10 Trendy Vegetables to Grow in Your Garden This Season
Updated: Jan. 27, 2023If you're a vegetable gardener, step out of your comfort zone this season and try growing something new. Here are 10 trendy vegetables that will beautify your garden and your plate.
Kalettes
Kale is so last year. Instead, try kalettes, which are a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts. They have a sweet and nutty taste, and look like small heads of green-purple kale. They can be eaten raw, roasted, or sauteed in a little olive oil. Every Midwest gardener should grow these 10 easy vegetables in their garden.
Blue Corn
Blue Jade is a variety of corn that is small enough to grow in pots, so it’s perfect for gardeners with minimal space. Each plant grows about 3 feet high and produces a few ears of blue-colored corn. Have limited space? You can grow these vegetables in pots.
Sunchokes
Sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem artichokes, are a tuberous root vegetables similar to potatoes, but a bit sweeter. Try cutting this vegetable into 1/2-inch slices, toss with salt and a bit of olive oil and roast them for about 20 minutes in a 425 degree F oven. Before serving, toss them with fresh herbs, such as rosemary, dill or thyme. Get your garden soil ready by following this how-to guide.
Mini Green Beans
If you usually grow green beans, this year, try Mascotte beans. These smaller green beans that grow only about 18 inches high and can be grown successfully in pots on a patio or balcony.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower has been everywhere over the last few years, showing up in dishes as a substitute for rice, as a vegetarian pizza crust, and as a vegetarian version of a Buffalo wing. Go beyond the usual white variety and try yellow, green and even purple cauliflower in your garden this season. Clean your grill ASAP with this vegetable.
Tom Thumb Peas
Perfect for growing in pots, containers and even window boxes, Tom Thumb Peas grow only to about 8 inches tall. They are mainly used as a shelling pea, but the pods are also sweet and tender when harvested young. This trendy pea variety is also more frost tolerant than other varieties. These are the five fruits people always get wrong.
Nappa Cabbage
Nappa (or Chinese) cabbage isn’t new, but it’s a trendy alternative if you’ve grown tired of kale. Nappa cabbage is good in salads, is a popular ingredient in kimchi and can be thrown into a weeknight stir-fry. These are the tools every vegetable gardener needs.
Celery Root
With the starchiness of a potato and a flavor like celery, celery root, aka celeriac, can be used in soups and also as a vegetable side dish. Try sauteing it in a hash for breakfast, sliced and eaten raw in a salad or roasted for a vegetarian “steak.”
Purple Sweet Potato
Surprise and delight your dinner guests by serving up some purple sweet potatoes. The colorful veggie is a fun addition to your summer garden and its bright purple interior makes it a showstopper on the plate. Mashed, baked or roasted, this eye-popping root vegetable is extremely versatile. Try growing these patio plants you can eat.
Heirloom Tomatoes
There’s a reason heirloom tomatoes are everywhere these days—not only are they delicious, they’re colorful and come in all sorts of interesting shapes and sizes. For something different this season, try growing Purple Bumblebee, which is slightly larger than a cherry tomato, has purple and green stripes and great flavor.
Buy Purple Bumblebee tomato seeds now on Amazon.
Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.