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Lagenaria siceraria You’ll note by the unusual seed that this is not of the pumpkin or squash family and should be eaten when young like a zucchini. And it’s delicious by all the taste tests. Creamy with great texture. Growing conditions are much like the ‘squash’ Tromboccini and again watching these vigorous plants grow is a delight. Highly recommended and rare.
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Phaseolus vulgaris Vibrant yellow podded dwarf bush bean about 15cm long these wonderful butter beans origins seem to come from South Carolina around the 1950’s. The strain is disease resistant, a vigorous grower with a good strong harvest. Best picked early while quite slender and they’ll be plenty to come. These are fun to seed save from as the bean is deep black.
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Solanum lycopersicum L. This plant will grow anywhere there's sunshine and water including large pots and keeps giving sweet currant size fruit all Summer. Eat whole in salads or straight off the bush. Research suggests it was found "growing from the crack in a sidewalk in Indianapolis in the mid 100's". Sprawling determinate plant so stake well and leave lots of room.
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Phaseolus vulgaris Produces pink flowers, then deep purple tender oval stringless pods up to 18cm long. Very abundant over a long period. Needs staking or a strong trellis growing an impressive 2 metres or more. Always reliable and worth picking when pods are young. Can be eaten raw and when cooked they will turn green.
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Phaseolus vulgaris Reliable round stringless tender dark green bean up to 15cm long. Tall climber 2 metres and more producing lots of white flowers then the lovely slender beans. Considered the best tasting bean Blue Lake is certainly one of the best producers over a long period of time. Copes well with heat and can be grown right through Spring to the early days of Autumn. Needs staking or a strong trellis.
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Capsicum annuum A sun loving plant 1 metre high producing fruit 10cm long x 1.5 wide tapering to soft point. Jalapeno's are traditionally used when bright green but you can leave them on the plant all the way from black to red. Considered very mild and great for stuffing and known for their lovely flavour.
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Cucurbita moschate An unusual ‘pumpkin’ in that it’s delicious while still young, picked and eaten like a squash or zucchini. Allowed to mature the skin hardens then Tromboccini should be eaten like a pumpkin. Not as sweet as some it still has great flavour and texture. When baked we added herbs and spices which it absorbed beautifully. Great watching the vines spread either on ground where squashes will ‘curl’ or on fence lines where squashes will hang straight.