So many of the foods we eat originated growing close by. Some have been more domesticated than others, and some are now enjoyed all over the globe! Let's explore some 11 examples of foods with roots in the Americas, half of which are native to Canada!    1. Squash Squash was domesticated by indigenous peoples in the Americas about 10,000 years ago, thousands of years before maize! Initially squash plants were only eaten by mega-fauna and the fruits were extremely bitter. They were not appetizing to humans and other small animals until after domestication. Around 20 ..read more

In a world where fruits and vegetables are available year-round at the local grocery store, it's easy to get into a routine of eating the same foods all year long. However, there's something truly special about embracing the bounty of each season and savouring the flavours available to us locally. Professional chefs often look to the season's harvest for inspiration in their menus, with delicious results. Eating seasonally not only offers fresher and more flavourful meals but also supports local farmers, promotes sustainability, and connects us to the cycles of the natural world ..read more

In honour of mothers everywhere, we wanted to share these 5 creatures and some heartwarming anecdotes and fascinating facts about these animal mothers in the wild, highlighting the diverse ways in which maternal love is expressed across different species. Virginia Opossums Opossums may not be very popular critters due to some misunderstandings around them, contrary to popular belief, about 90% of opossums are immune to rabies. They are also excellent mothers. Newborn opossums remain in their mother's pouch for about 2 1/2 months. As they become too large to fit in the pouc ..read more

    Some soils need some type of remediation or amendment before successful planting can take place. Depending on the damage done to the soil, some deficiencies can be amended with wildflowers! Nitrogen is the most common nutrient that limits the growth and success of plants in terrestrial ecosystems. Soils that are depleted of nitrogen and other minerals can be remediated by certain plants that will help restore the nutrients back into your soil. We have a special seed collection available just for this purpose called Soil Amendment Wildflower Collection. In this collection yo ..read more

Cattails are a seriously under appreciated plant. Every part of the plant is either edible or has some great uses for surviving and thriving. Like all foraging make sure you are harvesting from a relatively unpolluted area, toxins can accumulate in the stem of the plant if it is taken from heavily polluted areas like road sides or road drainage ditches. If you are harvesting for crafts and not consumption road side plants would be fine. What You Will Need If you plan on harvesting the rhizomes you are going to need something you can dig with, ideally a shovel because a hand spade for a ..read more

In areas where maple trees can not grow people have turned to making syrup out of birch sap. The sugar content in birch sap is not as high as sugar maple sap so there is more boiling required than with maple sap. The end result is a sweet and complex tasting syrup that goes great with savoury dishes especially smoked fish. The taste of birch syrup is sometimes described as containing flavours of raspberries and tart cherries or as a combination of balsamic vinegar and molasses with a hint of fruit. If trying this out, you should not expect the sweet flavour of maple syrup ..read more

Forcing branches is a very old and time-tested way to experience some spring blooms indoors while you're impatiently waiting for winter to wrap-up. It only requires pruning branches of flowering trees and shrubs and putting the branches in a vase. If you choose shrub species that know when to bloom based on temperature rather than hours of daylight, you can trick them to bloom early simply by bringing them indoors. We'll help give you some options of shrubs and trees that work well for this. No special expertise is required. The time to force branches to bloom inside is in late winter when th ..read more

  For many of us, outdoor space is a luxury. For some, growing in containers is an easy and accessible alternative to growing in the ground or building raised beds. Whatever the reason, optimizing space and resources will help you succeed in container gardening this growing season.    I have done most of my gardening in containers and have learned a lot from my successes and my mistakes. After moving back to an apartment with a small balcony, last summer really tested my creativity in how to fit an entire garden into a few planters. Let's talk about prioritizing what to grow ..read more

Introducing a new series: Beyond the Garden In this series of articles, we are unveiling some of the ecological wonders and extraordinary adaptations of some of our favourite Canadian wildflower species. Each article in this series will feature a native plant or wildflower that we offer seeds for and share a few of the reasons we think they’re worth making space for in your garden or landscape.    From pollination strategies to altering soil chemistry, these articles aim to explore the mysteries, ecological significance, and evolutionary pathways that shape these botanical treasures ..read more

Like a lot of gardeners, I really start to miss the garden mid-winter. I miss having fresh foods to pick and add to dinners, and I miss watching veggies grow. So naturally, I bring a bit of the garden indoors.  If you already have a seed starting set-up, it's incredibly easy to convert it for baby greens for the winter. If you don't already have a space dedicated to growing, it's not too hard to establish and the reward of fresh greens all winter make it worthwhile. Here's how I keep the salad greens coming from December to March, until it's time to switch over to starting seeds for sp ..read more