Lemon verbena is a semi-tropical plant. Its leaves have an intensely lemony fragrance and flavor. Leaves can be used in herbal teas and added to fruit salads, vegetables, and desserts. Dried leaves will remain fragrant for several years. Add a touch of lemon verbena to foods, then taste, then add more if needed—use a light […] More
Gooseberries are small, round thin-skinned fruits that look a lot like grapes. Ripe gooseberries can be green, pink, yellow, or white. Some gooseberry varieties are for fresh-eating and desserts; others are for cooking—pies, tarts, jam, jellies, and sauces; and some varieties can be used both fresh and cooked. The gooseberry is a hardy, deciduous, perennial […] More
Currants are small, round berry-like fruits that can be eaten fresh or cooked with sugar and made into pie fillings, puddings, dessert sauces, jams, and jellies. There are red, white–actually yellowish-white, and black-fruited currants. Currants grow as bushes to about 6 feet tall. They grow best in cool-summer regions and seldom thrive in warm-summer regions […] More
Plums are a diverse group of fruiting trees. Plums can be found in most temperate regions of the world. There is a wide range of tree sizes, forms, colors, and flavors. European plums are blue and widely grown. Japanese plums are red and very popular. Native American plums are small and tart. Damson plums are […] More
Avocados have a nutlike flavor and flesh that is buttery in its consistency. Avocados are eaten raw in salads, dips, and sandwiches. They are richer in fat than any other fruit except the olive—20 to 30 percent fat—93 percent unsaturated. There are more than 500 avocado varieties. Some can be grown in warm winter temperate […] More
Growing backyard grapes is not difficult, but success depends upon choosing the right variety for your climate, training the vine, and pruning regularly. Grapes require a cold spell during the winter (but not a killing freeze), warmth in spring for flowering and fruit set, and heat and sunshine in summer to ripen the fruit. Dessert […] More
You can grow borage in minutes. Borage is a decorative herb festooned in summer with clusters of intensely blue star-shaped flowers. The leaves and flowers of borage taste like cucumbers. The flowers can be floated in summer drinks and candied for decoration. The leaves can be used in salads, sandwiches, and desserts or sautéed like […] More
Common fennel–also called sweet fennel–can be grown for its leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds. Common fennel is grown as an herb. Its leaves and seeds are used in cooking and baking. Florence fennel—which has a bulbous stem and is a variety of common fennel– is grown for its stem which is eaten as a vegetable. […] More
Belgian endive and chicory, both belonging to the chicory family (Cichorium intybus), are well-loved for their distinctive flavors and the versatility they bring to culinary creations. Belgian endive, known for its compact, pale, torpedo-shaped heads, is cultivated through a unique forcing process in darkness that yields its mild bitterness and crisp texture, perfect for salads […] More
Vegetable amaranth–often called tampala or Chinese spinach–is a quick-growing annual that produces an abundance of edible leaves. The leaves can be harvested cut-and-come-again over several weeks. Vegetable amaranth is a tropical plant that grows best in warm weather where the average low temperature is 68°F (20°C) through the growing season. It is a warm-weather, summer […] More
Good King Henry is a perennial green sometimes called “wild spinach” or “poor man’s asparagus.” It is grown for its juicy and flavorful arrow-shaped leaves which can be cooked and eaten like spinach and for its young shoots which can be blanched and eaten like asparagus. Good King Henry has been grown in kitchen gardens […] More
The mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata) is a small citrus tree that resembles an orange. The name tangerine and mandarin are often used interchangeably for a group of small orange-like fruits that have an easy-to-peel rind. The mandarin orange is not one citrus fruit but many. Some mandarin oranges are called mandarins, some are called tangerines, and some […] More
Stephen Albert