Me & The Marigold Potager

Welcome!

I’m Tanja, and I am so very glad you’re here.

The Marigold Potager is a blog is about growing flowers in the vegetable garden for thriving, amazing, pretty to look at gardens. The marigold flower is one of the most used flowers in food gardens across the planet, a companion that helps to keep your vegetables pest free and thriving.

Through this blog, I hope to inspire you to grow great organic food crops, to grow them naturally… and to plant flowers throughout your yard and food garden for a healthy, sustainable, thriving garden.

Permaculture = Growing food in a way that does not deplete the environment.

I am Tanja. I have been growing food organically, potager style (cottage garden style) and sharing this love with others for going on 30 years.

I started my organic growing in a Zone 3 central Alberta garden a long time ago, back when ‘green‘ was still just a colour. Bucking the trend a bit (there had to be a better, kinder way), I started doing side by side trials in my own gardens. Comparing inorganic fertilisers against composts and organic garden amendments, adding flowers instead of chemicals, learning how to grow naturally by trialing everything.

I have spent the last 30 years working not only in my own potager garden, but in two large garden centers in Alberta.

I was the ‘Nursery & Perennials’ manager, still talking gardening with everyone. Answering how to grow questions, helping fix problems… and yes, still green!

A vibrant garden scene featuring lush green potato plants in wooden raised beds, accompanied by bright yellow lilies. In the background, two greenhouses are partially visible under soft evening sunlight, surrounded by greenery and trees. — *My small bespoke greenhouse business and large cottage style potager garden.*

(Bespoke = custom made/made to suit)

We left the prairies for the west coast. This is when I opened my own greenhouse business on the acreage.

I made it mine in all ways, selling only what I was passionate about, held how-to-grow workshops for new and experienced gardeners.

My main passion then, and still today, is growing great organic vegetables, especially heirloom tomatoes. Over the years, I have grown tens of thousands of tomato plants!

Almost 3 years ago, we moved to our current home. It was a transition, I will say, going from a warmer zone back to a cold gardening zone.

The Marigold Potager is a cottage style backyard food garden.

The gardens consist of no-dig food beds, fruiting trees and shrubs, and flowers for both cutting and feeding the birds and the bees from spring through autumn.

The Potting Shed/Garden Cottage is a place to attend DIY and tutorial how-to workshops and is where I do all my seed starting and plant growing.

Come to a workshop! Learn some new things, meet some new gardener friends, chat about how to grow great organic foods and flowers.

*Inside the wee greenhouse (8×12), I grow melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, onions in long, pistachio coloured, metal, raised beds, and lots of flowers.*

On The Blog – There are plenty of photos, practical tips and advice, what to do now/seasonal jobs, organic gardening. How I make changes, maintain my yard and no-dig gardens, as well what works, what did not work, what I learn along the way. Plenty to share about stuff that I have already learned… the hard way ; )

Having been involved in the greenhouse industry for over 25 years ( my own ngp greenhouse, Hole’s Greenhouses, and Prairie Gardens)- growing, talking, learning, teaching, showing, and doing – I feel incredibly blessed to have met wonderful mentors along my journey, and to share with you all the tips and tricks that I have learned along the way.