Quick Answer:
Jordan Mara, Canadian gardener, mental health advocate, and founder of Mind & Soil, has spent five years building one of Canada's most trusted gardening channels. This season, a lifelong dream came true: his very own BC Greenhouse is installed and growing. He's documented every honest moment across three YouTube episodes, from a snowy install day to the first tomatoes in the ground in March.
- Jordan grew up making memories in his parents' BC Greenhouse, and always wanted one of his own
- He chose the Traditional 8×12 with 6mm single glass, the exact same size as his parents' greenhouse
- He documented the full journey across three episodes of his 1,000 lb Challenge series
- The install happened on a snowy day in Squamish, BC with BCG's expert greenhouse installer Nathan on site
- By week four, the greenhouse was fully set up with raised beds, integrated irrigation, accessories, and its first tomato plants in the ground
Some Dreams Take Root Slowly
For Jordan Mara, founder of Mind & Soil and one of Canada's most followed gardening creators, the dream of owning a BC Greenhouse didn't start in a seed catalog or a showroom. It started in his parents' backyard, about eleven or twelve years ago, watching tomatoes climb and cucumbers ripen in a greenhouse his parents had built. He'd go out in the morning or afternoon during summer, harvesting with his parents, his nieces, and then enjoying it all together on the back deck with the people he loved most.
That was enough. The seed was planted. And this season, it finally grew.
Jordan's very own BC Greenhouse is installed, set up, and already growing, and he's brought his entire audience along for every muddy, snowy, joyful moment of it.
Who Is Jordan Mara and What Is Mind & Soil?
Jordan Mara is a West Coast Canadian gardener and the founder of Mind & Soil, a gardening platform built on a simple but powerful idea: growing things is good for your mental health. With over 250,000 YouTube subscribers, 355,000 Instagram followers, and a free weekly newsletter landing in inboxes every Saturday morning, Jordan has spent years helping everyday gardeners feel less overwhelmed and more connected to the act of growing.
His content is defined by honesty. He runs experiments, shares what works and what doesn't, and documents the reality of gardening — not just the highlight reel. That authenticity has built him a loyal, engaged community of growers across Canada and beyond.
And now, he has a greenhouse to match the mission.
What is the 1,000 lb Challenge?
This season, Jordan is taking on one of his most ambitious projects yet: growing and giving away 1,000 lbs of food to his community. The challenge is driving everything: what he plants, how he plans, and why he needs more growing capacity than his outdoor beds can provide.
Enter the BC Greenhouse.
To hit 1,000 lbs, Jordan needed to grow earlier and later in the season than the Pacific Northwest's outdoor climate typically allows. A greenhouse was the logical solution, and for Jordan, there was really only one option. As he put it simply in his week three episode: "BC Greenhouse or bust."
What Happened During the Build?
Before the greenhouse could arrive, Jordan had to prepare the site, and his week two video was all about making that happen.
The to-do list was significant: clear the area, prep the foundation, dig holes, source and cut lumber, and get everything level and square before the BCG team arrived. Jordan tackled it all across several days, working through rain and mud, removing a stubborn tree stump he called "the final boss," and laying crusher rock footings by hand.
He also got a welcome surprise: a neighbour removed a large tree that had been casting shade over the future greenhouse site every afternoon. What had been a significant concern, losing sun by 1 or 2 pm, was suddenly solved. The canvas was clear.
The foundation came together, though not without some imperfect cuts along the way. Jordan was the first to admit it. But as a self-described visual learner, he held off on spiking everything down permanently until he could see the full picture, a decision that would prove wise when Nathan from BCG arrived the following week.
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Image Credit: Ashley Drody Photography
The Install Day — Snow, Happy Accidents, and All
Install day arrived. And so did the snow.
Nathan from BC Greenhouse Builders showed up bright and early to a nervous Jordan and a foundation that was close, but needed some adjustments. A few boards were cut too tightly, and the whole base needed to be removed and reworked before the Traditional 8×12 structure could go up. Nathan's verdict on the imperfections? "Happy little accidents." Jordan loved that.
With Nathan taking the lead and Jordan wisely staying out of the way ("fewer chefs in the kitchen"), the greenhouse went up through falling snow and hail. Its 6mm single-glass panels, chosen for clarity, strength, and the premium look Jordan had always envisioned, were going in as the weather closed in. Within hours of finishing, the structure underwent its first stress test: snow and ice sitting on the glazing. It held perfectly.
By the end of the day, Jordan was sitting inside his BC Greenhouse for the first time, and the emotion was palpable. "I've been like a little kid the last week with just how much joy having this in place has brought me," he shared with his audience. "The number of times I've just driven past my house looking at it."
It was in that moment that Jordan told his full BCG story. How, just two months after launching Mind & Soil, with maybe 100 or 200 followers, he'd cold-emailed BCG asking about a partnership. Five years, hundreds of videos, and a quarter million subscribers later, he reached out again ahead of the 1,000 lb Challenge. This time, it came to life.
"The first seeds were planted more than five years ago," Jordan said, "and ever since then, just kind of been nurturing it, and now bringing it to life."
There's one more detail that completes this story: Jordan's Traditional 8×12 is the exact same size as his parents' greenhouse. And fittingly, it was Nathan who installed that one, too, eleven years ago.
Setting Up the Greenhouse for the Season
Week four brought a torrential atmospheric river, and the first real proof that the greenhouse was already earning its place.
While rain poured down outside, Jordan worked through his setup to-do list largely dry, tackling one project at a time. Landscape fabric went down to block the morning glory that had been a persistent problem in that corner of the yard. Sprout Box raised beds were assembled and positioned. Soil was mixed — Jordan's personal favourite blend of 75% compost and 25% vermiculite, and the beds were filled.
Then came what Jordan called "sexy irrigation": a fully integrated drip system with hidden lines running under the gravel, beneath the beds, and out to grow bag zones for peppers, nothing visible, nothing to trip over. He also added custom shelving using BCG's built-in interior bolt track system (a feature he noted most people don't know exists), and finished with the accessory he'd been most excited about: a hanging chair for reading and coffee inside the greenhouse.
And then, on March 22nd, roughly two months before he'd normally plant tomatoes outdoors, Jordan put his first tomato plants into the greenhouse beds.
He was clear-eyed about it: an experiment, not a guarantee. His hypothesis was that early-planted plants might struggle, while plants planted a month later would likely outperform them. But that's the Mind & Soil way. You try it, you document it, and you find out.
Where Can You Follow Jordan's Growing Journey?
Jordan's greenhouse series is part of his ongoing 1,000 lb Challenge, a full season of growing, experimenting, and giving back to his community. If you want to watch the build unfold and follow along as the greenhouse fills with food, his YouTube channel is the place to be.
Watch the full series:
- 📺 I Made a Big Mistake (Week 2)
- 📺 This Changes Everything (Week 3)
- 📺 Full Greenhouse Setup for Growing & Living! (Week 4)
Follow Jordan and Mind & Soil:
- 🌱 YouTube: Mind & Soil
- 📬 Free Weekly Newsletter, delivered every Saturday morning
- 📸 Instagram: @mindandsoil
Inspired by Jordan's story? The Traditional 8×12 with 6mm single glass that Jordan chose is a great starting point for exploring what BC Greenhouse can do for your own backyard. Browse our greenhouse collection or reach out to our team — we'd love to help bring your version of this dream to life.
