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Whether you want to grow plants indoors or outdoors, I’ve got you covered.

Garden filled with flowers and garden shed.

Much of the advice here is suited to four-season cold climate gardens (USDA and Canadian hardiness zones 4 to 8). Some things may work for colder areas and I have no experience with hotter areas.

I have been gardening for many years and do my best to work with nature—not against it.

Backyard garden with grass path and flowering perennials in front of shed.

This means I grow organically, and, to keep it frugal, start a lot of plants from seed and expand on what thrives in this environment.

Here in Ontario, Canada (zone 6b), I grow vegetables, fruit, flowering perennials, trees, and shrubs. I also have two small ponds and welcome the wild things that gather there.

You can see a yearly photo tour of my garden here.

I produce as much compost as I can to enrich the soil (an ongoing struggle) and avoid all short-term fixes including sprays.

Grow Topics

Main Categories

By Season: Spring | Summer | Fall and Winter

Plant Propagation | Growing Tips | Food Growing
Seasonal Tips | Indoor Growing

Free Online Tools

Soil Calculator | Use this free tool to estimate the amount of soil, potting mix, mulch, or compost needed for your garden bed, raised beds, window box, or flower pots.

Garden Name Generator | Use this fun tool to find your garden’s true name. It’s creative and,dare we say, poetic, and gives ideas for garden signs.

Popular

  • How to Grow Avocado From Seed | If you’ve been trying to root avocado seeds by suspending them over a glass of water with toothpicks, there is an easier way. I’ll show you a no-fuss way to root avocado pits to create new houseplants.
  • How to Grow Pothos From Cuttings | This simple tutorial shows how to take cuttings from your pothos houseplant (Epipremnum aureum) and root them for new plants.
  • How to Grow Mango From Seed | This easy method shows how to grow a mango tree from seed using a mango from the grocery store. Eat the mango, save the seed, and follow these simple steps to grow it into a plant.
  • Four Easy Ways to Overwinter Geraniums | There are several ways to overwinter geraniums (Pelargoniums) from your garden. With some newspaper, a cardboard box, paper bag, or a sunny windowsill, you can keep these tender perennials for the winter and have fresh blooms next spring and summer. I’ll walk you through the options and provide winter care tips.
  • How to Grow Pineapple From the Top | Yes, you can grow a pineapple plant from the top of the fruit. This shows you how to prepare the fruit, take the right cutting, and root it in water for a new plant.

1Outdoor Gardening

  • By Season:| Spring | Summer | Fall and Winter
  • Seasonal Garden Tasks | A year-round checklist
  • Flower Growing Guides | Tips for popular plants
  • Vegetable Growing Tips | Grow food anywhere
  • Garden Fundamentals | Basics for new growers and garden folklore
  • Frugal & Organic Garden Tips | Save money: kind to earth
  • Pruning and Deadheading | When to snip and clip
  • Plant Lists | Handy idea lists
  • Ponds and Water Features | Water is life!

2Plant Propagation Tips

  • Plant Propagation Tips | Seeds, cuttings, and more.
  • 20 Plant Propagation Tutorials For Gardeners

3Indoor Gardening

  • Houseplants | Tropical plants and succulent care
  • Indoor Food Growing | Veggies and herbs
  • Winter-Busting Indoor Garden Projects

4Empress of Dirt Books

  • Popular Topics | Get all the goodness in files to save to your device.
View of back garden with flower beds.

Let’s sow!

Grow

Grow

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt â™›

Grow garden photos at Empress of Dirt
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Melissa J. Will - Empress of DirtWelcome!
I’m Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada).
Join me as I share creative + frugal home & garden ideas with a dash of humor.
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