Are you thinking of growing a potted olive tree? Or maybe you already have one…but you’re still waiting for olives. Olive trees are tough as nails. They can take more cold than many people realize. And they’re really beautiful, too. Put these all together, and you have a great potted plant for a cold-climate garden.In my new book, Grow Olives Where You Think You Can't, I tell you everything you need to know to successfully grow an olive tree in a pot! ***Not sure what to do with a long, skinny, straight-edged garden beside a driveway, patio, or building?In this episode, we take a long, slender ornamental garden and reimagine the space with edible plants.The garden we’re thinking about is actually a little sliver of the Joan of Arc Garden in Quebec City. But these same ideas work well in in many home-garden situations.We talk about:Crop ideas (kales, Thai basil, borage, shiso, and fern-leaf parsley)Groupings vs. individual plantsUrns for adding height an interest in this skinny spacePlants that last into the fall vs. plants that fade with fall weatherIf you’re looking for more on edible flowers like borage, check out this article about edible flowers.
***- 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!
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19:14
Want to Switch Out Your Annuals? Try These Herbs Instead
Are you thinking of growing a potted olive tree? Or maybe you already have one…but you’re still waiting for olives. Olive trees are tough as nails. They can take more cold than many people realize. And they’re really beautiful, too. Put these all together, and you have a great potted plant for a cold-climate garden.In my new book, Grow Olives Where You Think You Can't, I tell you everything you need to know to successfully grow an olive tree in a pot! ***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!
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19:11
Hear How We Tweak a Public Space to Keep the Aesthetic but Add Edibles
Are you thinking of growing a potted olive tree? Or maybe you already have one…but you’re still waiting for olives. Olive trees are tough as nails. They can take more cold than many people realize. And they’re really beautiful, too. Put these all together, and you have a great potted plant for a cold-climate garden.In my new book, Grow Olives Where You Think You Can't, I tell you everything you need to know to successfully grow an olive tree in a pot! ***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!
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23:00
From Geranium Glut to Playful Herb Planter Box! A Container Garden Makeover
Are you thinking of growing a potted olive tree? Or maybe you already have one…but you’re still waiting for olives. Olive trees are tough as nails. They can take more cold than many people realize. And they’re really beautiful, too. Put these all together, and you have a great potted plant for a cold-climate garden.In my new book, Grow Olives Where You Think You Can't, I tell you everything you need to know to successfully grow an olive tree in a pot! ***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!
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22:36
Bare Ground, Hard Clay, and not Much Sun: Hear How to Transform this Space
Are you thinking of growing a potted olive tree? Or maybe you already have one…but you’re still waiting for olives. Olive trees are tough as nails. They can take more cold than many people realize. And they’re really beautiful, too. Put these all together, and you have a great potted plant for a cold-climate garden.In my new book, Grow Olives Where You Think You Can't, I tell you everything you need to know to successfully grow an olive tree in a pot! ***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 heightIf 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!
About 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.
Listen to Food Garden Life Show: Helping You Harvest More from Your Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, and Edible Landscaping, The Magnus Archives and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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