Hi! My name is Erin and I’m based in Ontario, Canada (USDA hardiness zone 5a, Canadian hardiness zone 6a) . I’m passionate about gardening- especially growing veggies- and I’ve turned my love of gardening into a career! I have a Horticulture Certificate with a focus on Greenhouse Production from the University of Guelph. I previously worked at a small-scale organic market garden and I’ve recently relocated to start a market garden of my own! I have also volunteered with my local Master Gardeners chapter and was on the Board of Directors for my local Horticultural Society.
Gardening aside, my favorite way to spend my free time is with my husband and our four kitties!
🐈🐈🐈🐈
All About Starting Seeds Indoors
It can seem like a hassle to start seeds indoors- why bother if you can plant seeds directly in the garden? For some plants, starting seeds indoors is not just a nice-to-do, it’s a must-do! In this article we’ll cover the whys, whens, and hows of starting seeds indoors.
Why Start Seeds Indoors? The main benefit of starting seeds indoors is extra time. Some plants take more time to reach maturity than you have in your growing season....
How to Plan a Veggie Garden
Are you starting your first veggie garden this year? Or are you an avid gardener that just doesn’t like to plan? No matter your experience level, it’s important to start the gardening season off right with a garden plan. Creating a garden plan will save you from having to find spots to cram in all your plants after a spontaneous trip to the garden center (not that we’ve ever done that…😅)...
Postseason Gardening Inspiration
When the growing season draws to a close, it can be a bit dreary to think about not being able to garden for several months. Although outdoor growing might be on the downswing, that doesn’t mean you have to completely give up on gardening until next year. There are plenty of ways to keep the garden passion alive through the frosty weather! So don’t spend the winter months staring longingly at your garden through the window… Grab a cup of hot cocoa and read on for ideas to keep the growing going postseason!...
Fall Garden Chores
Don’t let shorter days and crisp fall weather deter you from getting out in the garden! There’s almost as much to be done in the garden in fall as there is in spring. While gardening in the fall might not have the ‘new and shiny’ feeling that gardening in spring does, every garden chore you manage to get done in the fall will help make your garden even more successful next year!...
Use It or Lose It: What to Do with a Veggie Glut
Early in the growing season, finding one ripe tomato or pepper feels like finding a precious gem. As the season carries on it can get to a point where it’s hard to keep up with everything your plants produce (…I’m looking at you, zucchini). But if you stop harvesting, your plants might stop producing or you could end up with veggies going bad right on the plant. As gardeners we sometimes need to get a bit resourceful to find ways to use up an extra-abundant harvest!...
Season Extension: Keep the Growing Going!
It’s hard to believe that the hot summer weather is already starting to give way to cooler fall days! Fall can be a super-productive time in the garden, but even the most cold-hardy plants can use a bit of help to survive once the temperatures really start to drop. Don’t just give up on your plants as soon as the cold weather hits; use season extension techniques to keep on growing!...
Harvesting How-To (and When)
Harvesting fresh veggies is the ultimate reward for all the time and care we invest in our gardens! When harvest time finally arrives it’s easy to just get out there and start picking, but there is a bit of technique involved to harvest properly. You’ll want to make sure to harvest vegetables at their peak, while also helping the plants stay healthy and productive.
How to harvest, and when to harvest, will vary for different crops:...
Don't Forget Your Fall Garden!
Summertime is a busy time in the garden. From managing watering, to preparing for vacation, and tackling garden problems, there is a lot to do to keep your garden going strong!
Even though summer can get hectic, don’t forget to take a step back from the to-do list to plan your fall garden. While the tomatoes are ripening and the peppers are plumping, it’s time to be thinking about which seeds to sow and seedlings to transplant for fall harvests....
What's Wrong With My Plant?
If you have plants in your garden that are struggling, you are not alone. Even experienced gardeners have challenges in the garden. Being able to quickly identify and troubleshoot plant problems is an important gardening skill. The first step is to observe- spend a few minutes walking through your garden every day to look for signs of trouble:
Plant wilting Plant wilting can be a sign of a suffering plant, but not always....
Tomato Trellising Techniques
The taste of a sun-ripened tomato fresh from the garden can’t be beat. But tomato plants need a little extra support to perform at their best. Many types of tomatoes benefit from trellising- adding structural support to help them grow upright instead of sprawling out.
Why trellis tomatoes? Trellising tomato plants helps to:
Keep the foliage up off the ground which, along with pruning, helps prevent soil-borne diseases Increase airflow around the plant, which also helps reduce the spread of disease Maximize garden space, as the plants can be grown closer together than if they were allowed to grow wild Provide extra support for plants that are heavily fruit-laden, so they don’t flop over or end up with broken branches While you can let your tomato plants grow au naturel, for many tomato varieties trellising is important for healthy plants and abundant harvests....