The Grow Guide

With Maggie's baby due date literally days away, this is the last episode of our official spring season... and we've packed this week's pod full of awesome Earth-honouring gardening info! First up, we get a glimpse under the mulch in Dave and Maggie's gardens after our start-and-stop spring. Then we get to hear about a little season-extending experiment in Maggie's greenhouse and a mini potato planting tutorial from Dave, as part o...

Gardening can be a big investment of both time and money, so this week Dave and Maggie brainstorm practical ideas to extend the gardening budget, while also making planting simpler and easier-care. Before the thrift-minded back and forth, your hosts note what they see in their zone 3 gardens now that the snow has melted, Maggie gets real about the imminent arrival of her baby and we learn about when to pull back mulch as Dave and M...

Ever wonder if you could grow grains in your home garden? This week we are joined by certified organic grain farmers Dan and Fran DeRuyck who walk us through the many questions that come up as we contemplate a world full of backyard micro-farms. The conversation takes us to many interesting places, with lessons on cover cropping, the value of regionally adapted seeds and heirlooms, companion planting, the strengths of ...

For gardeners in northern climates, April is the in-betweener month: not quite time to get into the outdoor dirt, but it feels so close! Our guest today is Alberta-based garden coach Sharon Murphy, who is here to help us take advantage of this final opportunity to plan and prepare for our best gardens yet. Sharon has “chlorophyll” in her blood, having grown up in a family greenhouse business and then later operated a cut flower far...

With colder weather hanging on in Manitoba, it feels all the more compelling to dream about the incredible range of edible plants that can be grown across Canada. Our guest, Annette Clarke, from Exotic Fruit Nursery in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, takes us on a virtual field trip to her farm and greenhouse where we learn about remarkable fruits and how we can grow them in colder zones. Some of the topics covered include Chocolate Vines,...

Spring is officially here and Dave and Maggie are thrilled to be back behind the Grow Guide mics. The show kicks off with some BIG news: Maggie is expecting a baby, due this April! Maggie shares some of the ways her spring arrival will change her 2023 gardening strategies, but there is no holding her back and she is fully embracing the beautiful season ahead. After getting good and caught up, Dave and Maggie spend the ...

Thank-you to this week's sponsor, West Coast Seeds. Today we chat with a returning Canadian guest, Steven Biggs. Steven is a Toronto-based gardening educator, blogger and podcaster who chats with The Grow Guide about the various Mediterranean edibles he grows in his garden. Get inspired to add figs, lemons and olives to your Northern garden next season. Find the full episode show notes with links to everything discussed on our webs...

Thank-you to this week's sponsor Evolve Organic Fertilizer. We’re back for another Fall-focused episode and Maggie has lots to catch Dave up on. Check out our episode show notes for behind-the-scenes photos of Maggie's From Soil to Soul Harvest Dinner. Homesteader, Kate Schat from Venison for Dinner then joins the show to share her secrets to canning, storing veggies and raising livestock. Find links to everything discussed in our ...

Thank-you to this week's sponsor Evolve Organic Fertilizer.

We’re back with our Fall 2022 season of The Grow Guide! We have 10 fantastic episodes coming up for you this season, featuring guests from across Canada & the U.S. In this week’s episode, Maggie and Dave catch-up on their growing seasons with a round of 20 questions and speak with guest, Amy Butler the P...

Today Dave hosts Maggie in his 7,000 square foot "experimental" garden space located at Sage Garden Greenhouses in Southern Manitoba. He takes her on a tour of the unique raised beds and containers within his garden. Be sure to check out the episode show notes to see photos of all the plants discussed. And mark your calendars for September when The Grow Guide is officially back with our Fall 2022 season! Full episode show notes wit...