Ways Gardeners Share

Vegetables
Written By Steven Biggs
Bean seeds from our neighbour Joe

Bean seeds from our neighbour Joe

We’ve been talking a lot about our neighbor Joe over the past couple of days.

Joe and his wife, Maria, are amazing neighbours. They always stop to chat. They share their garden harvest. And they send cookies for the kids.

But the reason we’ve been talking about Joe these past couple of days is that Joe is an amazing gardener. We learn something new every time we drop by to visit. AND Joe shares with all the neighbourhood gardeners.

Bean Walls

There’s very little lawn in Joe and Maria’s back yard. It’s row up on row of tomato plants. (And Joe’s tomato seedlings are always miles ahead of ours in the spring.)

The yard is surrounded by a wall of pole beans. Joe shared his favourite bean seeds with us for our garden.

Steven posted about Joe’s beans the other day on social media as he explored how gardeners share, for an event called Garden Days.

Garden Days

In past years, Garden Days has been a celebration of gardens and gardening—letting people know about public gardens and organizations. There were garden-related events too.

This year, with COVID, the focus of Garden Days is celebrating the joys of gardens and gardening.

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Steven Biggs

Recognized by Garden Making Magazine as one of the "green gang" of Canadians making a difference in horticulture, Steven Biggs is a horticulturist, former college instructor, and award-winning broadcaster and author. His passion is helping home gardeners grow food in creative and attractive ways.


He’s the author of eight gardening books, including the Canadian bestseller No Guff Vegetable Gardening. His articles have appeared in Canada’s Local Gardener, Mother Earth News, Fine Gardening, Garden Making, Country Guide, Edible Toronto, and other magazines.


Along with over 30 years working in the horticultural sector and a horticultural-science major at the University of Guelph, Steven’s experience includes hands-on projects in his own garden including wicking beds, driveway strawbale gardens, and a rooftop tomato plantation—to the ongoing amusement of neighbours.


When not in the garden, you might catch him recording his award-winning Food Garden Life podcast or canoeing in Algonquin Park.

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