SHIFTING ROOTS

home, garden, food, and prairie lifestyle

Fall and Winter Gardening in Zone 3: What you can Realistically Expect

Do you scroll Pinterest and see all these wonderful posts about starting a fall garden?  I know I do, and I get so jealous of all my gardening friends in warmer climates.  Unfortunately, if you live in zone 3, you can not plant a garden in September and harvest it in the winter.  (Hello week of -40 sometime in January or February!!)

I wanted to write this post because if you don’t know anything about zone 3 and are just reading gardening magazines and blogs from warmer zones, you might get the impression that you can somehow grow vegetables and flowers year round.  And while it is possible to grow vegetables in the winter with a huge greenhouse, lights, and heaters, most home gardeners don’t have those kind of resources or the money to pay a hefty heating & electricity bill all winter.

But, there are a few things you can do that you might not have thought about.

Want to start a fall or winter garden in zone 3? I'll help you manage your expectations and give you tips on what you can do with annual and perennial flowers, seeds and seed saving, vegetables, and more. #gardening #fall #winter #beginners #tips #ideas #seeds #perennials #annuals #flowers #vegetables

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How to Clean Up Your Garden in the Fall When You Have No Time

The vegetables have been picked, the temperatures are cooling, and fall has arrived.  You know you should clean up your garden for the year, but lets be real–you’re feeling the time crunch with back to school, a busy work life, or just plain being sick of your garden.  While a proper garden clean up is ideal, I’m going to give you my guide to what you must do–and what you can skip, so that your garden is dealt with in record time.

No time do a fall garden clean up? Here's some good tips on which jobs you must do with your vegetables and perennial flowers, and which chores you can skip until Spring. #gardening #tips #beginners #fall #autumn #garden #vegetables #perennials #chores #tasks

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Growing Your Own Wedding Flowers to Save Money? Read this First!

Weddings are expensive, and you’ll do anything to save money, right? While growing your own flowers sounds like a great way to cut costs, you need to be smart about it. I’ll show you all the things you need to consider, plus link to some fabulous DIY’s for your cake, boutonnieres, centrepieces, and bouquets.

Want to save money with DIY Wedding Flowers? Here's what you need to know if you're growing your own, plus links to how to make centrepieces, bouquets, boutonnieres, and more for the wedding. #diywedding #frugalwedding #savingmoney #wedding #weddingflowers

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50 More Perennials You’ll Regret Planting

Perennials are a fantastic, low maintenance investment for flower gardeners.  Plant them once and they’ll return year after year.  However, some perennials are a little too good at their job and can quickly take over your flowerbed and crawl into your lawn.  What you thought was a low maintenance plant can quickly become your worst nightmare.

 

 

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23 Beautiful Spring Blooming Perennial Flowers, Trees, and Shrubs

Are you dreaming of warmer days yet?  My dreams tend to be made of all the beautiful perennial flowers, trees, and shrubs that bloom in Spring. Best of all, every one of these picks is hardy to zone 2 or zone 3!!

You’ll be surprised at how many beautiful plants you can grow, many of them with pink and white blossoms. Whether you’re planning out your front yard, landscaping a back yard, or looking for some flowers to grow in pots, there’s something for you on this list.

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