Epazote is a plant that does best planted in the spring after the last dangerous frosts have well past the area when temperatures are consistently at least 50 degrees each day. Full sun and well-drained soil serve the epazote plant best. Epazote plants are considered as weeds by some, others consider them the perfect companion to a cooked dish of beans. Epazote is native to South and Central America and was a prized herb by the Aztec culture for both culinary and medicinal uses since ancient times. Epazote is key to Mexican dishes and is a staple ingredient in many bean-based dishes. It's similar to cilantro with a smell and taste that people either love or hate, but there really is no middle ground for most people. This is not a plant that can be duplicated or multiplied by any other plant out there. There is really nothing else that tastes or functions quite like it.

If we were to ask you how you think passion flower "helps out" in the bedroom, your first guess doesn't count. We've blogged about a lot of plant species with traditional uses for that kind of help, but some species in the Passiflora genus—despite a name that evokes images of smutty paperback covers—let you skip right past the "I've got a headache" phase and go directly towards a restful sleep. 

But first, stay awake long enough to learn about general Passiflora history and care, and the species most frequently used for medicinal purposes: Passiflora incarnata. 

Most of us grew up with the belief that earthworms are the superheroes of soil health, and that their presence in our gardens and wild environment is nothing but auspicious. After all, earthworms loosen compacted soil, break down decaying organic matter, and leave behind nutrient-rich poop many gardeners call "black gold". We can even buy worms by the pound—most commonly the red wriggler (Eisenia fetida, previously E. foetida) to start "colonies" in special worm bins for vermicomposting. 

Tiny brown banana-shaped caraway seeds, believe it or not, are actually the fruits of this feathery plant. Their flavor resembles that of fennel or anise, but with a sweeter, smokier, often spicier taste. 

Who here remembers Fraggle Rock? The flowers from some of our favorite bee balm varieties remind us of Jim Henson's tiny Muppet characters. The bravest Fraggles would sneak like mice through Doc's cottage garden—avoiding a shaggy mutt named Sprocket—to embark on their adventures and hijinks. Lucky for them, their feathery, colorful mops of hair are the perfect camouflage for hiding among long-blooming bee balm plants.