Eggplant 'Kermit'

This eggplant variety grows great in containers or in a garden bed. Compact, well-branched plant with a prolific set of small, round fruits, avg. 1½-2" in diameter. White blossom end with a deep green, striped shoulder. Firm flesh holds up well in curries.

Eggplants want full sun and very warm conditions for best production. Plant them in a deep garden container with fresh potting soil. Feed with a liquid vegetable fertilizer every few weeks, vegetables grown in containers need extra fertilizer and water. Or in the garden, amend soil with plenty of compost and a good organic vegetable fertilizer. Space plants 1.5 feet apart and water regularly. Support these heavy bearing plants with a tomato cage or sturdy stakes.

Harvest when fruits are young, before seeds get too mature. Use in any of your favorite eggplant recipes like stir-fry or curry.

Alpine Strawberries 'Yellow Wonder'

Alpine strawberries are extremely easy to grow, and produce many fragrant and sweet 1 inch long berries all season long. They form small, mounding plants that do not send out runners like other strawberries. The small white flowers are followed by light yellow fruits with the flavor of pineapple.

Plant in full sun to partial shade in soil amended with compost and a good all purpose fertilizer. Water regularly throughout the warm season. These make great container plants and look nice along garden borders as edible landscape plants.

Harvest the berries when berries and pale yellow and slightly soft to the touch.

Alpine Strawberry 'Red Wonder'

Alpine strawberries are extremely easy to grow, and produce many fragrant and sweet 1 inch long berries all season long. They form small, mounding plants that do not send out runners like other strawberries. The small white flowers are followed by bright red fruits.

Plant in full sun to partial shade in soil amended with compost and a good all purpose fertilizer. Water regularly throughout the warm season. These make great container plants and look nice along garden borders as edible landscape plants.

Harvest the berries when fully red and slightly soft to the touch. The taste is often much sweeter than the larger strawberries.

Pineapple Sage Salvia elegans

As the common name suggests, pineapple sage is noted for the pineapple scent and flavor of its foliage. This is a shrubby perennial blooms with 1” long bright scarlet red flowers from late summer into fall. Flowers are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. Pineapple sage will typically grow to 4-5’ tall and to 2-3’ wide in one growing season. Pineapple sage is native to Mexico and Guatemala where it is typically found growing in woodland peripheries in the Sierra Madre from 6,000 to 9,000 feet in elevation.

This sage is best grown in soil amended with compost, even moisture, in full sun. Tolerates light shade, poor soils and some drought. Plants will spread by underground runners, but are not invasive.

The leaves and flowers of Pineapple sage make a tasty tea. Flowers may be used as a garnish, or may be added to fruit cocktails or salads. Dried leaves may be added to potpourris.

Cherry Tomato 'Sun Gold'

The most excellent tasting of all cherry tomatoes (in our opinion)! A vigorous variety that produces long clusters of sweet, bright orange cherry tomatoes. These large plants grow to 6-7 feet tall and are vigorous and disease resistant.

Plant in full sun in soil that is amended with compost and an organic fertilizer that is not too high in nitrogen. Support these large plants with tall tomato cages and space plants at least 3 feet apart.

Harvest when fruits are fully colored for the sweetest flavor. They are a treat eaten raw right out of the garden, are also tasty in salads. Sungold cherries make an outrageous bright orange pasta sauce, but don't forget to freeze some for later.

Pumpkin 'Jarrahdale'

Lovely and decorative, its silvery bluish-grey color and drum shape with deep ribbing make it perfect for ornamental autumn displays. Carve it or bake it like any other squash. Its golden to orange colored flesh is nutty, sweet, and stringless. 6 to 12 pound fruits with long storage capability. Comes to us from the town of Jarrahdale in New Zealand. 100 days.

Plant these large vines in full sun, in soil amended with compost and a good vegetable fertilizer. Give them plenty of space, each plant needs about 5-6 feet.

Harvest pumpkins before the first fall frost, and when foliage has begun to dry out. Cut stem with a knife, leaving 3” - 4” of stem on the pumpkin. They are great for making amazing pumpkin and blended pumpkin soup. Treat them as you would any winter squash for cooking.

Kabocha Squash 'Naguri'

Plant produces high yields of 3 lb dark green globe shaped squash with pale green stripes. The orange-yellow flesh has a sweet and nutty flavor. Kabocha squash is an important vegetable in Japan. An excellent storage variety. A winter squash variety also know as Naguri Squash. Disease Resistant. Harvest when skin feels tough and can resist being punctured with a fingernail. 81 days to mature from time of planting.

Plant in full sun in soil that is amended with compost and a good vegetable fertilizer. Use about ½ cup of dry fertilizer per plant thoroughly mixed into the soil at planting time. Plants can be easily trained to climb up a tall trellis or can be let to just ramble along the ground. Plants can grow to more than 6 feet tall.

Hard-skinned squash can be difficult to peel and are most easily cooked in their skin. Split squash in half, scoop out seeds and roast, cut-side down until tender. Other ways to prepare them is to blend cooked squash flesh into soup with fennel, onions, root vegetables, curry or fall spices. Grate flesh and bake into gratins or casseroles with cream and cheese. Cut in half and fill with cooked rice, quinoa or other grains.

Pumpkin 'Moonshine'

Very cute and uniform, true white pumpkins with smooth skin. They have long, dark green handles and average about 8-12 lb. Perfect for decorating or carving. 3-4 fruits/plant. 95-100 days to mature.

Plant these vines in full sun, in soil amended with compost and a good vegetable fertilizer. Give them plenty of space, each plant needs about 2 feet between them.

Harvest when the skin is tough and they are bright white. They make great decorations and carved jack o'lanterns for Halloween.

Pumpkin 'Knucklehead'

Hefty fruit average 12-16 pounds with a well-proportioned, slightly elongated shape, 12 inches high and 10 inches wide. Superb models for carving. 105 days to mature.

As they develop, their rind blisters up into an almost unbelievable, bumpy, warty terrain. The fruit ripen from forest green to a solid, deep orange. Carve a face and you've got the ultimate, special effects jack-o-lantern!

Plant these moderate sized vines in full sun, in soil amended with compost and a good vegetable fertilizer. Give them plenty of space, each plant needs about 3 feet between them. Each plant will yield about 3 pumpkins each.

Harvest when the skin is tough and they are fully deep orange. They are even great for making amazing pumpkin pie or roast and eat the seeds.

Heirloom Tomato 'Giant Belgium'

Huge, sweet fruits average 1 to 2 lbs. and have weighed in at nearly 5 lbs. Dark pink fruits have smooth blossom ends and a low-acid, mild flavor, so sweet that some growers use them to make wine. Solid meat and size means one slice per sandwich!

Plant in full sun in soil that has been amended with compost and a good organic vegetable fertilizer that is not too high in nitrogen. Support these heavily bearing plants with a tall, sturdy tomato cage. Multiple plants need at least 3 ft. space between them.

Harvest when fruit are a fully colored and slightly soft to the touch. The taste is so fantastic eaten fresh in salads or in slices on a sandwich.

Tomato 'Harzfeuer'

The name means Resin Fire in German; however, this refers to the mountainous and forested region of Harz that divides western Germany from eastern Germany. 'Harzfeuer' is thought to be the heirloom predecessor of a common German hybrid variety thought to be lost for many years.

2-4 oz round, bright red fruits held in clusters with a well-balanced, extremely sweet flavor for fresh eating. Plants grow to 5-6 feet tall. Early to produce in 55 days.

Plant in full sun in soil that has been amended with compost and a good organic fertilizer that is not too high in nitrogen. Support these heavily bearing plants with a sturdy tomato cage.

Harvest when fruit are bright red and slightly soft to the touch. It is excellent eaten fresh in salads or right off the vine. They can also be use to make a great pasta sauce.

Goji Berry 'Shanghai Express'

Goji is a shrubby plant that can, in time, grow 3-10' tall. Space Goji plants 24" apart. Goji is self pollinating, so even a single plant will produce fruit. Goji is unusual in that it prefers relatively infertile, slightly alkaline soil with a pH range of 6.8 to 8.1. Goji reacts poorly to fertilizer and manure, so if you're growing in a large container, use simple top soil with some perlite mixed in for drainage, and avoid peat-based soils. If severe winter weather is expected, it is wise to mulch around the bases of your Goji plants, or move container plants into a cool but frost free area such as a garage. Plants are extremely cold hardy to -4°F, but should be mulched if extreme weather is expected.


Goji berries have had lots of media attention in recent years, and are thought to be a "superfood." They are certainly rich in nutrients, being packed with vitamins and minerals as well as amino acids and essential fatty acids. Five carotenoids are found in Goji berries: beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, lycopene, and cryptoxanthin. All of these are reputed to contribute to overall health and disease resistance in humans. Even the leaves of the Goji plant are edible and nutritious! In its third year of growth, a Goji plant can produce over 6½ lbs of fruit. Shanghai Express is a wonderful variety of Lycium barbarum that grows well in northern latitudes. The berries can be frozen or dried - drying seems to maintain the best flavour.

Soil Preparation for the Vegetable Garden

To grow the best vegetables you want the soil to be good and rich. Maybe your soil is lacking for optimal plant growth. The most important thing to do is amend the soil with with organic matter like compost.

Compost is important for adding nutrients to the soil as well as improving the soil texture. Compost acts like a sponge to absorb and hold onto water so that it can be used by the plants. It also lowers the pH of the soil, making it more acidic, which helps to make soil nutrients more available to the plants. You can make compost yourself or buy high quality compost in bags or bulk from a garden center.

Using an organic fertilizer will ensure your soil contains adequate nutrients and supports crops from year to year. Good organic fertilizers we recommend are Dr. Earth Tomato, Vegetable, and Herb fertilizer or Down To Earth All Purpose Fertilizer.

To amend your soil, lay up to 6 inches of compost onto the existing soil. Sprinkle the fertilizer over the compost referring to the manufacturer's instructions for amounts. Turn the compost and fertilizer into the soil thoroughly so that it is about a ½ and ½ mixture. Do this in early spring and again in late summer for fall and winter harvests.