What to Grow

Are there fruits and vegetables that your family just can't get enough of?  These just might be the ones you want to grow!  You'll also want to think about whether you plan to snack right off the plant (yum!), prepare meals and baked goods, or preserve your produce for the winter months.  You can browse our plant menu by how you plan to use the fruit and vegetables.  

If you're just starting out, we recommend choosing from our list of easy to grow choices including pears, raspberries, peppers, or herbs.  If you're more experienced, you may want to try stone fruit like peaches and cherries.  Our plant menu has handy categories geared to your level of experience to help you choose what's best for your skills.  

The USDA establishes growing zones based on climate data to help you choose plants suited to your location.  Zones are determined by typical hottest and coldest temperatures over the year and how long the temperature stays within those ranges.  You can choose to grow plants at a lower number than your zone, but we do not recommend choosing plants for a higher zone because they may not survive the winter.

Nearly all of our plants are hardy to a Zone 5, which covers most of Southwestern Ontario.  You'll want to choose from our Cottage Cuisine collection if you are gardening further north because these plants are hardy to a Zone 4.  

The above information largely applies to perennial plants that feed people.  Annual plants do not survive winter outdoors anywhere in Ontario.

Some plants need to be replanted each spring (annuals) and others come back year over year (perennials).  If you're looking for just this season, you'll want to choose annual plants like herbs and tomatoes.  If you're planning for the longer term, fruit trees, shrubs, and vines are great permaculture options.  A well cared for fruit tree can produce for as many as 20 years before the quality and quantity of fruit starts to declined.  Strawberries are a good compromise because they are a budget-friendly plant that can be container grown and usually comes back for a few seasons when tucked away for winter.  

While all plants that feed people require regular care, some have more needs than others.  Once established, fruit trees, shrubs, and vines can often be left on their own if you plan to travel during the growing season.  On the other hand, tender plants such as herbs, tomatoes, and peppers may require daily watering during hot, dry periods - someone would need to check on them if you're away for more than a day or two.  You'll want to choose plants that fit with your capacity to care for them to avoid disappointment.  We've included care requirements on our plant menu so you can identify which will work best for your lifestyle.