Happy Spring!
Just after 11 pm (EDT) tonight, we will mark the astronomical end of winter and start of spring. Some of us are already working the soil in our vegetable gardens and sowing seeds for peas, leafy greens, and root vegetables. Before we know it, the last average frost date will arrive, after which we will transplant the seedlings of those warmer weather vegetables like tomatoes and peppers. You may not realize, though, that many of these plants we commonly refer to as vegetables are actually fruits according to botanical criteria. If you are not eating a plant’s flower heads (broccoli, cauliflower), leaves (arugula, lettuce), stems (asparagus), or roots (beet, carrot), then you are eating a plant’s fruits (bean, corn and other cereal, eggplant, melon, olive, pea, pepper, squash, tomato). Fruits are not only important to humans as crops but to a variety of wildlife as an essential part of their diets and to the plants themselves as a means of reproduction.
Photo © Priit Tammets CC BY 2.0 DEED
Photo © Mary Free
Image © Mary Free
If you want to learn more about the nature of fruits, how they develop, and some of the different types we find on our favorite trees and shrubs, in our perennial gardens, and on our plates, then click on our newest Glossary word, FRUIT. For tips on how to grow a healthy “vegetable” garden, be sure to check out our Between the Rows resources including the handy monthly “To Do Lists.”