Cut off the top of your pumpkin, scoop out the seeds, carve a face in the flesh, place a candle inside, and replace the top. That is the story of the Jack-o’-Lantern.Well, not quite. If you’re ready to carve your own Jack-o’-Lantern, pumpkin varieties like ‘Autumn Gold’ and ‘Jack-o’-Lantern’ are perfect—they have the ideal size,…
Having grown strawberries in both coastal and inland gardens over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how dramatically climate impacts success. In cooler northern regions, cold-hardy cultivars like ‘Sparkle’ and ‘Honeoye’ have consistently bounced back from late frosts and delivered strong early-summer harvests. Meanwhile, in my warmer Zone 9 garden, day-neutral varieties such as ‘Seascape’ and…
If you’ve browsed strawberry plants online or at your local nursery, you’ve probably come across terms like June-bearing, ever-bearing, and day-neutral. These categories refer to how and when the plants produce fruit—and choosing the right type can make a big difference in your harvest. As a lifelong gardener with more than 30 years of experience…
It might seem impossible to grow towering sweet corn stalks on a patio, balcony, or small urban garden—but it can be done! While corn is traditionally a field crop, with the right setup, variety, and a few pollination tricks, you can enjoy homegrown sweet corn in a container. It’s a fun challenge for container gardeners,…
To grow cucumbers that are not bitter-tasting, providing optimal growing conditions is key. From my personal experience in growing cucumbers, I’ve found that stress during the growing season—whether from inconsistent watering, extreme temperatures, or poor soil—can lead to bitterness in the fruit. Cucumber plants naturally produce a compound called cucurbitacin, which can cause the bitter…
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