Leeks make a great addition to almost any vegetable garden, although they often get overlooked in favor of relatives like onions, shallots, and scallions. They have a sweet, mild onion-like flavor and are the definition of a no-fuss plant. The only “downside” to growing leeks is that they do need a fairly long growing season,…
Endive has long been enjoyed in European countries and is now growing in popularity in other areas of the world, particularly North America. It has a distinct bitter flavor that largely disappears with cooking and shines equally in soups and salads. To make things confusing, there are two main types of endive: the leafy variety…
If you’ve ever used a natural insect repellant or burned candles to keep mosquitoes away, you’re probably already familiar with the scent of citronella. This strong, citrusy fragrance comes from a type of grass that can be grown in your own garden. As a plant, citronella is easy to grow and shoots up quickly, although…
Kidney beans are a very popular cooking bean often added to chili and other soup recipes. They also happen to be very nutritious and contain lots of fiber as well as protein, folate, iron, and potassium. In the garden, kidney beans are easy to grow and will reward you with a large harvest. They are…
Zucchini are most of the most popular vegetables in home gardens. They are prolific producers that bring a high yield from just a couple of plants and you can even grow zucchini in containers! But how far apart, exactly, should you plant your zucchini? You actually have a couple of different options – read on…
Cucumbers can be massive, sprawling plants that take up a large section of the garden, but they also do surprisingly well in containers. By choosing the right pots and right variety, you can easily get an abundant harvest from just a small amount of space. Here’s more on how to grow cucumbers in containers, including…
If you’re short on yard space or live in an urban setting, there’s no need to give up on a vegetable garden. There are plenty of veggies that will happily grow in containers, providing you with a bountiful harvest in a small amount of space. Of course, some vegetables are more suited to containers than…
Clay soil isn’t all bad when it comes to gardening, but heavy clay or soil that is highly compacted can be a nightmare to work with. Plants need to be able to put their roots down and get both water and good aeration from the soil, so most will be unhappy in compacted clay. One…
Garlic is typically planted as a fall crop. The cloves put down roots early, winter stimulates bulb production, and the plants mature throughout spring and summer. However, if you missed the fall planting window, there’s no need to give up on having garlic in your garden! You can still plant it in spring, although you’ll…
Bok choy is a vegetable of many names. It’s sometimes referred to as Chinese cabbage and has quite a few variations as far as spelling goes: bok choi, pac choi, pac choy, bak choy, and so on. No matter how you spell it, bok choy is a tasty cool-season green with crisp, edible stalks and…