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

Grow garden photos at Empress of Dirt

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.

Let’s sow!

Grow

Grow

Grow Topics

Click any link to jump to the topic

1Outdoor Gardening

  • Seasonal | Spring | Summer | Fall and Winter
  • Monthly Garden Tasks | What to sow, grow, and create
  • Flower Growing Guides | Tips for popular plants
  • Fruit & 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.

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 an instant download

1Outdoor Gardening

Spring

Claytonia is an example of a spring flowering bulb that provides nectar for pollinators.
20 Fall Flower Bulbs to Plant for Spring Pollinators
10 Delightful Plants for Early Spring Flowers
Canadian plant hardiness zone map.
How to Find Your Canadian Plant Hardiness Zone
See More >>

Summer

40 Flowering Plants for a Cottage-Style Garden
10 Best Tips Before You Plant Tomatoes
How to Grow Plants from Seeds & Cuttings
See More >>

Fall & Winter

Growing tomatoes indoors in pots on a windowsill.
Grow Vegetables Indoors (Easy Beginner’s Guide)
Hyacinths blooming indoors.
7 Winter-Busting Indoor Garden Projects to Lift Your Mood
January Garden Tasks: What to Make & Grow
See More >>

Monthly Garden Tasks

September Garden Tasks: What to Make & Grow
October Garden Tasks: What to Make & Grow
November Garden Tasks: What to Make & Grow
See More >>

Flowering Growing Tips

Purple lilac shrub blooming in the garden.
How to Grow Lilacs: Care, Prune, Propagate
How to Collect & Grow Milkweed Seeds (Asclepias)
Sweet pea flowers in the garden.
10 Best Tips for Growing Sweet Peas
See More >>

Fruit & Vegetable Growing Tips

Little girl working in a garden with pink hyacinths and a yellow pail.
Gardening With Kids: 35 Playful & Practical Ideas
Get Growing with Square Foot Gardening
Raised garden beds with plants and vegetables.
10 Smart Reasons to Use Raised Beds in Your Garden
See More >>

Garden Fundamentals

Sowing seeds indoors.
How to Sow Seeds Indoors Step-by-Step
Blue delphinium flowers in the garden.
How to Grow Delphiniums
Garden plants in pots and flowering annuals.
10 Garden Mistakes that Waste Money
See More >>

Frugal & Organic Garden Tips

How to Grow Plants from Seeds & Cuttings
Leafy greens growing in a garden.
How to Grow Your First Vegetable Garden (Right Now)
Examples of smart ways to solve common garden problems.
24 Clever Garden Problem-Solvers Using Household Items
See More >>

Pruning and Deadheading

Various clematis vines growing in the garden with pink, red, blue, and white flowers.
Clematis 101 Easy Care Guide
Pruning Tips for New Gardeners (Trees, Shrubs, and Vines)
How to Deadhead Flowers for More Blooms
See More >>

Plant Lists

16 Garden Vegetables That Sweeten with Frost
What to Sow in Fall Before It Snows
Helpful & Harmful Plants for Backyard Chickens
See More >>

Ponds and Water Features

Make a Container Water Garden for Your Patio
Fountain in a fairy garden made from a tiny watering can.
Make a Miniature Fairy Garden Fountain that Really Works
Backyard garden pond built by one person.
How I Built a Backyard Pond By Myself
Load More

2Plant Propagation Tips

Track Indoor Seedlings Without Plant Tags
Propagating hydrangea using a stem cutting.
How to Grow Hydrangea from Cuttings
Example of plant grafting with two scions and one rootstock.
What is Plant Grafting?
See More >>

3Indoor Gardening

These are my best tips for successfully growing tropical houseplants and veggies indoors.

Houseplants

Purple African violet flowers coming into bloom.
How to Make African Violets Bloom & Rebloom
Examples of bulbs you can force to flower indoors including hyacinth and tulips.
How to Force Flowering Bulbs Indoors and Get the Timing Just Right
Red geraniums in a wicker basket.
4 Easy Ways to Overwinter Geraniums
See More >>

Indoor Food Growing

How to get started growing vegetables and herbs in your home without any special equipment.

Gloved hand cutting salad greens with fine snippers.
How to Grow Salad Greens that Regrow
Various microgreens grown at home including broccoli and sunflower.
How to Grow Microgreens Indoors
Hyacinths blooming indoors.
7 Winter-Busting Indoor Garden Projects to Lift Your Mood
See More >>

4Empress of Dirt Books

These delightful ebooks are available for instant download.

Hand-dyed wall hanging of a tree and sky.
Fabric Dyeing 101: Simple Instructions for Beautiful Fabrics
Growing leafy salad greens indoors at home.
Growing Salads Indoors—Year-Round
One-of-a-Kind Garden Ideas for Your Growing Space
See More >>

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~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

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.
More: Contact/About
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