SHIFTING ROOTS

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20+ Gift Ideas for the Gardener in Your Life this Christmas

November 2, 2019

What do you get the gardener who has everything?  Sure, tools or gardening gloves are the obvious choice, but they will probably only be appreciated by the most serious of gardeners. I’ve come up with a list of pretty and practical Christmas gifts for beginners and advanced gardeners alike, as well as a few options for kids who love tagging along in the garden.

Bonus—Most of these gifts are $30 or less!!

A selection of the best gardening gifts for the gardener in your life this Christmas.

So start making your 2019 Christmas gift list and checking it twice with these finds for the plant lover in your life. I’ve linked to Amazon for all of these gifts, but I’m sure you can also find some beautiful local options as well.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase something.  You can learn more about it in my Privacy Policy.  Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots!

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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.

www.shiftingroots.com

2 Comments
Filed Under: Gardening, Uncategorised Tagged: Christmas, Garden, garden tools, Gardening, gift ideas, Herbs, Mother's Day, seeding square, succulents

How to Can and Freeze Tomatoes when you have No Time

September 15, 2019

Every May I emerge from winter ready to conquer the world and plant an enormous garden, which may have included 27 tomato plants.  Every September I end up silently cursing my optimism.

I love canning and freezing tomatoes, but I find that tomato season in my zone 3 Saskatchewan garden always coincides with the busy back to school season in September–which means I’m short on time!

This year, I’ve come up with a better system to can and freeze tomatoes while still keeping my sanity. I’ve figured out how to make the tomato sauce and pasta sauce my family loves, all without marathon canning sessions.  Here’s how.

Preserving tomatoes by canning is great but time consuming.  Learn how to use your slow cooker, oven, and freezer to same you time this harvest.  Never waste your garden vegetables because you couldn't get to them! #gardening #tomatoes #vegetables #canning #freezing #preserving

Sort Tomatoes by Ripeness

For those of you who live in warmer climates where all your tomatoes are vine ripened, you can skip this tip.  Those of us in Saskatchewan and other USDA zone 2 or 3 areas have to pick most of our tomatoes green and ripen them indoors.

Related: Canning Guide for Beginners & Must Have Canning Supplies–and What Can Wait

Set out four (or more!) boxes and divide your tomatoes by colour and ripeness: green, yellow, orange, and red.  This way you will be able to grab the ripest box and save precious time that you could be canning. You also won’t miss any rotten tomatoes, meaning less wasted resources! 

Check your tomatoes every day or two and transfer any outliers to the correct box.

Cut your tomato processing time in half. Find out how!Click To Tweet

Cut and Prep Tomatoes Faster

I cut my tomatoes in large chunks and squeeze out the seeds.  You will not get every single seed out, so if you can’t stand any seeds in your tomato sauce, this is not the method for you.  For roma tomatoes, I cut off the top, make a small slit, squeeze out the seeds, and put them into my slow cooker whole.  Which brings me to my next point. . .

Related: Enjoy your tomatoes in Tomato Bacon Quiche or Red Relish.

Use a Slow Cooker or Instant Pot for Cooking Tomatoes Fast

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time to sit around a stove for 3 hours ensuring my sauce doesn’t burn.  I also don’t have time to blanch and peel them.  I’m happy to deal with the odd bit of tomato skin in my sauce.

If I’m using the slow cooker, I cut up my tomatoes about 6 hours before I know I’ll have time to deal with them again.  Throw in other vegetables you want in your sauce such as onions, garlic, zucchini, carrots or squash and walk away.

Somewhere around hour 4-5 I come back and puree the sauce with a stick blender.  This ensures that my super picky small child will actually eat the sauce I make.

Let your slow cooker or oven do the heavy lifting. Process your tomatoes with less effort. Click To Tweet
Preserving tomatoes by canning is great but time consuming.  Learn how to use your slow cooker, oven, and freezer to same you time this harvest.  Never waste your garden vegetables because you couldn't get to them! #gardening #tomatoes #vegetables #canning #freezing #preserving

If you need everything done in an hour or two, then cooking your sauce in the Instant Pot is the way to go. Set your Instant Pot to the correct settings, blend when everything is cooked, and either freeze or can your sauce, whatever time allows.

Roast Tomatoes in the Oven

If a slow cooker isn’t your style, you can cut up all your veggies and roast them in the oven.  Roasting adds an extra sweet caramelized flavour that I’m a huge fan of.

Put all veggies in a large roasting pan and cook at 400 degrees for at least an hour, or until some of the tops turn a bit black.  Let cool, add spices, puree, and either can or freeze in containers.

Related: My Favourite Roasted Tomato Sauce

Can or Freeze and Done

We are short on freezer space here, so I try to can as many jars as I can.  However, I don’t always have the time or energy, so I put my sauce in smaller containers in the freezer and call it a day.  If you’re short on space, put your sauce in good quality freezer bags and freeze them flat for easier storage.

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Zero Time?  Chop and Freeze Your Tomatoes to Can Later

Tomato season unfortunately seems to co-incide with back-to-school season, which in our house is a recipe for beautiful tomatoes going to waste.  If you find yourself with almost no time to deal, chop tomatoes in quarters or eights and freeze in plastic bags.  It’s not ideal, but you can always thaw frozen tomatoes and deal with them later.

While I haven’t tried this personally, I’ve heard that if you freeze tomatoes whole, the skins easily peel off when you thaw them.

Has trying to harvest, process, and eat your garden produce got you down?  Click here to download my free guide on what to do with the vegetables you harvest.

How do you process your tomatoes?  Any tips or tricks to add?  Let me know in the comments what your favourite method is.

Preserving tomatoes by canning is great but time consuming.  Learn how to use your slow cooker, oven, and freezer to same you time this harvest.  Never waste your garden vegetables because you couldn't get to them! #gardening #tomatoes #vegetables #canning #freezing #preserving
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.

www.shiftingroots.com

7 Comments
Filed Under: Gardening, Harvest, Simple & Easy, Tutorials, Use it up!, Zero Waste Tagged: can, Canning, freeze, Garden, garden harvest, garden vegetables, harvest, oven, processing, slow cooker, tomato, tomato sauce, Vegetables

53 Favourite Perennials to Plant in Zone 3

May 23, 2019

You asked for it and you got it: a list of the most-loved perennials for Zone 3.  These perennials are the stars of the garden, blooming year after year and delighting their owners every time.  Pick these winners up at your nearest garden centre, or ask a friend with a more established garden if you can dig up a few.

A huge thank you and shout out to the gardeners in the Gardening in Saskatchewan Facebook group!  This post would not be possible without you.  If you’re in Saskatchewan and not in this group already, you need to join.  I’ve learned so much from the more experienced gardeners there who are so generous with their time and advice.

And finally, if you’re someone who prefers to watch a video, here’s a shorter video version of this post:

Best Cut Flowers

1. Asiatic Lilies

Asiatic lilies come in every colour and combination and are easy to grow.  Put them in a sunny spot and they’ll flourish year after year.

[Read more…]
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.

www.shiftingroots.com

71 Comments
Filed Under: Backyard Florist, Gardening, Outdoor Life Tagged: cut flowers, flower, flower arranging, Flower Beds, Garden, Gardening, ground cover, hardiness zones, perennial, shade flower, vines, zone 3

Cold-Climate Vegetable Gardening for the Complete Beginner

February 2, 2019

Do you want to start a vegetable garden, but literally have no clue? Do your eyes glaze over when you start to do your research but it gets too complicated? What are zones? How do you prep your soil? What should I plant? How do I keep it from dying?

You’ve come to the right place. In this post I’m going to give you a plan for making your own garden that has a good chance of success, all in simple language.


[Read more…]

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.

www.shiftingroots.com

14 Comments
Filed Under: Backyard Florist, Gardening, Projects Tagged: beginner, best plants for beginners, choosing plants, Garden, Gardening, hardiness zones, planting, plants, when to plant, zones

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

Hungarian Wax Peppers are such an easy vegetable to grow in the garden.  Perfect for beginners and a good idea in a container garden or small space #gardening #peppers #beginner #vegetable

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

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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.

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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.

Smaller chili and cayenne hot peppers are easier to grow vegetables for beginner gardeners.  I'm going to plant some this spring in my vegetable garden. #peppers #gardening #vegetable

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!

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.

www.shiftingroots.com

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Filed Under: Gardening, Vegetables Tagged: beginner gardener, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, Garden, gardening tips, hot pepper, Hungarian wax pepper, Peppers

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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.

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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.⁠
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2. Count backwards 8 weeks from that date.⁠
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3. Start these seeds when that date hits.⁠
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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.⁠
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Which one of these are you most excited to start?⁠
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#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!⁠
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It can handle you forgetting to water it, low light, or bright light.  It is somewhat forgiving if you are an over-waterer. ⁠
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I’ve had this one for 2 or 3 years now and I keep getting rewarded with more spikes.⁠
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Plant lovers, is there another houseplant you think would be perfect for beginners?⁠
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#crazyplantlady #houseplantsofig #houseplantsofinstagram #snakeplant #houseplantlove
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