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 maga...
Home Composting Made Simple: Leaves, Kitchen Scraps, and Winter
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Do you really need to turn your compost? And what happens when your compost bin freezes in winter?
Kayla Siefried, Education Director at the Compost Education Centre in Victoria, BC, joins me to talk about...
Grow More Food Without a Bigger Garden: Season Extension Made Simple
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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What if you could harvest more food from your vegetable garden without making it any bigger?
Extending the growing season is one way to get more from the garden space you already have. And you don't...
Wicking Beds: Watering from the Bottom Up
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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What if you could water your vegetable garden from below instead of above?
Wicking beds have a built-in water reservoir beneath the soil. Water moves upwards through capillary action, supplying moisture to plant roots.
In t...
The Indiana Jones of Pawpaws: Neal Peterson’s Remarkable Search
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Pawpaw season is nearly here—and this week we’re revisiting a conversation with one of the people responsible for bringing this remarkable fruit back into the spotlight.
Neal Peterson is sometimes called the Indiana Jones of p...
Bonus: Remembering Bob Duncan—“Let’s Try It”
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Bob Duncan showed Canadian gardeners that the line between possible and impossible isn’t always where we think it is.
At Fruit Trees and More, the nursery and demonstration orchard he ran with his wife, Verna, o...
Neighbourhood Foraging: Wild Food for the Gourmet
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Wild food doesn’t have to mean subsistence food.
Robin Henderson, author of The Neighborhood Forager: A Guide for the Wild Food Gourmet, joins Steve and his daughter Emma to talk about what he calls gastrono...
Grow Food Outside the Veggie Patch: Edimentals with Harry Holding
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Food plants are usually assigned to the vegetable patch, while ornamental borders are expected to sit there and look respectable. Garden designer Harry Holding sees no good reason for such strict garden zoning.
Harry is the au...
Growing Food, Jobs, and Hope with Michael Ableman
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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In this episode, Steven revisits a 2020 conversation with farmer, author, photographer, and urban agriculture pioneer Michael Ableman.
Ableman is the co-founder of Vancouver’s Sole Food Street Farms, an urban farming project that turns city land int...
What to Plant After Garlic and Peas: Succession Crops for Summer and Fall
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Once garlic comes out of the garden, you’re left with a useful patch of open soil and one big question: what goes there next?
In this episode, we talk through summer succession planting using garlic h...
An Olive Tree in a Suitcase
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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I once flew home with an olive tree in a suitcase. Maybe not what the average traveller would do, but I was visiting a nursery that had a variety I wanted…which says something about my priorities.
Eve...
Common Quince: The Fragrant Fruit Too Few Gardeners Grow
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Common quince is beautiful, fragrant, useful in the kitchen—and still surprisingly uncommon in Canadian gardens. In this episode, I talk with Matt Soltys, The Urban Orchardist, about why this old fruit deserves another look.
Matt sha...
How to Grow Tomatoes in Cool & Coastal Climates (Without a Greenhouse)
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Growing tomatoes in a cool or maritime climate can feel like an uphill battle. It doesn’t have to be.
In this episode, I’m joined by tomato expert Holly Farrell, author of The Tomato Gro...
Growing Hardy Pears in Cold Climates: What Actually Works
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Pears deserve more respect in cold-climate gardens. While apples dominate the conversation, there are pear varieties that are just as hardy. The problem is, most growers don’t know about them. Varieties like Krazulya, Vekovaya, and Ure aren’t w...
Designing a Vegetable Garden That Actually Works (Rows, Beds & Smart Layouts)
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Designing a vegetable garden can feel simple—until you try to make everything fit. Rows or raised beds? What goes where? And how do you plan it so it still makes sense in July?
In this epi...
Perennial Vegetables: Edible Crops That Come Back Every Year (with Michalina Hunter)
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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In this episode, I chat with Michalina Hunter, founder of Cicada Seeds, about edible perennial crops.
We explore:
Ways to use perennial vegetables in a home-garden settingWhy perennial vegetables are a game-changer for sustainable garden...Grow More Food, Rethink Your Landscape, and Garden Smarter
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Rising food costs have you looking at your food bill? This is a good year to grow more food at home. And in this episode, I have tips to help you hit the ground running this year.
F...
Favourite Vegetable Varieties with Donna Balzer: Tried-and-True and Something New
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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In this episode, I continue my cross-Canada tour to hear about top veggie varieties.
I’m joined by my former co-host, horticulturist, author, and longtime gardening educator Donna Balzer to talk all about her favourite vegetabl...
Introducing: Fig Culture – How to Grow Figs in Cold Climates
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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This is a preview of a new show from Food Garden Life Media.
Hosted by Steven Biggs, Fig Culture explores the world of growing figs in places where they’re not supposed to thrive.
You’ll...
The Wild & Free Garden: Rethinking Gardening, Community, and Creativity with Stephanie Rose
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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In this episode, I sit down with gardening expert and author Stephanie Rose to explore her new book, The Wild & Free Garden.
Need inspiration for your next gardening task or project? Need to reconnect with nature...
Growing Fruit in Cold Climates: Hardy Trees, Fruiting Hedges & Home Orchards with Véronique Alexandre
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Growing fruit in cold climates might seem daunting, especially if you have a small home garden. But with the right trees and a creative mindset, it’s surprisingly achievable.
In this episode, we chat with Véroniqu...
Creating a Perpetual Food Garden That Sows & Grows Itself
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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What if some of your vegetable garden crops came back year after year — with less digging, less fuss, and a continuous harvest?
In this episode, I’m joined by gardening expert Charlie Nardozzi, author of The Contin...
Growing Tomatoes Like a Pro with Frank Hyman (Insights from Ripe Tomato Revolution)
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Ever get to the end of the growing season and realize your tomato patch didn’t live up to the expectations you had when you planted it in the spring?
In this episode we chat with tom...
Prairie Plot & Lots of Tomatoes: A Manitoba Gardener’s Top Varieties and Growing Tips
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Today we continue our cross-Canada tour, chatting with food gardeners, and sharing crop and variety ideas to help you as you plan your 2026 garden.
We head to Manitoba, just outside of Winnipeg, to chat with Brent...
Lawns into Lunch: Growing in Front Yards with City Street Farms (and top crops!)
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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We continue our cross-Canada tour, chatting with inspiring gardeners to hear about favourite varieties and top crops. Today we head to Regina, Saskatchewan, to chat with Candace Benson, who runs City Street Farms. Candace tells us about how she...
A Journal, a Garden, and a Mother’s Love
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Today we’re joined by Helen Battersby, who talks about a gardening book that began as a coping tool. Helen tells us about Margaret Bennet-Alder, who turned to gardening during a difficult family chapter. Inspired by the homemade...
Can’t Choose What to Grow? Favourite Veg Varieties with Niki Jabbour
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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We continue our cross-Canada tour, chatting with inspiring gardeners to find out favourite varieties and top crops.
Today we chat with Niki Jabbour, a CBC radio gardening expert, one of the creators behind the gar...
Lavender got Smoked by Cold? Plant Choices for the Prairies with Dave Hanson
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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We continue our cross-Canada tour of inspiring gardeners to find out favourite varieties and top crops.
Today we chat with Dave Hanson, co-host of The Grow Guide podcast, and owner of Sage Garden Greenhouses in Winnip...
A Tomato that Sets Fruit When its Cold? Vegetable Varieties for a Cool Climate, with Linda Gilkeson
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Leafy greens always seem to bolt too quickly? Can’t figure out why your broccoli isn’t forming heads? Choosing vegetable varieties suited to your climate helps avoid these sorts of frustrations.
In this episode, we get var...
Long, Skinny Garden? Hear How We Tweak This Space
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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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.
<...
Want to Switch Out Your Annuals? Try These Herbs Instead
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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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...
Hear How We Tweak a Public Space to Keep the Aesthetic but Add Edibles
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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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 withou...
From Geranium Glut to Playful Herb Planter Box! A Container Garden Makeover
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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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 g...
Bare Ground, Hard Clay, and not Much Sun: Hear How to Transform this Space
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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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 forg...
Too Cold for Tender Fruit? Hear What this Prairie Grower Does
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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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 summ...
Not Enough Space? Fit in More Crops With These Ideas
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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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 gro...
Tips for Growing Great Tomatoes
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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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...
It’s the May 24…Wondering What Veg to Plant?
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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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 Cana...
How to Harden Off Seedlings: Simple Steps So Your Seedlings Survive Transplanting
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Your vegetable seedlings can look great indoors. Then fall like dominoes in the garden.
If they’re not hardened off.
But if you harden off seedlings, they stand a much better chance once you plan...
Saskatoon Berries: Tough as Nails (as this Zone 2 Grower Explains)
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Wondering about fruit to grow in a cold climate?
Today we head to Alberta, to find out how to grow saskatoon bushes. Arden Delidais grows in Zone 2—and doesn’t get any winter dieback on her saskat...
Skip the Transplants? How to Direct Sow Seeds
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t — Revised & Expanded
My fig book is now more than three times the size of the original, with practical advice on growing in pots, pruning, overwintering, and getting figs ripe—plus ideas from cold-climate fig growers around the world.
Find out more and get your copy.
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Have you tried direct sowing but didn’t get good results? Wondering how to direct sow seeds?
Direct sowing—a.k.a. direct seeding or direct planting—is when we sow seeds straight into the garden. We s...
