The Helpful Gardeners

Where do botanical names come from? How do plants take on different common names? How do you pronounce plant names? This episode dives into all that and more! Plus, Colin uncovers a list of naughty plant names which is why this episode is explicit. Enjoy!

There are so many benefits associated with gardening whether you're a kid or an adult or a pet. We're going to explore some of those benefits, some activities and then.... get your glue and googly eyes ready because we're crafting!   ************************* CONNECT WITH US Thank you so much for supporting our podcast and for making the world a more planty place. Please subscribe, lea...

Shoutout to all the #PlantDaddies this Father's Day! Do you have a Plant Dad in your life? We love and adore them. Listen in to learn more about some of the father's of horticulture in Canada!   ************************* CONNECT WITH US Thank you so much for supporting our podcast and for making the world a more planty place. Please subscribe, leave a rating or review and listen in for new...

Gardening is a personal journey. There's so many ways to approach it, including the organic approach. A decade ago, much like with gluten free and vegan options, there wasn't much on the market for organic options. In recent years, there has been a push toward offering more ecofriendly products to aid every part of the growing process. Let's dive into some of those options today.

Gardening is an investment of your time and money so here's 4 easy ways you can protect that investment from challenges like weather, bugs and more.   ************************* CONNECT WITH US Thank you so much for supporting our podcast and for making the world a more planty place. Please subscribe, leave a rating or review and listen in for new gardening discussions every week! Subscribe to...

Heading into the highly anticipated planting season, the Helpful Gardeners wanted to send out a little PSA on 8 common planting errors and how to avoid them.    ************************* CONNECT WITH US Thank you so much for supporting our podcast and for making the world a more planty place. Please subscribe, leave a rating or review and listen in for new gardening discussions every week! Subscri...

This week is a very special week because we’re giving some extra love and appreciation to Garden Mums! We'll spotlight two special ladies in gardening and bring it home with memories about mum in the garden. ******************************* CONNECT WITH US Thank you so much for supporting our podcast and for making the world a more planty place. Please subscribe, leave a rating or review and li...

There has been a word drifting around the greenhouse lately, and it's "acclimatizing". What does that mean and how does it benefit your plants especially at transplanting time? Plus, when it does come time to transplant your annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, what is the best way to go about it? We'll talk about water, fertilizer, and more this week on the Helpful Gardeners P...

This week, we're visited by two of the coolest ladies gardening in Southern Alberta; Sheryl Normandeau and Janet Melrose! They are the coauthors of the popular "Prairie Gardeners How To" series! In a digital world full of general information, their books provide specific knowledge for gardening in climates like Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Plus, everything they write about is...

We've got a lot of ground to cover this week... ha ha ha All kidding aside, there's a lot of benefits to utilizing ground cover in your garden! Together, lets explore mulch, fabric, rock, and straw. We'll talk about how you can use it, how much to buy, and how to maintain it. Plus, Colin has a great garden hack for soaker hoses in your garden to actually conserve water!

Are you a moving into a new home and not sure how to approach the garden? One of the helpful gardeners just bought a home and is not sure how to approach their new garden! Learn how to tackle lawn, existing structures/plants, and where to begin. Visit the shownotes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for links from today's episode, and other fun extras! ************************* CONNECT WITH US CONNECT WITH US Than...

If you build it, nature will come. No matter what type of garden you have, whether it's in an established neighbourhood or newly built in the suburbs, you can enjoy nature from your very own backyard. Learn how to attract birds, including hummingbirds, to your garden! Myrna is a biologist, author and nature photographer living on the south shore of Sylvan Lake, Alberta. She was born in Rymbey,...

Rounding out our Seed Starting Mini Series is a look into growing flowers from seed! In many ways, this will be a total 180 degree shift from growing veggies and fruit. Flowers aren’t targeted as much by bugs and disease, they benefit from deadheading, and they’re grown more for aesthetic purposes rather than consumption. Visit the shownotes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for links from today's episode, and other...

This week, we're crouching down to explore all those fruits and veggies that grow close to the ground. These ground dwellers include Broccoli, squash, kohlrabi, and even strawberries! Learn more about how use the entire squash plant in cooking, a hack to protect pumpkins from pests, and we have a surprise melon taste test! Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shownotes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for links from today's epis...

This week, we're exploring fresh leafy greens and flavourful herbs. Learn more about flexibility of growing lettuce and why you should livehead your herbs when they go to flower.   Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shownotes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for links from today's episode, and other fun extras! TIMECODES 01:55 Herb or 'erb? 05:34 Seed Varieties 11:34 Leafy Greens & Herbs - General Care 13:35 Growi...

This week, we 'rooting' around the subject of root vegetables! How do we start them from seed, maintain them, and harvest them!  Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shownotes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for links from today's episode, and other fun extras! TIMECODES 00:00 Introduction 04:00 Sweet like a Beet 05:08 Seed Varieties 11:00 Growing Veggie Flowers 13:44 Companion Planting CONNECT WITH US Thank you so much for support...

What will your garden grow in 2024? This week, the gardeners explore how to cultivate the juiciest tomatoes, the spicy kick of peppers, the sweet crunch of corn, and the wholesome goodness of peas and beans. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shownotes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for links from today's episode, and other fun extras! TIMECODES 00:00 Introduction 03:50 Seed Varieties 06:30 Seed Starting Methods 07:00 Compan...

What's the one thing we're seeing in every basket and cart at the greenhouse this week? SEEDS! We are buzzing with excitement! Before you settle on your seed haul, listen to this weeks episode outlining what you should be thinking about this time of year. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shownotes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for links from today's episode, and other fun extras! TIMECODES 00:00 Introduction 04:00 L...

This week, we celebrated Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day which got us thinking about all the ways flowers help up mark life’s big moments. Colours and varieties play into floral symbology, and we're even going to find out which flower represents Colin's soul! Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shownotes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for links from today's episode, and other fun extras! TIMECODES 00:00 Introduction 01...

The gardeners unearth some interesting, and perhaps shocking, garden laws that you should be aware of as we head into the 2024 growing season. Garden Crime Radio Play In the world of botanical crime, every leaf tells a story and every petal hides a clue. Detectives Bloom and Basil uncover the culprit behind the destruction of a prized rose garden ahead of the famous Flower Power Festival. A few me...

Welcome back to the garden! This week, the gardeners explore sprouts and microgreens to figure out why they're so good for us, how to grow them, and even what they taste like! Plus, find out what microgreen the gardeners identify with the most in the Hypothetical Question of the week.  Information and Samples provided by: Prairie Sun Microgreens | Connor Thiessen Olds College Certified Horticu...

Welcome back to the garden! Have you ever wondered where the term "green thumb" came from? Why do we "Touch wood"? We'll review 10 common phrases in the gardening world and see if they are truly rooted in gardening and if they're still relevant now! Plus, we'll "weed out negativity" with a dive into our most positive plant! Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shownotes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

The term 'polar vortex' may have been living rent free in your brain the last couple of weeks. As temperatures plunged across the country, we saw people doing boiling water to throw into the air, people eating frozen noodles, and toilet paper sculptures. In this episode, we explore how this extreme weather event impacts our gardens and houseplants? We'll also uncover a hidden tropical...

Do you have the travel itch heading into 2024? If you're a plant nerd like us, and need some inspiration, then explore our 8 planty destinations. Then, we'll drop some handy plant care tips so you can rest easy knowing your plants will be there when you return. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠ shownotes ⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a complete breakdown, links from today's episode, and fun extras! TIMECODES 00:00 Introducti...

What do you intend to do in 2024? Let's rethink the 'resolution' and just taking this time to reflect, chill out, and set some intentions for our gardens and plant education. In today's episode, Colin and Brandi each bring their 5 garden goals to the table, and perhaps some fun ones that will cause you to think outside the box a little bit. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠ shownotes ⁠⁠⁠ for a complet...