Vegetable, Herb, Greens and Flower Varieties Selected for the Alameda County "Easy to Grow Favorites" Plant Sale

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Vegetable, Herb, Greens and Flower Varieties Selected for the Alameda County "Easy to Grow Favorites" Plant Sale"

Blake Gary McCormick
5 years ago
Views:

Vegetable, Herb, Greens and Flower Varieties Selected for the Alameda County "Easy to Grow Favorites" Plant Sale held at the Sunol Water Temple, 505 Paloma Way, Sunol, CA 94586 on April 18 th, from

1 Vegetable, Herb, Greens and Flower Varieties Selected for the Alameda County "Easy to Grow Favorites" Plant Sale held at the Sunol Water Temple, 505 Paloma Way, Sunol, CA on April 18 th, from 9:30am to 2pm As Alameda County Master Gardeners, we adhere to strict standards. No pesticides are allowed on our plants. Virgin materials, OMRI soil and organic gardening techniques are used. Our plants are grown at the Sunol AgPark, an organic farm community. All of the seeds we use are GMO-free and have been selected for our climate. Use the links to jump directly to the plant you are interested in: Beans Chards Cucumbers Herbs Kales Lettuces and Greens Pumpkins Squashes Sunflowers Others Note: this list was updated on April 16, 2015 to reflect changes made due to germination and availability issues. Page 1 HELP DESK: (510)

2 Beans Emerite Pole Very early and productive pole bean with a fine, fresh bean flavor. Can be harvested at the five inch size for excellent filet-type beans, or allowed to grow to 6 to 7 inches for delicious snap beans. These stringless, round, very thin green beans will produce over a long period if they are kept picked. French Baby Nickel Filet Bush These first-quality mini beans were originally developed for upscale European markets and sold for top prices to fine restaurants. Nickel beans are produced in abundance on sturdy compact plants and mature at just 3 to 4 inches long and ¼ inch in diameter. Displays superior resistance to foliar disease and root rots. Tolerance of both hot and cold growing conditions. French Roc d Or Yellow Bush This French variety produces long, rounded, sunny-yellow pods with a delicate and buttery flavor. Plants are vigorous bearers with good resistance to bean viruses. Purple Pod Pole Discovered in an Ozarks vegetable garden in the 1930s, the striking deep purple pods grow in abundance on 6 foot tall pole habit vines over a long season. Tender and round, the 5 to 7 inch stringless pods turn green when cooked. A delectable bean for eating fresh and for canning. Rattlesnake Pole This pole bean is easy to grow and produces lots of green pods that have purple streaks. Shelled beans are beige, with rattlesnake streaks when fully dry. Harvest fresh or dried. Good flavor and very tender; popular in soup. Ten foot tall vines with 8 inch long pods. Roma Improved Bush Early bearing bush type bean plant produces high yields of flavorful Italian green beans. Two foot bush plants bear flat, wide 5 inch long stringless pods with a distinctive rich beany flavor. Meaty and tender, makes a great canner, as the flavor holds. Royalty Purple Pod Delicious, 4 to 6 inch bright purple pods form on decorative, compact plants. Pods change to green when cooked. Page 2 HELP DESK: (510)

3 Spanish Musica Pole Juicy, sweet and meaty with wonderful crunchy texture, Musica is one of the earliest, most productive pole bean you can grow. The broad, flat 7 to 9 inch long pods have slightly scalloped edges and unsurpassed rich flavor. Bred for demanding fresh markets in Spain and France, Musica's vigorous, robust vines climb quickly and effortlessly to bear extraordinary harvests. Chards Pot of Gold Delicious, reliable and highly ornamental, these vigorous plants have crunchy golden stems contrasting with deep green leaves. Perfect for containers or striking in mixed borders. Bright Lights AAS Winner! Highly ornamental, tender brightly colored stalks with mild sweet flavor in a rainbow of colors, all with succulent dark green leaves. Vivid yellow, crimson, gold, pink and white stalks. Neon Glow Color combo of vivid Magenta Sunset and Golden Sunrise stalks that contrast beautifully with green savory leaves for bright color and great eating. Eye-catching, productive, and striking in both vegetable and flower beds. Peppermint Stick Eye-catching new chard with crispy stalks striped in hot pink and white and large, vibrant green leaves. Harvest at baby leaf stage for salads and then let the plants mature into beautiful, big framed ornamental plants you can harvest and enjoy for months. Equally at home in vegetable gardens or flower beds. These bolt resistant plants hold up well to hot weather. Page 3 HELP DESK: (510)

4 Cucumbers Bush Slicer Container Cucumber (Hybrid) (Indeterminate) Straight 6 to 8 inch fruits on dwarf bushes perfect for small space or container gardens. Sturdy vines yield strong crops in both cool conditions and real summer heat. Sweet, crisp flesh. Resistant to powdery mildew, cucumber mosaic virus and scab. Chelsea Prize English Cucumber Long slender English cucumber 12 to 15 inches long. Thin-skinned, bitter-free with delicious crispy sweet flesh and few seeds. Easy to digest. Abundant fruits on vigorous, self-pollinating vines. Chinese Cucumber, Suyo Long (Organic) Long, slender and ribbed burpless cukes have a fine delicate flavor and crunchy texture. These juicy tender cucumbers need no peeling. Slice and enjoy for refreshing snacks, in salads and sandwiches. Endeavor Pickling Cucumber This early bearing pickling cucumber produces an extended harvest of dark green, crispy fruits with traditional knobby pickle skin. Great tasting and high yielding vines are resistant to mosaic viruses and downy mildew. Also a fine crunchy fresh-eating cucumber. Garden Oasis, Mediterranean Cucumber (Hybrid) Deluxe Beit-Alpha style hybrid. Medium green fruits are smooth and glossy, about 5 to 8 inches long, with very thin and tender skins and pale, juicy crisp flesh. Strong and early producing plants are resistant to mosaic viruses and powdery and downy mildew. Lemon Heirloom Cucumber An American favorite for over 100 years. Plants effortlessly produce loads of light yellow fruit the size and shape of lemons. They have a mild, sweet flavor, crisp texture and non-bitter, thin skins. Can be trained up a trellis for easy harvesting. Persian Baby Cucumber Green Fingers Delicious, crispy-sweet, thin skinned little minis borne on early bearing, productive vines. Ready to pick Page 4 HELP DESK: (510)

5 when just 3 to 5 inches long. The vigorous, powdery mildew tolerant vines are self pollinating, early-bearing, and set fruits reliably even in difficult conditions. Straight Eight Heirloom Slicing Cucumber Classic variety for great tasting, crispy slices with mild sweet flavor. This All-American Selections winner has long been prized for its high quality, flavor, and even, deep green color. Vigorous, productive vines that benefit from trellising. Pick when 8 inches long for top flavor. Sweet Armenian Heirloom Cucumber Long, pastel-green, juicy ridged fruits with mild flavor. Also called yard-long cukes. Bitter-free and crunchy with very thin skins, they have few seeds and never get pithy or hollow-hearted. Heavy yielders that thrive in hot summer areas. Tasty Green Japanese Cucumber Crunchy, juicy and thin-skinned, long burpless Japanese cucumbers combine vigor and productivity with fine sweet flavor and especially refreshing crispy texture. The vigorous vines bear early, yielding abundant slender 10 to 12 inch fruits that do not need peeling. Herbs True Italian Arugula Easy and fast growing peppery leaves that shine in salads and sandwiches. Hot summer heat makes leaves more pungent. California Spicy Mix A beautifully balanced mix of piquant salad leaves to eat alone or mix with mild-flavored lettuces. Includes Arugula, Curly Endive, Red Mustard and Mizuna. Fine Leaf Chives Tender and succulent Fine Leaf Chives keep their slender shape and don't get coarse or tough with age. These softly shaped mounding plants with their pretty lilac-pink blossoms look lovely along the edge of flower borders and are indispensable in everyday cooking. Garlic Chives Slim, 9 to 12 inch, strappy leaves with a delicious mild garlicky flavor married with the sweet onion accent of chives. Hardy, mounding plants sport edible white blossoms in early summer. Page 5 HELP DESK: (510)

6 Italian Cameo Basil Easy growing and deliciously fragrant, Cameo has closely packed, luscious big leaves and a compact 6 to 8 inch habit. Perfect for containers, window boxes or edging garden beds. Italian Pesto Basil Dark green basil has especially glossy dark green leaves and full-bodied zesty flavor for really authentic Italian pesto sauce. Mrs. Burns Lemon Basil Intense citrus-basil scent. This heat-loving plant sets 2½ inch leaves of dark green on plants 18 to 24 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide. A great choice for containers as well as the herb or vegetable garden, it is aromatic and very pest and disease resistant. Strongly recommended for anyone who values strong fragrance and flavor. Queenette Thai Basil Tropical-looking ornamental basil with dense 1½ inch leaves around purple stems. Aromatic, mild sweet spices with clove/mint basil flavor. Slow Bolt Cilantro Deliciously spicy, pungent, bright green leaves essential for Mexican and Asian dishes. This slow-bolt strain holds better than any other at the leaf stage. Vietnamese Bac Lieu Cilantro The flavor of fast-growing Bac Lieu Vietnamese Cilantro is like a mild, delicate cilantro with an extra citrus twist. Plants resemble regular cilantro but the foliage is topped with finely cut, frilly leaves. Kales Lacinato This unique heirloom's thick, crinkled leaves are a deep blue green and an absolute standout in the garden. Sweet flavor, never strong or overbearing. Leaves are 3 wide by 10 to 18 inches long. Best eaten when leaves are small and tender. Cold and heat tolerant in all zones. Grows 2 to 3 feet tall. Portuguese Tronchuda Beira Tender, sweet, and more heat tolerant than other kale, this delicious specialty has a wonderful mild but rich flavor Page 6 HELP DESK: (510)

7 and easy culture. 10 to 18 inches tall heads of paddle-shaped, blue-green leaves. This vigorous variety offers long continuous harvests. Russian Wild Garden Frills (Organic) Especially tender, mild and delicious Siberian heirloom kale mix with blue-green frilled leaves. Highly nutritious, long-standing, weather tolerant and wonderfully ornamental. Tuscan Baby Leaf Imported from Italy, this is the fastest and best tasting Tuscan kale strain for salads. Easily grown by cut and come again method to cut and regrow for multiple harvests from same planting. More tender and mild than other kales. Lettuces and Greens Asian Rosette Tatsoi Tender succulent leaves have a mild flavor. Sweeter than most Asian greens. Vitamin and antioxidant rich. Add to salads and stir fries. Grows quickly. Baby Pak Choi, Green Fortune Heat-resistant variety. Rapidly produces mild, sweet, crunchy compact heads. Full of vitamins and antioxidants. Makes wonderful quick stir fries. Space seedlings 5 to 6 inches apart. Cut and Come Again Mesclun blend of baby lettuces. The tender, young leaves are ready to cut quickly and plants will regrow rapidly for a second or even third cutting. These are the gourmet varieties that top ranking chefs use for signature salads. A delicious diversity of color, texture and flavor. Italian Misticanza An imported blend of tangy chicories and endives, along with bright flavorful green and red Italian lettuces. Jericho Romaine (Organic) Especially heat-tolerant, juicy romaine originally from Israel. Full heads of upright sword-shaped leaves with crisp, juicy texture and sweet, fine flavor. Kagraner Sommer Butterhead (Organic) Heat-tolerant European heirloom known for its softly folded, luscious green leaves that reveal Page 7 HELP DESK: (510)

8 solid, juicy hearts. Large green leaves have delicious buttery texture and flavor. Merveille de Quatro Saisons Selected cultivar of centuries-old French heirloom bibb lettuce has big heads of radiant color, with flavorful rubyred leaves surrounding tightly folded, crispy green hearts. Ruby Gem Baby Romaine Heavy, plump little heads with tightly folded, ice-green hearts and ruby red tops. Fast-growing with crisp, juicy texture and marvelous flavor. One head makes a perfect salad for two just add dressing! Sea of Red Beautiful new lettuce whose sword shaped leaves are an intense deep, mahogany-red that doesn't fade in the sun. This richlycolored lettuce is a true showstopper in both garden and kitchen. Sweet Greens and Reds Blend A blend of tender, sweet red and green lettuces varieties Little Gem, Tango, Outrageous, and Cimarron Lettuce for a balanced palette of colors, shapes and textures. Pumpkins Autumn Gold. Large 15 to 22 pound pumpkins color up early into beautiful, smooth skinned Jack-O-Lanterns, ideal for carving holiday faces. Cinderella s Carriage Glowing red-orange, these large and beautiful antique French pumpkins have a wonderful flattened shape with deep rounded lobes just like a fairy tale illustration. Early Sugar Pie Fine-textured orange-yellow flesh makes Early Sugar Pie superb for pies and canning. Also terrific for making soups, muffins, casseroles and many other very nutritious dishes. Stores for months. Easy to handle, at only 6 to 7 lb. each. Stores well. Rouge Vif d Elampes French Heirloom (Organic) Brilliantly flamecolored pumpkins whose eye-catching color, lovely shape and long keeping ability makes them a premium holiday favorite. Page 8 HELP DESK: (510)

9 Spookie Organic. Fast growing vines produce early, offering great yields of small and mid-size pumpkins with rich sweet flesh. Great for carving Jack-O-Lanterns and tasty holiday baking. Wyatt s Wonder Gorgeous, globe-shaped, deeply lobed, rich orange giants. Developed especially for impressive size and beauty, this prize winner offers beautiful 70 to 150 lb exhibition pumpkins. Squashes Astia Container Zucchini A French bush variety, developed especially for containers and small space gardens. Early bearing and productive, Astia bears abundant zucchini near the base of the plant. Excellent flavor. Bush Yellow Scallop Heirloom (Organic) Tender-fleshed, buttercup yellow scallop squash on space-saving, prolific bush-style vines. Frequent harvesting keeps plants producing tasty new patty pan squashes. Clarimore Zucchini Beautiful light green speckled squash. A very productive plant. The bush plant habit is easy to harvest and takes limited garden space. The fruit measures about 5 to 6 inches long and matures quickly. Clarimore is a Mediterranean squash with slightly tapered fruit that will add distinct light green color and sweet nutty flavor to your favorite dish. Delicata Winter Squash (Organic) Decorative striped rinds and delicious golden flesh that tastes like nutty sweet potatoes. When rinds are tough enough to resist a fingernail, cut fruits from vines with a good stem, cure for 10 days in sun, then store in cool and dry place. Eat within 6 weeks of harvest. Early Butternut Compact Winter Squash Space-saving variety of nutty, sweet-tasting, vitamin-rich winter squash. The compact vines of productive Early Butternut Bush produce fruits with tan rinds that have moist, smooth, creamy-orange flesh. Page 9 HELP DESK: (510)

10 Golden Dawn Zucchini Bright golden color and a delicious, distinctive zucchini flavor. Fruits are medium-long, slender and cylindrical in shape. Fruits are best when 6 to 8 inches long. Easy to grow. butternuts mature at just 4 to 5 inches tall on space-saving, powdery mildew resistant Honey Nut Baby Butternut Squash These terrific personal sized 1 pound butternuts mature at just 4 to 5 inches tall on space-saving, powdery mildew resistant vines that easily climb a fence or cover a trellis. The plump little squashes start out dark green, then turn a deep orangeybuff color at harvest and store well for months. Ortolana di Faenza, Heirloom Italian Zucchini (Organic) Early to mature, this Italian heirloom has streaked white-and-green skin and a shape that s chubbier than other zucchinis. Its taste is pleasantly mild. Peter Pan Summer Scallop Patty Pan Squash Miniature patty pan type squash with light green fruits that are meatier than most pattypans. Distinctive, delicious, sweet flavor and vigorous, early-bearing plants. Pick over a long period. Ripen early and are highly productive. Raven Zucchini The dark green, cylindrical fruits are smooth-skinned, glossy and especially tender-fleshed with consistently delicious flavor. The abundant fruits are born high up on bush style plant. Grow quickly, bear heavily and do not get woody or tough with age. Ronde de Nice Heirloom French Zucchini Tasty little round zucchinis have been favorites for generations in French farmers markets. Harvest as babies or grow them up to 3 to 4 inches. Sunny Supersett Crookneck Squash This glossy, thin-skinned crookneck squash bears an abundance of smooth, bright yellow squash with delicate, creamy flesh. The open bush plants have excellent mildew resistance, few spines, and the fruits have strong necks that won't break when harvested. Sunny Supersett begins bearing early. Starship Summer Scallop Patty Pan Squash Dark green, glossy little Starship has zucchini color and flavor in a unique flying saucer shape. Page 10 HELP DESK: (510)

11 Trombetta di Albenga This Italian heirloom vining squash is long and curved, with a bulb at the end. Pick when young (6 to 10 inches) and cook like zucchini or let them get larger and roast them. The skin hardens up some as they get larger. They vine like a pumpkin, so give them plenty of space. Sunflowers Bright Bandolier Ornamental mix of sunny yellow and warm burnished mahogany cultivar chosen especially for centerpiece bouquets. Chocolate Cherry Sunflower Delectable new sunflowers with mouthwatering rich chocolate-burgundy ray petals surrounding dark chocolate disks. Pollen-free flowers are stunning for indoor bouquets. Junior Sunflower The first pollen-free, dwarf branching sunflower, these long-lasting short sunflowers are perfect for large pots and planters. Their cheerful bright faces smile atop branching stalks just 2½ feet tall. Music Box Sunflower Award-winning, knee-high sunflowers with an abundance of exuberant 4 to 5 inch blossoms in sunny shades with lots of bicolors. Perfect for beds and borders. Royal Flush Sunflower Vibrant, early-blooming mix includes bicolors with mahogany petals that taper to golden tips and others with sunny yellow faces and gorgeous deep, dark-red flower faces. Makes great bouquets Snack Seed Sunflower Beautiful garden sunflowers with big flower faces and golden petals that mature into heavy heads of large, delicious, plump seed kernels. Tasty, nutritious eating or feed to delighted birds. Sun Samba Sunflower Singles, semi-doubles and doubles in amyriad of colors dance on branching plants, perfect for cutting. Golden yellow, mahogany, lemon, bronze with gold ring and other bicolors. Page 11 HELP DESK: (510)

12 Sunzilla Sunflower Easy to grow. Up to 16 foot tall, a big framed, strong giant with brilliant golden flowers whose seeds ripen into plump delicious kernels. Great for kids of all ages. Titan Sunflower Heirloom This choice sunflower strain has been reselected and saved by generations for handsome, strong plants with beautiful golden flower faces that reach up 12 to 14 feet to follow the sun. Valentine Sunflower Florist-quality sunflowers with lemon sherbet colored petals perfectly arranged around dark chocolate centers. 5 foot branching plants bear a profusion of long-lasting 4 to 5 inch flowers. Van Gogh Sunflower This variety offers the classic colors of the famous Van Gogh sunflower portraits with yellow ray petals and golden disks surrounding green centers. Strong single stems. Early blooming and pollen-free. Others Jerusalem Artichokes A hardy, widely adapted perennial. The edible parts of these plants are their knobby roots, which have a crisp texture like that of water chestnuts. When cooked, they become a soft, nutty alternative to potatoes. Horseradish Homegrown horseradish has a clear, fresh taste and packs more zing than the store-bought variety. Easy to grow perennial. Compact Loofah Sponge Gourd Handsome trailing vines make marvelous skin scrubbers for stimulating circulation and improving skin tone in the bath or shower. Page 12 HELP DESK: (510)

Spring Vegetable Plants:

Spring Vegetable Plants: Artichoke Plants These large round-headed artichokes are tender and tasty. This variety, called Tavor is a large, round-headed artichoke, tender and tasty, perfect for warm season areas, or grow with shelter.