My Seed Haul: Check Out These Super Underrated Seeds For Small Spaces

1. Eggplant

Eggplant is so versatile, and this variety takes only 55 days to grow, as opposed to 80 days for the regular kind.

This trio of sorts has tender skins and succulent flesh that is never bitter or seedy.

They love heat, so only plant them outdoors once the night temperature stays securely above 55F, and fertilize regularly.

2. Spinach

Spinach is one of the best sources of vitamins A, B, and C, is incredibly easy to grow and easy to harvest just as much as you want to eat.

This extremely fast-growing hybrid spinach is triple the size of other varieties, has excellent mild and sweet flavor, rich green color, and succulent crunchy texture.

Switch up the varieties you plant to enjoy it over half of the year.

3. Merlin

Merlin is a wonderful European variety developed especially for home gardens.

These early-producing, vigorous plants reliably yield 12-inch-tall tinder stalks, perfect for fresh salads or crunchy, sweet snacks, as well as soups and stews.

Celery is an excellent source of vitamin K as well as folate and potassium.

4. Chard

Chard is one of the greens I enjoy growing the most. It grows very quickly and withstands the sun during the summer heat so well.

Delicious, reliable, and highly ornamental, these vigorous plants thrive in all climate zones to grace patio or small space gardens.

You will enjoy mild flavored, crunchy chard in the kitchen from spring through late fall.

5. Carrots

Yes, you can grow root vegetables in a green stock planter! These short sweet and crunchy chardonnay carrots are fine fleshed, juicy and bright orange to the core.

Because of their shorter length and impressive vigor, short stuff carrots are great for areas with heavy soils, as well as for planting in container gardens and pots that are at least 12 to 15 inches deep.

Make sure that you feed in water regularly for sweet roots.

6. Zucchini

Zucchini is our favorite summer crop. These are compact aggressive growers, and last year we were drowning in zucchini, so I will plant less this time.

Early, bearing, and productive, Astia bears abundant zucchini near the base of the plant where they are easy to harvest.

These uniformly smooth, lustrous, glossy green zucchini have excellent flavor and are delicious whether roasted, sauteed, steamed, or baked.

7. Squash

I adore winter storing squash, as it is nutritious and stores for months in a cool, dark place.

This variety takes up less space than traditional squash, the taste is outstanding, and they take less than 60 days to mature.

In the kitchen, cut honey nuts in half, then bake until tender. Flesh is meltingly sweet and delicious.

8. Cabbage

Growing cabbage in a planter may surprise you, but this baby variety is perfect for small space growers. It quickly forms compact, dense little five inch heads, a perfect size for everyday meals.

Strong growing pixies can take both heat or frosty weather so you can plant several times each season. The delicious sweet flavor can be enjoyed out of hand, in salads or tacos, or sautéed.

9. Green beans

Green beans are so satisfying to grow, and with this variety, you will have green beans in just a month and a half. These beans are compact, space-saving and have that classic flavor.

10. Pak choi

Mini pak choi is fast growing, sweet and mild tasting and is packed full of vitamins. These fat baby pak choy grow just 4 inches tall and about 5 inches in diameter, but heavy for their size and juicy.

You could enjoy their sweet succulent stalks in just over a month. The stems are sweet enough to be eaten raw, but pak choi is obviously also perfect to stir fry or sauté.

11. Turnips

These pretty globe-shaped baby turnips are a special gardener's treat. No need to peel, just slice up to enjoy in salads or as crunchy snacks on their own, dipped in homemade ranch dressing.

You can even use them to create a quick stir fry. The tasty nutritious tops make fine sauteed greens. Plant fast-growing baby turnips both in cool spring and fall weather.

12. Cornichons

These mini pickles go from seed to full size in just 50 days. They have a tart, mildly sweet flavor, and they are great as a quick snack or alongside a charcuterie board.

These produce high yields of refined, firm flesh with pickles ready to harvest when they are just a few inches long. This disease-resistant imported variety produces extra early.

13. Lemon cucumbers

You would pay a premium for lemon cucumbers at a farmer’s market, but growing them yourself costs pennies.

The name comes from the shape, not the taste, and they come with mild sweet flavor, crisp texture and non-bitter thin skins, and flesh more tender than a regular cucumber.

Vigorous lemon cucumber vines can easily be trained up a trellis or strings for easy harvesting. Eat them raw or turn them into pickles.