Down The Garden Path Podcast

In this episode of Down the Garden Path podcast, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing continue their month-long look at edible gardening by talking tomatoes with author, speaker, and blogger Emma Biggs.

About Emma Biggs

Emma is a 16-year-old gardener, author, speaker, and blogger. Her passion is growing tomatoes, trying new, unusual crops, and saving seeds. She has raised over 150 tomato varieties in her Toronto garden and loves to try weird and wonderful plant projects. Emma gives talks at libraries, seed exchanges, garden clubs, and garden events. She is the co-host of The Food Garden Life Show, and her latest book is Gardening with Emma.

Don't miss Joanne and Matt's conversation on growing tomatoes with author Emma Biggs.

Some of the questions and topics covered:

• What are your top tips for starting tomatoes from seed?
• Do you have a favourite type of tomato to grow?
  • How do you grow them, in beds or containers?
• We know you grow a lot of varieties: How do you harden them all off to get them outside?
• How do you handle pests and diseases?
• What's your actual favourite tomato variety that everyone should grow?
• What do you do with all those tomatoes?
• Is there anything else that you like to grow?

You can find Emma online here, as well as on Instagram.

You can order her book Gardening with Emma here.

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade.

And Matthew Dressing is a horticulturist and landscape designer. He owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, Joanne and Matthew do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and helpful topics. Their goal is to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.

This month on Down the Garden Path podcast, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing begin their month-long look at edible gardening. In this episode, all-star guest Julia Dimakos returns to the podcast to discuss growing herbs and her new e-book How to Plan a Vegetable Garden, available now at www.juliadimakos.com

About Julia Dimakos

Julia gardens in 7000 square feet in Mono, Ontario, continuing in the formal kitchen garden style. She has been growing vegetables and writing about gardening for over 10 years and has been published in Canadian Organic Grower magazine twice.

She loves to inspire others to have their own vegetable gardens by showing them the simpler side of gardening. She enjoys teaching others, speaking, and holding workshops. You can read her blog at www.juliadimakos.com.

Don't miss our conversation on growing herbs with Gardening Girl Julia Dimakos.

Some of the questions and topics covered:

• What are the best conditions to grow herbs inside?
• What herbs are easiest to grow?
  • Easiest to grow: Dill, cilantro, basil, thyme, ginger (from store-bought rhizome), sweet marjoram
• Is it hard to start herbs from seed?
  • Harder to grow from seed: parsley, sage, oregano, lavender, savory (summer or winter), lemongrass
• Is it better to buy herbs for indoors vs. starting from seeds?
  • Better to purchase as a plant: rosemary, mint, lovage
• What conditions do we need to have to grow herbs outside?
• Is there a special fertilizer required for herbs?
• Should we use organic fertilizer when feeding herbs and other edibles?
• What are some of the common pests and diseases herbs are susceptible to?

You can find Julia online here, as well as on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

You can also listen to past Down the Garden Path podcasts featuring Julia:

Growing Under Lights

Digging Deep with Veggies

Growing Indoors

Autumn Edibles

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade.

And Matthew Dressing is a horticulturist and landscape designer. He owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, Joanne and Matthew do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and helpful topics. Their goal is to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.

This week on the Down the Garden Path podcast, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing wrap up February's houseplant theme with an "Ask Us Anything!" episode.

Tune in to hear Joanne and Matt respond to listener questions.

Some of the questions listeners asked:

• Does rock salt for ice hurt lawns?
• Are your past shows posted anywhere?
• After that beautiful flower blooms and dies off, what do I need to do to the plant?
• I already see that the home improvement stores have their spring fertilizer out. As soon as the snow melts, what is the earliest time to put this down on our lawns?
• When's your book coming out?
• I want to plant a red maple in my yard this year. I live just outside of Toronto. What is the earliest that I can do so?
• My kids saw a seed package of giant pumpkins at the store the other day, and they want to grow them for this coming year's Halloween. Any tips or advice on how to do this properly? How soon can we put the seed in the ground? Do you need a lot of room? What about fertilizer?
• You had a gentleman on your show a while back talk about garden ponds. Can you please tell me his name or company?

Resources mentioned during the show:

• Where can we find past episodes?
• Air Plants with David Lin
• Tropical Plants and How to Love Them with Marianne Willburn
• Julia Dimakos's past two episodes: Growing Under Lights and Autumn Edibles
• Ernest Williams from Aquascape Inc. and his past shows: Water Garden Trends and Water Features for the Garden with Aquascape

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade.

And Matthew Dressing is a horticulturist and landscape designer. He owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, Joanne and Matthew do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and helpful topics. Their goal is to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.

This week on the Down the Garden Path podcast, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing speak with author Marianne Willburn about her new book Tropical Plants and How to Love Them.

About Marianne Willburn

Marianne Willburn is a gardening columnist, speaker and author of Big Dreams, Small Garden, and one of the six-person writing team at GardenRant. A regular contributor to Better Homes and Gardens, The American Gardener, and other national gardening magazines, Marianne has also been a weekly newspaper columnist for over a decade and is the recipient of several Gold and Silver Media Awards from Garden Communicators International (formerly GWA).

She believes strongly that you should never wait for the 'perfect space' to create a restful garden oasis for yourself and your family; and she has spent much of her gardening life in small city and suburban gardens in places as diverse as California, England and the Mid-Atlantic. In 2013, she began gardening intensively and exhaustively on ten acres in a rural corner of Northern Virginia and shares her gardening life each week on her blog, smalltowngardener.com.

Don't miss Joanne and Matt's conversation with Marianne Willburn.

Some of the questions and topics covered:

• How do you define a tropical plant?
• Why should we grow them?
• Summer romances
• Frugal gardens
• Bringing houseplants inside

You can find Marianne online here, as well as on Facebook and Instagram.

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade.

Matthew Dressing is a horticulturist and landscape designer. He owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, Joanne and Matthew do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and helpful topics. Their goal is to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.

It's all about houseplants this month on Down the Garden Path podcast. In this episode, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing speak with Kevin Tholenaars about his online houseplant business, www.plantsome.ca.

About Kevin Tholenaars

Plantsome co-founder and CEO Kevin Tholenaars moved to Port Moody, B.C., six years ago from the Netherlands. When Plantsome's founding team realized there were very clear signals that the needs of consumers in the archaic home and garden industry were not being met, the idea for Plantsome was born. In March of 2020, Plantsome opened its digital doors to the public -- right in the middle of a global pandemic! It was scary but it ended up being the right service at the right time. As people were forced to look closer to home for hobbies and things to keep them occupied, many flocked to plant care as a new obsession. Plantsome delivers tropical plants to homes all across Canada using sustainably sourced packaging and custom-designed boxes for safe transportation of plants. Plantsome also has an app that helps customers take care of their plants by sending watering and fertilizer alerts.

Don't miss Matt and Joanne's conversation with Kevin Tholenaars from Plantsome.

Some of the questions and topics covered:

• What is Plantsome?
• How did it get started?
• How do you order plants?
• Where do you ship to?
• How do you ship live plants with our varying temperatures?
• Are there any trends you've noticed people ordering?
• You also have an app. How does that work?

Find Plantsome online:

• Website: www.plantsome.ca
• Facebook: @plantsomeCA
• Instagram: @plantsome_ca

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade.

And Matthew Dressing is a horticulturist and landscape designer. He owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, Joanne and Matthew do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and helpful topics. Their goal is to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.

This month on Down the Garden Path podcast, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing have been talking all about planning your garden, growing hydroponically, and growing anywhere you can squeeze in a plant! In this episode, returning guest Julia Dimakos discusses growing under lights and her new e-book How to Plan a Vegetable Garden, available now at www.juliadimakos.com

About Julia Dimakos

Julia started growing food after having children and fell in love with it! She gardens organically and tries to keep things simple while growing new and uncommon vegetables each year. Her garden is located in Mono, Ontario, on 25 acres on the Niagara Escarpment. Two years ago, Julia expanded her vegetable garden from 2000 to 7000 square feet, continuing in the formal kitchen garden style.

She loves to inspire others to have their own vegetable gardens by showing them the simpler side of gardening. She enjoys teaching others, speaking, and holding workshops. You can read her blog at www.juliadimakos.com.

Don't miss our conversation on growing under lights with Gardening Girl Julia Dimakos.

Some of the questions and topics covered:

• You've been growing under lights now for 10 years; was there a time you weren't using lights to grow your plants? Why do plants do better with grow lights?
• When should someone consider adding lights to their space to help their plants?
• Julia answers listener questions regarding how close the plants are to the lights and how long the lights should be on.
• You use both LED and fluorescent lights with what you grow.
  • Do you find one works better than the other?
  • Do you recommend either LED or fluorescent depending on what you're growing or is it more situational or a personal preference?
    • • What do you look for when purchasing a light?
      • Is there a best way to set them up when growing?
      • How does one know how long to leave their lights on?
• Can you describe your setup? Shelf units? Do you rotate plants onto different shelves?

You can find Julia online here, as well as on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

You can also listen to past Down the Garden Path podcasts featuring Julia:

Digging Deep with Veggies

Growing Indoors

Autumn Edibles

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade.

And Matthew Dressing is a horticulturist and landscape designer. He owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, Joanne and Matthew do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and helpful topics. Their goal is to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.

In this week's episode of the Down the Garden Path podcast, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing speak with Tyler Baras, chief science officer and co-founder of Area 2 Farms in Arlington, Virginia, about home hydroponics.

Tyler has a range of urban agricultural experiences from homesteading to commercial hydroponics. He has worked as a grower for 3 Boys Farm Inc., one of the first certified organic hydroponic farms in the United States. In 2015, Tyler wrote one of the best-selling hobby hydroponic books, DIY Hydroponic Gardens: How to Design and Build an Inexpensive System for Growing Plants in Water. In 2017, Tyler wrote Roadmap to Growing Leafy Greens and Herbs, an educational book for new growers and investors interested in commercial hydroponic production of leafy greens in greenhouses and indoor farms. In 2021, he wrote Home Hydroponics: Small-space DIY Growing Systems for the kitchen, dining room, living room, bedroom, and bath.

For more on Tyler Baras, please visit FarmerTyler.com.

Don't miss Joanne and Matt's conversation with Tyler Baras about home hydroponics.

Some of the questions and topics covered:

• For people new to the term, what does it mean to grow hydroponically?
• Do you buy plants and transition them to water or can you start seeds in water?
• What are some of the things one should consider before starting a hydroponic set vs. growing in soil? Can anyone do it?
• If there isn't any soil, how are our plants being supported in a hydroponic system?
• How do we feed our plants?
• What do you think of kits like "Click and Grow" or Aero Gardens, etc.?
• Can you tell us about some of the materials we'd need for a simple beginner setup? Are there DIY starter kits?
• Where can we buy the products for a DIY setup?
• For those of us who might be a bit more adventurous, are there any other items we could use to enhance our hydroponic setup?
• Your new book Home Hydroponics is filled with interesting DIY hydroponic projects. Tell us about how the book came about?
• What are some of your favourite projects?

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade.

And Matthew Dressing is a horticulturist and landscape designer. He owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, Joanne and Matthew do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and helpful topics. Their goal is to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.

This week on the Down the Garden Path podcast, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing talk about your plant and garden goals for 2022.

Tune in for help with your plant and garden goals for 2022.

Some of the questions and topics covered:

• How do Matt and Joanne each plan their garden?
• What are the benefits of planning ahead, starting a garden plan for growing vegetables or flowering annuals for a cutting garden?
• How do you determine the goals for your garden and outdoor spaces?
• What tools are available for you to help you plan your garden?
  • journals, photos, etc.
  • seed catalogues or online ordering from seed companies
    • Ranunculus and Anemone bulbs
    • Peony roots
• Now is a good time to look at your ornamental garden and its winter interest.
  • What do you like in other gardens? How can you add it to your own garden for interest in the winter months?

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade.

And Matthew Dressing is a horticulturist and landscape designer. He owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, Joanne and Matthew do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and helpful topics. Their goal is to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.

Welcome to the new year and a new season of Down the Garden Path! In this week's episode, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing review Garden Media Group's 2022 Garden Trends Report with returning guest Katie Dubow.

Katie Dubow is the President of Garden Media Group, a women-owned and run public relations firm specializing in the home and garden industry and celebrating 33 years in business. Author of the annual Garden Trends Report, Dubow scouts the world for garden trends.

Don't miss Joanne and Matt's conversation with Katie Dubow, president of Garden Media Group, about the 2022 Garden Trends Report.

Some of the questions and topics covered:

• Tell us about yourself and what you do for Garden Media Group.
• What else does Garden Media do to support the industry?
• The trends report is highly anticipated every year and it's something Garden Media Group has published annually since 2001. How much work goes into producing the report and how are you able to spot trends?
• What was some of the thinking behind the report title this year: From Crisis to Innovation?
• Let's walk through some of the main points that make up the Garden Trends report.
  • Shoppertainment
  • On-Demand Flowers
  • Living Television
  • Bridging the Gap

Click here to get your copy.

Find Garden Media Group online:

Website: www.gardenmediagroup.com

Facebook: Garden Media Group

Instagram: GardenMedia

LinkedIn: Garden Media Group

Twitter: GardenMedia

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade.

And Matthew Dressing is a horticulturist and landscape designer. He owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, Joanne and Matthew do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and helpful topics. Their goal is to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.

In the final Down the Garden Path episode of the year, Matt and Joanne look at some of their favourite gift ideas for the gardeners in your life, or maybe even for yourself.

Looking for gift ideas for the gardener in your life? Here are some of Joanne and Matt's favourites.

Joanne's favourite gift ideas for gardeners:

• Floratopia by Jan Johnson
• Tiny Plants by Leslie Halleck
• Dahlia May Florals calendar
• Forged pocket pruner
• Radius Ergonomic Shovels
• Sun Joe electric leaf shredder

Matt's favourite gift ideas for gardeners:

• The Toronto & Golden Horseshoe Gardener's Journal
• The Whole Seed Catalog
• Garden kneeler
• Hori Hori knife
• Tool sharpener
• Root slayer carbon steel trowel and shovel
• Wheelbarrow organization shelf

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. And Matthew Dressing is a horticulturist and landscape designer. He owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, Joanne and Matthew do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and helpful topics. Their goal is to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.