My neighbor, Linda Ryan, recently told me about how she is growing sweet potato vines in her garden. Inspired by her story, it seemed like the perfect time of year to share her experience, as well as a few interesting facts about the sweet potato and how to grow them in your garden. Linda decided to plant the sweet potato vines as a groundcover to hide an area in her garden that had been dug up by her dog. With a party on the horizon, she hoped that the sweet potato cuttings or slips she received from a friend would quickly cover the doggie damage, which they did. An unexpected bonus was a fall harvest of tasty tubers that she discovered when she dug up a section of vines to make way for Icelandic poppies. An herbaceous perennial vine with attractive heart-shaped leaves, edible sweet potato vines should not be confused with the ornamental variety found in most garden centers, which does not produce an edible tuber. The edible sweet potato tuber comes in a variety of colors that range from white to purple. Nutritious, high in fiber and rich in vitamins A and C, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are native to Central and South America and are closely related to the morning glory, an ornamental flowering vine.   Sweet potatoes and yams are often confused, but they are entirely different botanical species. A member of the Dioscoreaceae family that includes grasses and lilies, yams are native to Africa and Asia and tend to be larger, starchier and not as sweet. Often mislabeled, the “yams” you find at your grocery store are most likely sweet potatoes. Sweet potato slips are not readily available at garden centers, but you can begin your vines with healthy organic sweet potatoes from the grocery store or farmer’s market. There are two ways that I know of to start vines. First, you can plant the whole sweet potato right in your garden soil, narrow end down.  Keep it well watered until it begins to sprout and then watch it spread out through your garden. You can plant cuttings in other areas of your garden following the planting instructions below. The second way to start vines is to place the sweet potato in water. All you need is a sweet potato, jar, toothpicks and water.  Place toothpicks near the narrow end of the sweet potato so that three-quarters of the tuber will be under water in the jar, narrow end down. Place the jar in a sunny spot and the tuber will begin to send out roots and vine shoots in about six weeks. Even if you decide not to plant the vine cuttings in your garden, they will make an attractive indoor plant.  When planting sweet potatoes, remember to give them plenty of room to spread out. They prefer a sunny, warm, well-drained area and like sandy soil. To plant your cuttings, carefully remove them from the mother sweet potato when they are at least 8 inches long and plant them about 12 inches apart, leaving a third of the cutting above ground — they will root quickly. Slow down watering the cuttings once they begin to take off. Remember to use a low nitrogen-based fertilizer to ensure proper production of the sweet potato tuber. High nitrogen fertilizers will produce a lush groundcover with inferior tubers. A warm weather vegetable, sweet potatoes prefer 70-degree soil to stimulate proper growth. Linda planted her slips in July. At first, the newly transplanted cuttings wilted and looked as though they were dying, but in a few weeks the small plants rooted and quickly began to cover her target area, just in time for her August party. As they grow, little nodules on the vines will begin to root themselves into the ground and spread. By mid-September, Linda had a thick, lush groundcover, and in October she was harvesting sweet potatoes. Most varieties take about three to four months from planting to full maturity. After harvesting, you should leave the tubers in a warm, dry place for a few days before eating. Besides the edible bonus, sweet potato vines grow quickly with little water. Plan ahead and plant your sweet potatoes in the spring and early summer for a fall harvest. — The owner of a historic home and garden, Linda is a local Realtor with Coldwell Banker who specializes in historic and architecturally designed homes. Take a tour of her garden: www.LindaMarrone.com.    A sweet ending to Thanksgiving dinner.   Sweet Potato Pecan Pie 1 unbaked 9 inch piecrust 1 lb. sweet potatoes, about 2 medium, cooked and peeled* ¼ cup unsalted butter (quarter cup) 14 oz. sweetened “condensed” milk (not evaporated) 1 tea. freshly grated orange rind 1 tea. vanilla extract 1 tea. ground cinnamon 1 tea. ground nutmeg ¼ tea. salt (one quarter) 2 eggs, beaten   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat together the warm sweet potatoes with the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and pour into the piecrust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove pie from oven, spread the pecan topping over the top of the pie and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm or chilled with whipped cream — flavored with a little bourbon, if desired.   Pecan Topping: Mix the following together: 1 beaten egg, 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans.  *To cook sweet potatoes, wrap in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Remove foil and peel away skin.