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Dig Plant Love

This passion continues with my current garden at home in Montreal (now with a few little human seedlings of my own to help carry on the tradition). Sandra

Sandra - Flower Grower & Garden Consultant
🌱 Helping you create beautiful cut flower, vegetable and herb gardens
🌱 Raised bed gardens
📍West Island and greater Montreal area I've always been in love with gardening, from my summers spent in my family's garden to the open-air markets in Europe, surrounded by beautiful flowers and seasonal vegetables. Fortunately, I've always found a mentor, a kind of

gardening sherpa, to help me blossom (pun intended) as a gardener. I add to their wisdom through endless gardening books and note-taking, and I'm always keeping my eyes open for new inspiration. With Dig Plant Love I’m hoping to create a space and a feeling of community to support and to inspire anyone who’s interested in gardening. You might be a newcomer who doesn't know where to start, or a seasoned enthusiast who’s always looking for some new ideas. In any case, I'd like to invite you to plant yourself here.

02/02/2025

Kids’ Favorite Garden Snack #5: Cherry Tomatoes! 🍅

If you saw my last posts, you might have noticed that most of what kids love eating from the garden is small and sweet.

The same applies to tomatoes—they love snacking on cherry varieties because they’re usually sweeter than larger ones, plus they’re fun to pick and eat!

If you’re a beginner gardener planning to grow tomatoes, I recommend starting with cherry varieties. The plants can get wild (they’ll need some pruning), but they produce quickly, ripen faster, and yield a lot!

Growing tips:

🍅 Full sun = more flavor and sweeter tomatoes!

🍅 Tomatoes are heavy feeders—prepare the soil with good compost.

🍅 Unless you’re growing dwarf or determinate varieties, you’ll need to support your plants with cages, stakes, or a trellis to keep them from sprawling.

🍅 Harvest ripe fruits often to encourage more production.

🍅 You can grow tomatoes in containers—ideally 12” deep (or more). The general rule: the bigger the container, the better! Look for dwarf or determinate varieties for container growing.

01/02/2025

Kids’ Favorite Garden Snack #4: Raspberries! ✨

Ripening sweet raspberries are always a good reason for my girls to make regular trips to the garden for a snack! They’re packed with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants—healthy and delicious. Raspberry leaves can be used in tea as they have medicinal properties too!

I grow a thornless variety, Joan J, which makes picking so easy.

A few growing tips:

✅ A sunny spot is best, but they tolerate some afternoon shade. Mine don’t get full sun, and they still produce quite well.

✅ They like slightly acidic, moist, and rich soil.

✅ Raspberry plants can get a little unruly—you’ll need to stake them and keep the patch in check.

✅ Pruning is important to keep them productive.

✅ Short on space? Try “Raspberry Shortcake,” a compact variety perfect for patio or balcony containers.

For years, I avoided raspberries, imagining a thorny mess taking over my garden. But two years in, I’m so glad I caved! The whole family enjoys the berries, and the best part? No thorns! :)

30/01/2025

Continuing with kids’ favorite garden snacks—today’s feature: Alpine strawberries! 🍓

One of my sweetest childhood memories is picking these tiny, fragrant strawberries from sunny patches in the forest or meadow. If you managed to fill a whole cup, the smell alone could make you dizzy with happiness!

Later, my mom grew them in our garden—not quite as fragrant as their wild sisters, but still delicious and a little bigger.

I’ve been growing alpine strawberries for the past few years, and they’re such a treat for my kids! Here’s why they’re amazing:

✅ They produce fruit all season long—unlike regular strawberries!

✅ No runners—so they won’t take over your garden.

✅ Critter-resistant—at least in my garden!

✅ Perennial—they’ll keep coming back for about three years.

✅ Tolerant of some shade—though they love full sun.

✅ Easy to grow—if you’re not ready to start from seed, stay tuned! I’ll have seedlings for sale in spring (newsletter subscribers get first dibs 😉).

Because these berries are small and delicate, they’re best picked and eaten fresh—they don’t store well, but trust me, they won’t last long anyway!

If you’re looking for a low-maintenance, kid-friendly fruit to grow this year, alpine strawberries are a must. Just be warned—you might have to race your kids to get a taste! 😆🍓

29/01/2025

Continuing with kids’ favorite garden snacks—today’s feature: sugar snap peas! 🫛🫛

We usually snack on them fresh off the vine, toss them into salads, or add them to kids’ lunch boxes. When picked young, they’re like nature’s candy—sweet and tender.

Here are a few growing tips:

🫛Just like radishes, peas need cool weather to get established.

🫛 Sow them early in spring (as soon as the soil can be worked). In our zone, that’s usually around mid-April.

🫛 Plant them directly in the soil—they don’t love being transplanted.

🫛 These babies can grow really tall, so give them something to climb! Trellises, bamboo stakes, or even a simple chicken net will do.

🫛 You can grow shorter varieties in containers too.

🫛 Harvest them often to encourage more pods to grow.

🌱 Bonus: You can eat the tender pea shoots too—they’re delicious in salads or stir-fries!

If you’re looking for an easy and tasty crop to grow this spring—whether in a container or in your garden—sugar snap peas are a must! They’re perfect for beginner gardeners and a great way to get kids excited about eating fresh, homegrown veggies.

28/01/2025

Continuing with kids’ favorite garden snacks—today’s feature: French breakfast radishes!

These little beauties are a spring garden staple in our house. The kids love them in salads, on sandwiches, or just as a crunchy snack in their lunch boxes.

Radishes are like healthy fast food straight from the garden—they mature in just three weeks!

I’ve tried a few varieties over the years, but French breakfast radishes are definitely our favorite. They’re easy to grow (even if radishes have been tricky for you before), mild, juicy, crunchy and so cute! My only mistake? Never planting enough of them. That’s going to change this spring!

Here are a few growing tips:

- Radishes are a cool-season crop, so sow them early in spring (mid-April is a good time) when heavy frosts are done, but it’s still cool.
- For a steady harvest, sow new seeds every 2 weeks, 2-3 times.
- They like full sun and moist soil.
- Sow seeds directly in the soil—radishes don’t transplant well.
- You can grow them in containers too! Just make sure the container is at least 12” deep.
- Bonus: Radish leaves are edible too!

So, grab a seed packet and give them a try this spring. Your kids might love them as much as mine do!

26/01/2025

100% local and 100% Canadian. In these strange times, finding even small ways to be more sustainable makes a difference. Lettuce is one of the easiest things to grow—you don’t need a super sunny garden or tons of space. You can even grow lettuce and herbs in patio containers!

If you’ve been thinking about starting a little kitchen garden this spring, I’d love to help you get it going. Let’s make it happen!

21/01/2025

Why are evergreens a must-have in your garden?Because they are the multitaskers!

🌿 They create structure in your flower beds and add much-needed winter interest.
🌿 They’re perfect for hiding an ugly fence or an eyesore in your (or your neighbor’s) yard.
🌿 Plus, they make the best all year round privacy screens.

Winter is the perfect time to step back and really look at your garden. With all the flowers gone, does it feel like something’s missing? Would it be nice to see some greenery during those long winter months?

Or maybe, now that everything is flat, you’re noticing things you’d rather not see? Evergreens can be a great addition to your garden for both beauty and practicality.

👉 Pro tip: Take photos of your garden throughout the year—they’re so helpful when planning your dream garden!

20/01/2025

Isn’t this ‘meadow’ just stunning? I snapped these photos a few years ago while visiting my family in Lithuania, and it still makes me smile. Here’s what caught my eye:

🌸 The vibrant colors bringing all the summer cheer
🌸 The simplicity—just two types of flowers: zinnias and verbena bonariensis
🌸 Both are perfect for cutting and arranging into beautiful bouquets
🌸 It was alive with bees and butterflies—they absolutely love these flowers!
🌸 And guess what? Zinnias and verbena belong in your veggie patch too! They attract pollinators and other beneficial bugs to help with pest control.

Both are super easy to grow from seed:

🌱 Zinnias can be sown directly in the soil.
🌱 Verbena thrives with the winter sowing method (my favorite!).

Would you join a winter sowing webinar if I hosted one? Let me know in the comments!

15/01/2025

A warm summer breeze, vibrant flowers, ripe tomatoes, or oh-so-sweet raspberries might feel like a distant dream when you’re in Montreal in January. 🥶

But it’s that dream that keeps us hopeful and resilient. Summer, with all its goodness, will come! ☀️

Let’s keep that dream alive and start planning to make the most of the summer ahead. 🌤️

Learn, grow, taste, and try something new that’s truly good for you—whether it’s growing a few herbs in a patio container, planting a small flower bed, or going all in with a raised bed garden that will burst with healthy, beautiful things in just a few weeks. 🌶️🫛🍅🥬🥕💐

I’m here to help turn your January gardening dreams into reality. 🌱✨

08/01/2025

Hello friends! New year, new faces—so I thought it’d be a good time to reintroduce myself! 👩🏻‍🌾

I’m Sandra, the person behind Dig Plant Love.

My journey to Canada started in Lithuania (where I was born), then took me through Iceland and the Netherlands before landing here. 🇨🇦

In the past, my moves were for studies, and those came with a ready-made community. But when I moved to Canada for love (my husband ❤️) I knew I’d have to start fresh and figure out my place—and my people—on my own.

That’s where gardening came in. Growing flowers and food helped me build a community, one seed at a time. It’s been amazing to connect with so many of you along the way!

Why gardening? Oh, my, don’t get me started here, haha. Too many benefits! Honestly, it’s so good for the body and soul—it’s exercise, therapy, and meditation all in one. 🧘🏻‍♀️ And let’s not forget the beauty—so much beauty!

This year, I’m growing fewer flowers myself, but I’m so excited to focus on helping YOU grow more—whether it’s flowers, veggies, or confidence in your garden.

Thanks for being part of this journey with me—I can’t wait to see what we’ll grow together this year! 🌱💐

07/01/2025

I found this lovely Mother’s Day gift from my youngest one from a few years ago. She knows me well! 🥰

And speaking of gardening… even though it’s only January, it’s already constantly on my mind.

I’m super excited for the upcoming season—I have some fun projects lined up this spring in my clients’ backyards.

If you’re thinking about starting a garden but aren’t sure where to begin, or if you want to enhance your green space for that garden-to-table lifestyle, let’s chat! Feel free to reach out with any questions or ideas—I’m always up for talking about gardening! 🌼

24/12/2024

Dear friends,

✨ Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, and abundant New Year! ✨

I’m so grateful to be surrounded by such quality people (yes, that’s all of you!). Thank you for choosing local, for your smiles, compliments, comments, likes, and follows. It means a lot to me, and I want you to know how much I appreciate you. 💚

Have a peaceful and joyful holiday season!
With love,
Sandra & family

21/12/2024

Looking for a last-minute Christmas gift? This combo is perfect for anyone who loves flowers, a healthy lifestyle, and gardening!

• Personal Garden Consultation Gift Card
• Practical Garden Scissors

🎁 Limited quantities available. Offer ends December 31st!
🌱 Give yourself or your loved one a gift that grows! 🌱

18/12/2024

🎁 Dig Plant Love Gift Certificates available!

It’s perfect for a budding or experienced gardener.

Gift Certificate Details:

- It’s valid for a one hour personal garden consultation
- BONUS - it comes with a nice pair of garden scissors (perfect for garden greens & flowers)
- This offer is valid until December 31st
- Investment: $150

Don’t miss this chance to start growing something amazing this year! Send me a message to purchase this special gift that keeps on giving! 💌🌱

17/12/2024

Winter days may be cold and short, but your home doesn’t have to be! I offer a limited number of Fresh Christmas Bundles - with magnolia, oregonia, pine, and other gorgeous branches. These tasteful winter bouquets are great for your table, mantel, or as a thoughtful gift.

Two sizes are available: standard and premium

Please send me a message if you would like to order. 💌

12/12/2024

A few snippets from a fun wreath making workshop with the amazing Victor Rose Espresso Bar team :)

09/12/2024

If you haven’t started your holiday decorating yet, it’s not too late! I’m still taking wreath orders this week—don’t miss out on adding a festive touch to your home. 🎄✨

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Besides it being a beautiful winter morning, I’m especially happy about the snow we got last night. ❄️ As a gardener, I’ve been a little worried about the garden these past few weeks. Cold, windy winter days without a protective layer can be really tough on plants. But now, seeing this nice blanket of fluffy snow—it makes me (and the garden) so much happier! :) Have a great day, friends! #montrealwinter #canadianwinter #wintergarden #snowyday #gardenlife

Custom made fresh wreath

✨Holiday Wreath Workshops available✨More info in the comments ⬇️

Check the tips in the comments! ⬇️

Grasshoppers are major pests! I never thought of them that way until I started growing flowers in a greenhouse. They devour plants and are especially harmful to young seedlings. 🌱 They also soil the plants. Their 💩 is almost as big as a mouse’s—gross! (Sorry for the shaky video - the mosquitos 🦟 were really trying to get me there). #gardenpests #greenhouse #greenhouselife #cutflowergarden #urbangardening #grasshoppers #gardencoach #gardendesign

Lovely morning at the farm harvesting the flowers - so beautiful, so good for the soul! I hope all of you are having an enjoyable day! ☀️🌻🌸💕 #digplantlove #beaconsfield #gardenhealing #gardentherapy #flowergrower #westislandcommunity #westislandcommunitymontreal #westislandblog #localflorist

Male and female flowers

🚻 Did you know that e.g. cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, and zucchini have both male and female flowers? 🔼 Male flowers grow on simple stems. 🔽 Female flowers have a small fruit at their base. 🥒 Unless you are growing self-pollinating hybrid varieties, you need both types of flowers for fruit production. 🐝 Our garden friends, the pollinators, play a crucial role in moving pollen from male to female flowers, helping us to have a beautiful harvest from our garden. #begardeningtipsforbeginners #gardentipsandtricks #beginnergardener #raisedbedgardening #raisedbedgarden #gardencoach #gardenconsultant #vegetablegarden #herbgarden #westislandcommunity #newhomeowner

Summer rain works wonders for the garden! Everything is lush, green, and blooming. Today’s bouquet colors brighten the gray sky! Bulk buckets, custom bouquets, market bouquets, subscription bouquets—everything is grown, cared for, cut, and arranged with love. 🩷 #spreadingthelove #loveflowers #westislandcommunity #grownnotflown #baiedurfe #pointeclaire #kirkland #mtlweddings #mtlevents #montrealbloggers

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