Beyond the basics
The crops most people never grow — pulses that store for years, heat-lovers, bitter leaves, and rhizomes for a pot.
- 01
Crops№ 2635 minLentils and Chickpeas: Protein That Stores for Years
Dryland pulses that fix their own nitrogen and dry down to a staple — plus why they are the most calorie-dense thing a temperate garden produces.
- 02
Crops№ 0245 minAubergine and Okra: Heat-Lovers for a Cool Climate
Two crops that need more warmth than most temperate gardens offer — plus the mucilage that makes okra divisive and how to control it.
- 03
Crops№ 1606 minFennel and Chicory: Bitterness, Bolting, and Forcing in the Dark
Two crops grown for bitterness — bulb fennel that bolts at any excuse, and chicory roots forced in darkness for winter chicons.
- 04
Crops№ 1865 minGlobe Artichoke and Cardoon: Eating an Unopened Flower
A thistle grown for its immature flower bud, the compound that makes water taste sweet afterwards, and a perennial that crops for a decade.
- 05
Crops№ 2895 minMelons: Sugar Arrives in the Last Two Weeks
Ripeness cannot be improved after picking, because melons store no starch — plus the heat, the slip test, and why watermelons are different.
- 06
Crops№ 1845 minGinger and Turmeric: Rhizomes for a Pot
Tropical understorey rhizomes that grow surprisingly well in a container — plus why turmeric stains everything and ginger from a shop may not sprout.
- 07
Growing№ 2087 minHarvest and Storage: Keeping What You Grew
Picking at the right stage, curing what needs curing, and the four storage conditions that decide whether a crop lasts a week or eight months.