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Plant breeders, seed companies, professional farmers and veteran gardeners possess specialized knowledge that would gready benefit the average home gardener. I've spent countless hours working with such specialists during my [...]

In the 1970s, when I was a budding landscape designer, I attended the garden opening of one of my clients. As I walked around anonymously, wine glass in hand, I [...]

I have been exploring edible landscaping options for more than 40 years, and the concept still strikes a deep chord with me. Americans cover millions of acres of valuable agricultural [...]

In 2007, I began to get lots of questions about growing food to help save money. Then, while working on my new book, Edible Landscaping, I had an aha! moment. [...]

Poppies! Even the word makes me smile. These silky beauties "pop" up around my garden every spring and I have to guess which are which. Over a span of 20 […]

Boston bred and traditional, I long considered daffodils and tulips the definitive spring flowers. But decades of Northern California gardening have modified my opinion. Primroses now count among my favorites, […]

ON MANY OCCASIONS, PEOPLE have told me they are envious o what I do for a living. I don't blame them. In pursuit of information for my books and restaurant […]

PHOOEY! WAS MY REACTION To I the first tomato I grew in California. It was misshapen, mealy and tasteless! After all, I was in the Golden State -- home of [...]

In the novel Jitterbug Perfume, beet pollen is the ingredient that adds depth and mystery to a famous, fragrance. When the author revealed this secret, I ran outside to smell [...]

EVERY SPRING I REMEMBER MY father's exasperation when he cut into the red seed potates he had just ordered. Each year it was the same disappointment. Instead of his dreamed-of […]

FOR ME, a garden without vegetable and herbs is as barren as one without birds singing. My garden needs the perfume of sun-warmed alpine strawberries and the sounds of neighborhood [...]

Some tips for growing vegetables and corresponding suggested recipes are given. Basically, vegetables are grown in soft soil filled with organic matter and free of stones and weeds. The latest trend in vegetable gardening is growing salad mixes.

garlic basics life cycle: perennial bulb height and spread: 18 inches by 6 inches site: full sun soil: average to rich moisture: should not dry out containers: yes pests/diseases: none […]

KITCHEN GARDEN page 93 Roasted Parsnips Roasted parsnips have an honored place in British cooking, where they are a traditional part of holiday meals. One of America's premier chefs, John […]

When cooking with blackeyed peas (see Kitchen Garden on page 34), it helps to remember that two pounds of fresh blackeyed peas in the pod yield about one pound, or […]

kitchen garden by Rosalind Creasy and Carole Saville spiced whole-grain mustard Yellow and brown mustard seeds, along with fragrant cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, are a perfect accompaniment for sausage and […]

When Alex, my 10-year-old grandson, came to stay with me during spring break, he was eager to dye eggs for Easter. Also, I hadn't seen Jody Main, my friend and [...]

DON'T LET THE PARSNIP'S plain appearance fool you--this little ugly duckling of the vegetable kingdom has a sweet and nutty flavor and great versatility in the kitchen. In a solo […]

ELEGANT AND SLIGHTLY bitter in flavor, radicchios (Cichorium intybus) developed in northern Italy in the 1800s from wild chicories. While there are many varieties and shapes, the ones most familiar […]

WHEN THE GARDENING season is in full swing, there is nothing we enjoy more than planting a new crop of cherry tomatoes. The easiest of all tomatoes to grow, they […]

THE BASICS Life cycle: annual Site: full sun Soil: rich Moisture do not allow to dry out Height/Spread: 2' to 6' tall, 6" to 9" across Containers: yes Pests/diseases: thrips, […]

A summer staple in the American South, blackeyed peas (Vigna unguilata) are considered members in good standing of the group known as field peas, Southern peas, or cowpeas--legumes that also […]

(Ocimum basilicum) are available in a variety of fragrances. Cultivars with lemon scents include 'Lemon', 'Sweet Dani', and 'Mrs. Burns' Lemon'; 'Anise' and 'Thai' are redolent of anise. Other scented […]

(Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce) is a handsome plant closely related to the herb fennel; they have a similar anise flavor. There are numerous names for this bulblike vegetable. In Italy, […]

mesclun is named from the Provencal word mescia, meaning "to mix." Historically it was a salad of wild spring greens and herbs gathered in the countryside, along with various young, […]

(Citrus limon 'Meyer') are a top choice among the many varieties available. The two most often found in supermarkets are the highly acidic 'Eureka' and 'Lisbon', but the milder and […]

(Armoracia rusticana) is a member of the mustard family. The roots are used primarily as an extremely pungent condiment, most popularly as a spicy kick to Bloody Marys and the […]

(Capsicum annuum) are a popular ingredient in Mexican cuisine as well as on pizzas, in salsas, and even on sandwiches. Compared to blazing habanero and cayenne chiles, jalapenos are quite […]

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a hardy, lemon-flavored perennial in the mint family. Cooks love this versatile herb that can be added to dozens of dishes, both savory and sweet, […]

poppy seeds are easily harvested from the annual breadseed poppy (Papaver somniferum); they are so tiny (less than a sixteenth of an inch in diameter) that it takes nearly a […]

Mustard is a condiment made by grinding the seeds of a member of the Brassica, or cabbage family. There are three types used: the mild yellow seeds of Sinapis alba, […]

The use of culinary herbs in landscape gardening are a welcome change to the traditional plants in a yard, and they thrive better in the full exposure to the sun. Descriptions of the various types of culinary herbs that can be used in landscapes are provided.

The article offers information on heirloom fruits and vegetables in the U.S. It relates the work of Seed Savers Exchange, a nonprofit network of gardeners who are devoted to the preservation and sharing of heirloom seeds. The Seed Savers Exchange's Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa has hundreds of 19th-century apple varieties. It traces the origins of melons. It outlines the advantages of heirloom vegetables over modern hybrid seeds.

Recipes for tomatoes are presented, including Stewed Tomatoes, Tomato and Onion Soup with Rosemary and Mexican Ranchero Sauce.

The article presents the text of a speech by Rosalind Creasey, a lecturer, photographer and landscape designer, delivered at the 2007 Annual Convention of Seed Savers Exchange, in which she discussed her marketing background and her book "The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping."

Offers advice on gardening vegetables in containers. Selection of containers; Choice of potting mixes; Options for watering the container vegetables; Vegetable varieties for container gardens.

Focuses on the growing, harvesting, and cookery of beets, beta vulgaris. Consideration for climate and soil conditions in growing beets; Cooking approaches for recommended varieties; Recipe using the featured vegetable.

Features the papaver rheas flower. Color of the flower; Availability of the flower during summer; Types of corn poppies.