Welcome to the first garden update of 2026! The ground here in the North is still frozen solid. We are waking up to snow almost every other day. While it can be a bit demoralizing, this weather forces me to sit down and get serious about spring garden planning.
I get questions constantly from people wanting to grow their own food with limited room. Today, I am sharing exactly what I would do if I had to design a small space garden plan. We are going to look at a standard 10×10 foot space. I will show you how to lay it out, what to plant, and exactly how much money it can save you at the grocery store.
If there is one theme for the 2026 garden at Little Mountain Ranch, it is restraint. (Okay, attempted restraint. We all know how hard it is to say no to just one more variety of squash!)
There is a lot of work that goes into building a pantry—from growing the food and preserving it to learning how to shop in bulk. However, the most critical part of managing a pantry happens right now, just before the new gardening season begins.
Welcome back to the garden! We’ve reached my very favourite time of year—early to mid-July. After a long, cool spring, everything is finally starting to take off. The weeds are mostly managed, the big overwhelming harvests haven’t started yet, and the first flowers are beginning to bloom. It’s the garden’s sweet spot, and I’m so happy to take you on a full tour today.
If you’ve ever grown onions, you know the harvest is one of the most rewarding moments of the season. But the real magic comes afterward: when you cure, store, and preserve them properly, your onions can last for months and provide homegrown flavour all winter long.
Squash is one of the most generous crops in the garden, but knowing when to harvest makes all the difference in how long it will last and how good it will taste. Whether you’re picking tender summer squash for tonight’s dinner or waiting on winter squash to fully mature for the pantry, the right timing … Read more
When I first envisioned building a forest garden on our property, I pictured a space that could mostly care for itself—fruit trees, berries, herbs, and medicinal plants all layered together like a natural ecosystem. And while that vision has come to life in many ways, I’m now several years in, and it’s time to take a closer look at what’s working… and what needs to change.
Every year, I get a little more excited about garlic season — from planting in the fall to that first tug when the large bulbs come out of the ground at harvest time. This year, I grew different varieties of organic and heirloom varieties, and I wanted to share the types I planted last year, why I chose them, and how they’ve performed so far.
I’m not the type of person who is very good at keeping lists and records in general, but I’m especially bad at it when it comes to my garden. I have found a way around my horrible record-keeping and just save my seed orders from year to year. This way I have a record of … Read more
