Focusing on 85 vegetables, herbs, and fruits that can be grown in conventional gardens, Jack Staub tells the stories of their origins and apprises the home gardener on ways to use them, from the table to remedies and potions. Up-to-the-minute cultivation and culinary advice are delivered with accessibility and wit, and Staub has a raconteur's gift for sharing legends and lore. A true joy, Ellen Sheppard Buchert contributes stylish yet accurate watercolor portraits of such favorites as the blueberry, mint, pumpkin, lavender, kiwi, chamomile, and nectarine, but also the less frequently considered quince, borage, goji berry, and chervil.