Vegetables

Cold-hardy and resilient, kale is an easy member of the cabbage family to grow. You can set out plants quite early in spring as long as you protect the young plants from severe cold winds with a cover. They will grow steadily for months until the weather gets too warm. You’ll get a second chance to plant kale in the …

Bibb type lettuces are known for their ‘buttery’ taste and velvety texture, and small loosely formed heads. Relative to most other lettuce types, Bibbs are slightly more tolerant of heat. Even so, they are best planted early or late in the season in spring, away from the intense summer sun. They may be started indoors several weeks prior to the …

From the north of Italy, the artichoke of aristocrats. This choke has small oval slightly elongated head 3 inches wide by 5 inches long. mouthwatering flavor. Fruit is more elongated than the green globe type. The edible thistle first appeared in Italy and Sicily as early as 200-300 B.C. It may be a descendant of C. cardunculus, the wild cardoon …

The snow pea (Pisum sativum var. saccharatum) is a variety of pea eaten whole in its pod while still unripe. The name mangetout (French for “eat all”) can apply both to snow peas and to snap peas. In our Sunnyvale garden, USDA zone 8-9, snow peas are a rainy-season crop. You want to plant early to avoid the warm weather starting in May while balancing the risk of infrequent frosts. …

Another first for 2017: Scarlet Runner Beans. Normally I plant all beans in the early spring. But this year I found a packet of beans in June. So I planted them with the daphnes, that way both could climb the tower trellis. The beans grew in the shade of the apricot tree. The flowers were pretty during July. Then one …

Delicata squash, or Cucurbita pepo, is a type of winter squash. While it’s the cousin to both acorn squash and zucchini, it has the delicate flavor of a sweet potato. Grown in the spring and summer months, and harvested and eaten in the fall and winter, Delicata gets the label of winter squash based on when it’s eaten, not when …

Of course, you grow eggplant in your veggie garden to enjoy the delicious eating at dinner time, but when your eggplant variety produces magically ornamental plants, like when you are growing Fairy Tale eggplants, it’s an extra bonus. This type of eggplant is as beautiful as it is delicious. What is a Fairy Tale Eggplant? The eggplant ‘Fairy Tale’ is …

Rosa Bianca is a joy to behold – lavender/rose with white markings in a round, Rubenesque teardrop shape. This Italian heirloom is particularly creamy and tender. Pick on the small side when about 5″ to 6″ and still brilliantly shiny, before seed formation begins. One of the most widely used vegetables in global cuisines, Eggplant is low in fat and …

May in our Sunnyvale garden is always full of flowers and growth. We had over 60 flowering plants plus fruit and vegetables.

Early Scarlet Globe Radish is a very early radish variety with bright red skin and white flesh. So crispy, crunchy, and delicious, this variety is a long-time favorite of gardeners everywhere. They go great on fresh salads, or simply enjoyed raw. In our Sunnyvale garden, we plant radishes from November through February. Flavor: Juicy, crisp, and mild.Preparation Ideas: Adds crispiness …