Nothing gets me more excited about vegetable gardening than non-traditionally colored vegetables.
Purple cauliflower! Yellow carrots! Red romaine!
You won’t find them at the grocery store. Farmers markets often carry them, but usually at prices that make you want to grow your own anyway.
Ed Hume, dear man that he is, sent me four packets of Technicolor carrots, including ‘Cosmic Purple,’ ‘Atomic Red,’ ‘Solar Yellow’ and Rainbow blend.
But, wait: It gets better: Did you know there is a snow pea that not only flowers in purple – instead of the usual lily white – but also produces a golden pod?
I heard about it from Snohomish County Master Gardener Michele Duncan, who is planning a gardening-by-color vegetable garden at Jennings Memorial Park in Marysville.
Oh, the novelty!
‘Golden Sweet’ (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds) exhibits these fine characteristics. I’m not sure if they grow well here. They’ve not in Territorial’s catalog, but I am tempted.
‘Yakumo,’ another cultivar offered by Australian seed sources here and here, produces purple flowers, followed by green pods.
The Long Island Seed Project, meanwhile, a co-op of sorts, offers a Monk’s Madness Snow Pea blend of green, yellow and purple-podded peas.
Which of these snow peas have you tried? How have they performed for you? What are your favorite heavenly hued vegetables?
I am doing a story on colorful vegetable gardening for The Herald’s March 5 Home &Garden print section and would love to hear your recommendations.
Write me here to share your thoughts and photos of colorful vegetables or comment below.
Talk to us
- You can tell us about news and ask us about our journalism by emailing newstips@heraldnet.com or by calling 425-339-3428.
- If you have an opinion you wish to share for publication, send a letter to the editor to letters@heraldnet.com or by regular mail to The Daily Herald, Letters, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.
- More contact information is here.
