
Tiny Gardens Everywhere with Dr. Kate Brown | The Beet
From The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers by Epic Gardening
May 4, 2026 · 1h 3m
About this episode
Jacques interviews Dr. Kate Brown about her book on the history and future of tiny gardens in urban settings.
This week’s episode of The Beet mixes things up. Jacques sits down with author and historian Dr. Kate Brown to discuss her book, “Tiny Gardens Everywhere: The Past, Present, and Future of the Self-Provisioning City,” and the surprising origins of gardens back in feudal times. They explore how wage labor replaced self-sufficient life on the land, and how today’s gardeners are flipping the script. Even in cities, people are reclaiming that grounded, grow-your-own way of living. Connect with Dr. Kate Brown: Dr. Kate Brown is a historian who started out tackling manmade disasters—and then pivoted to exploring people who see plants as allies. She’s the author of five historical books, with a degree from the University of Wisconsin and a PhD from the University of Washington. Her work blends archival research, oral history, sensory observation, reflective autobiography, and inventive literary style, bringing a fresh, immersive edge to how history gets written. Find more from Dr. Kate Brown on her website: https://www.katebrownhistorian.org/ Support The Beet: → Shop: https://growepic.co/shop → Seeds: https://growepic.co/botanicalinterests Learn More: → All Our Channels…
People in this episode
Host: Jacques
Guest: Dr. Kate Brown
Topics covered
- tiny gardens
- self-provisioning city
- urban gardening
- historical gardening
- sustainable living
Keywords
- gardening
- urban agriculture
- self-sufficiency
- history of gardening
- plant allies
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Tiny Gardens Everywhere: The Past, Present, and Future of the Self-Provisioning City
Places: University of Wisconsin, University of Washington
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