Vegetables

Vegetables come from almost every part of a plant. With radishes and parsnips we eat the roots, with leeks and onions the bulbs and stems, with cabbage and Swiss chard the leaves, and with broccoli and cauliflower the unopened flower buds. Some foods we call vegetables, like cucumbers and eggplants, are botanically fruits because they hold the plant’s seeds.

These guides cover how to grow, harvest and enjoy common garden crops, from quick-growing snow peas and broad beans to summer favorites like zucchini and sweet corn. They are great for family vegetable patches, school gardens and anyone curious about where food comes from.