About Pines & Firs

Pines & Firs is a Canadian gardening site for people who garden where winter is serious. Every guide here is written for cold climates, with Ontario frost dates, Canadian hardiness zones, Canadian suppliers and the realities of a short growing season.

Hi, I’m Kris Reddy

I’m a high school science teacher in Milton, Ontario, with a Master’s degree in Molecular Genetics. I started Pines & Firs because most gardening advice online is written for warmer places. It assumes long seasons, mild winters and US zones, and it leaves Canadian gardeners guessing.

My background shapes how I write. I explain the why behind each tip, from how cold damages evergreen needles to why soil pH changes what your plants can absorb, so you can make good decisions in your own yard instead of following rules blindly.

What you’ll find here

Trees and shrubs: evergreens, privacy trees, pruning and winter protection
Vegetables and herbs: planting calendars, garlic, tomatoes and short-season varieties
Flowers and native plants: bulbs, perennials, pollinator gardens and milkweed for monarchs
Indoor plants and seed starting: houseplants for Canadian winters, grow lights and seed-starting calendars
Garden care and projects: composting, hardscaping, ponds and seasonal checklists

How we write our guides

Canada first. We use Canadian hardiness zones, Ontario frost-date data and metric measurements, and we recommend Canadian companies where we can.
Checked against good sources. We rely on government, university extension and other reputable sources, and we link to them so you can check for yourself.
Honest about trade-offs. If a popular plant is invasive, short-lived or not reliably hardy here, we say so.
Kept up to date. Guides are reviewed and updated when advice, regulations or plant listings change.

How Pines & Firs is funded

Pines & Firs is free to read. Some guides contain affiliate links, including links to Amazon.ca. As an Amazon Associate, Pines & Firs earns from qualifying purchases. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Recommendations are never paid for, and we only suggest products and types of tools that make sense for Canadian gardens.