It may be too early to plant, but it is never too early to plan. From Arugula to Zahara Eggplant, gardeners are marking calendars and making lists, drawing up plans, checking availability and placing orders. In short we are getting hyped for summer.
Italians have a way with vegetables. There is just no doubt about it. And they have varieties that until recently were unavailable to us here in the United States. But now Italian seeds from companies such as Pagano and Franchi Sementi are available at many local nurseries. My neighborhood nursery, Sego in Studio City, California, has a large selection of Italian seeds. If your nurseryman does not carry them, Seeds from Italy will come to your aid. They are the exclusive U.S. mail order distributor for Franchi seeds, Italy’s oldest and best known seed supply. Over the years I have grown many vegetables from Franchi seeds, always with tremendous success. I urge you to plant their Zucchini Romanesco. This variant is creamy and tasty, a breed apart, easily the finest zucchini I have ever tasted. Currently the top seller at Seeds from Italy is Red Pear Tomato, another I heartily recommend. It is a big, but early tomato that will please every gardener and cook.
If it is seedlings you are after, go to Cross Country Nurseries to find an immense selection of peppers, chiles, eggplants and tomatoes. Most conveniently, their catalogue can be sorted by country of origin; with one click you can see all of their Italian varieties. I recommend the Quadrato d’Asti peppers, both red and yellow, large block shaped Italian bell peppers with meaty flesh and superior flavor.
They also offer items found on the Slow Food Ark of Taste, a catalog of foods endangered by industrial standardization. As stated on the Slow Food website, to be included on the Ark a food must be:
- Outstanding in terms of taste—as defined in the context of local traditions and uses
- At risk biologically or as culinary traditions
- Sustainably produced
- Culturally or historically linked to a specific region, locality, ethnicity or traditional production practice
- Produced in limited quantities, by farms or by small-scale processing companies
Order a few Ark of Taste Jimmy Nardello pepper plants, or Ark of Taste tomatoes such as Orange Oxheart, Amish Paste or Cherokee Purple. I urge you to look over the list and grow at least one item on it. Then talk to your greengrocer and ask that they carry an item on the list. Only if we all do this will these species be guaranteed a continuing place on our Earth.
And I mustn’t forget Tomatomania. These are weekend tomato sales events held at various locations across the country beginning in March. They offer hundreds of varieties of seedlings along with garden essentials and selected books. We go every year, meeting friends and family and making a morning of it. This year our local Tomatomania at Tapia Brothers Farm in Encino will be held March 23 – March 25.
For a dash of inspiration, check out my ongoing series – Exploring Tomatoes. I have more profiles to add, so check back.
Ananas Noire
Banana Legs
Cuore di Bue
Gold Medal
Martino’s Roma
Red Fig
Sun Gold
Tigerella
If you need some garden inspiration or some kitchen inspiration once your garden is growing, I recommend three wonderful books on Italian vegetable cookery.
Red, White, and Greens : The Italian Way with Vegetables
by Faith Willinger
VERDURA: Vegetables Italian Style
by Viana La Place
My Italian Garden: More than 125 Seasonal Recipes from a Garden Inspired by Italy
by Viana La Place
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
- Ciao Mette, I am pleased to hear you found this inspirational. Gardening is fun, and truly rewarding, although somewhere along ...
- Ciao Adri - I'm not a great gardener, but I like pushing seeds to my husband, who can make them ...
