While short-season gardening can be difficult, many cold-climate gardeners fail to avail themselves of the advantages that they do have. While year-round gardening may be a stretch, many crops can be grown well beyond the period of frost-free days without spending a lot on artificial heat.

Stephen’s love for gardening began in childhood, surrounded by his parents’ vibrant vegetable garden. While he didn’t always enjoy the chores assigned to him as a child, he developed a lifelong passion for growing food. When Stephen married Beverly, gardening became a shared pursuit. Over their 40 years of marriage, they’ve never missed a gardening season—even dedicating 10 years to running a small market garden, Steve & Bev’s Veggies and Bread.

Although Stephen works full-time outside the field of horticulture and has no formal agricultural training, he approaches gardening with curiosity and enthusiasm. He continually experiments with new methods to extend and maximize the growing season in his zone 3b/4a garden in Atlantic Canada. These successes (and occasional missteps) form the foundation of his YouTube channel, Short Season Garden, where he shares practical advice and insights to inspire gardeners in challenging climates.