It’s that time of year when many of us think about what we will be planting in the garden in a few weeks. We’ve been looking at seed catalogs and dreaming of bountiful crops. To get the best yields, it is a good time to test your garden soil for pH and nutrients so you can add the appropriate plant foods. Consider adding up to 4” of good compost or organic matter before tilling up the soil.

Let’s put some fun and a real health kick into the vegetables we grow in our gardens this year. How about trying something like Mouse Melons? They develop on long vines and look like tiny watermelons but have a pickle taste. They can be grown in the garden or in containers on the patio or deck.

There are a number of new vegetables that will be interesting for children to watch grow. An added boost is their health benefit. Have you tried Kale Chips? When you follow the recipes that are available on line these ‘chips’ are very tasty. You pick the kale from your garden and take the leaves directly to the kitchen. Nothing could be better! Kale is a great heart food and an excellent antioxidant for fighting cancer.

How about the new Kale Sprouts? This new offering, aka Kalettes, is a cross between brussel sprouts and kale. The miniature kale florets grow up the stem in place of the brussel sprouts. They are also referred to as BrusselKale, and are one of the newest trendiest superfoods. They are milder and sweeter than their sister plant, brussel sprouts, but just as healthy. Another nice feature of this plant is that it can be planted in early spring along with the other Cole crops like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and lettuce. It can also be planted in the fall and enjoyed a good part of the winter.

Romanesco is an Italian heirloom vegetable cross that is another antioxidant. Romanesco is the result of crossing cauliflower and broccoli. It’s been around a long time and looks like an alien vegetable. It is popular eaten raw or slightly cooked. The fractal pattern of the plant is unique, the ‘heads’ can become large and weigh up to 5 pounds.

These healthy, tasty and fun plants will be available locally for your garden this spring. Quantities will likely be limited so start looking for them early. Three of the four mentioned varieties can be planted in early April. The Mouse Melons will have to be planted after the danger of frost is past, about mid May. If you want to know more about growing your garden, we will have two seminars, “Grow Some Veggies” and “Soil Secrets” with Mr. Rick on March 28th. Call 937-845-0093 or stop in to sign up.