In The Garden — direct sowing

Download | How to Grow Spinach | Complete Growing Guide (PDF) Spinach is one of the earliest vegetables Canadian gardeners can plant in spring. This fast-growing, cold-hardy leafy green thrives in cool temperatures, tolerates light frost, and can produce generous harvests before many warm-season vegetables have even been planted. The key to growing great spinach is timing. Spinach performs beautifully during the cool, shorter days of spring and fall but tends to bolt as temperatures rise and daylight hours increase. Planting early, sowing successive crops, and returning to spinach again in late summer can provide multiple harvests from a relatively...

Download | How to Grow Zucchini | Complete Growing Guide (PDF) Zucchini is one of the most rewarding and heavy-yielding vegetables you can plant in a Canadian garden. Known for its explosive growth and abundant harvests, just two or three healthy plants can easily keep your kitchen supplied with fresh summer squash from mid-summer until the first autumn frost. Like cucumbers and pumpkins, zucchini thrives in warm weather, sun-drenched soil, and rich organic matter. Whether you plant them directly in raised beds, traditional garden rows, or heavy patio containers, understanding soil temperatures, proper spacing, and moisture management is the secret...

Download | How to Grow Beans | Complete Growing Guide (PDF) Beans are one of the easiest, most fast-growing, and bountiful vegetables you can sow from seed in a Canadian garden. Once late spring heat arrives, bean seeds spring to life rapidly, requiring zero indoor grow lights or complex transplanting to deliver heavy harvests all summer long. Whether you're planting a compact backyard bed, filling patio containers, or training climbing vines up a sunny fence, beans offer exceptional yields for very little effort. The primary decision every gardener faces before planting is choosing between self-supporting bush beans or climbing pole...

Lettuce is one of the easiest, fastest, and most rewarding vegetables to grow from seed in Canada. It thrives in cool weather, takes up minimal garden space, and offers flexible harvesting options—from tender baby salad leaves to full, crisp heads. Download | How to Grow Lettuce | Complete Growing Guide (PDF) For Canadian gardeners, lettuce is particularly valuable because it doesn't need summer heat to thrive. In fact, lettuce performs best during the crisp temperatures of spring and late summer into autumn. Seeds can be planted early in the season, and additional sowings can provide repeated harvests throughout much of...

Carrots are one of the most rewarding cool-season vegetables to grow from seed in Canada. They take up relatively little garden space, tolerate cool spring weather, and can be planted more than once for harvests stretching from early summer into late fall. Download | How to Grow Carrots in Canada | Complete Guide (PDF) The secret to growing great carrots begins below the surface. Loose, well-drained soil allows roots to grow straight and develop properly, while consistent moisture is particularly important during germination. Carrot seedlings also need enough room to develop, making thinning an essential part of growing a healthy...