GardeningSphere

Mediterranean Arugula

The Arugula Mediterranean Rocket Salad, Roquette, 'Eruca sativa', is a select variety grown in Italy to maintain the traditional taste and color of Italian Arygula. Descriptions such as hot with a hint of nut flavor, tart, and spicy are used to describe Arugula. Nothing adds such an exciting, interesting flavor and texture to salads as this green.Rocket Salad Arugula prefers light, fertile, moist, and well drained soil. In warmer climates, delay planting during the heat of the summer.

Wild Arugula

The Arugula Wild Rocket Salad, Roquette, 'Eruca vesicaaria sativa', is one of the most popular new greens. The interesting flavor of arugula will add spunk to any boring salad. Descriptions such as hot with a hint of nut flavor, tart, and spicy are used to describe Arugula. Nothing adds such an exciting, interesting flavor and texture to salads as this green. Wild Rocket Salad Arugula prefers light, fertile, moist, and well drained soil. In warmer climates, delay planting during the heat of the summer.

Dwarf Mix Bachelor Button

The Bachelor Button Dwarf Blend, 'Centaurea cyanus', is a blend of purple, light blue, pink, and white flowers that will impress you. In addition to the wonderful blend of colors, Bachelor Button Dwarf Mix has other admirable traits including drought tolerance. Bachelor Button is also known as Cornflower. The flowers can be used as dried or cut flowers. Bachelor Button prefers full sun but they will withstand some light shade. Bachelor Button will perform the best in relatively dry soils.

Cinnamon Basil

The Basil Cinnamon, 'Ocimum basilicum', has very attractive violet stems and veining with lavender flowers. You can enjoy your summer garden while sipping a cup of cinnamon basil tea. Cinnamon is not just in the name, it is in the aroma and flavor. In addition to being used in all foods where basil has an impact, Cinnamon basil is delightful as a tea or potpourri. Plant 1 to 2 weeks after the last average frost date. Place the Basil seeds in well drained soil with lots of organic matter.

Genovese Basil

The Basil Genovese Italian, 'Ocimum basilicum', is widely grown in Italy. Genovese basil has a strong basil flavor and aroma and is a favorite for pesto. There is nothing like the smell of basil. Basil is the smell of summer. Genovese basil will not disappoint the basil lover. It has a particularly strong fragrance and flavor making it excellent for almost any basil dish. The edible flowers rice, mild vegetables, eggplant and many others. Plant 1 to 2 weeks after the last average frost date. Place the Basil seeds in well drained soil with lots of organic matter.

Greek Mini Basil

The Basil Greek Mini Yevani, 'Ocimum basilicum minimum', is a basil lover's treat. Yevani has a strong, spicy basil flavor that is a compliment to any tomato dish. The small mounding plant is excellent for containers. This small-leaved, 12 inch diameter, 6 inch tall mounded basil doesn't give anything to other basils in flavor. It has a very strong basil taste and fragrance that makes "a little go a long way". Plant 1 to 2 weeks after the last average frost date. Place the Basil seeds in well drained soil with lots of organic matter.

Lime Basil

The Basil Lime, 'Ocimum basilicum americanum', combines the flavor of basil and lime that gives you and unusual, dramatic, tasty basil. For you basil lovers, do not pass this one up. This rare and tasty basil will work wonders in vinegar, with fish, salad dressings, sauces, and oils. Desserts are a perfect addition for Lime Basil. It can be grown inside in the winter and is a good container plant. Plant 1 to 2 weeks after the last average frost date. Place the Basil seeds in well drained soil with lots of organic matter.

Baby Lima White Dixie Bean

The Bean Bush Baby Lima White Dixie Butter, 'Phaseolus lunatus', has white, small "baby" lima beans that have a delicious flavor and mature earlier than most limas. Fresh lima beans taste so different than store bought beans that you won't recognize them. The White Dixie Butter is sweet, tender and nutty. This bush lima ends up loaded with pods. Lima beans prefer deep, sandy and well drained soils. Pick the pods when they are bulging but before they begin to turn yellow and dry out.

Contender Bean

The Bean Bush Snap Contender, 'Phaseolus vulgaris', is the earliest bean we could find. The Contender is tasty, stringless, and it takes only 40 days from sowing to harvest. You just won't find an earlier bean. Contender will tolerate hot temperatures and mildew and is very productive. Like other snap beans, Contender is stringless and excellent cooked or eaten right out of the garden. Snap beans are ready to pick when the pod "snaps" or breaks in half cleanly. This is when the seeds have just begun to form.

Blue Lake Bean Pole

The Bean Pole Snap Blue Lake, 'Phaseolus vulgaris', is an old favorite. Blue Lake Pole beans have a beany, sweet flavor and they are fiberless and meaty. Some say pole beans have better flavor than bush beans. If this is so, Blue Lake would support that suggestion. The outstanding flavor combined with high yields make growing these vigorous 5 to 6 foot vines worth the time. Snap beans are ready to pick when the pod "snaps" or breaks in half cleanly. This is when the seeds have just begun to form.

Early Wonder Beets

The Beet Early Wonder, 'Beta vulgaris', is considered the best beet for greens. Early Wonder also has very tasty beets and produces a crop quickly. Early Wonder has it all, tasty and abundant greens and very flavorful beets. Did you know the 18 inch tall greens are as tasty as chard or spinach and are very nutritious? This plant is excellent for northern climates and southern climates where multiple crops are possible. Beets prefer deep, well drained soil with lots of organic material. They need to be kept moist.

Italian Sprouting Broccoli

The Broccoli Italian Sprouting Di Cicco, 'Brussica rapa (ruvo group)', ia European Heirloom. This very tasty broccoli produces a lot of small to medium heads with a long harvest period. If you have eaten Broccoli in Italy, you know what we say when we say you should try Di Cocco. The plants are tasty and productive. Sow successive plantings every 2 weeks throughout the cool early growing season for continuous harvest. Broccoli prefers light, loamy, well drained soils.

Raab- Rapini Broccoli

The Broccoli Raab Rapini, 'Brussica rapa (ruvo group)', is known at Italian broccoli. The Raab Rapini has delicate, tender shoots with a spicy but wonderful broccoli-like flavor. Raab is grown for the asparagus-like spring shoot. There is a reason the Europeans love Broccoli Raab, it is a connoisseur's delight. Broccoli Raab Rapini prefers light, loamy, well drained soils. To harvest, cut the budding shoots just before the flowers open. Harvest until shoots are too small and tough.

Danvers 126 Carrot

The Carrot Danvers 126, 'Daucus carota var. sativus', is excellent in heavy soils. In addition to the nice flavor, it is resistant to cracks and splits. The Danvers 126 worked wonderfully when interplanted with onions and worked particularly well in the heavy soils because of it's higher fiber content. The single most important factor in growing carrots is to have a deep, clod and rock free, well drained soil. A 50% peat moss mix with the soil is ideal. Even moisture is essential.

Nantes Carrot

The Carrot Scarlet Nantes, 'Daucus carota var. sativus', is an old standard that has a reputation for sweet flavor and crisp texture. The bright orange-red roots are 6 to 7 inches long. The open pollinated Scarlet Nantes deserves to be and old favorite because of the sweet flavor, crisp texture and an inconspicuous core. The dye from carrots is used to color butter. A 50% peat moss mix with the soil is ideal. Even moisture is essential.

Catnip

The Catnip, 'Nepeta cataria', is a plant that will allow you to enjoy a cup of catnip tea while watching your cats frolic in a patch of this fragrant, attractive plant. The tea is very pleasant and has a lemon-mint flavor and fragrance. Along with fresh catnip planted in pots indoors, fresh catnip toys will provide your cats with hours of fun. The tubular flowers are 1/4 to 1/2 inches wide and are massed on spikes. Catnip is used for very informal perennial beds, dried for cat toys, or tea.

Common Chives

The Chives Common, 'Allium schoenoprasum', has beautiful edible flowers and delicate onion flavored foliage.The Common Chives are at home anywhere. Not many plants do as many things as this plant does and are as easy to grow, maintain, and they come back every year. The Chives plant is 12 inches tall and has narrow, hollow leaves. Plant in the early spring as soon as the soil can be worked or 2 months before first fall frost. Chives prefer rich, well drained soil.

Coriander Cilantro

The Cilantro Coriander Cal Long Standing, 'Coriandrum sativum', is one of the most useful and tasty herbs available. Both the foliage (cilantro) and seed (coriander), make this herb very versatile. Cilantro is also called Chinese parsley. Cilantro has a thousand uses from as simple as a sprig in chicken soup to chopped in Mexican food. The seed, Coriander, has a strong citrusy, lemon flavor. Senna tea is made from crushed Coriander. Plant in the spring after the last average frost date.

Country Gentleman Corn

The Corn Sweet Country Gentleman, 'Zea mays', was introduced in 1891. The tasty, sweet, milky heirloom corn is delightful to eat, and has one unusual trait, the kernels are not arranged in rows. Named for a famous 19th century American agricultural magazine, Country Gentleman is an excellent old variety of corn for the home gardener, Plants are 6 to 7 feet tall and the ears are 8 inches long. Harvest the ears when the husks are dark green and the silks are brown but not brittle. Corn is usually ready 3 weeks after silks appear.

Honey & Cream Corn

The Corn Honey & Cream, 'Zea mays var rugosa', is excellent for small gardens and short growing seasons. If we had to choose two vegetables that were much better home grown than bought from a store, corn and tomatoes would be our choice. Honey and Cream allows gardeners with small plots or gardeners in northern climates to enjoy this wonderful flavor. Harvest the ears when the husks are dark green and the silks are brown but not brittle. Corn is usually ready 3 weeks after silks appear.

Straight Eight Cucumber

The Cucumber Slicing Straight Eight, 'Cucumis sativus', is a very vigorous and productive open pollinated cucumber that is excellent for salads, slicing, or for making dill pickles. There is nothing more refreshing than a cucumber. This older, open pollinated variety is still around because it is simply a great variety. Cucumbers have a shallow root system and therefore require regular moisture. Do not let cucumbers get too big because the vines stop producing if over mature cucumbers stay on the vine.

Bouquet Dill

The Dill Bouquet, 'Anethum graveolens', is the most widely grown dill. Bouquet Dill produces early, large seed heads that make this plant excellent for pickling. The Bouquet foliage is also superior sprinkled on new potatoes, tomatoes, grilled salmon, spinach, green beans, cucumbers, squash, and lamb chops. The 30 to 36 inch tall plant is very aromatic. Successive plantings every 2 to 3 weeks will assure a continual fresh supply of foliage. Dill prefers fertile well drained soil with lots of organic matter.

Prairie Coneflower Echinacea

The Echinacea Prairie Coneflower, 'Echinacea angustifolia', is a more potent narrow leaf species of Purple Coneflower and is used for its suspected medicinal value. This Coneflower is used by Native Americans to treat snakebites and other maladies. It is an easy to care for North American Native Wild Flower. It is long lived ah has a relatively long bloom period of 30 to 60 days. Plant in early spring, 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost or as late as 2 months before the first fall frost. They make excellent cut flowers and borders.

Black Beauty Eggplant

The Eggplant Black Beauty, 'Solanum melongena', is a very attractive plant with 1 to 3 pound, purple/black fruit that keeps well and has an excellent flavor. Eggplant is a very international vegetable. The unique and tasty dishes cooked in Japan, China, Italy, Russia, and other countries make eggplant a useful and tasty vegetable for your garden. If nighttime temperatures drop below 60 degrees, the fruit will not set. Eggplant prefers rich, deep, loose soils with large amounts of organic material. Provide 1 inch of water a week if it does not rain.

Feverfew

The Feverfew, 'Tanacetum (Chrysanthemum) parthenium', displays charming clusters of small daisy-like flowers on aromatic bushy plants. The Feverfew has a long history as an herbal remedy and it is popular in Victorian gardens. Feverfew is a reliable, unfussy plant with masses of small white flowers on strong-scented ferny yellow-green foliage. Feverfew prefers well drained soils and moderate to low water conditions. Do not over water. Plant in full sun and deadhead regularly if you do not want to establish volunteer seeds for next year.

Dark Red Teatime Red Hibiscus

The Hibiscus Teatime, 'Hibiscus sabdariffa', is a robust, shrub-like annual that is attractive as a hedge or in a border. The red base of the flower is used for tea, juice, sauce, jelly, wines and pies. Hibiscus sabdariffa is widely grown in many areas of Asia, Africa and America. The fleshy red, cup-like, 1 inch base of the flower, called a calyx, is used to make cool drinks and tea. The fruits can be harvested about 10 days after the flowers appear, while the calyces are still tender and juicy.

Red Winter Kale

The Kale Red Winter, 'Brassica oleraceae (Acephla)', is a rare strain of Kale that has very tender, sweet leaves compared to other kales. Most Kale gets sweeter as the first frost hits. Red Winter, an improved Red Russian Kale, is sweet all the time and it is also very tender. Red Winter is excellent for your mesclun salad mixes, tasty garnishes, and lightly cooked dishes. The soil needs to be well drained and have lots of organic matter. Kale can be harvested by cutting off the entire plant or by periodically stripping off the lower leaves.