If you had told me when I was a kid that I would be growing eggplant in my garden by my own free will, I likely would have walked away from you in utter disgust. Clearly, you wouldn’t have known me well.
Continue reading Eggplant (Solanum melongena)
If a recipe calls for 1-2 cloves of garlic, I will automatically add three or four (or five, maybe 6). Because garlic. Garlic chives provide another way to enjoy that awesome garlic flavor with a plant that also offers beauty along with function.
Continue reading Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum)
You cannot have a true Greek village salad without cucumber, nor can you have true Greek tzatziki (cucumber and yogurt sauce). So can you be a true Greek gardener and not grow cucumber? I think not.
Continue reading Cucumber (Cucumis sativus Linnaeus)
For whatever reason, the first appearance of asparagus in my garden seems almost magical. One day it’s just empty dirt, the next day baby spears of deliciousness have erupted through the surface.
Continue reading Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)
Cabbage is one of those “cool weather” crops that has stymied me for a while. Being in zone 9 means that one has to take advantage of the fall season, just when you think you get to take a break from your summer garden, if you want to have success with these kinds of crops.
Continue reading Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)
I disappeared once when I was about three. My parents frantically searched the house looking for me, only to find me in the garden… eating all the peas.
Continue reading Peas (Pisum sativum)
I can’t imagine life without garlic, nor do I think I should have to. That would just be cruel. Thankfully, it’s easy to grow, so I don’t think I’ll have to worry!
Continue reading Garlic (Allium sativum)
If you drive along some parts of the central California coast, you are likely to see wide swaths of the landscape covered in artichoke plants. In fact, this is pretty much the only place in the U.S. where commercial artichokes are grown.
Continue reading Artichoke (Cynara scolymus)
Not only is this a ridiculously easy plant to grow, but it’s tasty, nutritious, and can be used as a functional part of a water feature in your landscape. Score one for versatility!
Continue reading Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)
Orange carrots are so ubiquitous that it’s easy to think that they have always been the norm, yet they are actually the Johnny-come-lately’s of the carrot world. White and purple are really the old timers.
Continue reading Carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus)
Mostly Greek 