What to Plant This Year?
Vegetable Varieties with Real Flavor
NOTHING SPEAKS TO THE optimism of a gardener like a seed catalog in winter. All those color pictures — so many varieties of vegetables! Territorial Seeds in Oregon, to give an example, offers 21 summer squashes, 31 carrots, 34 cucumbers, 55 beans, 56 lettuces, and 110 tomatoes. How do you choose? I have no strong views on carrots, beets, or spinach, and I don’t grow everything (no corn or winter squash for lack of space), but years of gardening with a focus on flavor have left me with some favorites. Not all may thrive where you are — there’s a lot to be said for a regional seed source. None of my favorites, however, have a particular link to my location.