Growing calendars for northern zones
Work backward from local last-frost dates to schedule indoor sowing, hardening off, and direct seeding.
Read the calendar notesNorthern & short-season growing notes
Herbs and edible plants for Canadian gardens
Reference charts and practical notes for growing herbs and edible plants across Canada's cold hardiness zones — from seed-starting timing to container pairings and end-of-season preservation.
Reference topics
Notes written for cold-climate gardens
Canada spans hardiness zones 0 through 9, so a calendar that works in Victoria fails in Winnipeg. These notes group practical detail by the questions cold-climate growers ask most.
Companion planting herb charts
Group herbs by water and light needs, and keep aggressive spreaders and fennel away from neighbours.
See the pairing charts
Container herb setups
Pot depth, drainage, soil grouping, and overwintering choices for balcony and patio herb gardens.
Plan a container setupWhy timing matters
Frost dates, not the calendar month
In most of Canada the growing season is short and bracketed by late spring and early autumn frosts. The plant hardiness zone tells you what perennials are likely to survive winter, but annual herbs and vegetables are timed against the average last spring frost in your municipality instead.
Last-frost dates vary widely between cities, which is why a single national planting date is misleading. The figures below are drawn from published Canadian growing references and are starting points to confirm against your own local records.
| City | Approx. last frost |
|---|---|
| Vancouver, BC | mid-April |
| Halifax, NS | early May |
| Toronto, ON | early May |
| Ottawa, ON | mid-May |
| Calgary, AB | late May |
| Winnipeg, MB | late May |
Frost dates are averages. A late cold snap can arrive after the listed date, so tender transplants are safest once nights stay reliably above freezing.
How to use these notes
A short workflow for the season
- Find your hardiness zone and frost date. Check the Natural Resources Canada hardiness map and your municipality's average last-frost record.
- Count backward to start seeds. Most herbs and warm-season crops are sown indoors six to twelve weeks before that date.
- Group plants by water needs. Keep Mediterranean herbs together and moisture-lovers together; isolate mint and fennel.
- Plan containers for depth and drainage. Use pots at least 25–30 cm deep with drainage holes for most herbs.
- Preserve at the end of the season. Dry, freeze, or infuse surplus herbs before the first hard autumn frost.
Reference notes, updated each season
These pages are kept current against published Canadian growing references. Questions about a specific note can be sent through the contact form on the About page.
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