SHIFTING ROOTS

home, garden, food, and prairie lifestyle

  • About
    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Features
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Gardening
    • How to Start a Garden: Especially if you’re in Zone 3 or Zone 2
    • Seed Starting
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Perennials
    • Cut Flowers
    • Small Space Gardening
  • Recipes
    • Canning
    • Preserving
    • Prairie Fruits Cookbook
    • The Best Pumpkin Recipes
    • How to Make a Tempting Christmas Cookie Tray (Plus Recipes!)
  • Popular Posts
  • E-Books
    • Pretty & Practical Garden Planner
    • Cut Flowers Made Simple
    • Constant Colour Perennial Garden
    • Small Garden, Big Harvest
    • Growing Roots Online Gardening Course
    • Frost Proof Flower Garden
    • Bouquets Made Beautiful
    • Savvy Seed Saving Annual Cut flowers
    • Prairie Fruits Cookbook
    • Online Gardening Consultations
  • Seasons
    • Christmas

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

January 11, 2019

Pin159
Share8
Tweet
167 Shares

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.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

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.

Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Gardening Tagged: garden planning, planting vegetables, seed starting

About Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Grow roots with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

P.S. First time gardener? You'll want to download the quick start gardening guide below!

Recent Posts

  • How to Grow Eucalyptus for Cut Flowers (Even in a Short Growing Season!)
  • 26 Best Flowers to Grow for Dried Flower Arrangements
  • 17 Perennial Flowers That Love Shade
  • How to Design a Cut Flower Garden in Raised Beds
  • How to Start a Cut Flower Garden

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Connect with Shifting Roots On. . .

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Find What You’re Looking For. . .

Privacy Policy

I love seeing the world through this loving boy’ I love seeing the world through this loving boy’s eyes.  Honestly, I’ve been so sick that I wasn’t really in the mood to “do Valentines Day” but there was this sweet little voice going on about how excited he was for today and how much he loves his family and I just couldn’t resist.  So whether you’re on your own, part of a couple, or in the thick of life-with-littles craziness, Happy Valentines Day!

#valentinesday2020 #mylittlevalentine #boymomlife #lifewithlittles
How do you pass a cold -28 day? By planning your How do you pass a cold -28 day?  By planning your garden, of course!  Today in my stories I’ll be going through the steps I take to start planning everything out.  I’m curious, do you start planning now or wait until the last minute?

P.S.  want your own copy of this planner?  This is the newly updated paid version and it’s on sale by itself from now until Sunday for only $5.  If you’re from Canada, use the code CANADA to make $5 USD be closer to $5 CAD.  Head over to the link in my bio to get yours.

#gardenplanning #gardenplanner #gardenersofinstagram #gardenersofig #organizedlife #organizedliving #wintergardening
Curious about growing lettuce indoors? My experim Curious about growing lettuce indoors?  My experiment is a success so far, although it’s still going to be awhile before I’m eating another salad off of them.

Okay, so maybe a little rant today.  I think sometimes in the gardening space we’re guilty of making things seem easier than they are.  Myself included.  This lettuce project is a case in point.

Was it easy?  Yes.  But will it provide me with endless salads all winter long? Nope.  Or at least not at this scale.  I’m going to estimate that I’d need at least 15 plants this size, especially since it’s winter and everything just grows slower.  And I’m the only person in my family who really eats salad.

In conclusion, this is a fun project to pass the winter, and not a truly sustainable source of lettuce.

Thoughts?

#growinglettuce #eatwhatyougrow #growwhatyoueat #wintergardening #indoorgardening #plantproject #sustainablefood #gardenersofinstagram #gardenerslife #northerngardening
Part of the mystery of seed starting is knowing ex Part of the mystery of seed starting is knowing exactly what to start when.  Every two weeks, I'll be posting these handy guides so you have enough time to order your seeds and be ready to plant when it's time for your area.  To find out when these veggies, herbs, and flowers need to be started where you live. . . ⁠
⁠
1. Search out your area's last frost date.  There are plenty of calculators on the Internet.⁠
⁠
2. Count backwards 8 weeks from that date.⁠
⁠
3. Start these seeds when that date hits.⁠
⁠
If you follow me because we're in similar zones--don't panic, it's not time yet!! I won't be starting my 10 week seeds for another two weeks, and even that is slightly on the early side. (I'm starting everything a bit early so I can hopefully plant it out before baby gets here--I won't be physically able to do it after.) I like posting the info early for followers in warmer zones and so you can save it and still have time to order/buy seeds & supplies.⁠
⁠
Which one of these are you most excited to start?⁠
⁠
#seedstarting #seedlings #homegardener #northerngardener #homesteading #urbandhomesteading #homesteadingskills #gardenlife #gardenlifestyle #startingseeds
Eeeek!!! My luffa seedlings are up!! I’m growing Eeeek!!! My luffa seedlings are up!! I’m growing the whole seed packet in hopes that a few of these little luffa babies will provide me with zero waste sponges that I can use for home cleaning, and as an exfoliant in home made beauty products.

The catch?

These plants are notoriously hard to grow, especially when you live somewhere cold with a really cold growing season—and if they get a hint of frost on them they turn to mush and all my hard work is ruined.

Gulp.

But gardeners are born optimists, so I’m giving it a shot—because you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

P.S. if you’re trying luffa in zone 3 like me, just basically ignore all the directions on the seed packet.  Start them immediately (two weeks ago would have been ideal) and follow along because I’ll show you exactly what to do and when.  I’ll be popping these under a grow light once the sun goes down.

#luffagourd #luffa #loofah #seedlings #seedstarting #northerngardening #northerngardener #gardenersofinstagram #gardenersofig #mygardenthismonth #gardenlife #canadiangardening
This weekend I took a big leap of faith. I came t This weekend I took a big leap of faith.  I came to New York to meet with other content creators/business owners to dig deep into what we do and create a strategy around our messaging.  I don’t even know how to properly describe what all went down, but is was incredibly life changing and I really feel connected to this tribe of women who are committed to playing to win and being the people our businesses need us to be.  I’m so excited to share what I’ve planned for my business with you in the coming months.

#playtowin #gardenblogger #businessowner #wahmlife
Is there such a thing as a no-fail houseplant? I Is there such a thing as a no-fail houseplant?  I think the Sansevera or Snake Plant or Mother-in-law’s tongue comes close.  Sure, it might be the vanilla of the plant-loving world, but it is so good for so many situations!⁠
⁠
It can handle you forgetting to water it, low light, or bright light.  It is somewhat forgiving if you are an over-waterer. ⁠
⁠
I’ve had this one for 2 or 3 years now and I keep getting rewarded with more spikes.⁠
⁠
Plant lovers, is there another houseplant you think would be perfect for beginners?⁠
⁠
#crazyplantlady #houseplantsofig #houseplantsofinstagram #snakeplant #houseplantlove
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2021

Copyright © 2021 · Beyond Madison Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in