In backyards, balconies, and flower beds across Canada, gardeners are cultivating more than just vegetables. They’re cultivating pride in gardens that are truly Canadian.
That’s especially true of Maggie Wysocki, who runs an organic gardening blog called From Soil to Soul, and lives just outside of Winnipeg. She specializes in helping Zone 3 gardeners find winter-hearty flowers and vegetables that do well in Prairie climates.
“It started very much as a passion project back in 2016,” Wysocki said. “I’ve slowly grown the site since then alongside my skill-set.”
Wysocki, who said her website traffic has tripled since 2020, has seen a post-COVID boom in gardening interest with her followers. “It’s really interesting too, because a lot of the search volume is how to grow things specifically in areas with a short growing season, like where I am,” she said.
Wysocki said a big part of her job is recommending products for gardeners, and prioritizes Canadian products or local businesses wherever she can.
“There’s a massive buy Canadian movement growing in my audience,” Wysocki said. “I’m hesitant to recommend products if I don’t know they’re made in Canada, or if they’re not from a local business.”
Wysocki said her support of Canadian gardening products comes down to keeping more money in communities.
“Canadians are proud to stick together and we create quality things,” Wysocki said. “We have so much here, we really don’t need to outsource anything to the United States.”
When choosing products, Wysocki said the best thing you can do is to avoid the tendency to head straight to the big-box stores.
“It’s so quick and easy to just go to your local Home Depot and pick up whatever supplies they have on the shelf, but the best way to access local, Canadian-made products is to support your small garden centres.”
Wysocki recommends a number of Canadian gardening products, including:
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West Coast Seeds — “... a great Canadian seed supplier with thousands of flower, herb & veggie seeds to choose from. They work with a network of farmers from across Canada to source seed. So that means you can find a seed local to your province and/or a heirloom or hybrid variety that peaks your interest.”
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Sproutbox Garden — “Canadian-made galvanized steel raised beds. These are amazing products and have a 20 year warranty! Such a great way to add beauty to your garden.”
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Sea Magic Kelp Fertilizer — “…my absolute favourite fertilizer for all plants; houseplants, veggies, flowers, shrubs, trees, you name it. It's made in Winnipeg from kelp harvested from the Atlantic ocean. Really reasonably priced and a great way to fertilize the garden organically.”
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PureLife Soil Worm Castings — “... gold for your garden, this Canadian product will add so much nutrients to your soil.”
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SunBlaster Grow Lights — “Canadian brand offering grow lights for indoor seed starting and countertop herb or salad greens.”
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Jan & Jul — “50+ spf protection sun hats at a good price.”
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GrowOya — “…brilliant product, waters plants under the roots by burying a clay vessel under the soil.”
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Veradek — “Stunning planters from a Canadian brand.”
In another part of the country, one gardening duo is focusing on creating beautiful yards for customers with Canadian plants.
Darla Malcolm-Hauraney runs a landscaping and gardening business with her business partner and best friend, Lucy Godinho. Their business is called The Garden Girls, and is based in Oakville, Ont.
“We started the Garden Girls, oh, possibly 18 years ago now,” Malcolm-Hauraney said. “Lucy was a teacher and wanted something to do apart from that. I said we could garden and she didn't know much about gardening and I said, ‘Well, it's all learnable.’”
Malcolm-Hauraney said many clients get into gardening for the first time, but don’t necessarily see how much work it can become.
“I think a lot of people want to get into gardening, but then they don't realize, maybe on the outset, what a chore it is to maintain it and keep it looking nice,” Malcolm-Hauraney said. “That’s where we come in.”
Malcolm-Hauraney said she’s been more cautious about buying Canadian products since the Buy Canadian movement has picked up steam.
“I am more careful and do more research into the things I’m purchasing,” Malcolm-Hauraney said. “Although I was surprised once I did look into some products, how much we actually already have that is Canadian.”
When choosing products, Malcolm-Hauraney said it’s important not to ignore some American companies whose profits stay in Canada.
“Proven Winners is a popular gardening brand, and although they’re American, 98 per cent of the money stays here in Canada,” Malcolm-Hauraney said. “Whether it’s exclusively Canadian or not, you can still support Canadian business.”
According to Malcolm-Hauraney, business has been on the rise and locals are more likely to choose their service over larger companies.
“We’re a local company doing it, and so we tend to get some people who are staying away from the much larger companies that do property maintenance.” Malcolm-Hauraney said.
Malcolm-Hauraney said the most important thing about gardening is finding local plants that help Canadian critters.
“Finding things that feed our biodiversity is so important,” Malcolm-Hauraney said. “Our birds and bees and butterflies all need native plants and things that thrive in our temperate forest climate.”
Malcolm-Hauraney recommends many native keystone trees, shrubs, and flowers that are native to Southern Ontario, including White Oaks (which feeds 436 caterpillar species), Shrub-Prairie Willows, Flowering Perennials, Stiff Leaf Goldenrod, Woodland Sunflowers, Coreopsis, Golden Asters, and Blue Asters, the latter of which feed many butterflies and pollinators.
