(Japanese Cryptomeria, Vilmoriniana Japanese Cryptomeria)

The dwarf Japanese cedar, 'Vilmoriniana', is a rounded evergreen shrub with needles that are grayish green in the growing season and bronze in winter's cold. Its reddish-brown, exfoliating bark is attractive but rarely viewed through its dense, cloud-like clumps of needles. Mature specimens form tidy mounds ideal for smaller, more formal landscapes.

The tall, regal Japanese cedar is a lovely needled evergreen tree native to the open forests of China and Japan. It is admired for its attractive...

(Japanese Cryptomeria, Wintermint Japanese Cedar)

Winter Mint Japanese cedar is an evergreen tree with open branching. Needles are rich green in the growing season and retain green coloration in winter. Cones are dark brown and rounded; bark is reddish-brown and exfoliating.

Winter Mint Japanese cedar tolerates most well-drained soils but it's best in moist, acidic soils that are rich in organic matter. Grow it in full sun to partially shaded locations. Japanese cedar is excellent for large-scale screening or massing.

(Japanese Cryptomeria, Yoshino Japanese Cedar)

Yoshino Japanese cedar is a fast growing evergreen tree with needles that are bright green to bluish green in the growing season turning slightly bronze in winter. This cultivar is a large tree, but still much smaller than the species. Cones are dark brown and rounded; bark is reddish-brown and exfoliating. Its branches are densely covered in needles.

Yoshino Japanese cedar tolerates most well drained soils that are moist and acidic to neutral in pH. It performs well in full sun or partial shade...

(Cantaloupe, Casaba Melon, Honey Dew, Melon, Muskmelon)

Garden fresh melons are truly a summertime treat. Fragrant and delicious, these warm season fruits have been bred and revered by cultures worldwide and come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Muskmelons, cantaloupes and "late melons," like honeydew and casaba, are all Cucumis melo variants believed to have origins in Africa.

Melons are tropical annual vines with long, spreading stems that cling via springy tendrils. Their big lobed leaves are coarse, fuzzy and medium to deep green. Bright...

(Canary Melon)

This 2004 All-America Selections Winner boasts lovely compact melons with beautiful golden yellow skin, small seed cavities and sweet ivory flesh. The prolific vines of this canary melon are resilient and produce lots of 2 to 3 pound fruits that are ready for harvest around 70 days after planting. They are also more compact than average, making them well-suited to smaller garden spaces.

Melons are tropical annual vines with long, spreading stems that cling via springy tendrils. Their big lobed...

(Ananas d'Amerique A Chair Verte Melon, Melon)

The heirloom pineapple melon, 'Ananas d'Amerique A Chair Verte', translates to “pineapple of America with green flesh", so it has roots in both France and America. Its elongated oval fruits have greenish-tan netted skin and firm, ivory or pale green flesh that’s sweet, fragrant and somewhat like pineapple. The vines produce lots small to medium pound fruits that are ready for harvest around 75 to 80 days after planting. This cultivar may also be sold under the name “ananas.”

Melons are tropical...

(Cantaloupe)

Named for its heavenly flavor, ‘Angel’ is a vigorous melon that was recognized as a 2003 All-America Selections Winner. The 2 to 3 pound fruits have yellow and green netted skin, small seed cavities and fragrant, crisp, white flesh within. The fast-growing vines are relatively compact and produce melons only 60 days after planting.

Melons are tropical annual vines with long, spreading stems that cling via springy tendrils. Their big lobed leaves are coarse, fuzzy and medium to deep green. Bright...

The cucumber 'Armenian' ('Yard Long') is prized for its long, ribbed, spineless, non-bitter fruit. These slicing cucumbers have large, broadly lobed green leaves that are coarse to the touch. When mature, the vines produce yellow flowers. Pollen-bearing male flowers usually appear first, followed by the fruit-bearing female flowers, recognizable by the distinctive oval-shaped ovary at the base of the bloom. Ribbed fruits are light green, maturing to pale yellow. They are best harvested when young...

(Athena Cantaloupe, Cantaloupe)

Highly disease resistant vines produce classic cantaloupes that are fragrant and delicious. ‘Athena’ is a vigorous hybrid that produces 5 to 6 pound fruits around 75 days after planting. It has orange and tan netted skin and sweet, juicy salmon-orange flesh within. The vines are very compact and can produce as many as seven melons. The crack-resistant fruits store well too. The netted skin reveals this is truly a muskmelon.

Melons are tropical annual vines with long, spreading stems that cling...

(Crenshaw Melon)

A crenshaw melon for areas with short frost-free seasons, 'Burpees Early Hybrid' grows from seed to harvest in about 105 days. The large, oblong melons have dark green skin that yellows as the peach-pink, mildly sweet flesh ripens. This high-yielding F1 hybrid was introduced by W. Atlee Burpee Co. in 1968. Garden fresh melons are truly a summertime treat. Fragrant and delicious, these warm season fruits have been bred and revered by cultures worldwide and come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Muskmelons,...