A white bowl with green, star-shaped vegetable slices with white seeds in their centers, in front of green ridged vegetables, on top of a rock surface

Growing Guide: Okra

The towering stalks of the okra plant provide height, texture, and color to the home garden. Both beautiful and productive, okra can be harvested for several weeks throughout the summer.

Growing Guides

Growing Guide: Mustard Greens

Mustard greens are a cool-season crop that are easy to grow. They tolerate a light frost and can be grown all winter in warmer climates. Exposure to frost makes the leaves sweeter, and warm weather makes the leaves spicier.

Two round white melon halves with seeds in the center and yellow rinds, surrounded by 5 small whole yellow melons

Growing Guides

Growing Guide: Melons

Like its cucurbit cousins—watermelon, cucumbers, and squash—melons and Armenian cucumbers produce numerous fruitful vines. There are countless varieties of melons—hundreds if not thousands, not counting many that go unrecorded worldwide.

A pile of multicolored flat beans next to a pile of green bean pods and a pile of red and white speckled bean pods

Growing Guides

Growing Guide: Lima Beans

While different than the common bean, lima beans have a similar growing habit. Some lima beans are vining crops that need to be trellised while other varieties have a bush habit that allows them to be planted without support.

A head of green lettuce leaves on a dirt surface

Growing Guides

Growing Guide: Lettuce

Lettuce is an ideal crop for beginner growers and seed savers alike. Gardeners can choose looseleaf varieties that do not form heads or grow iceberg lettuces that form a head of tightly overlapping leaves.

A pile of white stalks with long green leaves and white roots, on top of a straw surface with two leaves on the left side

Growing Guides

Growing Guide: Leeks

Leeks have been used as a culinary crop for at least 4,000 years. Enjoy this historic allium in your garden and try your hand at biennial seed saving.

A round green vegetable with green stems protruding from its sides and top, over a straw surface

Growing Guides

Growing Guide: Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi, sometimes called German turnip or turnip cabbage, was developed by selection for an enlarged edible stem.

A pile of small, round and yellow fruits

Growing Guides

Growing Guide: Ground Cherry

Commonly known as ground cherry, dwarf cape gooseberry, and strawberry tomato, this plant produces a small, yellow, edible berry surrounded by a papery husk.

White garlic bulbs with red-purple stripes.

Growing Guides

Growing Guide: Garlic

This culinary staple is rarely propagated from seeds. Instead a few aromatic bulbs of garlic are saved from the harvest and replanted year after year.

A pile of purple vegetables with green stems and leaves

Growing Guides

Growing Guide: Eggplant

Eggplant can be a beautiful addition to your garden. Eggplant enjoy a long growing season, but you can extend your season by starting plants indoors.