 Gardening is an exciting adventure, especially when growing vegetables for the first time. One thing to keep in mind is how our plants grow and develop. We are going to look at two plant families, the cucurbit and the night shade, and how they produce their flowers. First, we'll examine our squash vine. Squash are mono-ecious, producing both male and female flowers. Our male flower will develop first. At the base of the flower petals, you will notice that it meets the stem very simply. Next, examine the female flower. At the base of the petals, you will notice a slight separation between it and the stem. This is the ovary of the flower. This is the part that will develop into the fruit that we eat. Lastly, remember that these pictures were taken up close, and so you might have to gently lift a few leaves in order to look at the base of your flowers. But there will be both male and female flowers present. So do not be alarmed when your male flowers fall off. We don't really need them after they've done their job of pollinating our female flowers. Next, we'll examine the cucumber vine. Again, having separate male and female flowers. Notice the male flower open, having pollen available for pollination. The female flower, again at its base, you'll notice a small baby cucumber beginning to form. Last, let's examine a pepper plant. Their flowers are perfect, containing male and female flower parts. These flowers will pollinate themselves and produce a fruit. After the petals fall off, you'll be able to see a small pepper beginning to form. The same is also true for tomatoes. For more information on vegetable gardening, check us out on our website aces.edu or follow us on Facebook at AlabamaSmartYards-AlabamaExtension.