This is the main vegetable garden behind Nick's suburban home. You can see squash and zucchini growing in the closest row, next to peppers and onions in the second row. The metal frame of a greenhouse covers his artichokes. He will cover the frame with plastic to protect the artichoke plants during the winter.

Nick stands outside the greenhouse he built where he starts his seeds directly in the ground and keeps his citrus trees and other plants which are not cold hardy during the winter season.

At this time of year (mid-August) the greenhouse is used mostly to store potting soil and other supplies.

Nick has a whole collection of potted citrus trees which stores in his green house each winter to protect them from the cold. In this picture he is removing the net he usually keeps around these trees which prevents birds from snatching the fruit.

It is remarkable that Nick is able to grow lemons in New York!

A ripe lemon hangs on this grafted tree.

A close-up of butternut squash growing in Nick's garden.

Trellised faglioni pinti, a long bean typical of Nick's hometown of Mola di Bari.

Nick loves these treasured long beans from Mola, and has them growing in several places in his garden.

A close view of the long fagiolini pinti beans.

Hard squash grows in the foreground, in front of watermelon in the background. A lettuce has been allowed to grow tall and develop seed for saving.

Nick harvests wild arugula to make a salad for us.

Wild arugula grows as a perennial, and has narrower, pepperier leaves than its cultivated cousin.

Nick also picked some tomatoes for the salad.

Nick points out all the fruit which has formed on his fig tree which came from his hometown of Mola di Bari.

Nick points to the tiny figs that will be this year's main season crop.

The first figs have formed on last year's old wood and will soon ripen. The main season crop is beginning to form on this year's growth.

Nick wraps the almost ripe fruit of this tree in old onion bags to keep the birds from getting them.

This fig is almost ripe and without protection, a bird will surely get to it first.

A potted Mediterranean bay plant.

Nick inspects his asparagus patch.

A row of artichokes (which ave already been harvested for the season) is planted down the middle of the garden, underneath a short greenhouse structure.

Close-up of a young broccoli rabe.

A recently planted row of rapa

Flats of baby bulb fennel plants are almost ready to be planted in the garden.

Nick waters young seedlings including parsley, escarole, and lettuces.

Purslane, known in Italian as portulaca, is a volunteer in Nick's garden. The slightly lemony leaves can be used in salads and other dishes.

Nick digs potatoes.

A close up of the potatoes.

Grape tomatoes.

Nick didn't cut this lettuce to eat, instead he has let it "go to seed." Soon flower buds will emerge from the top of each lettuce plant, and once pollinated they will form the seeds Nick can collect for next year.

Swiss chard, known as bieta in Italian, grows well in Nick's garden.

Blackberries ripen on the bush.

Nick also grows luscious, sweet blueberries in abundance.

Nick stores oregano in a bag hanging from his garage ceiling.

Nick wraps bundles of oregano in paper bags before hanging it from the rafters.

Bundles of oregano are drying inside of paper bags. The bags will catch the seed as it falls when dry.

Bundles of hardneck garlic hang from the rafter of the shed.

A close up of the hardneck garlic which Nick has saved from this year's harvest to plant in October.

More garlic, which will be planted in October, and harvested next summer.

Nick recycles pill bottles to store seeds. These one will be filled with rapa seeds.

Nick grows an unusual variety of black fava beans brought over from Southern Italy.

In Italian these beans are called fava mora precoce which means dark, early favas.

garlic, tomatoes, carrot, and lemon. All freshly picked as we walked through the garden.

Nick's garden salad included wild arugula, beets, carrots, tomato, sweet pepper, cucumber, oregano, and a sweet lemon - all homegrown!

Nick dressed the salad with oregano and olive oil.

Nick dressed the salad with oregano and olive oil.

Along with the salad, Nick served us homemade wine and fresh figs and blueberries from the garden.

Nick's homemade wine from Sangiovese grapes.

Sweet and luscious figs with plump blueberries. The perfect dessert.