This Windsor gardening company wants you to plant an edible landscape

Windsor based company Ground Culture specializes in creating gardens that are both pleasing to the eye as well as to the stomach. 

"Edible landscapes are not only beautiful, in my opinion, but they're also super productive," Owner Brandi Bechard said.

Her company creates gardens and also offers gardening consultations. Edible landscapes will transform someone's lawn into an "ecosystem that produces food, builds soil, saves water and creates pollinator habitat."

Bechard's business has created four complete landscapes so far and she hopes to do more this year.

"Not only are you enjoying the blossoms and the blooms and the wildlife that it brings and the different colour at the different times of year but you're also enjoying the harvest out of them," she said.  

It isn't just about vegetables either. The landscapes can include a variety of different plant life. 

"You can also grow fruit trees, pollinator plants, root or ground covers… everything can be multifunctional in an edible landscape which is the beauty in it," she said.

Time to seed

While she is planting seeds in that part of her business, another part of it hopes to grow new gardeners and help them get a jump on this year's growing season.

Kathy Bedard is one of about fifteen women who took a class to start seeding for their gardens in the spring. She chose to plant red peppers, cherry tomatoes and spinach during the workshop. 

"I'm very interested in it," Bedard said. "It's organic, it's something to do, we're trying to start helping to protect our planet. There are so many benefits from it."

Bechard said now's the time of year to start getting seeds in some soil inside, even if there's still snow on the ground outside.

"Now is when you plan the garden. If you don't have a plan in place, then you're a little bit rushed," she said.  

"Planning your garden well ahead of time during the Winter months helps inspire the gardener who's been taking a break for a few months but also gets a head start on the year."  

Aspiring gardener Melissa Masse came with her more experienced sister-in-law Talia Wilson to learn about seeding. She's learning a lot at this session.

"Just the sheer little nuances that you need when you're starting things from seed, like packing the soil down and trying to think how these plants are starting right from the get-go," Masse said. 

"The little things they need to grow." 

"The love," Wilson said.