Food Garden Life Show: Helping You Harvest More from Your Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, and Edible Landscaping

Steven Biggs: Horticulturist and edible landscaping expert.
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Food Garden Life Show: Helping You Harvest More from Your Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, and Edible Landscaping

Want to grow your own food but need creative ideas so you can get the most from your space and your growing zone? Our passion is the edible garden. We help people grow food on balconies, in backyards, and beyond—whether it’s edible landscaping, a vegetable garden, container gardens, or a home orchard. There are many ways to approach edible landscaping. Find out how to harvest enough fruit, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers. Get top tips for exotic crops. And learn how to garden in a way that suits any situation. Host Steven Biggs was recognized by Garden Making magazine as one of the “green gang” making a difference in Canadian horticulture. His home-garden experiments span driveway straw-bale gardens, a rooftop kitchen garden, fruit plantings, and an edible-themed front yard. He's a horticulturist, award-winning broadcaster and author, and former horticulture instructor with George Brown and Durham Colleges in Ontario, Canada. Get started with one of our fan favourites. Season 6, Episode 10: Big Harvests from a Small Space with a Vertical Vegetable Garden.

  1. JUN 5

    Want to Switch Out Your Annuals? Try These Herbs Instead

    How to Grow Figs. Live online class. June 23, 2025. Find out more.*** Do you have a garden where you use traditional annuals, but you want to switch it up for something edible? Herbs are one option. In this episode, we look at a space that has a tidy, slightly formal feel. We replace the tightly clipped shrubs with edible alternatives. And then we change out the annuals for herbs. If you’re looking for more on using edible plants instead of traditional bedding plants, check out this post.  *** - Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! - Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. - And say hi—we love to hear what you think!

    19 min

  2. MAY 22

    Hear How We Tweak a Public Space to Keep the Aesthetic but Add Edibles

    How to Grow Figs. Live online class. June 23, 2025. Find out more.*** Wondering about adding edible plants to an existing gardening without spoiling the aesthetic? With the right plant choice, along with an understanding of how the space is used, you can add edible plants without spoiling the looks. In this episode, we take a public space and reimagine it with edibles. It’s a big space, with lots of lawn. We talk about plant choice for this shady spot, and about plant placement that doesn’t interfere with how this space is used. We include:  Edibles as bedding plants Using height to make a focal point Edibles for colour Edible perennials Fruit for shadeIf you’re looking for more on crops for shade, check out this post.  *** - Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! - Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. - And say hi—we love to hear what you think!

    23 min

  3. APR 24

    From Geranium Glut to Playful Herb Planter Box! A Container Garden Makeover

    How to Grow Figs. Live online class. June 23, 2025. Find out more.*** Thinking of veggies for your container garden? Or planter boxes with herbs?  In this episode, we look at a patio surrounded by planter boxes that are filled with red geraniums...nothing but red geraniums. Our goal? Transform this linear container garden from a continuous line of red into something varied, colourful—playful—and edible. Hear two different approaches to reimagining the planter boxes so that they’re a low-maintenance edible container garden. If you’re looking for more on the sub-irrigated planters from this episode, find out more here.    *** Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. And say hi—we love to hear what you think! *** - Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! - Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. - And say hi—we love to hear what you think!

    22 min

  4. APR 9

    Bare Ground, Hard Clay, and not Much Sun: Hear How to Transform this Space

    How to Grow Figs. Live online class. June 23, 2025. Find out more.*** Got a spot you’d like to use to grow food but not sure where to start? In this episode, we tackle a bare space with hard clay, in zone 3. Let’s not forget the deer and rabbits. Oh, and there’s a narrow “hell strip” that’s needs to be planted too. The good news is that there are lots of ways to add edibles to a garden. The way to start is by choosing a creative direction, and then getting started. We work through two entirely different approaches to this space. First, we explore a low-maintenance “grazing” garden with perennials. Next, we think about how to use a potager style in this space. For the plant palette we’re including options for: ·         Partial sunlight ·         Good cold tolerance for perennials (zone 3!) ·         Less attractive to deer ·         Plants that give options for adding colour, texture, and height If you’re looking for fruits, vegetables, and other plants that you can grow in the shade, here’s a post to get you started.  *** -->Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! -->Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. -->And say hi—we love to hear what you think! *** - Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! - Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. - And say hi—we love to hear what you think!

    28 min

  5. 2024-06-06

    Too Cold for Tender Fruit? Hear What this Prairie Grower Does

    How to Grow Figs. Live online class. June 23, 2025. Find out more.*** Think your climate is too cold to grow tender fruit? Find out how this grower harvests peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, and more…despite winter temperatures that can dip to -38°C (-36°F) and a short summer. In this episode, Donna and Steven chat with Saskatchewan fruit grower Dean Kreutzer.   We talk about: Fruit adapted to cold climatesUsing unheated greenhouses to grow tender fruit, grapes…and figsHeat sinks and insulated tarpsCapturing heat from the ground—without an elaborate geothermal heating system Kreutzer and his wife run Over the Hill Orchards in Saskatchewan. If you’re looking for more on cold-hardy fruit, check out this post on Saskatoon Berries.  *** -->Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! -->Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. -->And say hi—we love to hear what you think! *** - Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! - Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. - And say hi—we love to hear what you think!

    33 min

  6. 2024-05-30

    Not Enough Space? Fit in More Crops With These Ideas

    How to Grow Figs. Live online class. June 23, 2025. Find out more.*** Do you have more seeds and plants than you can fit into your garden? It’s a common problem for the enthusiastic food gardener! In this episode, Donna and Steven talk about finding more growing space so that you can fit more crops into the same space. Get ideas for: Growing in ungardenable spaces…like the root-infested space next to hedgesReducing space used by pathwaysTiering crops in a gardenUsing paved areas, decks—and stairs! If you’re looking for more on garden planning, check out these 7 vegetable garden layout ideas.   *** -->Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! -->Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. -->And say hi—we love to hear what you think! *** - Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! - Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. - And say hi—we love to hear what you think!

    22 min

  7. 2024-05-23

    Tips for Growing Great Tomatoes

    How to Grow Figs. Live online class. June 23, 2025. Find out more.*** Want to grow great tomatoes? With the right transplanting and care, your tomatoes will be off to a great start. In this episode, Donna and Steven talk about: Transplanting tomato seedlingsProtecting transplants from cold spring weatherHow to stake, train, and support tomato plantsPruning tomato suckersWatering and feedingTomato challenges, including pests, diseases, and blossom end rot.If you’re looking for more on how to support tomato plants, check out this article.  -->Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! -->Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. -->And say hi—we love to hear what you think! *** - Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! - Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. - And say hi—we love to hear what you think!

    32 min

  8. 2024-05-16

    It’s the May 24…Wondering What Veg to Plant?

    How to Grow Figs. Live online class. June 23, 2025. Find out more.*** Wondering when to plant vegetables? Not sure what to plant first? You don’t need to plant everything at once. In this episode, Donna and Steven talk about when to plant vegetables, and the Canadian tradition of planting the garden over the Victoria Day (May 24) weekend. (Sometimes it makes sense…though not for all crops in all zones.) If you’re looking for more on planting vegetables, check out this article on direct seeding.  *** -->Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time!  -->Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates.  -->And say hi—we love to hear what you think! *** - Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time! - Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. - And say hi—we love to hear what you think!

    16 min
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4.7
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Want to grow your own food but need creative ideas so you can get the most from your space and your growing zone? Our passion is the edible garden. We help people grow food on balconies, in backyards, and beyond—whether it’s edible landscaping, a vegetable garden, container gardens, or a home orchard. There are many ways to approach edible landscaping. Find out how to harvest enough fruit, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers. Get top tips for exotic crops. And learn how to garden in a way that suits any situation. Host Steven Biggs was recognized by Garden Making magazine as one of the “green gang” making a difference in Canadian horticulture. His home-garden experiments span driveway straw-bale gardens, a rooftop kitchen garden, fruit plantings, and an edible-themed front yard. He's a horticulturist, award-winning broadcaster and author, and former horticulture instructor with George Brown and Durham Colleges in Ontario, Canada. Get started with one of our fan favourites. Season 6, Episode 10: Big Harvests from a Small Space with a Vertical Vegetable Garden.

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