Canadian gardeners who want more than how-tos from their garden reading now have a new zine on the scene. The first issue of Soiled & Seeded launched this month. It’s worth bookmarking.

The zine is a project of Toronto-based non-profit Soiled & Seeded Natural Heritage Explorations, created by botanist Barbara Ozimec and geographer (and photographer) Mikaël Lavogiez. The group’s stated mission sounds admirable to me. They’re dedicated:

“to advancing the connection between human beings and the environment through promoting a deeper understanding of our natural heritage.”

I liked what I saw in issue one. For example, there’s a thoughtful interview with Laura Reinsborough of Not Far From the Tree and a profile of organic farmer Pat Kozowyk. You’ll find a plant profile of my love-to-hate Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) and a story of Barbara’s experience delving into 14th century monastery garden manuscripts. There’s also a link to their blog. The approach is a touch more scholarly and eclectic than your typical garden mag, while still being accessible and engaging.

Their current call for submissions is for their January issue. I look forward to seeing where it takes us.