Beautiful Vegetables

I wrote in today's column about some of the tempting vegetable seeds in the catalogs that are still arriving in the mail. But there's never enough space in a newspaper, especially for photos. So I thought I'd share some pictures that might continue to whet your appetite -- and mine.

Like this beauty shot of Thompson & Morgan's new Mini Belle peppers:

I'd love to see this collection of cauliflower in my garden, also from Thompson & Morgan: I'm juicing every morning now -- thanks to my nutrition-conscious stepson who gave his father and me a cutting-edge juicer for Christmas. Suddenly I can't get enough organic carrots. I'm sure I'll be planting plenty of these purple-skinned Dragon carrots from Gardens Alive! And beets are even better in the juicer. Of course, I still love them roasted and boiled. Touchstone Gold beets are one of the new varieties being showcased by the National Garden Bureau this year:

Of course, my salad bowl won't go empty. Lettuce still reigns in my garden. I like the idea of this perfect-for-one Mini Green iceberg from Thompson & Morgan:But Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed Lettuce from Territorial Seed wins the award for best name. I'll have to let you know how it tastes.Although Flashy Trout's Back isn't bad-looking either: And I've never understood why more people don't get excited about radishes. Maybe Red Meat from Territorial Seeds will change the lowly radish's image: Let me know what's catching your eye. If you haven't gotten your favorite catalog yet, visit the Mailorder Gardening Association Web site, where you'll find links to many seed companies. And check back here for my upcoming report on the tomatoes that have me drooling.

(photos courtesy of Thompson & Morgan, Gardens Alive!, National Garden Bureau, Territorial Seed)