Gardening

The yucca plant is a popular ornamental indoor and outdoor shrub. Although it’s easy to confuse the names yucca and yuca, these are two different plant species. We’ll be covering the yucca plant here, which doesn’t have an edible starchy root but has excellent medicinal properties and other uses. Yucca plants are perennial evergreen trees and shrubs. Most are in the family Asparagaceae.  Some varieties flower and a few produce edible fruit. They are not … Read more

Pepino melon – The perennial pepino shrub often produces an abundance of fruit in various types of conditions. It has recently become more popular to plant in home gardens, especially in warmer climates. Where it originates naturally is South America, where the climate is warmer and humid. If you’re wondering what it is, where to grow pepino plants, and when to harvest pepino melon, read on to learn more about these unique fruits. The great … Read more

Filled with nutrients and a great addition to salads and other dishes, you might be ready to dig into the beets in your garden. However, knowing when to harvest beets is vital to their quality and taste. Beets grow quickly and will be ready to harvest in less than two months. In this guide, we’ll help you identify if your homegrown beets are plump and ready for picking. You can eat the beetroot leaves and … Read more

Learn when to harvest potatoes. Since they’re a root crop, they aren’t visible. We’ll explain how to know when they’re ready to pick. Potatoes are annuals. You plant and harvest potatoes, and then the plants die. The next season, you’ll need to replant them to grow more. Potatoes are classified by early, mid, and late season varieties, which refers to the days to maturity. Some types can be fully formed in 65 days, while others … Read more

Growing a quinoa plant can be surprisingly easy, especially after you get it going. After harvesting, you can enjoy it in salads, as a side dish or meal.  Quinoa plants are colorful and can be part of an edible landscape. It’s easy to grow for beginner gardeners and is drought tolerant making it low maintenance. Quinoa is a warm season crop. Therefore, you’ll need to live in an area warm enough so it will have … Read more

Beefsteak tomatoes are easy and fun to grow in your home garden. They can grow to be a pound or more each. Whether you’re slicing them for sandwiches, dicing them up for a quick pico de gallo, or eating them straight off the vine, there’s no way to go wrong with beefsteak tomatoes. I love planting them in my garden. Here’s what to know about the meaty beefsteak tomato: What it is, how to use it, … Read more

Learn about growing zucchini successfully. Gardening can be expensive and takes time. Do it right the first time. Whether you are a beginner gardener or experienced, growing a zucchini plant is easy when you give it enough room, use good soil, care for it, and possibly, help it pollinate.  This summer squash is simple to cultivate. You just need a few plants to grow up to 10 pounds of zucchini. There are two ways to … Read more

Pole beans remain a staple in many gardens because they are one of the easiest summer crops to grow. They thrive in heat and humidity. They are also called vine beans, climbing beans, yard longs, and runner beans. Because they grow vertically, growing towers of pole beans can be a great addition to maximize space in your garden. Pole beans are, as the name implies, climbing plants. They can be grown on a trellis or … Read more

While store-bought Romas tomatoes can be succulent and flavorful, there’s nothing like  homegrown to have your dishes bursting with life.  Whether you’re cooking up some marinara sauce or slicing up a fresh summer salad, Roma tomatoes are some of the most delicious varieties around. These plum tomatoes are considered paste tomatoes. They have fewer seeds and a lower moisture content than others. They are easy to grow. Here I explain what the Roma tomato is … Read more

Artichoke Plant – Enjoyed since Roman times, artichokes are herbaceous perennial plants that belong to the thistle family. Their flower buds are edible and harvested before they flower. Artichokes are an attractive landscape plant and a nutrient-rich vegetable. These plants can grow up to 3 feet in height and width. The edible part is the flower bud before it blooms. When allowed to bloom, the flowers can grow to 7 inches in diameter. With the right … Read more

The mulberry tree is a fast-growing, large deciduous tree. It provides fruit as well as shade. Some varieties can produce berries the first year. They require minimal care once fully established. Mulberries are some of the tastiest berries, with a melon-like flavor owing to its low acidity. They make delicious pies, jams, and smoothies too. Read on to learn about mulberry trees, including history, hardiness, how to plant, care for, and harvest, and the different … Read more

Learn about growing a pistachio tree and how pistachios grow. You’ll need a male and a female tree to produce nuts. Achieving successful harvests requires patience. With the right climate, your backyard might be the ideal spot.  Pistachio Tree Knowing where to grow a pistachio tree is critical in order for it to live and thrive. Climate is the most critical prerequisite to success in growing pistachio nuts as Pistacia vera needs exactly the right … Read more

Learn how to dry basil so it doesn’t go to waste and so you can use it throughout the year. Grow a few basil plants this season. By the middle of summer, you’ll have more delicious basil than you know what to do with. If you’ve ever grown basil, you know how prolific they are. Not only is basil fast-growing and hearty, but the more leaves you harvest, the more it grows. With all these … Read more

If you haven’t tasted a yellow watermelon before, you’re in for a treat. They are sometimes sweeter than pink and red varieties.  I never heard of them until we grew them. It’s easy to grow yellow watermelons if you live in a warm climate. You’ll need to give them enough space because they are vining plants.  Learn about yellow watermelon varieties and what it takes to grow them from seed. They are low maintenance and … Read more

Learn how to grow garlic from a clove. Once planted, one clove will yield an entire bulb. Growing garlic is easy. It’s low maintenance and perfect for beginners.  In addition, it doesn’t take a lot of space in the garden. Garlic grows well in pots.  Garlic is a cool season crop and requires a cold period to grow. The bulbs grow underground and are moderately tolerant to frost.  One of the best things is mammals … Read more

For crisp stalks full of flavor, read these tips for how to grow celery. You’ll want to ensure it isn’t watery, bitter or too stringy. Beginners should start by growing from grocery store celery. Experienced gardeners can grow from seeds or starts. With fresh potting soil, it grows well in pots and containers. You can also grow celery in water. A cool weather crop, it has a low tolerance for heat. This makes it ideal … Read more

Learn how to get rid of creeping charlie. This insidious weed is often referred to as ground ivy. It’s a fast-growing, invasive vining ivy. It thrives and spreads in moist and shady areas. If you have plants nearby, removing it early is key, as it will choke out other plants. A creeping charlie plant will kill everything around it. It will block sunlight, overtake roots, and block water and nutrients to plants in the vicinity. It’s a … Read more

Kaffir lime and kaffir lime leaves are popular ingredients in Asian food and other cuisine. With unique health benefits and an excellent flavor profile, the fruit and leaves have many culinary uses.  You can grow kaffir lime trees indoors or outdoors if you live in a warm climate. Kaffir limes have bumpy green and yellow rinds. Their leaves are fragrant. They do not produce a lot of juice. Here’s what to know about the kaffir lime … Read more

The sycamore tree is a shade tree. They can grow 70 – 100 feet and sometimes higher. Sycamores need lots of space to grow. You’ll often see them in parks and lining streets. They are fast-growing trees, growing over two feet per year. With a deep root system, they are very sturdy. Sycamore trees are deciduous and provide shade with their large canopies. Because of their size and aggressive roots, they grow well in areas … Read more

Soybean plants grow soybeans, which are legumes. They are easy to grow in warm season months. The beans take approximately 80 days to harvest.  Soybeans are an annual crop, popular in the midwestern United States. Soybean Plant A soybean, despite the name, is not a bean at all and is classified as a legume. It’s scientific name is Glycine max. The soybean plant is native to East Asia. Soy is the same as soya. Soybeans … Read more