Stay ConnectedThe Grow Guide is Canada’s #1 gardening podcast co-hosted by rookie grower, Maggie Wysocki and master grower, Dave Hanson. Listen in to honest conversations about seasonal gardening topics, including the trials, tribulations and successes of growing in climates where it can feel…kind of impossible.
Join the community of fellow Grow Guiders in our Facebook group. Have an idea for a guest or upcoming episode topic? Send us an email — thegrowguidepod@gmail.com
Copyright: © The Grow Guide - Dave Hanson & Maggie Wysocki 2017 - 2021
With Canada Day giving us all a little opportunity for R & R, Dave and Maggie are taking the week off from recording and will be back with a brand new episode next Tuesday. That said, we are excited to share one of our most popular episodes as a re-post: this is episode 26, Native Prairie Plants with Kelly Leask, manager of Prairie Originals Nursery. Kelly is so full of insights and inspirations! Although this was recorded in early spring of 2018 the info is completely helpful to anyone working on their landscape right now!
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As we head into the summer months plants can start to show a little neediness, particularly fast growing veggies. Dave and Maggie devote this episode to ten easy tips to help rookie growers (and let's admit it... veteran growers too!) find success and satisfaction in the vegetable garden. But before getting to the tips Dave has a surprising bit of industry-insider info to share, Maggie checks-in about some uneven success stories this growing season and both Maggie and Dave have an edible favourite plant to share with everyone.
Connect with The Grow Guide
- Grow Guide FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/276990892799327/?ref=bookmarks
- Follow The Grow Guide: https://www.instagram.com/thegrowguidepod/?hl=en - Follow Maggie:https://www.instagram.com/fromsoiltosoul/?hl=en - Follow Dave:https://www.instagram.com/sagegardenherbs/?hl=en
With the summer solstice around the corner, Maggie and Dave start today's episode feeling nostalgic for last season as they reminisce on the podcast from one year ago. Tune into last year's summer solstice episode where The Grow Guide chats about square foot gardening! Dave then shares what he loves most about his garden at this time of year while Maggie walks listeners through the behind-the-scenes for her own homestead. From there the duo are joined by this week's guest who is a fellow-podcaster (host of the Encyclopedia Botanic) and landscape architect from Seattle Urban Farm Co, Hilary Dahl. Hilary shares her secrets to maintaining and beautifying your edible garden, including the keys to success, her favourite flowers to throw in the mix and a garden tool she can't live without.
Here's some of the resources Hilary mentions in this week's episode:
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Every gardener has good days and bad, and Dave and Maggie chat about rolling with the busy season. Along the way they stumble upon a plant "of good cheer" and talk about a cucamelon relative that might just become a new fav. The big discussion today is all about sweet potatoes, with emphasis on how to grow an edible crop organically in northern gardens. Did you know sweet potatoes can grow just about every where in Canada? Or that sweet potato foliage is edible and tasty? Listen-in to learn how to make this amazing veggie happen in your garden!
Connect with The Grow Guide
- Grow Guide FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/276990892799327/?ref=bookmarks
- Follow The Grow Guide: https://www.instagram.com/thegrowguidepod/?hl=en - Follow Maggie:https://www.instagram.com/fromsoiltosoul/?hl=en - Follow Dave:https://www.instagram.com/sagegardenherbs/?hl=en
It's June and Maggie and Dave are officially in their garden playgrounds! The duo shares the plants they think are perfect for summer as their favourite things of the week, including a zinnia ideal for bouquets and a plant with unique edible berries. This week Stephanie Rose, from GardenTherapy.ca joins the podcast to share botanical infusions from the garden. She covers DIY recipes, must-have plants and her favourite gardening resources.
The Ressources Stephanie Mentions:
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Unpredictable spring weather in Zone 3 has Maggie & Dave reminding listeners about the importance of protecting plants when temperatures drop over night. Be mindful, growers! Dave shares a variegated milkweed as his favourite plant of the week while Maggie shares an interesting concept to support local farmers in your community. A listener question around harvesting asparagus sparks a discussion about proper care for the edible perennial too. The topic of this episode then turns to organic fertilizing, covering the benefits, the positive impact organic fertilizers has for plants & the environment, soluble vs. slow release fertilizer and finding the right one for your garden-style.
Organic Fertilizers Mentioned in this Episode Include…
- Vegano Plant-Based Fertilizer: https://www.welcomeharvestfarm.com/products.htm
- Sea Soil Compost: https://www.seasoil.com/about.html
- Jobes Fertilizer Spikes: https://jobescompany.com/product/jobes-organics-fertilizer-spike-all-purpose/
Connect with The Grow Guide
- Grow Guide FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/276990892799327/?ref=bookmarks
- Follow The Grow Guide: https://www.instagram.com/thegrowguidepod/?hl=en - Follow Maggie:https://www.instagram.com/fromsoiltosoul/?hl=en - Follow Dave:https://www.instagram.com/sagegardenherbs/?hl=en
This week we have the pleasure of chatting with Emma Biggs, a 14 year old gardening guru who just published her first book with the famous Storey publishing company. Emma brings her kid's-eye-view to help kids and adults better understand each other when it comes to enjoying gardening, but absolutely inspires gardeners of all ages with her extensive urban gardening knowledge (she is Toronto based). We get to chat veggies, bugs, eating weeds and much more. She is so well spoken - you will love connecting with her on the pod!
Before chatting with Emma, Dave and Maggie sing the praises of a locally sourced organic fertilizer and discover a tiny zone 1 perennial from Siberia. Our listener question of the week takes our imaginations on a little tour of French courtyards, where we contemplate the possibilities of espalier as a fruit tree growing technique for northern gardeners. So fun.
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Maggie and Dave kick off today's episode by sharing a fun article (read it here!) that ran on the podcast over the weekend. Dave shares about his fav plant of the week, a gorgeous blue perennial flower, and Maggie talks about a tropical-looking variety of tomato for hers. A listeners' question on transplanting leggy kohlrabi brings up some great tips on how to harden off transplants and keep seedlings healthy. The theme of perennial gardening covers chats on preparing roots for transplant, adding amendments to soil for more nutrients and perking up over-wintered plants. Plus, Maggie & Dave each share the perennials growing in their garden that they love.
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As spring arrives slowly but surely, Dave and Maggie each have some plant experiments to share for their favourite gardening item of the week, and this sets the stage for a discussion focused on growing perennials in short season climates. Dave reveals some surprising fruit growing plans, while Maggie goes deeper with her passion for growing medicinal plants. Meanwhile, the simple little marigold serves as a backdrop to a not so clear-cut question from a listener and we may, or may not, answer the question, "to pinch or not to pinch?". Dave is excited to share his feature interview with Jessika Doyel, manager of the scene-changing Sill plant shop in New York City, where the motto is "Plants Make People Happy". We agree! Dave and Jessika cover lots of houseplant tips for both rookie and more experienced plant parents, while also exploring some of the ways The Sill has been innovating on the concept of what a garden centre is, and how they connect with their huge community of plant fans.
Join the Grow Guide Facebook group to see extra video content from Dave's visit with Jessika!
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Maggie & Dave reflect on Earth Day this week and the changes they've made/challenges they've come across as gardeners trying to live more sustainably. Dave's favourite thing this week is an interesting garden product made of recycled sheep wool, while Maggie shares about her recent purchase of a few hens and how they fit into her plant-based lifestyle. Then it's all about the talented and wide-reaching, Joe Lamp'l also known as, Joe Gardener. Joe chats about his history as a gardening educator, why you should feed your soil instead of the plants, the importance of organic gardening and how to build your own DIY compost set-up just like his.
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