Bell peppers originated in the tropical and subtropical Americas. Columbus introduced them to Europe in 1493. Plant diversification occurred primarily in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America, where peppers flavored dishes, preserved food, and treated various...
What was your least-liked vegetable as a child? We’re guessing the beet, but now, as an enlightened, health- and weight-conscious adult, you’ve come to embrace this ungainly root vegetable with so many benefits. Beets are low in calories but rich in...
“Cantaloupe” is hard to spell but easy to grow. This fruiting vine traces its roots to Egypt and Central Asia, dating back to around 2400 BCE. In Italy, cantaloupe cultivation rose with the Renaissance and, by the 15th century, had spread to Spain and...
If you can’t go wide, go high. New York City was built on this concept; trees in dense forests follow the same principle. Your tiny apartment balcony may lack the square footage for a lawn chair, but have you looked upwards recently? Chances are you have a good...
Like so many other popular garden plants, celery originated in the Mediterranean. It was first mentioned in Chinese writings in the 5th century AD and has been cultivated for centuries. Ancient civilizations used celery as a medicinal plant. In 14th-century Italy, it...
Arugula is a leafy green with a distinct peppery flavor. It belongs to the Brassicaceae family, which includes mustard and cabbage. It has been a staple in Mediterranean cuisine for centuries. Pliny the Elder wrote about it in the First Century AD. The Romans...
