Test Garden Tip: If you keep the leaves on the plant after harvesting your broccoli florets, the plants should produce side shoots that’ll give you a second or even third crop. Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil Size: Up to 2 feet tall Zones: 2-11 Standout Variety: ‘Packman’, which bears uniform heads and matures in about 55 days Buy It: Broccoli Seeds (from $2, Etsy) Test Garden Tip: Add color to your vegetable garden with red-leaf cabbage varieties such as ‘Ruby Ball’ or ‘Super Red’. Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 2-9 Standout Variety: ‘Gonzales’, which produces softball-size heads in about 60 days Buy It: Cabbage Seeds (from $2, Etsy) Test Garden Tip: Calendula also dries well, making it a good pick for garden craft projects. Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 2 feet tall Zones: 2-11 Standout Variety: ‘Porcupine’, which bears orange blooms with distinct, quill-like petals Buy It: Calendula Pink Surprise Flower Seeds ($4, Etsy) Test Garden Tip: Carrots get sweeter as the temperature cools. Pile mulch over the roots to keep the soil from freezing and harvest them through late fall and early winter. Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 3-10 Standout Variety: ‘Thumbelina’, an award-winning variety that matures about in 65 days Buy It: Carrot Seeds ($2, Walmart) Test Garden Tip: Pick off faded blooms if you don’t harvest them. Chives can self-seed prolifically in the garden. Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 3-10 Test Garden Tip: Planting lettuce in a shady spot in the summer months keeps the plant cool so that you can harvest into the hot months. Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 4-9 Standout Variety: ‘Red Sails’, an award-winning variety with reddish-bronze leaves; ready for harvest in 45 days Test Garden Tip: Fall-planted pansies in cold-winter areas will often overwinter and bloom the following spring. Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 2-11 Standout Variety: The Matrix series, which bears large flowers in a wide color range on strong stems Buy It: Pansy Seeds ($2, Etsy) Test Garden Tip: If you don’t have a spot to put up a fence or trellis, look for upright pea varieties that don’t need a support to climb on. Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 2-10 Standout Variety: ‘Maestro’, an extra-sweet variety that’s ready for harvest in about 60 days Buy It: Pea Seeds ($2, Walmart) Test Garden Tip: Because of their fast growth and small size, round-root radish varieties are suitable for growing in containers. After you harvest the radishes, grow summer vegetables or flowers in their place. Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: Up to 18 inches tall Zones: 2-11 Standout Variety: ‘Easter Egg’, which is ready for harvest in about 30 days and comes in shades of red, white, and purple Buy It: Radish Seeds ($7, The Home Depot) Test Garden Tip: Some Swiss chard varieties are more tolerant of frost than others. Take care not to plant this vegetable too early in spring. Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 3-10 Standout Variety: ‘Bright Lights’, an award-winning series with brightly colored stalks; harvest in about 60 days. Test Garden Tip: In mild-winter areas, you can sow spinach in late fall for early spring harvests. Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 2-10 Standout Variety: ‘Melody’, which is heavy bearing and disease resistant; ready for harvest in about 45 days Buy It: Spinach Seeds ($2, Walmart)
