Let’s take a break from the pretty, and look at the practical. Everyone needs to eat, right? Let’s get into some heirloom or heritage vegetables for your garden. They’re tasty.
Why heirloom vegetables? They’re tastier. They’re non-GMO. Sometimes they even look a little weird. All the more reason to give them a go in your own kitchen garden. A word to the wise, if you’re not buying it in the grocery store, I wouldn’t recommend growing it. When shopping for heirloom seeds look for things like Open Pollinated, heritage, heirloom, and organic on the packaging. This will help guarantee the best results. You will need full sun for all of these.
Below are a sampling of ones that I have tried in the past and some I’d like to try in the future.
Lolla Rossa OG Lettuce
Mild Flavor
5-8” leaves
Days to Maturity: 55
Sanguine Ameliore Lettuce
Rare French variety introduced in 1906 by CC Morse and Co.
8” in diameter
Days to Maturity: 60
Burpee’s Golden OG Beet
Commercially avaialable since 1828
4-5” roots which are globe shaped and bright orange and turn golden yellow when cooked. Sweet and mild
Days to Maturity: 50-55
Chioggia Beet
Pre 1840 Italian Heirloom
Medium roots which have the distinctive bullseye flesh. Spicy.
Days to Maturity: 50
Prize Choy OG Bok Choy
White stems with lush green leaves
Mild delicious flavor
Days to Maturity: 45-50
Long Island Brussels Sprouts
Introduced in the 1890s.
Compact 24” plants yield between 50-100 sprouts.
Days to Maturity: 80-115 from transplant
Paris Market Carrots
19th Century French heirloom
Early season. 1-2”. Very Sweet
Days to Maturity: 40-88
Dragon Carrots
Purple!
Sweet spicy flavor
Days to Maturity: 90
Dwarf Blue Curled OG Kale
Finely curled blue green leaves.
15” tall and up to 30” spread. High in Vitamin A
Days to Maturity: 53-65
True Lemon OG Cucumber
First listed in the 1894 catalog of Samuel Wilson in PA.
Short and plump, and have a faint lemon flavor. Pickling, salads, and raw
Very productive.
Days to Maturity: 58-70
Holland White OG Cucumber
Solid white cuke
Sweet crunchy flesh. Pickling, salads, and raw
Days to Maturity: 60
Boothby’s Blonde Cucumber
From Maine.
Creamy yellow fruits. Sweet and crisp and no need to peel. Great on sandwhiches
Days to Maturity: 55-60
Russian Red OG Kale
Originally from Siberia, brought to Canada around 1885
Hardy yet tender kale, 18-36” tall and wide plants
Days to Maturity: 50-60
Green Zebra Tomato
Olive yellow 1.5-2.5” fruits with deep green zebra stripes
Very productive plants
Days to Maturity: 75-80 days from transplant
White Tomesol Tomato
Pale yellow-white
Sweet, rich, and mild flavor
Days to Maturity: 80 days from transplant
Black Krim Tomato
Beefsteak tomato from Russia
Full flavor. Best on a sandwich
Days to Maturity: 70-90 days from transplant
Beam’s Yellow Pear Tomato
Endless supply of 1.5” fruits
Great in salads or as just a snack.
Days to Maturity: 70-80 days from transplant
Golden Treasure Pepper
Italian variety. Excellent for frying, roasting, or salads. Sweet pepper
9” long fruits that ripen from green to yellow
Days to Maturity: 80 days from transplant.
Chocolate Beauty Bell Pepper
Ripens to a dark chocolate brown.
Sweet when fully ripe, very productive plants.
Days to Maturity: 70-75 days from transplant
Alma Paprika Pepper
Highly productive plants. Eat fresh or dry and make paprika from. Ripens from white to orange to red.
Very sweet and mildly peppery.
Days to maturity: 70-80 days from transplant
Purple Pickling OG Eggplant
Eat fresh or make a relish.
Pear shaped up to 8” long.
Days to maturity: 90 from transplant
‘Listada de Gandia’ eggplant
Southern France around 1850
8” oval fruits with white and lavender stripes. Mild flavor. Thrives in hot weather.
Days to Maturity: 80-90 days from transplant
Blue Podded OG Pea
Green peas in a blue package.
5-6’ tall plants. Works in soups or stir fry (young plants)
Days to Maturity: 80-85
Galeux d’Eysines Pumpkin
From the Bordeaux region in France
Center piece or in soups and stews
Days to Maturity: 90
Queensland Blue Pumpkin
Brought to the US in 1932 from Sydney
Dark Blue with orange flesh that’s meaty and sugary.
Days to Maturity: 110-120
Before you say things like, “I don’t have space for a vegetable garden, Matty.” here’s my assistant showing you where mine lives.
Order these seeds and all of your garden needs by using the Amazon Crasstalk link. Do it.
Photo Credits: Top Image. Lolla Rossa Lettuce. Chiogga Beet. Burpee’s Golden OG Beet. Long Island Brussel Sprouts. Bok Choy OG. Dragon Carrot. Paris Market Carrots. Purple Haze Carrot. Lemon Cucumber. Boothby’s Blonde Cucumber. Holland White Cucumber. ‘Listada de Gandia’ Eggplant. Red Russian Kale. Dwarf Blue Crurled Kale. Beam’s Yellow Pear Tomato. Black Krim Tomato. Green Zebra Tomato. Great White Tomato. Blue-podded Peas. Alma Paprika Pepper. Golden Treasure Peppers. Chocolate Bell Pepper. Sanguine Ameliore Lettuce. Galeux d’Eysines Pumpkin. Queensland Blue Pumpkin.