I’ll be honest with you — I never thought I’d be writing about apples on a gardening blog. I grow vegetables mostly. Tomatoes, zucchini, the occasional stubborn pepper plant. But last spring, my neighbor Dave … Read more
What if a single tree could swallow an entire forest, shelter thousands of people, and hold the secrets of ancient civilizations — all at once? Welcome to the world of the sacred banyan tree, where … Read more
Botanically, butternut squash is a fruit because it: However, culinarily it’s classified as a vegetable due to its savory taste and cooking uses. Both classifications are technically correct depending on context. What you’ll learn in … Read more
My daughter asked me this question last summer while we were picking cucumbers from our raised beds. She was seven. I gave her a confident wrong answer. Said they were vegetables, obviously. Where else do … Read more
A gardener from our community plot once told me a frustrating story. She had grown beautiful butterhead lettuce all spring. Perfect leaves. No pests. A real success. But she couldn’t eat it. Every time she … Read more
Last spring, a new gardener in our community plot asked me a simple question while we were planning her first garden beds. “Should I plant cilantro with my vegetables or somewhere else?” I watched her … Read more
Last fall, my nephew asked me a question while we were planting garlic cloves in my garden beds. He’d been learning about food groups in school. “Uncle, is garlic a vegetable? Because we use it … Read more
My daughter received a Venus flytrap for her seventh birthday. Within two weeks, she had fed it three flies, named it “Chomper,” and became convinced we needed an entire carnivorous plant collection. “Dad, why can’t … Read more
A few years ago, my friend Linda started having digestive problems. Her doctor couldn’t find anything wrong. Tests came back normal. But she felt bloated and tired after every meal. Her neighbor, who practiced Traditional … Read more
I was helping my nephew plant his first garden last spring when he asked me a question that stopped me cold. “Uncle, why are we putting tomatoes in the vegetable section if they’re fruits?” I … Read more
Last summer, my friend Rachel called me in a panic. Her golden retriever, Duke, had gotten into the garden while she wasn’t watching. He’d eaten several fallen fruits from the ground—some safe, some not. “I … Read more
Every December 31st, my Tita Rosa spends the entire morning arranging her fruit display. She’s been doing this for over forty years. Last year, I watched her carefully place each orange, each grape cluster, and … Read more