Every year I commit to growing something completely new to me. This year, that distinction went to sesame. I sprinkled seeds, liberated from Franklin Park Conservatory, in rich soil in mid May. They sprouted and grew to three feet tall. A string of pentagonal buds formed into sweet white flowers. Below the flowers, strings of five pointed pods grew around the stem. The pods are swollen and dark green now. In time they will dry [...]

A recent post of mine is eligible to win a ticket to a blog conference in Asheville North Carolina. Will you do me a favor and vote for me, @racheltayse? Thanks!! Back in the spring we dedicated one raised bed to Lillian for her own garden. She loved the idea and made an adorable sign to mark it as hers. And then we started arguing. Despite planning to grow peas, carrots, strawberries and other edibles, [...]

Most annual vegetables send out flowers.  It’s their way of ensuring their own reproduction. The home gardener must manage flowers, tending the ones that will develop into fruits we want and removing those that distract the plant from its functions. Leave the flowers on these plants, as they develop into vegetables: tomato cucumber pepper eggplant peas beans squash, including zucchini, acorn, and pumpkin (a special case, as the blossoms are edible but if you eat [...]