The Helpful Gardeners

Is your garden basically an all-you-can-eat buffet for thrips and aphids? 😫
We’re diving into some wild new tech from Japan that uses colored nets—not chemicals—to keep the pests away. Forget everything you saw on that viral "rainbow farm" post, though; we’re getting into the real science of why bugs hate seeing red and how this could be a game-changer for your backyard veggie patch.
CONNECT WITH US 
Show Notes | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.goldenacre.ca/podcast 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thehelpfulgardenerspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave us a Voice Note: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.goldenacre.ca/podcast 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
SPONSORED BY GOLDEN ACRE HOME & GARDEN 
Golden Acre Home & Garden is open 362 a year for all your home and garden needs. Head online or visit us in store in Calgary, AB. 
⁠www.goldenacre.ca⁠ 
 
CREDITS 
Hosted by: Brandi Warren & Colin Hayles 
Voiceover by: Kaelan Shimp⁠⁠ 
Music by: Forestmusic

Grab your sun hat and your besties, because tulip season is coming! From the mountain-backed fields of the Fraser Valley to the historic gardens of Ottawa and the chic pick-your-own vibes in Montreal, we’re breaking down the must-visit Canadian festivals for 2026. Whether you're looking for the perfect IG backdrop or a peaceful morning of sunrise yoga among the petals, there’s a field with your name on it.
CONNECT WITH US 
Show Notes | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.goldenacre.ca/podcast 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thehelpfulgardenerspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave us a Voice Note: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.goldenacre.ca/podcast 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
SPONSORED BY GOLDEN ACRE HOME & GARDEN 
Golden Acre Home & Garden is open 362 a year for all your home and garden needs. Head online or visit us in store in Calgary, AB. 
⁠www.goldenacre.ca⁠ 
 
CREDITS 
Hosted by: Brandi Warren & Colin Hayles 
Voiceover by: Kaelan Shimp⁠⁠ 
Music by: Forestmusic

Have you ever felt guilty looking at the pile of plastic containers after potting up all your annuals every spring? Do you often keep all those packages, trying to find alternative uses to give them a second life? While modern packaging has come a long way from the OG Styrofoam clamshells, the greenhouse industry is continuing to pave the way to sustainability.
In this week’s episode of The Helpful Gardeners, we’re diving into the “Sustainability Wrap”—a movement that’s changing how plants are packaged and sold. From biodegradable wraps to compostable containers, we’re here for it.

Mentioned in this episode:
Lessons in a ‘Great Depression’ Garden

CONNECT WITH US 
Show Notes | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.goldenacre.ca/podcast 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thehelpfulgardenerspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave us a Voice Note: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.goldenacre.ca/podcast 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
SPONSORED BY GOLDEN ACRE HOME & GARDEN 
Golden Acre Home & Garden is open 362 a year for all your home and garden needs. Head online or visit us in store in Calgary, AB.  ⁠www.goldenacre.ca⁠ 
 
CREDITS 
Hosted by: Brandi Warren & Colin Hayles 
Voiceover by: Kaelan Shimp⁠⁠ 
Music by: Forestmusic

Need inspiration and expert advice? We're on the road this week to the Calgary Home & Garden Show! If you've never been to an event like this, it's like Costco. Google Maps, and Pinterest all under one roof. You do the weave and see 100+ local businesses dealing in a variety of niche projects, from roofing to landscaping to hot tubs. Most of these businesses will have show specials too, so you can get the work done for a fraction of the price. Plus, there are elements of inspiration you may not have thought of which you'll see in today's video.
So, come along on this bonus episode of the podcast as we explore the show!

The second the sun stays out past 5:00 PM, the "garden itch" hits hard. We start dreaming of heirloom tomatoes and crisp lettuce, and suddenly, we’re staring at our empty raised beds like they’re a blank canvas. But if you’re like our listener Ben, you’re wondering: Am I being too keen? If I fill these beds now, will all that "good stuff" in the soil be gone by April?
In this week's episode, we’re breaking down the science of soil prep, why your slow-release fertilizer needs to stay in the shed a little longer, and a game-changer for the "forgetful waterers" among us: wicking beds.

CONNECT WITH US 
Show Notes | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.goldenacre.ca/podcast 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thehelpfulgardenerspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave us a Voice Note: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.goldenacre.ca/podcast 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
SPONSORED BY GOLDEN ACRE HOME & GARDEN 
Golden Acre Home & Garden is open 362 a year for all your home and garden needs. Head online or visit us in store in Calgary, AB. 
⁠www.goldenacre.ca⁠ 
 
CREDITS 
Hosted by: Brandi Warren & Colin Hayles 
Voiceover by: Kaelan Shimp⁠⁠ 
Music by: Forestmusic