now and it brings me joy to give food and well as natural medicine to people. Not easy when it turns 100 like today. I did up my own dirt and supplement it, keeps me strong. 😅
It's wild seeing those beginning clips with you two together. I remember watching every single one of those. To see how much the gardens have changed is pretty cool. To see how far the Epic Homestead also is just pretty darn cool
I loved seeing it all together in this video as well, 2 years go fast! - Jacques
I'm in grad school right now for something different from what I did in undergrad and I really feel you on walking away from academia, Jacques. At the end of undergrad I realized what I got my BA in was really more of an interest than a complete passion, and if I continued mostly the only jobs were in academia and I didn't feel like that was for me. Switched to teaching and I am loving it even though it's hard. Good on you for realizing it was time to step away. It can be very hard to do when you've invested so much.
It's tough as I definitely loved geology but the path I took in academia was leading me down a one way road of staying in academia. After being in it for that long I knew I didn't want to do that for the rest of my life. Glad to hear you found your path as well! - Jacques
@@epicgardening I did the same thing...... I quite a PhD Prog w 3 courses to go. Actually was well on my way with the Dissertation, cause I love writing. LOL
Yeah, I wish I had your life. The life of a scientist and engineer is very rewarding, but it can really take the joys of life away. I wish I could garden for life!!!!!
The chicken orchard is a genius idea!!!
Also, he is an old French man just trapped in a younger man's body
It's NEVER to late to pivot to your passion!
At 65 yrs, I am gardening, singing more, reading (gardening books, romantic thrillers) more, and spending every minute possible wit kids and grandkids.
Life is joyful and fulfilling!
My daughter and I love these videos. She was very excited to see the tomatos. She only lasted 8 mins before falling asleep.😴 works everytime. Thanks guys.
Jacque is so sweet and speaks directly to my heart and soul 🤗💛
RUclips and channels like yours, have gotten me addicted to gardening, i started when i was around 14, from a random recommendation to your channel and ive kept at it since, never stop!
Kevin and Jacques, both of you are so informative and provide gardening know-how. My dad was a master gardener of vegetables. Since I retired from teaching high school choral music, I have been expanding my garden knowledge for the last 10 years, continuing my dad's methods and learning so much from you guys. Definitely my favorite and most entertaining gardening channel!😅 from Southeast Missouri (totally different climate than Southern Cal).
The garden always comes calling again!
Great job guys ❤ your garden . Long live your passion of epic garden and homestead.
Kevin...u are awesome. I love the way u promote Jacque. You aren't promoting just yourself. Obviously, you were fine on your own. But you were smart enough to know u cannot do it all on your own. You two together are such a kick. So entertaining. I laugh so much watching u two. Thank you. I wish i lived in your neighborhood. Bye & hugs from Sequim WA... formerly from Temecula
As someone who made the dumb decision to actually get a biochemistry PhD, I’m now in the process of trying to figure out how to get out of the lab and into a garden for a living. I’ve been thinking of a second PhD-in horticulture. Jacques, I think you are my spirit animal. 😂😭😭
Gardening runs in my family. One of the things my older brother taught me was to grow flowers in the vegetable patch, he said "Just when tired, and hot, and you need to stretch your back you stand up and look across the garden and the flowers bring enough cheer to keep you going and he's right. I've planted flowers in the garden for years now but as I learned I now plant flowers that attract pollinators and beneficial insects, it's still beautiful.
Love you, Jacques!! Your backyard space is amazing and what you’ve done with it is gorgeous. It’s inspiring to know you’re only a few years in on your gardening experience.
Pretty inspiring for a guy like me whose trying to transition into market gardening thanks for that 👍
You guys are so laid back and chill but ironically very much on-point with so many horticultural topics. The vibe between you two is a pleasure to witness for sure. A respectable #bromance is what I call it.🤠🤓
I loved your plea for people to share their gardening skills with others. We started our first real garden in 1978 in CT. Each year, we learn something new. Living on cement just south of LA is a challenge, but we manage to grow enough to can/freeze, dehydrate and freeze dry our extras. We try and teach our neighbors and kids how to grow your own.
That's so cool! Almost 30 years?! You probably know so much.
Love this story! Makes me feel better knowing I gave up on what my degree should have done for me, but has yet to even do a fraction of, because clearly you can still live a very fulfilled life. I can't find employment (I've been underemployed since graduating), so I've been gardening a lot.
Was waiting for this video for over a month, you have changed so many lives including mine Jaque, you guys have been helping me through Depression 😢, I started watching the channel a yr a go not knowing anything about Gardening, Fast-forward 1yr I have 69 dragon-fruit Types, and 3 Birdies beds, and. A Beautiful flower garden for my wife.
You guys are GREAT!! I'm on my first year of gardening. I have stuff growing like MAD!! I just jumped in and haven't stopped. I hope to have what the phd guy has one day. 🌻🌿🥀
You guys inspire me so much! Jacques I love your aquarius spirit and approach to garden. I totally vibe with it. Thanks for all you do and the honesty in your approach. It helps me feel more confident as a non-traditional gardener!
Why is Jacques the most adorable and amazing human ever?! Adore him! 💚🤌🏼
Studied Ag decades ago and now I grow food in my suburban front yard. Thanks for all the info and the humor along the way.
Jacques is the best! Love his channel. He is such a great teacher and just a nice guy with a great sense of humor. Glad you both do videos together as well---those are my favorite videos. Fun times.
So happy Jacques joined your Team. Enjoy his informative videos. 👌
I had an earwig infestation in my vegetable garden and I asked Jacques for some tips and how to get rid of it,I did it and it worked ❤❤,thank you Jack 😊!!!
Did he do a video on it? Is there anything you could share? Earwigs are my biggest pest in the garden! They eat my salvia and dahlias!
I started my garden around the same time as Jacques and now have experienced gardeners coming to me for advice. I also literally spend most of my free time absorbing as much knowledge as I can. You can make up a lot of ground if you have time and energy to dedicate to learning a craft or skill. That being said, I still have so much to learn.
I only have about 70 sqft of garden space in my front yard and hope to have nearly double that next year as I am taking back a part of my parking lot to expand the garden as I am working with very limited space.
People on my block thought I was insane the first year, now I get compliments weekly as there are about 15-20 variety of flowers where grass used to be. I mean, they probably still think I am crazy but at least I'm the crazy man with the nice garden and flower patch
Your love of teaching and skill shows, Jacques!
Really enjoy you two together growing and spreading all that you know!
I feel lucky to be able to! - Jacques
Jacques is my spirit animal. Just started my garden last month. I’m HOOKED
Epic Gardening was the first gardening channels i stumbled across after i killed my first set of storebought starts 4 years ago. From those original 5 blue Lowes buckets to the 50+ containers holding 72 plants i started entirely from seed this year ive used so much of what ive learned off Epic brand channels to make myself a better gardener.
I was never a PHD student but i am an engineering school dropout and a self professed research nerd. I want to know how and why things work. Gardrning is sort of like a big science fair project to me.
Im 53 and living proof its never too late to start, and that trying something new can be unbelievably rewarding. Gardening has awakened me from my mid life doldrums. Without being too melodramatic, its changed my life.
Thanks Kevin and Jacques for giving your knowlege so freely.
This is very motivational! 2 years! Impressive. I started my channel last year and it is starting to show some promise. Continued success for the entire Epic Gardening family.
Love this story! And the chicken orchard is an amazing idea! I'll have to copy that in the future! I love these little tricks! Way to think out of the box
This depresses me as a healthcare student by force. Dude is living my dream life. Thanks for the book rec!
Loved this episode of the back story! I’m really glad you made the decision to jump into Epic. The both of you are a great team.
After I went to college I became a life long learner. I dive 100% into everything I want to know. Including gardening. I'm with you. I spend hours on RUclips these days learning.
Jack I relate with you so much! Love from Greece! 🇬🇷
Kevin, I remember being so delighted when I discovered you, pre Homestead days! Once Jacques came on board I became a true devotee. Something about his low key encouragement & reuse & recycling of materials that inspires creativity.
Long shot Jacques, but would you be happy sharing some of the research you were doing whilst you were a PhD student? Even on a 1:1 basis if not publicly. I paused to read your academic poster on icthyoliths but my eyesight was really not on my side today! I too chose to move away from academia, but I find so much joy in engaging with science and research in my free time. Sending love from my balcony in the UK!
You've gotta do what makes you happy. Just pre-ordered the book on Epic Gardening!
It was so great to hear how you two met and also to hear about Jacques background. Thank you.
Thanks guys, love the back story and can see the outstanding results! Cheers from Australia. 👍
You two are the perfect complement to each other and I love how both of your styles and gardening perspectives have gradually influenced each other’s design. Awesome to learn from you both and even better when you collaborate!
Love my Epic 6-cell trays. I start almost everything for our 50’x50’ no-dig garden in them. They are even good when I have my little 3 and 5-year-old garden helpers around.
Wow thank you - I changed from a Pharmacist that was burnt out after 2020 and turned to gardening - I love how we ADHD hyper focus on everything - I did the same thing haha
Sometimes that ADHD comes in handy, just not when I need to clean up after myself 😂 - Jacques
@@epicgardening hahahaha I just had to force myself to clean up my mess from pruning before some storms. I quote you all day everyday in the garden “ sweet sweet air flow “ hahaha I’m such a dork and get super exited about air flow and spacing.
Jacques’s instruction has dramatically improved my seedling success.
The chemistry between you two is one of my favorite parts of your channel!
hi kevin & jacques 🤗
ive enjoyed watching jacques over the years on both of your channels.
im also a phd student. gardening in my genes 😁. while both are hard work, most days gardening is much more enjoyable and rewarding. im still hanging in there with school, and trying to balance both, but i can see myself turning "jacques" in an instant. tfs
This makes me so hopeful that I can develop my property with hard work and the knowledge that you both share. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
So proud of you two and your growing team! Lots of laughs and education. Keep on diggin!
My 2 favorite gardening guys! I have learned so much from you both. Your style is down to earth REAL living. Keep up the great work! I am 72 so you can teach an old dog new tricks! ((((hugs)))
This garden is incredible. The flowers, the density and lushness of all the veggies. Goals!!!!!
I knew I had a connection with Jacques. I too am a geologist. Love what you are doing here !!
I love hearing your story of how you two became garden buddies! I've been following along for years and it's always fun to hear the story as a "refresh". Love the content, love the team. I too am an epic gardener.
Learning from others yet thinking outside the box. Very good!
I dont have *ANY* land to farm but i follow both of you! Inspiration for me that Jacques can become such a great farmer just after 2 years.
I love your friendship. You are competitive and tease each other, but also give each other credit for your knowledge, development, and successes.
Just ordered The Sustainable Vegetable Garden by J Jeavons from my library! They didn't have How To Grow More Vegetables but this one will be a good start. Thanks for putting the picture on the screen!
Doing the hard work of double digging is what gives those great results seen with the corn. I grew paint corn that was supposed to grow 6 feet tall, but it grew to about ten feet or more. Cobs were 12 inches long. Hard work pays off in the garden, especially with hard-pan baked desert soil and the sweltering heat of Western Colorado! I double dig my cannabis gardens every year so I get the best results.
Right there with Jacque, addictive knowledge consumption. I started with growing pumpkins and sunflowers for my daughter one year ago and now I help my local community garden and read at least 10 books and countless hours on RUclips with a variety of channels collecting every little piece of info I could find
What was your best gardening read?
Love watching and learning from you both. I do mainly container gardening and started trying a couple things 3 yrs ago. I've branched out and this year am trying several new things due to jacque and his enthusiasm. But also a big part is learning what can be made with the vegetables as we were raised on canned corn and cream corn and occasionally canned peas. Not a fan of the latter but now love my sweet peas. I'm in my 50s and am just discovering new things due to gardeners like you. Thanks for all the great content!
Jacques, if you were in the lab all day in your Geology program, you were in the wrong program. I became a geologist because I found out I could get paid to hike. Twenty five years later I'm *still* getting paid to hike (although I'm in the classroom more now). You clearly made a good decision, though! I've learned a lot from you and Kevin and my veggie garden is the better for it. And you weren't the only one who read the textbood cover to cover.
I have doubled dug most of my mother's yard in OC, and because her soil was so poor, I felt it really needed it. It is a LOT of work and time. I have had only a few plant failures (it's not an edible garden) so I feel it was worth the effort.
Personally, I would LOVE to see you involve someone who specializes in native plant gardening!
Ps.I have gotten so much inspiration from your channel. Thanks guys!
🌺I've been following the two of you from your beginnings. I just started two years ago too and my husband and I are still developing and growing in our garden. We started from scratch and repurpose most of our materials. Congrats on a successful team.
Wow!!! What a great video ! You two have come a long way together and your garden is amazing ❤
I feel the Grad School Burnout for sure! I fished my Masters and, luckily, was still able to get a teaching position. Teaching is so much fun! Also, excited to move into my first house next month and really looking forward to having a yard with sun! I have grown in containers off and on with varying degrees of success - never had a very sunny spot! I feel like I am pulling a Jacque and binging as much info as I can right now in preparation to tackle my new garden! I come from a traditional Florida Agriculture family, but I am interested in looking at several different none traditional methods for different parts of the yard - part permaculture and part no dig/organic. Thank you all for all the info!
Kevin & Jacques - two of my favourite and regularly watched gardeners. I have been watching Kevin for 3 yrs now (under my actual name) and I have started my own channel on July 1,2023 to document my journey in creating my Produce Garden (Ontario, Canada)
Love how you present your knowledge with humour.
Would love more of an update of the chicken orchard! Bought 6 of the tree surrounds since seeing that original video. Figs are growing out nicely here in the Central Valley!
He’s so amazing! Seems so kind!♥️
Hey! It’s the Rainbow basin syncline! I’ve been there for a few geology field trips too. Love to hear Jacques story. As former geology graduate students now turned farmers, my partner and I can definitely relate. We just bought a house with a bit of land in Westminster, Colorado, and we have big farm plans. @jacquesinthegarden, maybe one day we can share stories about grad school woes and how farming is so much better. The healing process is just beginning! Keep up the great work.
Fantastic! Raccoons are very smart. We lost 10 of our 17 chickens to raccoons before we were able to remediate the access points. The lumber in front of the doors is NOT overkill!
The best tree to put in a 'chicken orchard' is white mulberry. The berries fall down on the ground for 150 days a year, and chickens can eat the leaves.
Kevin -- YOU ARE THE MAN!!!! 🙏🙏🙏
Jacques out here living the dream of every PhD student lol. good on you getting out and doing better for yourself dude 👏
Love watching this channel and Jacques’ garden. I’m a new gardener in Florida and love getting inspiration from both of you! 💚
I wish I can quit my job right now and start an Epic Garden like yours and Jacques'. It's my dream!
Wow, I would have never thought you two had just met, your chemistry is incredible! You were meant to garden together.
Thank you Kevin for this story 😊, I didn’t know how Jacques started as a gardener. I love both channels,you guys are so much fun and always giving very helpful tips,❤
Thanks a bunch to the both of you... 1+1=10 in your guys' case. I'm a 50yr old dude in the SF Bay Area who just started gardening for consumption over the past couple years. The both of you have taught me so much and done so in an entertaining fashion. Cheers!!
Jacque - As a geologist, you would be great at utilizing non-organic parts of the homestead. For instance, making your own bricks from your own soil. Its an area of homesteading which needs leaders, Thanks for the video.
Compare this to Jaques first introduction on this channel with his pandemic garden tour 2 years ago. The confidence has truly jumped out and we love to see it!!
It's been so awesome watching your channel grow, as well as you and Kevin's Epic Bromance. I've learned so much from both your channels and always look forward to new content. Congrats to you both on all the success, and KEEP ON GROWING! 🎉
Both of you are a joy to watch 💜
Awesome stuff! My wife and I have learned a lot from watching you and Jacques. We live in Canada, Zone 5a and have been using your guides as well as many others to get a basic understanding about growing food. We've been expanding our raised bed gardens every year since 2019. We are now up at about 35 to 40 beds! We love your information and videos! Thank you for sharing!
I think Jacques has a hollistic symbiotic thinking i love it 💕 I feel like im Jacques from 2 yrs ago as im beginning to garden seriously! 😻
i love my adhd rabbit hole knowledge consumption, its wild & fun but i no way have the physical strength to do the 2 dig method 😅
I'm so glad I found both of your channels! You two make a great team and you both bring something different to the table that we can learn from.
I’m speechless 😶 just 2 years…amazing…Jacques, you are an inspiration