Easy to grow from seed and packed full of flavor, a crop of long orange carrots are a common sight in both the vegetable garden and on the dinner plate. But did you know that there is actually more than one type of carrot? In fact, the carrot comes in a range of shapes, sizes
Spinach is an incredibly versatile plant when it comes to cooking. There are thousands of different kinds of dishes you can make using different kinds of spinach. What makes spinach so versatile is the fact that there are so many different types to choose from. You may find yourself curious about what kinds of spinach
Did you know that pickle has Middle English origins from the word “pikel?” This word means a spicy gravy or sauce that you serve with meat or fowl, and it has direct relations to a Middle Dutch word “pekel” that means a spiced brine that you would use to preserve or flavor food. Today, there
Did you know that all types of zucchini fall into the squash sub-type? Summertime brings out a nice bounty of squash that can lend a bright flavor to any dish. The crisp, juicy flavor of the different types of zucchini add a pop to roast or stir-fry, and this is where zucchini excels. They’re also
Kale was one vegetable that many people ignored for a long time, but now different types of kale are experiencing a huge popularity spike. However, many people don’t realize that there are many different types of kale available on the current market, and some may suit your tastes better than the current one you’re eating.
A heavy cropping vegetable, the humble pea is the staple of many allotments and vegetable gardens. As well as being filled with flavor and nutrition, they are also pleasingly easy to grow. But did you know that there is more than one type of pea? In fact there are 3 main types of peas. This
Fruit and vegetables taste best when you grow them yourself. Growing cucumbers in pots is a great way to enjoy their fresh, homegrown. It is also a great choice if space is limited or your soil is poor. If you are growing cucumbers in pots, you can also better control the heat and moisture levels
A cool weather crop, carrots come in a range of colors from the traditional orange to yellow, purple, white and crimson. They can also be grown in containers and raised beds. This makes this root crop a great choice for gardeners with limited space. With the help of this guide on growing carrots you will
The radish plant is a reliable member of the vegetable garden. Quick and easy to grow, with a little luck and effort you can be harvesting fresh radishes within 4 weeks of sowing the seeds. But when is the best time to harvest radishes? If you are new to gardening it can be difficult to
Growing squash is an exciting journey. Unlike root crops that grow underground, here you can watch the growing squash slowly emerge and swell. They are also pleasingly easy to grow. This guide will take you through everything you need to know about growing squash. Growing squash in the garden is a fascinating journey. The endless
In this guide we teach you how to harvest Rhubarb plant. Rhubarb is an old-time plant with tangy, edible stalks. Though technically a vegetable, it’s most commonly used to make jams, jellies, pies, and other desserts. You’ll often see it paired with strawberries for a classic combination. The rhubarb plant is a perennial that grows
The cucumber plant is one of the most popular vegetable garden plants. Like peppers and tomatoes, for many they are a staple of the summer vegetable garden. The number of different shapes, sizes and flavors on offer has helped to increase this crop’s popularity. If you need help choosing a cucumber plant variety, this is
A popular member of the vegetable garden, beets are pleasingly easy to grow and harvest. A brilliant choice for northern gardeners, beetroots will happily survive frosts and almost freezing temperatures. Our guide to growing beets will take you through everything from choosing the right variety of beets to harvesting and storage. Beetroot is a pleasingly
For many a crop of growing cabbage plants are a cornerstone of the vegetable plot. A versatile vegetable, cabbages have a variety of different uses. A brassica, or cruciferous vegetable you can grow cabbage plants throughout the year, meaning that with some successional sowing these resilient crops can play a vital role in your quest
The horseradish plant may not be the most attractive member of the garden but, thanks to the distinctive flavor of its peppery root, it is a popular addition. Grown for over 3000 years the horseradish plant (Amoracia rusticiana) is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, meaning that it is distantly related to the cabbage. A
With their large leaves and sturdy rosettes, the artichoke is a distinctive plant. A herbaceous perennial, artichokes are part of the asteraceae family alongside sunflowers, thistles and dandelions. These unusual, architectural vegetables are commonly grown for their edible flower buds that are harvested before the flowers open. But they also have ornamental value. Despite looking
In some planting zones, winters tend to drop to a deep freeze that gives you a much shorter growing season to work with each year than in other regions. There is also a lot of unpredictability with the weather, and this can lead to people seeking out winter vegetables that will survive and thrive in
Full of flavor and easy to grow, garlic is a great addition to the vegetable garden. While it may be easy to cultivate large, flavorsome bulbs, it can be difficult to know when to harvest garlic. If you harvest your garlic bulbs too early they will be small and lacking in flavor. Allowing the bulbs
Cucumber varieties are warm-weather plants that you can grow in the ground or in containers anywhere you have a hot to warm summer season. Most cucumber varieties take 60 days from the date you plant them to be ready to harvest, and this makes them ideal to grow in environments that have hot weather for
While there are many different lettuce varieties if you want a thick crisp leaf with a good crunch, nothing beats the romaine lettuce. Romaine or cos lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. longifolia) is known for producing plants with upright heads and robust, long leaves. The densely packed leaves have a distinctive thick midrib. One of the
A popular vegetable crop in the south of the U.S., collard greens are actually native to Asia Minor and the eastern parts of the Mediterranean. A member of the Brassicaceae or Cruciferous vegetable family, these low maintenance, no fuss crops thrive in most USDA Zones and climates. Like kale, these leafy vegetables are best described
Planting vegetables in the right spot in your garden is one of the keys to getting a bumper crop. Some love the sun, others start wilting if they get too much sun, and so on. Thankfully, you can find a vegetable that will grow well in just about any type of garden. If you have
Packed with flavor and full of nutritious goodness, the pea plant is an elegant addition to the vegetable garden. As well as introducing height and structure, a row of peas is a great way to shade, low growing, cool weather specimens. They are also pleasingly easy to grow. Adding to the attraction of the pea
A popular member of the vegetable garden, the potato is one of the easiest crops to grow. A low maintenance, versatile crop potato plants help to suppress weed growth and cultivate your soil. They are just as happy growing in containers and raised beds or planters as they are in the ground. But when are
Swiss chard is one of the most ornamental vegetables you can grow in your garden. It has colorful, edible leaves that are highly nutritious and good for both fresh eating and cooking. Swiss chard is also an easy green to grow. It tolerates heat much better than other salad plants like lettuce, arugula, and spinach.
If you’ve never tried parsnips, you’re missing out. They have a lovely sweet and mild flavor that is excellent roasted with other root veggies, added to soups and stews, baked as fries, or sauteed. If you have tried parsnips and love them, you may be wondering how easy they are to grow in the garden.
Growing garlic is a satisfying process. Not only does it provide you with a supply of fresh garlic cloves, it also enables you to experience a far wider range of varieties. Far more than you could ever find in your local grocery store. Additionally, growing garlic is a relatively easy process. It doesn’t require much
If you are looking for a hardy, low maintenance vegetable to add to your winter garden, why not try growing leeks? These pleasingly trouble free vegetables produce attractive, nutritious stems from fall until spring. Providing you with a reliable crop of versatile, fresh vegetables when other harvests are thin on the ground. Gardeners in nearly
An attractive ornamental plant, chives are regularly found in herb gardens, edging paths or in mixed flower beds. Versatile and easy to cultivate, both the foliage and the flowers can be used in the kitchen. A member of the lily family, for many gardeners chives are the ideal addition to the perennial or culinary garden.
Sweet corn is one of the most familiar vegetables of late summer. Most people leave it to the farmers to grow corn, but there’s no reason home gardeners can’t add this crop to their vegetable plot. Of course, corn does take up more space than other vegetables, so you do need to have enough room
Growing eggplant (Solanum melongena) is a great choice for a number of reasons. These stately plants add elegance to both vegetable and ornamental borders. Ideal for gardens that enjoy long, warm summers these versatile plants thrive in both raised beds and containers. A member of the nightshade family, the eggplant is closely related to the
Learning how to store potatoes correctly is a surprisingly useful skill. The methods I will outline here can be applied to potatoes you have grown and freshly harvested in your garden or those you have purchased fresh from a local farmers market. Learning how to store potatoes before they begin to sprout and spoil also
More and more people are growing zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) in their gardens and it’s easy to see why. These attractive plants are surprisingly low maintenance and reliably produce large, great tasting yields. A member of the Cucurbita family alongside cucumbers, melons and squashes, zucchini is technically a fruit. Also known as courgette, these plants are
Things may quiet down in your flower garden during late summer, but it’s a great time of year if you’ve planted a vegetable garden. You might think that not much will happen during the hottest months of the year, but that’s not true at all. For most gardeners, late summer is the space of time
Popular in the southern states, almost anyone can learn how to grow sweet potatoes. Despite often being called a yam (Dioscorea sp.), the two vegetables are actually unrelated. Similarly sweet potatoes are not related to potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). Instead this pleasing edible is closely related to vining sweet potatoes, a popular colorful ornamental, and the
Green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are prized for their easy growing nature and quick growth habit. One of the easiest vegetables you can grow, whether you are new to gardening or an experienced grower, everyone can enjoy the great taste of freshly picked green beans. If you want to enjoy their sweet taste, the pods are
Growing spinach is an intense but deeply rewarding activity. A relative of Swiss chard and beets, spinach has a vigorous growth habit. A cool weather loving plant. Once you work out how to make the crop last as long as possible in the spring, when the lighter days can shorten the plants lifespan, it is
Growing garlic is a pleasingly easy and low maintenance process. Thriving in cooler climates garlic plants do not require lots of space or attention. This means that practically anybody can try growing their own garlic plant. And there are lots of reasons why you would want to. A useful culinary ingredient garlic has a range
An old fashioned favorite, gardeners have been growing rhubarb for centuries. In recent decades this incredibly tart vegetable has undeservedly fallen out of favor. If you’ve never experienced the sour delight of rhubarb then you are in for a treat. When baked in a sweet pie or crumble or used as a jam (rhubarb is
One of the most instantly recognisable winter vegetables, the Brussels Sprouts plant is packed with flavor and nutrients. A particularly good source of Vitamins C and D, this distinctive vegetable is named after the city of Brussels, where they first found popularity. Instantly recognisable, the Brussels sprout plant is a staple of the vegetable garden.
Turnips may not be the most thrilling vegetable you can grow, but they have great flavor and are a very reliable crop. You can harvest them much more quickly than other root crops like carrots or potatoes. Once thought of as a “poor man’s food,” we now know that turnips are incredibly nutritious. The roots
Have you ever wondered how to grow longevity spinach? You may have heard about this unique green packed with health benefits, or this may be your first time hearing the term “longevity spinach.” What does it mean, exactly? What makes longevity spinach different from other varieties of spinach? Why should you consider adding it to
Ranunculus is a beautiful flower that looks like a cross between a rose and a peony. It’s one of the most popular flowers for bridal bouquets and a favorite at florist shops. Because ranunculus needs a mild climate to survive year round, many gardeners in colder climates avoid planting it. However, by following the right
Arugula is a salad green with a very distinct, peppery flavor. It can take some getting used to the first time you taste it, but many people quickly find themselves hooked on arugula’s spicy nature. If you enjoy arugula in salads or to cook with, you’ll be happy to know it’s an extremely easy vegetable
Growing broccoli in your garden is a pleasingly rewarding process. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea) is a versatile vegetable. It is also a surprisingly nutritious vegetable full of minerals and vitamins such as folic acid, potassium, Vitamin A iron and fiber. Broccoli is a cool season, sun loving plant. It is usually grown in the spring or
Did you know that any garden site that only gets two hours of direct sunlight can grow vegetables? Also, any garden that gets dappled shade throughout the day with no direct sunlight can produce vegetables. If you’re looking for vegetables that grow in shade, look for ones that you grow for your roots and leaves
Kale used to be a despised leafy vegetable that people only ate when they had to, but it has increased dramatically in popularity and become one of the most trending leafy greens. The reason for this is most likely that people learned how nutritious it is and also discovered its versatility in cooked and raw
Beets are colorful, sweet, earthy, and nutrient-rich. Most people have a strong feeling about their flavor, either loving or hating it. It’s easy to get a bumper crop of beet roots in your garden. They grow well in the cool weather of spring and fall (winter, too, in warm climates) and produce quickly. You can
Growing chickpeas isn’t a hard process, but it does take slightly longer than other vegetables you’d grow in containers like lettuce. Better known as the garbanzo bean, this is a cold-season annual that needs just over three months (100 days) to reach their harvest point. In turn, you’ll have to care for this plant slightly
Onions are a hardy, cool season crop that you can grow in your home garden. They are pretty easy to grow, but a few important tips will help you to successfully harvest large bulbs for eating and storage. If you’ve only ever bought onions at the store, you might be surprised by the flavor and