diff --git a/app/models/garden.rb b/app/models/garden.rb
index 029502a5a..a2bd553e7 100644
--- a/app/models/garden.rb
+++ b/app/models/garden.rb
@@ -7,10 +7,15 @@ class Garden < ActiveRecord::Base
   has_many :plantings, :order => 'created_at DESC', :dependent => :destroy
   has_many :crops, :through => :plantings
 
-  before_create :replace_blank_name
+  # before_create :replace_blank_name
 
   default_scope order("lower(name) asc")
 
+  validates :name,
+    :format => {
+      :with => /\S/
+    }
+
   def garden_slug
     "#{owner.login_name}-#{name}".downcase.gsub(' ', '-')
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/garden_spec.rb b/spec/models/garden_spec.rb
index d4d36636b..cbbf3a950 100644
--- a/spec/models/garden_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/garden_spec.rb
@@ -14,9 +14,19 @@ describe Garden do
     @garden.description.should == "This is a **totally** cool garden"
   end
 
-  it "should have a name" do
-    @no_name_garden = FactoryGirl.create(:garden, :name => nil, :description => "New Garden")
-    @no_name_garden.name.should_not be_blank
+  it "doesn't allow a nil name" do
+    @garden = FactoryGirl.build(:garden, :name => nil)
+    @garden.should_not be_valid
+  end
+
+  it "doesn't allow a blank name" do
+    @garden = FactoryGirl.build(:garden, :name => "")
+    @garden.should_not be_valid
+  end
+  
+  it "doesn't allow a name with only spaces" do
+    @garden = FactoryGirl.build(:garden, :name => "    ")
+    @garden.should_not be_valid
   end
 
   it "should have an owner" do
@@ -86,14 +96,4 @@ describe Garden do
     Planting.count.should == all - 2
   end
 
-  it "replaces missing name with (no name)" do
-    @no_name_garden = FactoryGirl.create(:garden, :name => nil)
-    @no_name_garden.name.should == "(no name)"
-  end
-
-  it "replaces whitespace-only names with (no name)" do
-    @no_name_garden = FactoryGirl.create(:garden, :name => "    ")
-    @no_name_garden.name.should == "(no name)"
-  end
-
 end