The process of planting, nurturing, and harvesting fruits, vegetables, and herbs help us to connect with nature and experience the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of fresh, locally grown produce.
Food gardening engages the senses. The process of planting, nurturing, and harvesting fruits, vegetables, and herbs help us to connect with nature and experience the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of fresh, locally grown produce.
Thanks to standardization in the food industry, we’ve been accustomed to the same old orange carrots and white cauliflower. But if you look beyond the usual supermarket fare, you can find vegetables in unusual and unexpected colours: blue potatoes, red scallions and purple snow peas. These exotics are usually descended from heirloom stock from disparate lands, almost forgotten but now making a comeback among enthusiasts.
These days, gardeners can find more and more of them in seed catalogues, while they are popping up at farmers’ markets more frequently, too. Look for these colourful varieties of seeds and starter plants.
| Vegetable | Variety | COLOUR COMMENTARY |
| Carrot | ‘Viola Red’ | Brilliant, almost vermilion thanks to extra beta-carotene |
| Potato | ’All Blue’ | Grows big and abundantly with blue skins and flesh |
| Swiss Chard | ‘Bright Lights’ | Stems are multi-coloured, with a milder flavour and looks great as an ornament plant |
| Brussels Sprouts | ‘Red Bull’ | Beautiful burgundy with a a delicate, nutty flavor |
| Kohlrabi | ‘Purple Vienna’ | Purple skin with greenish-white flesh and lots of flavour |
| Cauliflower | ‘Veronica Romanesco’ | Very large heads are formed from clusters of swirling chartreuse-green spires |
| Snow Peas | ‘Desiree’ | A purple novelty variety that not as sweet as green peas but popular with culinary chefs |
| Lettuce | ‘Merlot’ | With crisp, waxy leaves, it is red as the wine it’s named after |
| Bush Beans | ‘Royal Burgundy’ | Unusually dark purple on the vine with pods that turn dark green when cooked |
| Beets | ‘Burpee’s Golden’ | A sweet, golden heirloom favourite |
| Tomato | ‘Banana’ | A paste tomato reminiscent of the orange/yellow colour of persimmons |
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