The tomato is the most popular vegetable grown in the world. (Okay, technically they’re berries, but you don’t usually see chocolate-covered tomatoes in a grocery store.) They are very easy to grow, and come in many delicious varieties, from small cherry tomatoes to giant beefsteaks. They can grow up to ten feet tall, and can fit in as little as one to three square feet of ground space. Tomato plants can be grown in a container if you don’t have access to a garden.

Whatever variety and flavor you decide to grow, the taste, texture and nutritional value of your tomato is determined by the soil condition in your garden. And if you are an organic gardener, you will know that the health of the soil is the basis for everything else.

Drive around any residential neighborhood in the country and you’re bound to see the same, standard landscaping theme—a few shade or flowering trees, a green lawn and some foundation shrubs around the house. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Imagine having a yard that looks beautiful and produces fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs for you without a lot of extra work. That’s edible landscaping.

Edible landscapes incorporate food-producing plants into a residential landscape. It’s really very simple. Instead of planting a purely ornamental tree, shrub or flower, choose plants that are beautiful and that also produce an edible crop.

Ah, the rose. No other flower conjures up such passion, sentimentality and delight. No one is sure exactly what it is about this flower that inspires such adoration, but my guess is it’s the fragrance. While some modern hybrid roses aren’t fragrant, there are still many varieties with an intoxicating scent that will knock your socks off.

Choosing the rose with the best fragrance is impossible because fragrance is a matter of personal preference. However, there are some varieties that many agree are incomparable when it comes to an alluring aroma.

It’s the holiday season, and for the gardener in the family the gift of choice often is a holiday plant. Over the years, I’ve given and received my share of poinsettias, amaryllis and Christmas cacti as gifts this time of year. While these colorful indoor plants are standards, this year why not push the envelope a bit when buying a holiday plant.

Here are some unusual holiday plants that should be available at your local garden center or florist shop.