Some people might think it’s strange to choose plants for your garden based on your favorite color. But we believe that gardens can be both a source of food for your family and something beautiful to look at. If you’re into blue and purple and looking to grow more blue vegetables in your garden, we’ve put together a list of our best blue and purple plants that you’ll enjoy looking at as much as you enjoy eating.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli
You probably think of broccoli as bright green miniature trees, but there are actually varieties of broccoli that aren’t green at all. Purple sprouting broccoli is a beautiful blue vegetable that forms multiple flower heads that can be harvested continuously throughout the season. It’s also extremely cold tolerant and can be overwintered in many climates. Its bright purple heads are surrounded by lush green foliage and continue to produce long after the first head is harvested. Plant in late summer or early fall to harvest blue vegetable yields over winter.
Our variety of Purple Sprouting Broccoli is the Santee F1 Sprouting Broccoli.
Blue Kale
Another exciting blue vegetable to grow is actually kale. There are many different varieties of kale that come in different colors, from deep green to nearly red to dark purple. Kale is a generally easy vegetable to grow, and can be harvested early as baby kale or let to grow into big, delicious leaves that you can eat fresh, add to stews, or sauté. Kale, like purple sprouting broccoli, can be overwintered in some climates, especially in cold frames or greenhouses. Some great blue and purple varieties are Dazzling Blue Kale, Redbor F1 Kale, and Scarlet Kale.
Blue Pole Bean
Usually, when gardeners think of garden beans, they picture bright green, long snap beans. But garden beans come in many colors other than green, including, of course, blue. Pole beans are relatively easy to grow. They can be started from seed directly in the garden and allow you to grow a large amount of food in a small space because you can grow vertically with trellises.
Our Blue Coco Pole Bean variety grows a high yield of purple, tender beans and adds a punch of blue to your garden just like any blue vegetable.
Purple Carrots
Another great blue vegetable to consider adding to your garden is purple carrots. Carrots are an easy to grow vegetable and come in many colors. If you plan properly, your garden can produce purple carrots throughout the growing season and you can plant through to fall. Carrots can even be overwintered and some gardeners say they taste better after they’ve gone through frost.
Some colorful purple carrot varieties that we carry are Dragon Carrot and Cosmic Purple Carrot. Or, if you’re interested in more than just blue vegetables, you can order a rainbow of carrot colors with our Starbust Carrot Blend.
Blue Potatoes
When most people think of potatoes, they probably don’t think much beyond the most common red, gold, and russet varieties, but potatoes come in a variety of colors, including blue. Potatoes are a staple crop for many at-home gardeners and can be grown in containers or in the ground. You can harvest early for new potatoes or wait until later in the season for storage potatoes.
Our variety of blue potatoes is Adirondack Blue Potato.
Starting a vegetable garden doesn’t have to be all about practicality; it can be about beauty, too. Try some of our blue vegetable seeds, or if you’re interested in another color, check out our huge selection online.
Mary E. Nolte 