Design, grow and harvest from your Italian vegetable garden. Guides to plant selection, design layout and traditional Italian recipes using the harvest.
Quick Summary: The essential Italian tomato varieties for home gardeners who love to cook. Includes paste tomatoes for sauces (San Marzano, Schiavone, Corbarino), beefsteaks for salads and sandwiches (Cuore di Bue, Costoluto Genovese), and specialty varieties for drying and storage (Principe Borghese, Piennolo). Tips on growing, container gardening, and troubleshooting. From a farmer who grows …
Quick Summary: Italian sweet peppers like Jimmy Nardello, Marconi, and Corno di Toro are sweeter and thinner-walled than standard bells. Start seeds indoors 8 weeks before last frost, transplant when soil reaches 60°F. Most Italian peppers grow well in containers. Harvest green or wait for full color for maximum sweetness. Read time: 7 min | …
Chicory is one of the most underrated vegetables for home gardeners. It’s cold-hardy, easy to grow, and includes varieties most people have never tried, like radicchio, catalogna, puntarelle, and sugarloaf. I grow several chicory varieties at HeathGlen Organic Farm in Minnesota for both fall salads and winter cooking. The bitter, complex flavor pairs well with …
Quick Summary: Traditional Italian winter squash varieties like Marina di Chioggia, Piena di Napoli, and Violina Rugosa offer superior flavor but aren’t available in stores. They’re easy to grow, store for months, and work beautifully in pasta, risotto, and roasted dishes. Read time: 10 min | Experience level: Beginner to intermediate Jump to: Italian Squash …
Quick Summary: Design a kitchen garden by starting with what you want to cook, then selecting 5-12 vegetables that match your space. Plan paths and structures before placing plants. Use succession planting for continuous harvests. This guide covers plant selection, design styles, blueprints, spacing, and equipment. Read time: 15 min | Experience level: Beginner to …
Quick Summary: An Italian kitchen garden needs tomatoes (paste, slicer, and cherry types), squash, beans, chicory, peppers, eggplant, kale, broccoli, onions, lettuce, and herbs like basil, oregano, and parsley. Grow in the ground or containers. Most Italian varieties thrive in US gardens with warm summers. Read time: 12 min | Experience level: Beginner to intermediate …
Eggplant is one of the most beautiful vegetables you can grow. It has broad leaves, lavender flowers, and glossy fruit in colors from deep purple to white to striped. I grow several heirloom varieties at HeathGlen Organic Farm in Minnesota, including Rosa Bianca and Japanese White Egg. If you want anything beyond the standard Black …
Quick Summary: Match tomato varieties to their best use. Slicers (Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, Carmello) for sandwiches and fresh eating. Paste types (Opalka, San Marzano, Amish Paste) for sauces. Colorful varieties (Carbon, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra) for salads. Cherry tomatoes (Sungold, Sweet 100, Matt’s Wild Cherry) for snacking. Read time: 8 min | Experience level: Beginner …