Spring Vegetables A-O

Green Globe

Cynara scolymus

Bold, deeply lobed silvery-green leaves grow in a giant rosette.  The fleshy flower buds 2 to 5 inches in diameter borne on a tall stem from the center of the plant are the edible portion.  Cut in late summer before fruits open.  Trim spent stalks back to base for new shoots.

cool season / plant in full sun

Legumes

An ancient staple crop grown throughout North and South America.  Provide support for pole types.  Harvest for snaps when pods are good-sized, keep snaps well-picked as production slows as seed matures.  Strings will develop in over-mature pods in any variety.

warm season / plant in full sun

Detroit Dark Red

Beta vulgaris

Beets have been cultivated for thousands of years, originally grown mainly for their tasty greens.  This classic variety produces early, very dark red and extremely sweet roots up to 3 inches across.  They are good fresh, canned or frozen.

cool season / plant in full sun to partial shade

Brassica oleracea

 Closely related to cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts, this cole crop is worth growing for its nutritional content  alone. It’s rich in vitamins and minerals and is a good source of  Vitamin A, potassium, folic acid, iron, and fiber. Broccoli takes  a long time to mature, so be patient! Once you harvest the main head of  a broccoli plant, it will often keep producing smaller side shoots that  can be enjoyed for months to come.

cool season / plant in full sun

Long Island

Brassica oleracea gemmifera

The semi-dwarf plants are stocky with leaves closely spaced, so there are lots of tasty sprouts on the short, self-supporting stems.  It's a long-time great performer.

cool season / plant in full sun

Brassica oleracea capitata

This longtime garden staple is popular and dependable.  Cabbage can vary in color from green to red and purple, and the leaves can be smooth or crinkled.  This popular superfood is packed with vitamins C and K, probiotics and fiber.

cool season / plant in full sun

Cucumis

Legend has it that cantaloupe seed was brought to America on one of Christopher Columbus's voyages.  Melons need to ripen fully on the vine.  They do not ripen well after they are harvested.  Cantaloupes develop a wonderful fragrance when they are ready to pick.

warm season / plant in full sun

Brassica oleracea botrytis

 Cauliflower is a sun-loving, cool-season crop to grow in spring and  fall. An annual plant in the cabbage family, cauliflower has edible  white flesh that is extremely healthy and considered a “superfood.” 

cool season / plant in full sun

Apium graveolens 

Plants are vigorous with good flavor; excellent for shorter seasons and  home gardens. Smooth, non-stringy stalks with a big celery crunch and  beautiful apple green tops. The most forgiving of all our celery  varieties. 

cool season / plant in full sun

Georgia

Brassica oleracea acephala

Tender, blue-green leaves that will withstand light frost, the mild cabbage-like flavor actually improves with a light frost.  Plant in spring and again in late summer for a fall to winter harvest.

cool season / plant in full sun

 Melothria scabra 

 Cucamelons are tiny, grape-sized fruits that taste like cucumbers with a touch of tart sourness but look like miniature watermelons. This hybrid, native to Mexico and Central America, is also known as Mexican sour gherkins.  In the kitchen, cucamelons are an unexpected addition to salads, and they are a quirky (and delicious) garnish for main dishes, sides, and cocktails.  

warm season / plant in full sun

Cucumis sativus

Delightfully crisp texture with a tasty and refreshing flavor.  May be peeled, or leave skin on for increased nutritional value.  Cucumbers belong to the same botanical family as melons and squashes.  "Slicing cucumbers" are usually larger and have thicker skins.  "Pickling cucumbers" are usually smaller and have thinner skins.

warm season / plant in full sun

Solanum melongena

Eggplants grow in a manner much like tomatoes, hanging from the vines of a plant that grows several feet in height. Bushy, spreading plants produce high quality fruit with firm, pure white flesh.  Delicate flavor is delicious fried, grilled or in pastas and salads.  May be grown in containers.  Disease resistance varies with variety.

warm season/ plant in full sun

 Cucumis melo L. 'Honey Dew'

The Earli-dew Honeydew is an early maturing melon for northern gardeners  that has exquisite flavor. It has smooth, green-gold skin with  lime-green flesh. Grows 2 1/4-3 pounds. 

warm season/ plant in full sun

Vates Blue Curled Scotch

Brassica oleracea acephala

One of the most attractive of all vegetables in the fall garden.  Low, compact plants with finely curled, bluish-green leaves.  Usually stands winter weather with some protection.  Good cooked or fresh in salads.  Grows best in cool weather.  Can be grown as a spring or fall crop and does not yellow from heat or frost.

cool season / plant in full sun

Lactuca sativa

Lettuce and other greens thrive in cold weather.  Pick individual leaves or wait and harvest full heads.  Offered in loose-leaf and romaine-type of red or green leaves with unique edges.  Pick often in the morning to encourage new leaf growth.  Leaves are edible at any stage of growth.

cool season / plant in full sun to partial shade

 Luffa aegyptiaca 

 is a vine-grown member of the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. Not a typical garden vegetable, luffa grows slowly and matures well into  autumn. It prefers plenty of sunshine, hot summer temperatures,  adequate water and well drained soil.  Eye-catching, sunshine-yellow flowers appear in late summer through early fall. The flowers attract bees, ants and other pollinators. After  the flowers are spent, elongated fruits form up and down the vines.  

warm season / plant in full sun

Clemson Spineless

Abelmoschus esculentus

This 1939 All-America Selections winner is still the most popular variety on the market.  The vigorous, 4-foot high plants produce an abundance of dark green, grooved pods without spines.  Best picked when 2.5 to 3" long.  Pods are excellent for use in soups, stews and relishes.

warm season / plant in full sun

Allium cepa

This plant is grown for its edible, enlarged, bulbous, underground portion which may be white, red or yellow in color.  The narrow foliage is light green and strong smelling.  Harvest the bulbs when the leaves begin to fall over and the bulbs are easily pulled from the ground.

cool season / plant in full sun