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"Fresh produce and herbs, as well as vibrant-tasting edible\nflowers, are helpful for the home cook to have on hand. Growing\nthem in your backyard yields not only convenience but also\nunmatched flavor for a fraction of the cost of their grocery-store\ncounterparts.\nWith minimal effort, you can enjoy succulent heirloom tomatoes,\nheady basil, and uniquely peppery nasturtium&#8213;available just\nsteps from the kitchen. Plus, these three plants can be grown just\nabout anywhere in the United States. With the help of plant\nexperts, here are guidelines to help you start an edible garden of\nyour own.\n\n\nProduce: Tomato\nTomatoes thrive virtually anywhere. All they need is room for\ntheir roots, lots of sunshine, water, and fertilizer. \"To produce\ntheir best fruit, tomatoes need a long, warm growing season,\" says\nRenee Shepherd, owner of online seed shop \nRenee's\nGarden. \"So you'll need to start your seeds indoors six to\neight weeks before the last expected frost date in your area.\"\nFollow the directions on the seed packet, and transfer the\nseedlings outdoors two weeks after the last frost.\n\nRequirements:\n&#8226; Light: Full sun, six to eight hours a day.\n&#8226; Soil and nutrients: Plant in rich soil prepared with\ncompost or other organic material. Fertilize monthly.\n&#8226; Water: Keep soil moist but not soggy&#8213;about the\nequivalent of an inch of rain per week, Shepherd says. Be careful\nnot to overwater.\n&#8226; Stakes: You'll need strong stakes or wire cages to\nsupport the vines. \"Don't let ripe tomatoes sit on the vine. Pick\noften to encourage more growth,\" says Tracy K. Lee, horticulture\nmanager for the Burpee seed company.\n\nHarvesting:\n&#8226; When: Harvest tomatoes when they feel heavy for their\nsize and achieve full color. This doesn't always mean red; heirloom\nvarieties come in a number of colors.\n\nVarieties best for:\n&#8226; Best overall: There are hundreds of flavor and\naesthetic options for heirloom tomatoes. But most experts agree: If\nyou only grow one, go with 'Brandywine.'\n&#8226; Best for salads and sandwiches: Unique, widely\navailable heirloom options: 'Golden Jubilee,' 'Green Zebra,' or\n'Black Russian.'\n&#8226; Best for sauces: Romas are a medium-sized, plumlike\nvariety that stands up well to simmering.\n\nOther tips and secrets: For best taste, never refrigerate\ntomatoes; cold damages their flavor.\n\n\nHerb: Basil\nThe 64 different species of basil vary in taste from cinnamon\nto lemon, and go well with pasta, meat, fish, and even chocolate.\nBasil is a semitropical plant, and temperatures in the 40s can be\ndamaging, Shepherd says, so sow your seeds only when nighttime\ntemperatures are consistently in the 50s. Thin or transplant after\nthe seedlings are established so the plants have room to grow.\n\nRequirements:\n&#8226; Light: Full sun, six to eight hours a day.\n&#8226; Soil and nutrients: Plant in rich, well-amended soil.\nFertilize once a month with fish emulsion, available at most garden\nshops.\n&#8226; Water: Keep the soil moist&#8213;about an inch of\nwater per week.\n\nHarvesting:\n&#8226; What: Snip stems just above two sprouting lateral\nbranches to encourage continued growth.\n&#8226; When: For best flavor, prune when the plant reaches\nsix to seven inches in height. Pinch off any blossoms that appear\nto keep it producing new leaves as long as possible.\n\nVarieties best for:\n&#8226; Best for pesto: Italian varieties, such as 'Genovese'\nand 'Profuma di Genova'\n&#8226; Best for cooking: Cinnamon basil works well in\nmarinades. Lemon basil is great with chicken, fish, or vegetables.\n&#8226; Best for salads: The appropriately named 'Salad Leaf'\nbasil has large leaves and a mild, buttery flavor.\n\nOther tips and secrets: Basil's production slows\nconsiderably as it ages. Shepherd suggests successive plantings\nthree weeks apart to ensure fresh herbs all season (this also\nallows you to sample multiple varieties).\n\n\nEdible Flower: Nasturtium\nOriginating in the jungles of South America, nasturtiums are\nremarkably hardy little flowers that will grow easily. They're\navailable in a rainbow of colors and spread quickly to produce\nlovely foliage and bright blossoms. Nasturtiums' peppery leaves and\npetals are reminiscent of watercress with a hint of honey. Their\nseeds can also be dried and ground like black pepper, and the\nseedpods pickled and used like capers. Plant seeds one inch deep\nand eight to 12 inches apart after the last frost.\n\nRequirements:\n&#8226; Light: Full sun, or partial in very hot climates\n&#8226; Soil and nutrients: Plant in well-drained soil.\nFertilizer isn't necessary unless you have poor soil quality.\n&#8226; Water: Nasturtiums are forgiving; water when soil\nfeels dry.\n\nHarvesting:\nBlossoms are ready to eat as soon as they open. Pull apart\npetals and discard stamens and pistils, or use whole as a garnish.\nThe many varieties have similar flavor, but Shepherd likes the\nblue-green leaves and vermillion blossoms of 'Empress of India'\nbest.\n\nOther edible flowers:\n&#8226; Best for baking/sweets: Use delicious-but-strong\nlavender blossoms sparingly&#8213;place in a bowl of sugar to\nflavor, or steep in milk and remove.\n&#8226; Best for salads/garnish: Rose petals, fuchsia, and\nmarigolds all offer a pleasant taste.\n\nOther tips and secrets: Avoid insecticides or artificial\nfertilizers on edible flowers. Nasturtiums are naturally\npest-resistant, but if you find aphids, remove them by spraying\nwith water.\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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