Your Favorite Variety of Veggies

[Backyard Buddies]

OK, so it's kind of a broad question, but as I'm in the midst of planning my veggie garden, I thought it'd be fun to hear what varieties of veggies are your favorites, whether it be for taste, production, disease resistance, or ???

I usually grow corn, green beans, zucchini squash, pickling cucumbers, radish, tomatoes, watermelon, beets and a variety of herbs. However, since I'm open to trying new things, and because other's may benefit from your reviews, please feel free to share about any veggie you just can't live without.

 

[Reinbeau]

I've got too many favorites, and I'll list them sooner or later, but go to The Cook's Gardenand check out Green Anellino beans. These are neat curly pole beans with a to-die-for taste. I grew them last year and they were really a neat find! Gotta run, I'll post more later.

 

[Hencackle]

Reinbeau--tell me more about the Green Anellino...
Does it freeze well? (or can, whichever method you used)
How tall did the vines get in your garden?
Was it productive?
Are they stringy, even when young?

I've been growing the Kentucky Blue, but I'm always interested in trying heirlooms.

I got their catalog a month ago. (still stalling on sending out my seed orders!) Did you see Reisenrot radish and the Yugoslavian Red lettuce? I'm thinking of ordering these.

 

[Reinbeau]

I've got the catalog right in front of me!

I didn't preserve them in any way, we ate every single one of them, or gave them away to family. They were delicious, really nice bean flavor, and they kept well on the plant, they weren't stringy at all. They were tall, I use a bean tower that's about 6' tall, and they curled over the top from there. They were productive, as far as I'm concerned, we couldn't keep up with them and some were on the vine when the frost hit. I've got to spend some time getting my seed orders out, or I'll be out of luck on some varieties!

 

[patandchickens]

Runner beans (scarlet or otherwise), mainly because they are just so darn PRETTY. The only other veg I can think of that has anywhere near the same combination of looks and utility is okra.

Sweet cicely (an herb for part or full shade) because it is pretty and ferny and because it has a lovely sweet licorice-y smell and taste. I don't know why it's not more often planted and used.

And as most here already know, I have to make my obligatory plug for Early Girl tomatoes, I know theyre not some fancy obscure heirloom, but I imprinted on them as a child as what tomatoes are supposed to be like, plus they grow really really well.



Pat

 

[Hencackle]

For tomatoes, I like Green Zebra, Old German or Hillbilly (red-yellow striped), Black Krim and Garden Peach.

In another thread I've mentioned Pizza Pepper and Tennessee Cheese Pepper (great for small stuffed peppers). If you want a pretty variegated pepper plant with moderately hot green/white striped peppers, try the Fish Pepper.

Fastbreak melons are worth trying. They are small, just right for 2 people. The chickens LOVE these! If I toss one to them, all that will be left are strips of parchment-like rind that's paper thin.

 

[Reinbeau]

Pat or anyone else, if you'd like seeds for Sweet Cicely, let me know, I get tons of them in late summer. You do know you can eat the green seedpods, they taste like licorice - little kids just love them!

 

[patandchickens]

I've already got oodles of sweet cicely thanks, but I did not know that about the seed pods. Neat! Now I want it to be summer so I can try 'em out. Darn it!

Thanks Ann,


Pat

 

[cockadoodlemom]

Okra is a must around here because it is eaten fried, boiled, stewed, and pickled. Cucumbers go fast around here too and this year I want to plant a good pickleing kind along with straight 8. Maters~cherry, jubilee, early girl,big boy, and a coulple others. Squash~zucc and yellow crookneck. Peppers~bells, jaelopeno(?sp), cayenne, and whatever dad finds. Radishs, lettuce (wild rabbits ate), broccli, brussel sprouts, blue lake green beans, green onion, garlic, and taters. Sorry my spelling is not so good. Reinbeau, I would like to try that sweet cicely cause it sounds so interesting and I love licorice.

 

[Settin'_Pretty]

Mortgage Lifter tomato is the best slicing tomato in the world in my (unbiased) opinion followed next by Brandywine.
No garden should be without at least a few of those.