Italian parsley is a very versatile herb and is probably the most popular. It’s used in almost any style of savoury cooking and is sometimes added to a plate just to make it look attractive. Parsley is a biennial meaning that it will grow for two years. In its second year, it will ‘bolt to seed’ […]
Globe onions are the round onions which are commonly seen at the supermarket and can be brown, white or red. They are great for growing through the winter months although they can take six months before they are ready for picking. Globe onions are the basis for almost all stews, casseroles and curries and are used in […]
English spinach is a leafy green vegetable grown for its masses of leaves which are eaten cooked or raw. The leaves are soft and green and grow to around 30cm tall. If the leaves are picked when they are still young, they are called ‘baby spinach’. English spinach is an annual and at the end […]
Dwarf beans are really easy to grow so are great for those that have just started gardening. They grow a mass of full size beans on short vines that climb up a trellis and don’t need a lot of space. Climbing beans up a trellis keeps the beans off the ground but this can mean that they are more […]
Cucumber grows best in summer which is ideal since it is mostly eaten raw in salads at picnics and barbecues. Cucumbers grow on a vine which has large leaves which help to shade the fruit as they grow. The vine will spread over quite a large area or climb a trellis if one is available. The long, […]
Coriander, or ‘cilantro’ as the Americans call it, is a very popular herb used in Asian cooking and salads. It has a pungent, spicy flavour that some people love and some people hate. It really is a matter of taste. Coriander is a very fast growing plant and can be ready to harvest within just […]
A cauliflower, or ‘cauli’ for short, is made up of masses of tiny, creamy white stems called ‘curds’ that make this vegetable look like clouds although they aren’t that soft. Underneath are white edible stems and just like broccoli, these can be cut apart so that they look like trees. Cauliflowers don’t like the heat so are grown in the […]
Capsicums are from the same family as chillies but they are not hot or spicy at all. In fact, capsicums are quite sweet and some people will eat them just like apples. Americans call capsicums ‘sweet peppers’ or ‘bell peppers’ but they are all the same plant. Capsicums can be green, red, yellow and even purple. There […]
Cabbage was first grown over 4000 years ago and now includes lots of varieties. ‘Space Saver’ is a great cabbage to grow in the backyard because it produces smaller cabbages and can be grown almost all year round. The large round cabbage in the centre is called the ‘head’ and will grow to just over 1kg in size. […]
Butternut pumpkins have an unusual bell shape and orange flesh that is sweeter and nuttier than other pumpkins which is why it is so popular. Like other pumpkins, butternuts grow on a vine which spreads across the ground or climbs up a trellis and has large, flat green leaves which help give them some shade. […]
