Grand Rising Gardens - Garden Consultant

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Grand Rising Gardens - Garden Consultant Helping you grow the knowledge and confidence to garden organically & eat seasonally — zone 3b

10/10/2026

Now is the time to plant hardneck garlic in Manitoba 🧄

For us prairie growers, you’ll want to plant your garlic in mid to late October — a few weeks before the ground freezes. This gives the cloves time to grow roots before winter without sending up too much leafy growth.

Garlic needs a long cold period to divide into cloves, and our winters take care of that for us.

Hardneck garlic is super cold hardy, which is why it’s the best choice for fall planting here. It has fewer but bigger cloves and grows curly scapes in early summer that add great flavour to anything you’re cooking.

I recommend buying your seed garlic from a local grower or seed supplier rather than a grocery store. This will ensure that the variety you’re choosing is suitable to grow in our climate.

Pictured here — Red Russian from West Coast Seeds 🌱

04/10/2026

Fall in the garden brings a lot of questions 🍂 these are the ones I’ve been hearing most from clients so far this season ↓

WHEN SHOULD I TOP MY TOMATOES?
— usually end of August - mid September depending on the state of your plant and weather ahead. Pinch off the growing tip and new flowers so the plant focuses its energy into ripening the fruit already established on the plant. You can also pick green tomatoes and let them ripen off the vine if there is a risk of frost.

WHEN DO I HARVEST MY WINTER SQUASH?
— once the colour has fully developed, the skin has a matte like finish, the stem is dry and corky, or before the risk of frost.

HOW DO I PRESERVE MY HARVEST FOR THE OFF SEASON?
— depends on what you have growing, but I love to freeze zucchini, beans, celery, and basil pesto. I can or quick pickle salsa, sauce, onions, hot peppers, and pickles. Dry herbs and edible flowers. Store squash, onions, garlic and root veggies somewhere cool and dark.

WHY AREN’T MY PEPPERS RIPENING?
— peppers need a long, hot season, and our cool nights later in fall slow them down. Have patience and give them a little more time before our first frost. Green peppers are also delicious and you can also bring them inside to ripen on the counter if there is a risk of frost.

WHAT SEEDS CAN I SAVE?
— open-pollinated or heirloom plants, not hybrids. Some of my favourites to save are tomatoes, peppers, calendula and marigolds are easy to start with.

WHAT GROWS WELL IN COOL WEATHER?
— kale, spinach, carrots, winter radish, and greens all handle frost and can get sweeter after a cold snap.

Have a question of your own or need some help in your space this fall? Send me a message and let’s chat about booking a consultation!

29/09/2026

The wait is finally over, squash season is upon us! 🎃

Butternut is one of my favourite winter storage squash to grow. Once they’re fully ripe and cured, they’ll store for months when kept somewhere cool and dry, so you can eat from your garden all through the off season.

If frost is coming and you’ve still got a few underripe ones left of the vine, pick them anyway! They won’t sweeten up much in storage, so eat those first — roast them, blend them into soup, or purée them for baking.

Pictured here — Waltham & Tiana from West Coast Seeds 🌱

24/09/2026

I looovvveee to grow calendula in my garden year after year! It is a beautiful flower that brings in so many pollinators and has great medicinal benefits when used topically or as a tea which is one of the reasons I recommend it to my clients every growing season.

Calendula can be direct sown here in Manitoba and one plant gives you enough seeds for next year’s garden and plenty to share, so once you buy calendula once, you never have to buy it again!

21/09/2026

September is my favourite month in the garden because everythinngggg is ready for harvest! Cooler nights are sweetening everything, and the harvest basket keeps getting fuller!

Here’s what varieties are coming out of the garden this weekend and where I got the seeds ↓

🫑 Flavourburst — West Coast Seeds 🌱 — An early bell pepper that ripens from lime green to golden yellow. Sweet, compact, sturdy plants with thick walled fruit.

🫑 King of the North — West Coast Seeds 🌱 — A bell pepper bred for short cool seasons like here in Manitoba. Blocky fruits ripen from green to red and get sweeter as they colour.

💚 Tango — West Coast Seeds 🌱 — A celery with stringless, low fibre stalks and a strong flavour. The aromatic leaves are great in stalks, soups, and savoury dishes.

🫘 Gold Rush — West Coast Seeds 🌱 — A yellow wax bush bean with tender, stringless pods. The most perfect buttery bean great for cooking, pickling, and freezing.

💛 Yellowfin zucchini — West Coast Seeds 🌱 — Golden smooth skinned fruit with a rich buttery texture. Nearly spineless plants, resistant to powdery mildew.

🍅 San Marzano — West Coast Seeds 🌱 — Classic Italian paste tomato. Thick, meaty flesh with low moisture, ideal for sauce and canning.

💚 Green Zebra — West Coast Seeds 🌱 — A green striped tomato that stays green when ripe, with a sweet flavour and a zing. Firm fruits are perfect for salsas and salads.

🍅 Rosso Sicilian — Sage Garden Greenhouses — An Italian heirloom, deeply ribbed tomato with a floral like shape when sliced. Firm, nearly seedless flesh, great for sauce and sandwiches.

🍅 Get Stuffed — West Coast Seeds 🌱 — Blocky, striped fruits shaped almost like a bell pepper. Perfect for stuffing or eating raw.

This is the payoff for months of planting, weeding, and waiting. Nothing beats a September harvest basket!

Save this for inspiration next growing season!!

13/09/2026

All zucchini’s are good zucchinis, but the perfect size is key to getting the best texture and taste.

For the perfect zucc, aim to harvest them between 6 to 8 inches long. This plant grows super fast, so it’s easy to miss a few. If that happens, you can still eat it — just scoop out the bigger seeds if they bug you before slicing or shred it for cakes and breads.

03/09/2026

Algorithm cleanse 🐝 bees are back to remind you that pollination stations in an urban setting are so so important!!

30/08/2026

Beyond their beautiful look, marigolds are one of the most useful flowers you can grow in the garden.

They’re an excellent all around companion plant that grows well alongside a bunch of different crops. They help deter pests like nematodes, aphids, and cabbage worms, while attracting beneficial pollinators like bumblebees.

The best thing about growing these flowers is once you buy the seeds or plants once, you never have to buy them again!

25/08/2026

Harvesting today’s blooms for a local chef — “give me anything beautiful” is my favorite kind of ask! So fun to be able to curate the perfect selection of edible blooms and then see them come to life and elevate a dish.

Looking to bring a little something extra to your plate, drinks, or baked goods? Send me a DM and let’s chat what edible flowers are currently in season!

23/08/2026

PART 2! Shopping for seeds and choosing a variety can feel overwhelming at times — there are so many brands to choose from, and so many varieties within each one!

Here are some varieties that I’ve tried this season and if I’d grow them again ↓

Yellowfin from West Coast Seeds 🌱 — golden, buttery zucchini with smooth skin and rich flavour. Bushy plants held up great against powdery mildew. Will grow again!

Black Beauty zucchini from West Coast Seeds 🌱 — the classic dark green zucchini, loaded with fruit early and often. Productive plant with creamy flesh and also freezes great. Will grow again!

Serrano Pathfinder from West Coast Seeds 🌱 — My hot pepper with the highest yields. Slim thick walled peppers that have great heat. Will grow again!

Black Magic jalapeño from West Coast Seeds 🌱 — a very dark green jalapeño with the perfect spice. Highly productive plants loaded with thick walled fruit that get spicier the longer they’re left on the plant. Will grow again!

Have you tried any of these varieties yet? Save this for when you’re planning next year’s garden 🌶️

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