You Bet Your Garden host by Mike McGrath announced on Tuesday that he will be ending the longtime public radio show and podcast this year at the end of May. McGrath attributed the move to age and medical issues, which has prompted him to "semi-retire."
WDIY and the over 120 NPR affiliate stations that carry You Bet Your Garden will continue to release new episodes each week through May. Afterwards, archived versions of the podcasts will remain online.
Read McGrath's statement that was posted to Facebook below:
“Hello, I must be going. I’ll stay a week or two, but I am telling you; I must be going”
Well, that was an especially terrible Groucho imitation, now wasn’t it? (Kids: If you don’t know from Groucho, ask your parents. If they don’t know, watch the movie Duck Soup.)
But yes, I must be going. After more than 25 years of the privilege of bringing my ‘start with soil’; don’t buy snake oil” advice, age and medical issues have combined for me to semi-retire. And yes, I did say ‘semi’. First of all, we’ll be bringing you all new shows through the end of May (so you’re not getting rid of me that easy!).
Then we will sign off as an official NPR show—and sorry, that includes all of our wonderful affiliate stations as well. The podcast will also be discontinued in its current form.
BUT talks are in progress for me to still reach you with garden advice and bad jokes once a week—just in a different format. Stay tuned for news on our hopefully never-ending story. And until then, you’ll still have two whole months of me trying to learn you stuff while (hopefully) making you laugh.
Oh—and one thing that must be said: I have not been fired or have had the show closed down without my knowledge or consent. This is a mutual decision and a natural progression; if you want to blame something, blame time.
In the meantime, be sure to listen to our final shows and follow the You Bet Your Garden Facebook page for up-to-the-minute details about what’s to come.
Love ya!Mike McGrath
WDIY became the producer and national distributor for You Bet Your Garden in September 2024. Since then, the show has aired Fridays at 6 p.m. on WDIY as well as being released on major podcasting platforms through WDIY's accounts.
