Growing Guides

Onions are a kitchen staple you can grow from seed with a long, steady season and a little patience. Start them early indoors or sow direct, give them full sun and rich soil, and they reward you with a storable...

Radishes are the fastest, easiest crop in the garden, going from seed to harvest in as little as three to four weeks. Direct-sow them straight into cool, moist soil, keep them growing quickly, and you get crisp, peppery roots in...

Sweet, crisp carrots are one of the most satisfying roots to grow, and they do best sown straight into the garden where they will grow rather than transplanted. With loose, stone-free soil, patience through their slow germination, and steady moisture,...

Few things beat a sun-warm tomato picked straight from your own garden. Tomatoes are tender, sun-loving plants that are easy to start from seed indoors and transplant out after the last frost, and with steady warmth, feeding, and support they...

Sweet or hot, peppers all grow the same way: start them warm and early indoors, give them full sun and steady warmth outside, and they reward you with months of colorful fruit. This complete guide walks through every step, from...

Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) is a fast, fuss-free annual that forms a low, honey-scented carpet of tiny flowers, perfect for edging beds, spilling from pots, and feeding pollinators. This dwarf purple variety knits together into a soft violet ribbon in...

Luffa (Luffa aegyptiaca), also called loofah or sponge gourd, does two jobs from one vine: pick the gourds young and they cook up like summer squash, or let them mature and dry and you have a natural sponge for the...

Violet de Galmi is a prized West African heirloom onion with purple-tinged skin, firm flesh, and a rich, pungent flavor that stores unusually well for a warm-climate onion. It is a short-day type that thrives in heat, making it a...

Italian dandelion is the gardener's name for Catalogna chicory (Cichorium intybus), an upright leafy green with long, deeply toothed leaves that look just like true dandelion. It carries a pleasant, mild bitterness that mellows beautifully once the leaves are cooked...