It’s Time to Order Seeds – Choose Color!

I love when the seed catalogs arrive in the mailbox.

Even though 5 foot high snow piles still surround my driveway, the delivery of vibrant vegetable photos begging me to buy seeds signals “spring” to my brain.  The catalog people shunned me this year and all the paperback garden-goodies went to my brother Pete’s house instead because he does all the ordering for our family vegetable garden.  

I just affectionately started calling him “Seed Boy.” Give him a seed catalog and he over-buys like that person in the IKEA commercial who runs over the mailbox with a tractor trailer full of sale purchases. Seed Boy still has a large box of leftover seeds from last year’s garden, probably plenty to feed several families. But he’ll be buying more, the seed companies need not worry.

Consider planting a vegetable garden full of color this year. Whether you are new to the home vegetable garden craze, or a seasoned veteran who just wants to brighten things up, try planting vegetables in flamboyant hues. A colorful garden doesn’t just benefit the eyes with a beautiful view, but boosts the health of the whole body. Doctors and nutritionists talk about a colorful plate providing superb nutrients and prevention from disease.

Vegetable gardeners can go as crazy with color in the garden as Van Gough did with paint on canvas or Andy Warhol did with lithographs. This summer, grow crops for a prettier plate and easy access to a wonderful homemade host/hostess gift – or “homegrown” rather. Order soon though, last year many seed companies ran out of varieties due to the resurgence in vegetable garden popularity.

My wonderfully practical, hard-working brother and I discuss the planting arrangement of our seeds each spring. My sibling considers mny variables, like whether a plant will block the light of another, the ease of access for picking and other sensible notions for the location of each row. I, his less-grounded sister, think about what color vegetable or plant will look best next to another.

I love red lettuce next to bright green Cubanelle peppers or the blue Kale. I want colorful Swiss chard mixed here and there throughout the rows to lead the eye all through the bed, rather than grouping the like vegetables together for convenient harvesting. Perhaps offspring like us is what one gets from crossing a scientist father with an artist mother.

The Tower Hill Botanical Garden in Boylston, Massachesetts has what I describe as a "artist paint pallet" vegetable garden. The rows and paths are arranged by color rather than vegetable type. There is a purple, red, blue, orange and yellow section. Even the structure for vines to climb or that steady tomatoes are painted according to section. It is the most beautiful edible garden I have ever seen.

Here are some of our favorite vibrant veges that my family grew last year:

Eggplant – There are many more types of eggplant than the standard large, dark purple aubergine you find in the grocery store. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors and textures. My brother sautés, grills and roasts them. I prefer them “parmigiana” which I suppose defeats the whole health purpose. “Raveena” are long, skinny, green eggplant poles; “Crescent Moon” not surprisingly, are white and curved; and the descriptive name of “Lavender Touch” create light purple, rounded, feminine-inspired eggplant.

Purple Green Beans – How can beans be purple and green at the same time? “Purple Trionfo Violetto” pole beans and “Royal Burgundy” bush beans are purple while they are raw, but turn green when cooked. Raw purple beans sprinkled over a green salad or nestled next to orange carrots on a dip plate will draw exclaims of delight from your guests. “Rattlesnake” pole beans are green with irregular purples slash marks, making them both pretty and yummy, despite the scary name. Each of these beans reach maturity at a different rate, so planting all three varieties at once means you will have a long stretch of bean production as one comes in after the other has finished.

Summer Squash – I never knew a vegetable could be fun. My brother discovered some really funky summer squash to grow. He, my mum and I continually get a kick out of them each time we pick. The sight of these squash are usually enough to produce a giggle. They come in the craziest shapes. Many look like half green, half yellow, bright flying saucers. These are definitely a kid favorite – in my house mainly to play with, but maybe other kids are better about eating wacky-looking food.  We have had fun and success with “Scaloppini,"“Eight-ball," and “Flying Saucer.” All are “Patty Pan” squash that the borers left alone last year. According to my brother, Seed Boy, “Patty pan are denser, not as watery and have a nuttier flavor then typical zucchini or summer squash.” The fun shapes look enticing on the dinner plate and appealing in a “vegetable bouquet” for a friend.

Carrots – Two alternatives to predictable orange carrots are “Cosmic purple” and “Atomic Red.” Try to wash and eat these carrots without peeling off the outer skin. The insides are orange and the outer color holds the excitement and the nutrients. The skin of Atomic Red supplies the anti-oxidant lycopene, just like a tomato. Unlike purple beans, these carrots hold their vivid color when cooked.

Lettuce – “Red Iceberg” looks so pretty near any green vegetable, including a bright green, little lettuce called “Tom Thumb.”

Swiss chard – Swiss chard comes in dazzling colors. The summer sun shines illuminates the rows of Swiss chard into glowing bands of color. The names are just as exciting, such as “Orange Fantasia," “Bright Lights” and “Pink Lipstick.”

Radish – “Watermelon," “French Breakfast” and “Reggae” all take the boredom out of radishes. Bright purple radishes exist, but we haven’t tried them yet. Watermelon radishes actually are green on the outside and pink in the middle. Just don’t count on loving anything described as a “German Beer Radish.” They are supposedly good with beer, we just found them gross.

Kale – The beautiful leaves of Kale look spectacular enough to add to a perennial bed and are incredibly good for you. “Red Winter” has stately blue-green leaves with contrasting bright red veins. “Dwarf Blue Curled” sprouts short, sear-sucker, blue leaves.

There are hundreds of seeds companies to choose from. You can order online or shop at any of our great local stores. Some seed catalog company suggestions:

Seeds of Change – www.seedsofchange.com – an organic seed company

John Scheepers www.kitchengardenseeds.com – a local CT company

Seed Savers Exchange - www.seedsavers.org -   a non-profit organization of gardeners dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds

Botanical Interests - www.botanicalinterests.com – a mom and pop shop out of Colorado who claim to “out the highest quality seed available”

Burpee – www.burpee.com – a tried and true standard

Pine Tree Garden Seeds - www.superseeds.com – a Maine company that sells unusual seeds in small quantities at cheap prices

Alice Blair, "The Cheeky Gardener," provides insight and suggestions to help readers maintain a green thumb. Or, at least, that's the idea. Visit her blog at cheekygardener.blogspot.com.

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