Creating a Perpetual Food Garden That Sows & Grows Itself

About this episode

This episode explores how to create a self-sustaining food garden that produces continuously through the seasons with expert Charlie Nardozzi.

See the online classes: Landscaping with Fruit, Grow an Olive Tree in a Pot. --- What if some of your vegetable garden crops came back year after year — with less digging, less fuss, and a continuous harvest? In this episode, I’m joined by gardening expert Charlie Nardozzi, author of The Continuous Vegetable Garden, to explore how to design a self-sustaining food garden that produces continuously through the seasons. Charlie shares practical strategies for succession planting, perennial crops, fruit, gardening in shade, and no-dig gardening. We also talk about vertical gardening and how to keep tomato and pepper plants from one year to the next—so you can have an extra-early tomato and pepper harvest. If you’d like less maintenance and more of an ongoing harvest, this episode will inspire you to plant smarter — not harder. If you’re looking for more on crops you can grow in the shade, check out this guide to fruits and vegetables for shade . --- There’s a whole world inside figs. I explore it in my Fig Culture podcast —varieties, recipes, collectors, and the stories behind them. Join 6,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang and get practical weekly tips to grow more food at…

People in this episode

Host: Steven Biggs

Guest: Charlie Nardozzi

Topics covered

• perpetual food garden
• self-sustaining garden
• succession planting
• perennial crops
• vertical gardening
• no-dig gardening

Keywords

• perpetual garden
• vegetable garden
• continuous harvest
• shade gardening
• no-dig gardening
• vertical gardening
• tomato plants
• pepper plants

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Continuous Vegetable Garden

More episodes of Food Garden Life Show: Helping You Harvest More from Your Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, and Edible Landscaping

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• How to Grow Tomatoes in Cool & Coastal Climates (Without a Greenhouse) · May 6, 2026 · 41 min
• Growing Hardy Pears in Cold Climates: What Actually Works · April 30, 2026 · 42 min
• Designing a Vegetable Garden That Actually Works (Rows, Beds & Smart Layouts) · April 23, 2026 · 42 min
• Perennial Vegetables: Edible Crops That Come Back Every Year (with Michalina Hunter) · April 7, 2026 · 40 min