Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) are warm-season, fast-growing vegetables with shallow roots which originated from India. Some sources claim that Christopher Columbus brought this veggie to the Americas. Those plants can be monoecious, which means that they produce both male and female flowers. Most of the cucumbers are in this group, and…
Sago palm tree (Cycas revoluta) is an exotic, indoor plant originated from the Ryukyu Islands and Southern Japan, which doesn’t require too much effort for successful growth. In the US, you can grow this beautiful plant in your garden only if you live in the Southern States because this tropical…
It is not entirely clear if okra (ochro, bhindi, or ladies’ fingers) is South Asian, West African, or Ethiopian origins, but it is well-known that the best regions for cultivation are subtropical and tropical zones throughout the globe. You can harvest this warm-natured hibiscus cousin during summer, and keep doing…
Bell peppers (capsicum, sweet pepper) originated from Mexico and South America. When you set out bell peppers two weeks after the last frost, you can enjoy in an exciting color change from green, yellow, orange, to red. Moreover, with a new color, your vegetable will get more vitamin C and…
The first one who mentioned cauliflower in the 1st century AD was Pliny. In the Middle Age, it was cultivated in the island of Cyprus, and then gardeners in Western Europe started growing this vegetable in their gardens. In 1822, the British introduced this plant to India. Nowadays, the US…
Fennel (finocchio, Florence fennel) is a beautiful, hardy, feathery herb with fern-like leaves and a strong, licorice-like taste. Even though it is a perennial herb, most gardeners grow it as an annual since it is sensitive to low temperatures. This huge plant can reach 4 to even 8 feet (1.2…
There are six varieties of corn, including flour corn, flint corn, dent corn, popcorn, sweet corn, and pod corn. Sweet corn (sweetcorn, pole corn, or sugar corn) is an annual, wind-pollinated plant with white, yellow, or bi-colored ears. To get abundant yields, you should plant your sweet corns in blocks…
Even though we usually use its red, pink, or greenish stems, well-known for a rich, tart flavor, to prepare jams and pies, rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is actually a hardy perennial vegetable. It has dense stems and beautiful, large foliage. Just be careful since leaves of this plant are poisonous thanks…
Gardeners in Belgium named Brussels sprouts after the city of Brussels, and grow this vegetable since about 1200 AD. It seems that these plants descended from wild Mediterranean kale, and came to North America during the 1800s. Round green or red sprouts, which grow in the leaves’ axils, look like tiny…
Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) are warm-season, fast-growing vegetables with shallow roots which originated from India. Some sources claim that Christopher Columbus brought this veggie to the Americas. Those plants can be monoecious, which means that they produce both male and female flowers. Most of the cucumbers are in this group, and…
Can you imagine that loofah sponge (loofa, luffa), which you have just bought in the local health-food store, is actually an annual plant you can grow in your garden? This lush vegetable with buttery yellow blooms, abundant foliage, and cucumber-like fruit of 2 feet (61 cm) is basically eatable. However,…
