Meet Our Favorite Vegetable Varieties to Grow

In this episode we’re digging into our all-time favorite vegetable varieties, the ones we can’t imagine our gardens (or dinner plates) being without: from not one, but two improved ‘Brandywine’-type heirloom tomatoesto a cucumber that never fails to impress at the summer picnic. Carol even shares her must-have green bean variety (and tries to convince Danielle that it doesn’t taste like wood). We rounded out the hour with personal stories, growing tips, and a few surprising twists on how to combat a couple of dreaded veggie pests.

Expert: Fionuala Campion is the owner and manager of Cottage Gardens of Petaluma in Petaluma, California. She is also a regional reporter for FineGardening.com.

Danielle’s Favorite Vegetables

• ‘Rose’ heirloom tomato (Solanum lycopersicum ‘Rose’, annual)
• ‘Tomatoberry’ cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum ‘Tomatoberry’, annual)
• ‘Tyria’ English cucumber (Cucumis sativus “Tire,” Annual)
• ‘Peter Pan’ patty pan squash (Cucurbita pepo ‘Peter Pan’, annual)

Carol’s Favorite Vegetables

• ‘Sugar Magnolia’ snap pea (Pisum sativum ‘Sugar Magnolia’, annual)
• ‘German Johnson’ tomato (Solanum lycopersicum ‘German Johnson’, annual)
• ‘Provider’ green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Provider’, annual)
• ‘Porcelain Doll’ pumpkin (Pumpkin maxima ‘Porcelain Doll’, annual)

Expert Fionual Champion’s Favorite Vegetables

• ‘Suckers climbing’ squash-aka ‘Tromboncino’ squash (Pumpkin moschata ‘Rampicant Zucchetta’, Annual)
• ‘Snow White’ cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum ‘Snow White’, annual)
• ‘Gandia listed’ eggplant (Solanum Melongena ‘Gandia List’, Annual)

All photos from the contributors unless noted otherwise.