In the Garden: Seed catalogs offer fruit, veggie varieties
One of my favorite winter pastimes is curling up next to the fire with a stack of seed catalogs. I particularly enjoy reading about the newest vegetable varieties because it’s always good to try something different.
Here’s a sampling of the ones that appealed to me, along with sources for each.
Bean: Bush beans are prolific producers, but it can be hard to see the pods when harvesting. Purple Teepee solves that problem in two ways: Its straight pods are deep purple and they are held above the foliage for easy picking. Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. If you prefer to grow pole beans and are envious of Purple Teepee’s dark pods, why not try Rich Purple Pod? They, too, will be easier to spot while harvesting and produce long, crunchy pods. Source: Renee’s Garden.
Beet: I’m crazy about beets, but red varieties stain hands, counter tops and anything else they come into contact with. The roots of Albino are pure white in color and boast a rich flavor in addition to producing tasty greens. Sources: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Burpee, Territorial Seed.
Cabbage: I’ve grown green cabbage in past seasons but Kalibos is a beautiful cone-shaped red variety. Each head weighs in at 2 pounds – a nice size for most dishes – matures in 85 days and stores well. Wouldn’t it be pretty in cole slaw and salads? Sources: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Cook’s Garden.
Eggplant: If you enjoy growing your veggies in containers, Patio Baby is an All-America Selections winner sure to please. The compact plants produce well and grow 16 to 24 inches tall. The tender fruits are small at just 3 inches long and, unlike other eggplant varieties, the foliage is thornless. Sources: Natural Gardening Co., Park Seed, Territorial Seed.
Lettuce: There are so many varieties to choose from but after seeing the stunning leaves of Ruby Glow, it’s definitely going in my garden this year. It is a red-leaf romaine lettuce which tends to be more heat-tolerant. Sources: Burpee, Cook’s Garden.
Melon: Inland Northwest gardeners rarely grow melons due to our short season. I’ve found two varieties worth trying out. Snow Leopard has speckled green skin and sweet, white flesh like a honeydew melon. It matures in 71 days. Source: Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Territorial Seed. While El Gordo matures in 75 to 85 days, this cantaloupe can develop fruits weighing up to 15 pounds. Source: Vermont Bean Seed.
Pea: Pretty Pleasin, a shelling pea, caught my eye because it doesn’t require trellising and has the unusual attribute of holding its pods at the top of the plants for ease in picking. Source: Vermont Bean Seed. Golden Sweet snow pea is really taking the gardening world by storm as you can see by the list of places that sell the seeds. Its unusual purple flowers develop into golden pods, which will look pretty in the garden and on the table. Sources: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Burpee, Cook’s Garden, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Pinetree Garden Seeds, Territorial Seed.
Photos of all of the above varieties can be found on my blog, susansinthegarden.blogspot.com.