6 Hardy Fruits You Can Grow From Seed

January 15, 2019

When you live in a colder climate, it’s easy to think that your fruit growing options are limited. Not so! These six hardy fruits can be grown from seed in Canada or any colder zone. You can start these fruits indoors, then set them outside in your garden or in pots and containers once all risk of frost has passed.

Looking for hardy fruit trees instead? I’ve compiled a list of 28 hardy fruit trees that you can grow in zone 2 and zone 3.

Just because you live in a cold climate doesn't mean your options for growing fruit are limited! Here's a list of six easy fruits you can grow from seed in your garden or in pots and containers in your backyard. #growingfruit #melons #gardening #hardyfruit #Canada #zone3

Cantaloupe (Muskmelon)

Nothing compares to the taste of a garden fresh cantaloupe. They’re so good you’ll have trouble sharing!! I personally look for varieties with the shortest date to maturity possible, as my growing season is short.

If you want muskmelon all summer, try planting Minnesota Midget (65 days), Halona (75 days) and Sugar Cube (80 days).

Cucamelon

Cucamelons are making a comeback in popularity and are a fun must-try fruit for the home gardener. You can eat them raw, or use them in stir fries, pickling, and salsas. Grow them on a trellis for easy picking.

Ground Cherries

Ground cherries look like tomatillos, but taste like tropical fruit. Use them in baking, jams, or even salsa.

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Honeydew

Honeydew seeds can be a little trickier to find in the seed catalogues, but they are well worth the effort. Try the Honey Mass Hybrid if you’re in a short season area.

Strawberries

Strawberries are usually sold as a root stock or started plant, but you can buy them from seed and start them yourself. Just don’t expect a lot of berries (if any) the year you start them.

If possible, choose a couple of different varieties so you’ll have an abundance of strawberries all summer. I like to have 3 varieties–an ever bearing variety that produces fruit all summer, and early one that produces sometime in June, and a later variety that produces in August.

Need some help starting your seeds from your window? Here’s how.

Watermelon

Watermelons are fun for kids (or those who like to overwater plants) to grow and are super delicious! Quetzali is a good almost seedless variety for small spaces, Sweet Beauty Hybrid will produce all summer, and Cream of Saskatchewan is a unique yellow heirloom variety that looks unique and tastes delicious.

That’s it! Know of any fruits from seed that grow in colder climates that I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments.

The Best Pepper Varieties for Beginners

January 14, 2019

Peppers are what I consider one of the “vegetable gardening glory plants.” Nobody really cares if you can grow nice beans or zucchini, but everyone will ooh and ah over your peppers and tomatoes.

Unfortunately, if you live in a colder climate like I do, peppers can be tricky to grow, unless you’re an advanced enough gardener that you have a greenhouse or you’ve got some experience under your belt.

I hate to admit it, but it took me 4 YEARS to finally grow a grocery-store-sized bell pepper. And you can bet I bragged about that pepper to practically everyone I knew.

Pepper Growing Tips for Beginners

So what did I learn from that experience?

Location is everything. Do not put your peppers by much larger vegetables where they will be shaded out. You know the super hot and sheltered spot in your yard where practically nothing else grows? Put your peppers there. (But make sure you have good soil with a healthy dose of compost and manure added to it.)
Peppers can take their sweet time germinating. If you’re starting them from seed for the first time, start them a tiny bit earlier than you think you need to. If you have a heat mat for your seedlings, use it.
Not all pepper varieties are created equal. In subsequent years, I’ve had much more success with different pepper varieties.

Here’s some of my favourites that I think beginner gardeners will have better success with.

The Easiest Peppers to Grow in Cold Climates (like zone 3)

Hungarian Wax Peppers

If you’ve never planted a pepper before in your life, start with Hungarian was peppers. They’re super easy to grow, produce lots of fruit, and can handle your abuse. When I had to abandon my garden this summer because of health issues, my Hungarian wax peppers still kept producing.

Does this mean you can plant them and forget them? No. But they’re not so delicate that missing one watering is the end of them.

Related: The 10 best vegetables for beginner gardeners

Cayenne Peppers

Much like the Hungarian wax peppers, cayenne peppers are peppers that just keep on giving. I like to harvest them when they are green and let them turn red in the house, so that I can get more peppers in my short growing season.

Carmen and Escamillo Peppers

I have not personally grown these–yet, but lots of my friends have and they’ve all raved about them. I’ll be starting some seeds this winter and I’ll let you know how it goes.

Learn the Basics of Gardening in Just a Few Minutes

Gardening doesn't have to be complicated. Learn the basics in minutes, get started with your first garden in a day or less, and start your lifetime gardening adventure.

Enter your name and email address to download the Quick Start Garden Guide. You'll also get a mini-email course and weekly gardening tips and advice.

What about Growing Peppers in a Warmer Climate?

For the last year I’ve felt really bad that I don’t have answers like this for all of my readers who live in much warmer climates than I do. So I’ve hired another gardener who lives in South Carolina to write and consult for me occasionally so I can better serve you. The following suggestions are based off of her advice.

First of all, if you live in a warmer climate, you’ll have a MUCH easier time growing peppers than I do. In fact, you might even have to shade your peppers in the afternoon to avoid sunscald.

Here’s seven varieties that are better suited to beginners in warmer climates:

Jalapeño
Poblano
Anaheim Chiles
Orange Blaze Mini Pepper
Lamuyo

She also mentioned all of the pepper varieties up above that worked well for me in zone 3.

Whatever pepper you decide to grow, I wish you the best of luck in your gardening adventures!

How to Plan Your Garden: Purchasing, Seed Starting, and Planting

January 11, 2019

Planning out a garden can be a big and overwhelming job. What do you plant? Will it work where you live? Do you start plants from seed or just buy everything from a garden centre? And how do you keep it alive until Fall?

This is the second instalment of a series on how to plan out your garden for the year. If you haven’t read the first instalment yet, go to this post to figure out how to organize your thoughts and get a direction for your garden. You’ll answer 10 questions to get clarity on your garden and help you avoid overwhelm.

Also, if you haven’t grabbed your free garden planner yet, you can get yours here:

Plan the Perfect Garden

Get your free Garden Planner and worksheets and start creating the garden of your dreams.

Got it? Great. Now that you’ve found your hardiness zone, frost dates, and figured out your goals for your garden based on the time, space, and money you have available to you, let’s start to figure out what to plant.

P.S.–Did you ignore my advice before about reading the first post in the series? Go back and read it if you find yourself asking what your hardiness zone and frost dates are.

P.P.S.–This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase anything I earn a few cents at no extra cost to you. You can read more about it in my Privacy Policy. Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots!

In part two of this garden planning series, we're talking about seed shopping, where to buy plants, seed starting, and the initial steps of getting your flowers and vegetables into your garden. #gardening #gardenplanning #seedstarting

Assess What You Already Own

If this is your very first garden, feel free to skip this step. If you’ve done some gardening before, you probably have some leftover seeds, a few pots, and maybe even some soil that you managed to pick up on clearance in the fall.

As long as your seed isn’t too old, you should be able to use whatever is left this year. You can always test the seeds germination rate using this method or plant a little more densely than you normally would to make up for the ones that won’t germinate.

Once you know what you have, you can begin to make a list of what you need and put some items on your wish list.

If you’re planting a perennial flower garden this year, ask around and see if any of your friends or family are dividing up any of their perennials. Free plants!

Where to Shop for Garden Supplies and Seeds

Now that you know what you need, where should you get everything?

Big box stores, garden centres, and Amazon are great for things like hoses, seed starting supplies, and garden tools.

Purchase your seeds and plants from a seed catalogue online or your local garden centre. My rule of thumb? Stick as close to home as possible. If you’re ordering online, try and order from a company that’s in a similar geographical region as you. They are more likely to carry varieties that will do well in your area.

That’s not to say that buying seeds or starters at a big box store is terrible. You just won’t get the same selection and advice as you would from the staff at a local garden centre or ordering from a company in your region online.

Related: 20+ Canadian Seed Companies to Plant the Garden of Your Dreams

Shopping for soil and other gardening supplies. — While I’ll get most of my plants at an actual greenhouse, I have no problems getting extra soil at the big box store.

Seeds or Starters in the Vegetable Garden?

My general rule of thumb is that if it’s your first year and you’re feeling very nervous about the whole thing, go with as many started plants as possible. There is no shame and the “gods of gardening” will not strike you down!!

I also like to use starters for the few plants I’ve not been able to master–cauliflower and broccoli. . . grr. For you, these may be completely different plants. Whatever they are, buy them without shame.

There are a few vegetables that should not be purchased as starters. Root crops such as carrots and beets are best direct seeded. Some vegetables work fine either way. I go into more detail in my gardening course as to which vegetables should be direct seeded, which ones should be purchased as starters, and what to do if you’re short on time or experience.

Seed starting using light from my window and jiffy pots.

Starting Your Own Seeds

After you’ve been gardening for a couple years, you’ll likely get the itch to start your own seeds. It’s a fun and rewarding project and I love looking at my little green seedlings when it’s -40 and blowing snow outdoors. A girl has got to keep her spirits up somehow!!

If you have the space and a south facing window, you can start your own seeds without the use of a grow light. I’ll show you how here.

No space and no light? Try winter sowing!! There are some limitations if you do it with vegetables instead of flowers, but the stuff that does work is so hardy and you don’t have to further harden off these transplants. Try winter sowing.

Ready to take on traditional seed starting with a grow light? Here’s a quick video on how I like to start my seeds. This one is with herbs, but the premise is the same for vegetables and flowers too. As for grow lights, I use something similar to this one. If you’re short on space, this one looks like a good option. And finally, when I reach some of my big audacious blogging goals, I am going to get one like this.

If this is your first time using a grow light, know that you might need to leave the light a lot closer to the plants than you think. I’ve also had disastrous results when I placed my grow light in a basement that has no light. Learn from my mistakes and put your grow light in a place that gets at least some light throughout the day!!

Need help figuring out when to start your seeds? It’s all the Growing Roots Beginner Gardening Course.

When do I put everything in my garden?

When you put out your plants into the garden depends on your last frost date and if you use any techniques to prolong the season. I’m going to assume that you aren’t into extending the season, for the purposes of this post.

In our last post, we found our Spring and Fall Frost dates. In general, you’ll put out any direct seeded plants as soon as you can after your Spring frost date. Then, you’ll put out any tender vegetables out 2 weeks after that. Your seed packet will have information on this, and I go into much more detail about it in my gardening course.

The Spring and Fall frost dates are not hard and fast rules. It’s important to watch the weather at least 2 weeks before either date to see when it’s actually safe to put your plants out.

The Plants are in my Garden. . . Now what?

Congratulations! Your garden is in the ground and you’re on your way to a successful growing season. In the next post in my series, I’ll discuss the basics of caring for your new plant babies.

If you’re reading this and wanting more details and hold-my-hand gardening advice, you need the Growing Roots Beginner Gardening Course. It’s designed to cover the basics of everything the new gardener needs to know, all in simple, easy to understand language. Plus, you’ll get over 60 pages of printables to keep everything organized and on track.

I’ll walk you through garden planning, seed starting, and keeping your garden alive, plus give you strategies for when you are short on time. Because life happens, and as much as we love our gardens, we don’t want to be chained to them.

You can do this. Even if you kill every houseplant you touch and you’ve never gardened on your own in your life.

Yes, hold my virtual hand and let’s get gardening!

This post is part of series on beginning to garden. To learn how to start your very first traditional garden, head on over to How to Start a Vegetable Garden When You Have No Clue.

20+ Canadian Seed Companies & Nurseries to Order the Garden or Landscape of Your Dreams

January 10, 2019

Are you a beginner gardener with no idea where to buy your seeds? Whether you’re looking for flowers or vegetables, heirloom seeds, organic seeds, wildflower seeds for your xeriscape, or hardy fruit trees, you’ll find something in this list.

[Read more…]

22 Annual Flowers That Grow in the Shade

January 8, 2019

Shade can be the bane of every flower gardener’s existence. You’d like something to brighten up that dark corner in your yard. . . but what? I’ve compiled a list of 22 annual flowers to fill up your shady flower bed, along with a few helpful hints for gardening in the shade.

Thank you to reader Pauline Janzen for sharing this picture of her shade container.

Partial Shade and Full Shade

Not all shade is created equal. Partial shade is defined as an area that receives 3-4 hours of sun a day. Full shade receives less than 3 hours of sun or no sun whatsoever.

When assessing your yard for how much shade an area gets, take into consideration any trees that currently do not have any leaves on them (if you’re doing this in winter or early spring). An annual shade plant that you’ve grown from seed may start off strong with dappled shade, (the kind made from leafy trees) only to stall out on growth once all the leaves fill in.

A beautiful fuchsia from reader Pauline Janzen

Bigger is Better

If you are a beginner gardener, I recommend buying your shade plants started from a garden centre. A lot of annual flowers need to be started indoors in January and February and if this the first year in your journey, it’s a task that’s best left to someone else.

When buying starters, buy the biggest plant you can afford–especially if you’re planting in full shade. Sure, small plants will do fine in full shade. But they won’t fill out the space the way you were hoping. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way!

If you can’t purchase larger plants, plan on spacing your smaller ones closer together for a nice block of colour.

I could not resist including this adorable pic from reader Shelley Lynn of her begonia and her sweet dog.

Shade Flowers Don’t Have to Be Boring!

If you’ve been gardening for longer, it’s easy to get bored of the same old begonias, impatients, and coleus. (Note to new gardeners: these are the pillars of annual shade plants that will work without a lot of fuss!) Hopefully this list of 24 shade loving annuals gives you some new inspiration.

P.S: U.S. readers, White Flower Farm has a very good selection of shade plants for sale online. I wish I could order there, but alas, they do not ship to Canada.

Looking for Shade Perennials instead? Here’s 17 Shade-Loving Perennials to fill up your flower bed.

24 Annual Flowers that Love the Shade

Alyssum

Alyssum is a lovely flower for borders and makes a beautiful cut flower.

Balsam

Before there were impatients, there were balsam flowers. While you likely won’t find these in the garden centre, you can start them from seed approximately 8 weeks before intended bloom. The taller varieties are lovely for cut flower gardens, and a big planting of them gives your yard a cottage-garden vibe.

Begonia

New to gardening in the shade? Make sure you get a begonia or two (or more!) They come in many different sizes and colours. My personal favourite are the large double ones pictured below, but in a yellow with pink edges.

Browallia

Browallia is a lovely blue/purple star shaped flower that’s good for borders and containers. It’s also quite low maintenance and does not spread.

Calendula

Calendula is both beautiful to look at and is very useful in the garden. It makes a good cut flower and is an excellent companion plant in the vegetable garden. Dried calendula flowers can be used in herbal teas, tinctures, soaps, and more.

Cleome

Also known as a spider flower, the cleome can be a prolific self-seeder in some zones.

Coleus

Not sure what to add to your containers in the shade? Coleus is always an excellent choice. It’s widely available in a rainbow of colours at your local garden centre or big box store. Plus, you can take cuttings indoors before the first frost and enjoy as a houseplant over the winter.

Fuchsia

As a I child, I always thought that fuchsias looked like little ballerinas. I’ve loved them ever since and enjoy them as a hanging plant on my shady front porch. Be prepared to do a lot of dead-heading, but also be prepared to enjoy their lovely blooms all summer long.

German Ivy

German Ivy does well in both sun and shade and has been a staple in my family’s containers for 30 years. Every fall before the first frost my Mom brings a couple of cuttings indoors for the winter, and they grow enough that she can make new cuttings in the spring. She is still using cuttings every spring from the original plant she bought 30 years ago.

Hydrangea (Sort of)

Okay, okay, I know. A hydrangea is NOT an annual. However, in zone 3 where I garden, we are inundated with hydrangea plants that are not hardy to our area, no matter how much we wish it were so. So if you can’t resist that hydrangea that is never going to survive here, treat it like an annual, put it in a pot, and enjoy it for the summer with realistic expectations.

P.S. There are hydrangeas that are hardy to zone 3, such as Invincibelle.

Impatiens

Impatiens are another practically-no-fail-flower for the beginner gardener. They also come in many colours and varieties. I personally love the double impatiens. (The ones pictured here are the most typical ones you’ll find at the garden centre.)

Larkspur (Consolida)

Searching for a larkspur can be a bit confusing, as you’ll wind up being shown a lot of sun-loving delphiniums. Ask for a consolida instead, and you’ll find the shade loving annual flower you’re looking for.

Lobelia

Lobelia is another annual that does well in either sun or shade.

Lysimachia (Creeping Jenny)

Lysimachia is hardy from zones 2-10 and is a great plant to grow in a shady area where nothing else will grow. However, because of it’s invasive nature, you need to check if this plant is banned in your area or not before planting it. To do that, google your province or state plus the term “invasive plants.” You should get a list of plants that are not recommended in your area.

Planting in a container, as shown below, should be fine. (P.S. It’s the green vine, not the purple flower.)

Monkey Flower

I love monkey flowers, but I know from experience that this is one flower that will not grow much in full shade. Plant in part shade or even part sun if you have it.

Nicotiana

Nicotiana comes in many sizes in white, pink, red, and purple. They have a lovely fragrance, especially in the evening.

Oxalis

Oxalis will survive in the shade, but expect less blooms than if you were planting them in the sun.

Pansy

I love pansies and always have a few in my garden. Pansies come in so many beautiful shades of white, yellow, orange, purple, blue, and pink that you’ll find it next to impossible to just choose one colour. Pansies are also edible flowers and brighten up your summer salads.

Polka Dot Plant

Polka dot plants provide some beautiful colour to any shade garden, and can be brought indoors and propagated over the winter.

Salvia

Also commonly called wild sage.

Snapdragon

Have a shady spot in your cut flower garden? Consider adding some snapdragons! If you’re planting from seed, carefully check the packet that you have a tall variety (for cut flowers) or a dwarf variety (for containers).

Planning a cut flower garden? Here’s 36 must-have flowers!!

Sweet Potato Vine

Sweet potato vine is easy to grow and comes in many beautiful colours. This YouTube video is a bit dated, but shows how many options there are.

Torenia (Wishbone Flower)

Torenia is a lovely trailing flower that works well in containers. It is attractive to hummingbirds and not attractive to deer.

Do you have any annual shade flowers you’d add to this list? Tell me about it in the comments!

Coming up with a flower garden design can be tricky, especially when it's in a spot with lots of shade. Here's 22 shade loving annual flowers that are great for front yards, back yards, or containers. Some even make great cut flowers!

Cantaloupe (Muskmelon)

Cucamelon

Ground Cherries

Learn the Basics of Gardening in Just a Few Minutes

Honeydew

Strawberries

Need some help starting your seeds from your window? Here’s how.

Watermelon

Pepper Growing Tips for Beginners

The Easiest Peppers to Grow in Cold Climates (like zone 3)

Hungarian Wax Peppers

Related: The 10 best vegetables for beginner gardeners

Cayenne Peppers

Carmen and Escamillo Peppers

Learn the Basics of Gardening in Just a Few Minutes

What about Growing Peppers in a Warmer Climate?

Plan the Perfect Garden

Assess What You Already Own

Where to Shop for Garden Supplies and Seeds

Related: 20+ Canadian Seed Companies to Plant the Garden of Your Dreams

Seeds or Starters in the Vegetable Garden?

Starting Your Own Seeds

Need help figuring out when to start your seeds? It’s all the Growing Roots Beginner Gardening Course.

When do I put everything in my garden?

The Plants are in my Garden. . . Now what?

Yes, hold my virtual hand and let’s get gardening!

Partial Shade and Full Shade

Bigger is Better

Shade Flowers Don’t Have to Be Boring!

Looking for Shade Perennials instead? Here’s 17 Shade-Loving Perennials to fill up your flower bed.

24 Annual Flowers that Love the Shade

Alyssum

Balsam

Begonia

Browallia

Calendula

Cleome

Coleus

Fuchsia

German Ivy

Hydrangea (Sort of)

Impatiens

Larkspur (Consolida)

Lobelia

Lysimachia (Creeping Jenny)

Monkey Flower

Nicotiana

Oxalis

Pansy

Polka Dot Plant

Salvia

Snapdragon

Sweet Potato Vine

Torenia (Wishbone Flower)

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