"Seeds includes detailed charts with specific information about seed starting on the Prairies, with several plant lists to help you decide what selections work best in a variety of situations and conditions." —Garden Making

The third installation of the new gardening series Guides for the Prairie Gardener is all about seeds, from saving and starting to transplants and even winter sowing.

Certified master gardeners Sheryl and Janet offer you all the tools you need to start seeds, ensuring they thrive and grow into beautiful mature plants. They answer your questions on things like

• how to determine the viability of seeds
• the difference between an heirloom, heritage, and hybrid seed
• the best containers and planting media to use
• when and how to use growing lights
• troubleshooting common problems such as damping off and overwatering
• the proper methods for hardening off transplants and planting them out.

And they don't stop at addressing starting seeds indoors—they also give you the information you need to direct sow straight into the garden, and on winter sowing. Then they delve deeply into how you can collect and save seed for the future so that you can continue the cycle for future growing seasons.

The book is complete with detailed charts to give you specific information about seed starting on the Prairies, with several plant lists to help you decide what selections work best in a variety of situations and conditions.

Janet Melrose is the co-author of the Guides for the Prairie Gardener series. She is a garden educator and consultant, and an advocate for Calgary’s Sustainable Local Food System. She is a life-long gardener and holds a Prairie Horticulture Certificate and Home Farm Horticultural Therapy Certificate. She has a passion for Horticultural Therapy and facilitates numerous programs designed to integrate people marginalized by various disabilities into the larger community. She is a regular contributor to The Gardener for Canadian Climates magazine. She lives in Calgary where she runs her education and consulting company, Calgary’s Cottage Gardener.

Janet Melrose's profile page

Sheryl Normandeau is the co-author of the Guides for the Prairie Gardener series and author of The Little Prairie Book of Berries. A life-long gardener, she holds a Prairie Horticulture Certificate and a Sustainable Urban Agriculture Certificate and is a freelance writer specializing in gardening writing with hundreds of articles published. She is a regular contributor The Gardener for Canadian Climates, The Prairie Garden Annual, Herb Quarterly, and many more. She lives in Calgary.

Sheryl Normandeau's profile page

Praise for The Prairie Gardener's Go-To for Seeds

"Seeds includes detailed charts with specific information about seed starting on the Prairies, with several plant lists to help you decide what selections work best in a variety of situations and conditions." —Garden Making

Praise for Janet Melrose and Sheryl Normandeau

Honorable Mention at the American Horticultural Society Book Awards

"The Prairie Gardener's Go-To series comes in mighty yet digestible volumes covering popular topics like seeds, vegetables, and soil. . . Although each guide touches on regionally specific information, the wisdom of these seasoned gardeners applies to any garden, wherever it may be." —Acadia Tucker, author of Growing Perennial Foods

"Whether you’re looking for information on that one tiny pest you just can’t control, or are talking a new gardener through their first planting season, these slim but mighty volumes make great companions at the height of summer in the garden trenches and during cold winter days planning the next season.” —Floral Acres Greenhouse & Garden Centre

"From planning to planting to harvesting vegetables such as onions, lettuce, carrots, celery, beets, corn, legumes, peppers, potatoes, squash and more, this Q & A– style guide covers common questions about cultivation practices, preventing damage from frost, flood, and drought, and harvest and storage." —Prairie Books NOW

"The books are a pleasure just to leaf through, but the accessible writing and level of expertise makes them essential to any gardener’s library... Well-indexed, to help you find solutions to elusive problems. Highly recommended!"—Diane Miessler, Certified Permaculture Designer and author of Grow Your Soil

"Reading the Prairie Gardener's Go-To series is like sitting down with your friendly local master gardener. Delivers practice guidance that will leave you feeling confident and inspired." —Andrea Bellamy, author of Small-Space Vegetable Gardens

“The Prairie Gardener’s Go-To series offers knowledgeable yet accessible answers to questions covering a broad range of topics to help you cultivate garden success. Get growing!” —Lorene Edwards Forkner, gardener, writer, author of Color In and Out of the Garden

"The Prairie Gardener guides offer tips on planning, planting and growing gardens, and troubleshooting pests and diseases." —Calgary Herald

"A great resource for gardeners everywhere." —Quill & Quire

"In a digital world full of general information, their books provide specific knowledge for gardening in climates like Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Plus, everything they write about is based on their own experience." —Helpful Gardeners Podcast

"This book provides detailed cultivation, harvesting and storage tips for the vegetables grown in our region." —Western Producer

"Melrose and Normandeau answer all the questions that the two experts could think of when it came to horticulture on the prairies." —Edify Edmonton

"Helping gardeners across the prairies succeed in growing food, flowers and everything in between." —Medicine Hat News

"Herbs offers highly local advice on how to grow herbs for your kitchen in our climate." —Savour Calgary

"With advice on which native grasses to use—and why—the book gives gardeners both inspiration and knowledge." —Alberta Views

"This go-to paperback addresses many issues of perennial plants that will prove extremely useful to gardeners." —Calgary Horticultural Society

"Advice on container gardens, raised beds, small plots and postage-stamp sized yards, and how to try your hand at vertical gardening." —Garden Making

“Written with wit and charm, Janet and Sheryl have given us the comprehensive, gardener-friendly guide to soil science everyone who grows a garden needs to read.” —Daryl Beyers, gardening instructor and author of The New Gardener’s Handbook