When hot summer days arrive, biting into a homegrown melon is one of the best treats. Join farmer Briana Yablonski to learn how to grow honeydews from seed to harvest. When it comes to melons, honeydew might not be at the top of everyone’s list. However, don’t count these green melons out if you’ve only eaten them as part of a store-bought fruit salad. Homegrown honeydew has a refreshing juiciness and subtle floral flavor that makes it compete with beloved favorites like watermelon and cantaloupe. Honeydew melons grow best in warm climates with plenty of sun and space to spread. But with a little planning and care, even gardeners in cooler regions can enjoy these sweet fruits. In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to grow honeydews at home—from seed starting to harvest. What Are Honeydew Melons? Honeydew melons are a type of muskmelon known for their smooth, pale rinds and slightly sweet, light green flesh. They lack the musky fragrance found in cantaloupes and other types, but produce similar trailing vines. While you may be most familiar with the standard honeydew, there are dozens of cultivars with varying skin colors and flavors. All are members of the Cucumis melo species, which also includes cantaloupe and crenshaw types. Unlike their cantaloupe cousins, honeydews don’t emit a strong aroma when ripe, which is how they earned the name “inodorus,” meaning “without scent.” Because they don’t continue to ripen after harvest, proper timing is key if you want to enjoy the melons at the peak of flavor. Characteristics Honeydew melons typically have smooth, slightly waxy skin that ranges from pale green to golden yellow when ripe. The flesh is usually light green, but you’ll also find orange and white-fleshed varieties. The fruit size varies by cultivar, but most of them are between five and ten pounds when mature. Each plant produces long, trailing vines that sprawl multiple feet in every direction. The vines bear yellow flowers, which turn into melons after they’re properly pollinated. Native Area Most historians believe that melons originated in Africa and southwest Asia, with honeydews developing through centuries of cultivation. They made their way to Europe and the Americas through trade and exploration, and became popular in the United States by the early 1900s. Planting Most honeydews take around three months to mature, so it’s important to get them in the ground early enough to ensure they can ripen before cool fall days arrive. However, since these heat-loving plants don’t tolerate cold, wait until after the last spring frost to plant. Honeydews can grow well when directly sown in the garden or transplanted. The best growing method depends on your climate and preferences.

Lychee trees are a wonderful tropical addition to gardens in warm climates. Their sweet fruits are the perfect summer treat and the lush green leaves add ornamental value for the rest of the year. Gardening expert Madison Moulton explains everything you need to know to grow and care for lychees in this guide. I have a long list of fruit and nut trees in my garden. Macadamias, avocados, bananas, mangoes—I could go on. But one of my favorite trees (and certainly the favorite of anyone who visits my garden) is the lychee. Where I’m from, lychees (or litchis) are a summer staple. There’s nothing better than grabbing a bowl of them and peeling the red skin to reveal the tasty fruit underneath. And since they can be quite pricey, growing my own has saved me a lot of money over the years. As tropical fruits, lychees are largely reserved for gardeners in zones 10 to 11 (or 9 at a push). As they can be quite particular about their environment, it’s best to stick to their requirements as best as you can if you want masses of fruits. In the right location, lychees aren’t too difficult to care for. Follow the tips in this guide, and you’ll have a tropical fruit paradise in no time (or, more accurately, in three to five years). What Are Lychee Trees? Lychees are delicious tropical fruits from the tree Litchi chinensis. Although they aren’t as widely grown as some other tropical fruits (mangoes come to mind), their unique flavor makes them worth growing. They also aren’t the most common fruit to find fresh in stores, so if you love lychees, it’s easier (and far more budget-friendly) to grow your own. Lychee trees produce small, round fruits with rough red skin. Once you peel the skin back, you’ll find the delicious white or translucent flesh surrounded by a large seed in the center. The flavor is hard to describe, but it’s a kind of combination of sweet and floral, the perfect treat for summer. The fruits are only around for a short period, so what is there to enjoy for the rest of the year? Lychees have a lush and evergreen canopy with a tropical look that adds impressive ornamental value. The flowers may not look like much, but the glossy green leaves are a feature on their own. There are a few varieties to choose from, but ‘Mauritius’ and ‘Brewster’ are the most common. Characteristics Lychee trees can reach impressive heights of 40 feet or more in the right conditions. Thankfully, they respond well to pruning if you’re short on space or want to keep the tree at a more manageable size. You only need one to produce fruit too, so you don’t have to worry about finding space for two large trees. These trees, like many other fruit trees, unfortunately, do take their time to produce fruit. If you purchase one from a nursery, you’ll be waiting around 3 to 5 years for your first fruits. Starting from seed may require a decade (or more) of patience. In late spring, lychee trees produce clusters of greenish-white flowers that attract masses of pollinators like bees. In spring, my lychee tree is the most popular plant in my garden for bees, drawing so many that you can hear their buzz from inside the house. They are considered self-fertile—I only have one tree and enjoy more fruit than I know what to do with each year. But having more than one can potentially boost the fruit set and quality. Native Area These tropical fruit trees are native to southern China. They’re happiest in warm, humid climates with mild, dry winters and hot, rainy summers. They don’t perform well in coastal areas close to sea level. Lychees thrive in USDA zones 10 and 11, but those in zone 9 can still grow them paying a little more attention to cold snaps. If you live in an area where frost is common, consider planting in containers so you can move your tree indoors or to a sheltered spot like a greenhouse when temperatures drop. Planting Early spring is typically the best time to plant lychee trees. In warmer regions with mild winters, you can get away with planting a bit earlier to help them establish faster, but it’s always a good idea to keep a close eye on the forecast. You won’t be getting fruit in the first year anyway, so focus on a strong start instead. Find a location with at least six hours of sunlight daily. The soil should be well-draining, so avoid low-lying spots where water tends to pool. If your soil is heavy, work in plenty of organic matter before planting to improve drainage. If you’re planting from a nursery-grown tree, dig a hole that’s a little larger than the current bag or container. Gently remove the tree and place it in the hole so that it sits at the same level as in the container. Fill in the gaps with soil, firm it down gently, and water thoroughly to help the roots settle in. A layer of organic mulch around the base will also help keep moisture in (just don’t let it sit directly against the trunk). Starting from seed takes a little extra effort and a lot more patience. You also won’t get the same type of tree you planted from, so it’s fun for experimentation, but not reliability. Plant your seeds as soon as possible after removing them from the fruit. Soak overnight and sow the seeds about an inch deep in a well-draining soil mix and keep the soil moist. Apply consistent warmth and plenty of bright light. You’ll hopefully see a sprout in a few weeks. But if a quicker harvest and reliability is your goal, I recommend choosing a nursery-grown tree instead.

Ornamental peppers produce brilliantly colored fruit and look fantastic in garden spaces. While they are grown to be ornamental, they can also be eaten. In this comprehensive growing guide, Sarah Jay explains how to care for them. Ornamental peppers provide more than just eye candy. They’re also packed full of spice. While they aren’t the most pleasant or flavorful peppers, they provide a punch in any dish. So consider growing ornamental pepper plants this spring! Once you plant ornamental peppers, you can practically ignore them and they will thrive. Growing ornamental peppers, therefore, is an easy and rewarding experience. While you focus on the higher maintenance plants in your vegetable garden, your ornamental peppers pop with color. Whether it’s hot pepper flakes you’d like to include in a dish, or simply a splash of color with some heat, the colorful fruit of an ornamental pepper plant provides. If eating the fruit of the pepper plants isn’t your style, know they’re great in pest deterrent sprays and landscapes. So, let’s discuss growing ornamental peppers, and cover a few different types you can seek out for your spring planting. What are Ornamental Peppers? The ornamental pepper plant (Capsicum annuum) has many different varieties and, thus, multiple common names. Ornamental pepper plants are tender perennials often grown as annuals. Native Area Most ornamental peppers originate in southern North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Ornamental peppers made their way to Europe in the 15th century and were prized as showy, colorful garden plants. Today, they’re known as Christmas plants due to their bright fruit that makes them an excellent addition to floral arrangements and as a bedding plant in ornate landscapes. They’re also great container plants. Whether you want to eat them or not, they’re sure to be a hit. Characteristics The ornamental pepper is a dense, round shrub with alternate, ovate dark purple to deep green leaves. It’s a bushier plant with green branches that reach anywhere from six inches to three feet tall and spread eight to twenty-four inches wide. The compact plants bloom inconspicuous off-white flowers – sometimes with a purple tint – that require pollination either by hand or from bumblebees. The flowers bloom in the late spring, and with successful pollination, peppers form within four months. They resemble Christmas lights in an upright position. Pepper colors range from bright red, yellow, orange, green, or deep purple. The root ball of ornamental pepper is small and shallow. As the weather cools in early fall, ornamental peppers stop producing, and they die back in frost. Those not exposed to frost will survive throughout the year. Most people grow ornamental peppers for non-culinary reasons, but they work very well in bean dishes, salsas, and hot sauces. Anywhere you need an extra kick, these peppers deliver. Some people are unpleasantly surprised when they take a pepper off the ornamental plants and take a bite. That’s because there’s more punch than flavor involved when you eat ornamental peppers. Varieties ‘Chilly Chili’ peppers ‘Chilly Chili’ peppers grow on a dense plant with green leaves that reach one foot tall and spread six to ten inches wide. The plant produces upright, slender red, orange, and yellow fruit that, at their hottest, have the same amount of spice as a poblano. This chili plant grows well in prepared ground or containers. ‘Prairie Fire’ peppers ‘Prairie Fire’ pepper plants are great for hanging baskets, containers, or the ground due to their low-lying nature. They’ll fit into almost any landscape at a height of eight inches and a spread of one foot. The densely arranged dark green leaves are punctuated by stout red, yellow, orange, purple, and cream-colored peppers. If you want to use them in the kitchen, know they are just as spicy as Thai peppers and ten times the heat of jalapenos. ‘Bolivian Rainbow’ peppers ‘Bolivian Rainbow’ peppers are just as lovely as the name suggests. They’re taller than the previous ornamental peppers we’ve mentioned, which are two feet tall. The slender leaves are accented by Christmas light-shaped peppers that are purple, bright red, orange, and yellow. These have a cayenne-level heat. ‘Black Pearl’ peppers ‘Black Pearl’ peppers grow on a plant with dark green leaves that is 18 inches wide and tall. The fruit is the origin of the common name for this pepper plant, as it turns from a bright red to a deep, almost black purple. Black pearl peppers also pack cayenne-level heat and add a touch of spicy darkness to a garden or a dish. ‘Medusa’ peppers ‘Medusa’ ornamental peppers are very small and make excellent bedding plants or container plantings. They reach a mere six to eight inches tall, and have peppers that are ivory white when they first form, then deepen to a yellow, orange, and finally bright red. These peppers are great for children’s gardens because they don’t pack nearly the same punch as the others we’ve mentioned. ‘Numex Easter’ peppers ‘Numex Easter’ peppers are lovely and produce fruits that cluster together in fours. Pepper colors range from white to pale yellow, light purple, orange, and red. The leaves are dark green and sit atop stems that reach eight inches high and spread ten inches wide. They’re lovely in hanging baskets and container plantings and pack a pretty hefty heat. ‘Sangria’ peppers ‘Sangria’ peppers are lovely vibrant specimens that grow red peppers that turn reddish-purple late in the season. The ‘Sangria’ plant type grows peppers bred for their intensely colored fruit, and their hues pop out among the deep green foliage. The height and spread of these plants are 16 and 18 inches, respectively. ‘Sangria’ plants have hot peppers that are about the same heat as cayenne. And Sangria is great indoors, outdoors, in the ground, or in containers. Planting To grow ornamental peppers, plant seeds in well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. They prefer warmer temperatures and a sunny location. Regular watering is crucial, but avoid overwatering to prevent root rot. Once established, the plants are relatively drought-tolerant.