47
TURNIP
6
50
WATERMELON
21
62
ZUCCHINI, SUMMER SQUASH
24
64
SECTION
3
OTHER KINDS OF VALUE
Obviously, there are many different ways of looking at value. If you’re like most gardeners, you see value in the garden far beyond the pure profit-and-loss picture presented by the listings in Section 2. There are actually many types of value gardeners can enjoy from the garden. That’s why, when it comes to discussing true garden value, you have to consider what matters most to you and your family. If it truly is getting the best monetary return on your investment, then boosting the production of your garden as much as possible is key.
10 Most Beautiful Edibles for an Ornamental Garden
10 Healthiest Vegetables to Grow
10 Best Vegetables for a Child’s Garden
10 Best Vegetables for Grilling
10 Best Vegetables for Containers
10 Best Vegetables for A Fascination Garden
10 Most Popular Vegetable Seeds
10 Best Vegetables for Challenging Soils
10 Best Vegetables for Weight Loss
10 Best Vegetables for Overall Yields
10 Best Edible Flowers
10 Fastest-Growing Vegetables
10 Best Edibles for Shady Gardens
10 MOST BEAUTIFUL EDIBLES FOR AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN
Increase the value of garden edibles by choosing plants to do double duty, supplying beauty as well as nutrition. Exploiting the aesthetic potential in edibles is all a matter of picking the right varietals and using them in an enlightened way, according to Shawna Coronado, author of Grow a Living Wall: Create Vertical Gardens with Purpose. “The number-one requirement of an ornamental edible is that it be full of color. For instance, a blood beet grows stunning greens in bold burgundy—a fantastic show in the garden. Second is structure. Dinosaur kale is a great plant for decorative gardens because it has a fantastic and unique structure. You can incorporate it into a formal design or do something very casual with it, and it will still look great.”
Coronado also believes that the right edible can be a showstopper on its own, as a specimen plant. “I love ‘Ruby Perfection’ cabbage. It has a burgundy-blue, almost purple tint. The color is bold, but the cabbage is also shaped like a giant flower. Use it as a specimen plant or as an isolated feature in a decorative garden and it really shines.”
Whether you’re seamlessly integrating edibles into a bed or border, or just hoping to keep a vegetable garden looking its best, Coronado recommends a very simple strategy. “I constantly keep a pruner in my hand every time I walk outside into the garden and I snip a couple snips. It’s just a matter of keeping the brown bits trimmed up. It’s also essential to water well so that you’re not losing leaves to dryness and wilting.”
Coronado’s favorite edibles for a decorative garden include:
1
SWISS CHARD
(BETA VULGARIS ‘BRIGHT LIGHTS’)
‘Bright Lights’ has gorgeous red, orange, yellow, and white stems that melt my heart. The brilliant stems hold dramatically dark red and green leaves. My favorite way to prepare Swiss chard is to eat it raw in salads with olive oil and vinegar.
2
BASIL
(OCIMUM BASILICUM ‘SPICY GLOBE’)
A beautiful globe shape, great flavor, and a powerful scent are why I line my garden beds with this herb. Once the Spicy Globe basil fills in all around the borders of the garden, not a single rabbit steps inside. It’s a wonderfully wildlife-resistant plant.
3
MINT
(MENTHA× PIPERITA F. CITRATA ‘CHOCOLATE’)
Chocolate mint is perhaps the most heavenly smelling mint in existence and has a stunning form. It spills beautifully out of containers. It is invasive, but plant it in a container and sit it right next to your patio and you will be rewarded with an amazing, scented outdoor room.
4
KALE
(BRASSICA OLERACEA ‘DINOSAUR’ OR ‘NERO DI TOSCANA’)
Dinosaur kale is one of the strongest blues in the ornamental edible world. It is also incredibly nutritious. It works brilliantly as a tall thriller in the middle of a container, or plant a bed of them for a huge blue wave. Kale is simply perfect in casseroles, with eggs, or sautéed alone as a side dish.
5
CABBAGE
(BRASSICA OLERACEA [CAPITATA GROUP] ‘RUBY PERFECTION’)
When I first laid eyes on ‘Ruby Perfection’ I knew I was in love. The plant looks like a giant burgundy flower. Though planting them in rows is pretty, they have a stunning impact as a garden focal point. Cabbage tastes remarkably delicious when used to make chipotle slaw for tacos.
6
CURLY PARSLEY
(PETROSELINUM CRISPUM VAR. CRISPUM)
Curly parsley is what I call a “surprise plant.” It has this fantastic way of filling in all the nooks and crannies in a container or bed with its bright green color and curly form.
7
PEPPER
(CAPSICUM ANNUUM ‘SANGRIA’)
I grew ‘Sangria’ for its peppers and was delighted by its form—short, round, and loaded with long, pointed, purple and red peppers. Ornamental peppers are popular right now, but most are so hot that gardeners don’t eat them. Sangria has a lower Scoville rating and is a mild pepper great for guacamole or for hanging as decoration.
8
BULL’S BLOOD BEET
(BETA VULGARIS ‘BULL’S BLOOD’)
‘Bull’s Blood’ beets and greens are the most fabulous shade of deep burgundy, and I love to use the greens in the summer salads I make. They can be grown for the leaf in shade or part shade. Grow a larger root by placing the plant in full sun. Bull’s Blood makes a great “filler” in container gardens.
9
ROSEMARY
(ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS)
In warmer regions, rosemary grows into delicious shrubs that smell wonderful and are quite attractive. Flowering rosemary attracts native bees and makes a very striking display. It prefers a drier environment and tastes as good as it smells.
10
CHIVE
(ALLIUM SCHOENOPRASUM)
Chives are a cool-season perennial that can be used all season long for cooking, while serving as a lovely ornamental. Chives’ round flowers on tall stems blooms for several weeks, and are the stars of my early season garden.
10 HEALTHIEST VEGETABLES TO GROW
There are several ways to measure the health benefits of any vegetable. That’s why different medical authorities might change the order of any Top-10 list. The list here includes nutritional powerhouses that, although they might be placed in a different order, would probably find a place on anybody’s Top-10 list.
It’s important to keep in mind that no vegetable is a silver bullet to disease. The best diet is well rounded and includes a mix of many different vegetables, and ideally, a rainbow of colors. The more important point is that you eat enough vegetables. Studies show that less than half of Americans are eating the USDA recommended minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables a day (a serving is generally described as 1/2 cup of raw fruits or vegetables). So the first step toward a healthier future may simply be increasing the amount of vegetables you consume—including as many as possible from this list.
Choosing the vegetables is only the first step in getting the most nutrients you can out them. How you prepare and consume those vegetables is also essential to how many usable nutrients your body takes from what it consumes. Start with organic vegetables free of the chemicals and additives often found in non-organic options.
Fermenting: This age-old process of preserving food creates essential microbes that can help balance intestinal flora and clear your system of toxins. Most vegetables can be fermented. It’s a great way to put up a large harvest.
Juicing: Juicing does
what our modern teeth often fail to do: crush vegetables so well that locked-in nutrients are freed and made available to the small intestine. Juiced vegetables are a way to get many servings of vegetables in a compact, quickly consumable form.
Cooking: The trick is to use a variety of cooking methods for best results with vegetables. Some nutrients can be killed by the high heat of roasting or sautéing, while others are released only when the vegetable is heated.
1
BROCCOLI
This hearty green vegetable boasts an unusual combination of phytonutrients that help detox the body, abundant vitamin A and K that can help with vitamin D synthesis, and a flavonoid that acts as an anti-inflammatory. Boost the cholesterol-lowering properties of broccoli by steaming it.
2
KALE
One of the first vegetables to be touted as a superfood, kale contains alpha-lipoic acid, which studies have shown to lower glucose levels and improve other factors contributing to diabetic damage in the body. Rich in a range of vitamins, fiber, and minerals such as potassium, kale has been linked to reduced risk of certain types of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and even kidney stones.
3
SPINACH
Popeye was right! Spinach—particularly the darkest green leaves—contains carotenoids that play a role in eye health and preventing macular degeneration. Cooking the greens makes the specific carotenoid lutein more available to your body. Preliminary research suggests that glycoglycerolipids found in spinach may protect the digestive tract lining and reduce inflammation.
4
CABBAGE
Both red and green varieties not only contain compounds associated with preventing cancer, they also include some that have been shown to moderate the effects of radiation therapy. Anthocyanins in red cabbage have been linked to inflammation reduction and may play a role in fighting heart disease. Fermented forms are particular potent in spurring digestive and immune system health.
5
COLLARD GREENS
In addition to being a key source of vitamin K, collard greens supply impressive amounts of minerals including folate, thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, choline, phosphorus, and potassium. Collard greens, along with other green vegetables, have cancer-fighting properties and have been shown to counteract the carcinogenic compounds in some grilled foods.
6
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Brussels sprouts boast many of the same benefits associated with other cruciferous vegetables but have some of the highest levels of cancer-preventing glucosinolates. It is essential that you not overcook Brussels sprouts, because overcooking destroys much of the vegetable’s nutrient power. Steam or roast the sprouts to an al dente texture only.
7
BEET
Pickle, roast, or serve them raw, these roots are high in cancer-preventing antioxidants. They also contain lutein, a compound that aids eye health. The vegetable is actually a two-for-one because the leaves are even more packed with a variety of nutrients than the roots are. Cook them as you would spinach, or use them in a green smoothie.
8
SUGAR SNAP PEA
These solid performers should be eaten with the pods intact for maximum benefit. Steam them or eat them raw, and you’ll enjoy a fiber-rich food that delivers high amounts of vitamins C and A—valuable antioxidants. These garden treats also offer good amounts of iron and manganese.
9
PEPPER
The sweeter bell peppers contain lots of vitamin C and loads of fiber. Hotter peppers often have higher levels of capsaicin, a compound that has been linked to lowering cholesterol, helping control diabetes, and reducing inflammation in the body.
10
SQUASH (SUMMER AND WINTER)
It’s hard to think of squash as one vegetable, because it has so many faces—from summer’s zucchini to winter’s butternut. But all are excellent sources of fiber, contain immune system-boosting and anti-inflammatory compounds, and are rich in nutrients such as alpha and beta-carotenes, which keep your eyes healthy.
10 BEST VEGETABLES FOR A CHILD’S GARDEN
Sharon Lovejoy has worked with enough children in the garden to know what captures youngsters’ attention and what leaves them yearning for a TV. The author of Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children and host of her own fun-packed website, www.sharonlovejoy.com, Lovejoy believes you have to make the garden both manageable and fascinating for young green thumbs to come into their own. As she puts it, “It’s more about the love factor and personality than anything else.” She has developed a few tried-and-true strategies for keeping kids interested from planting through harvest.
Containerize: Kids can view long, straight rows under a hot sun as work and drudgery rather than fun. That’s why Lovejoy suggests corralling plants into kid-friendly growing spaces. “It’s really easy for kids to grow vegetables in half-barrels, wooden produce boxes, and other containers. It makes sense because they’re not tending a huge garden area. Instead, you put all the energy and finances into one little space.”
Foster connection: In addition to placing containers where children can watch their garden grow, Lovejoy recommends using smaller gardening accessories. “Keep a kid-sized watering can handy. I love to say, ‘Hey check out your plants and see if they’re thirsty. And remember that they’re the opposite of us, they want their toes watered!’” She also suggests keeping a colander or basket in the garden for harvesting.
Make it fun: Lovejoy advocates involving children at every step in the gardening adventure. “Take your children to the garden center or look through a catalog with them. Catalogs are full of fun options.” She suggests picking unusual colors, shapes, and textures to really intrigue children. “Kids love when things are called one thing but look like something else.”
Here is Lovejoy’s Top 10, and her comments about each:
1
PUMPKIN
Kids just love pumpkin. They can grow a giant pumpkin in an old garbage can with screened drainage holes. As an alternative, help your child grow spaghetti squash—a fun and nutritious substitute for pasta night.
2
CORN
Corn is so easy to grow, and kids can choose from such a wide variety. They love to grow their own popping corn. You can even plant beautiful strawberry popping corn.
3
BEAN
I adore scarlet runner beans and painted lady beans for kids. Both have flowers that are edible and form wonderful seedpods. Their speckled beans are great for soup. The plants also attract hummingbirds.
4
CARROT
Don’t grow plain carrots. Kids can choose purple or a fun mini like ‘Thumbelina’. These are underground treasures; children just love to pull them out of the ground.
5
RADISH
This is probably the easiest plant to grow in a child’s garden. I’d suggest trying unusual varieties like ‘French Breakfast’, ‘White Icicle’, or ‘Black Spanish’. But probably the favorite of kids everywhere is ‘Easter Eggs’ because they come in a wonderful rainbow of pastel colors.
6
TOMATO
Children like to grow tomatoes, and the plant is so adaptable to containers. I like green grape and red grape, or pear tomatoes, and I have kids grow the tiny currant tomatoes. It’s best to choose indeterminate varieties so that kids can pick them—and eat them—all summer long.
7
WATERMELON
Right now my grandson is growing watermelons, and he’s crazy about them. If you really want to capture and captivate children, grow ‘Moon and Stars’. They have a big moon and constellations all over the rind. Just lovely.
8
POTATO
Something I always grow with kids is a tub of taters. I like ‘Ruby Crescents’, yellow fingerlings, and ‘Yukon Gold’. Go for blue and purple varieties, which are high in vitamins and minerals.
9
LETTUCE
Get all different kinds. Frise
e, deer tongue—they all taste great. Plant them like a bouquet. Kids love that. Sprinkle in some kale. Children especially like butter lettuce and Romaine.
10
CUCUMBER
I like all cucumbers, and they’re all good, but ‘Lemon’ is especially wonderful. Kids are fascinated that it’s shaped like a lemon, colored like a lemon, but it’s a cucumber inside.
10 BEST VEGETABLES FOR GRILLING
Grilled veggies are the perfect way to round out any barbecue cookout. From simply grilling burgers for a Saturday light lunch, to a full-blown outdoor Sunday social with true barbecued brisket, vegetables add a multitude of flavors and a bit more nutrition to your backyard feasts. Grilled vegetables are also your way to accommodate vegetarians in a cookout, but don’t forget that you can grill veggies any day of the week with the help of a simple non-stick grill pan.
The best vegetables for grilling are those that respond to heat by producing enhanced flavors. Sometimes, such as with onions, its about caramelizing the natural sugars in the vegetable. Other times, such as with radicchio, it’s about mellowing out an overly strong flavor so that it becomes something more pleasant and mild.
The one cardinal sin in grilling, whether you’ve got a protein over the flames or are cooking vegetarian, is to burn the food. Keep a close eye on the grill when you’re grilling vegetables because they can burn or turn overly mushy in the blink of an eye when flipped onto an unexpected hot spot.
One of the great uses of grilling is to rescue vegetables that are a day past their prime. If you’ve just collected a large harvest all at one time, you can grill some of the extra and the refrigerate it. Most grilled vegetables will keep for up to a week if refrigerated, and they can be incorporated into everything from eggs to rice casseroles to cold salads with a little feta.
Square Foot Gardening High-Value Veggies Page 11
