Gardening-related video chats

(Question)

Do you know of any online gardening-related video chats, liked the ones you had earlier in the summer, to keep me motivated, as I clean up the garden through fall? Trca has some nature related events, but it seems Garden Ontario hasn’t converted their in-person events to virtual ones.
With flowers and no vegetables, there’s really no harvest, and it seems like a matter of weed control and community until winter.

It appears I just missed one, at the Woodgreen Seniors centre, on Au 31.

Thank you

(Answer)

Thanks for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners.

Yes, this is a strange season in the garden for those who were not able to put in vegetables or annuals, and also a lonely time if you are not able to visit with others in a safe way.

Luckily, there are many virtual resources out there to keep you company.  You could even listen to some of the audio podcasts as you do your garden clean-up, in which case you may want to subscribe to a podcast App on your phone or use one that already comes with your phone (such as Apple Podcasts on an iPhone).  I also find audio podcasts to be a relaxing pre-bedtime activity.

A quick internet search for gardening videos and podcasts turned up the following:

https://goodgardeningvideos.org/

https://www.growveg.com/guides/videos/

https://www.burpee.com/gardenadvicecenter/standard-articles-and-videos/gardening-how-to-videos/

https://www.almanac.com/video/gardening

http://www.pthomeandgarden.com/listen-and-learn-5-gardening-podcasts-worth-subscribing-to/

https://www.gardensillustrated.com/garden-design/resources/best-garden-podcasts/

http://grow.gardenmediagroup.com/the-best-gardening-podcasts-2018

The pthomeandgarden.com link I’ve included mentions the podcasts on Fine Gardening’s website called “Let’s Argue about Plants!”  I subscribe to the print magazine and always look forward to getting it in the mail (except that it can be  frustrating when interesting plants they recommend are available only in the U.S. and not to us Canadians, or are not hardy in your zone).  I also subscribe to their All Access feature to get the digital magazine and how-to articles online.  These are separate paid subscriptions (although they do provide a certain number of free online articles before asking you to subscribe), but their podcasts are free.  Most are audio-only (but with beautiful plant pictures); however, some of the more recent ones come in both audio and video chat formats.

You can also find lots of free informative gardening videos on YouTube.  If you are looking for YouTube videos about vegetables specifically, lately I’ve been watching an amusing and informative Australian farmer on Self Sufficient Me (it is amazing how much he can grow in raised beds on a small property) and an also an Indian agricultural professor on Gardening is My Passion.  The Indian professor grows a ton of food in containers on a mostly paved kitchen garden that is only 10ft square!  Some people find his accent a bit hard to follow, but he is very knowledgeable and has valuable information to share on organic gardening practices.  I have used many of his tips in my own garden.  I think it is great that we can have a gardening community that spans the globe.  As you may know, you don’t have to subscribe to YouTube channels unless you want to be notified right away when a new video is posted – you can bookmark the channel and come back to it whenever you have free time or need some inspiration.

Good luck; I hope you find lots on the internet to sustain your gardening spirit through the fall and also the winter.