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For the past several weeks, I have been pouring over the pages of seed catalogues trying to decide what to plant in our garden this year. The varieties and options are overwhelming. While we always plant our favorite and consistent performers such as Blue Lake green beans and Mr. Stripey tomatoes, I like to experiment with at least one or two new things every year. Here are some of my favorites for 2007:
Tomatoes: Burpee has introduced their exclusive Porterhouse Beefsteak Tomato which they claim will produce 2-4 pound fruits and is the largest beefsteak tomato they have ever bred. If yellow tomatoes are more to your liking, they have a new paste tomato called Golden Mama which would be perfect for making a gorgeous yellow gazpacho or marinara sauce. Territorial Seed Company has a new cherry tomato called Bambino which will produce 1 inch fruits all season long. Seeds of Change is introducing a new heirloom called Cherokee Purple which will produce a striking reddish green tomato with a purple cast. Park Seed is offering a new heirloom tomato called Pineapple having a predominantly yellow flesh streaked with red. For sheer culinary drama, you can’t beat the richly colored, ebony-purple, one inch fruits of the Black Cherry Tomato offered by John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. If you want to grow tomatoes on your porch or patio, try Park Seeds new Tumbling Tom tomato plants which are perfect for growing in hanging baskets.
Peppers: John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds has a new chile pepper called De Padron Hot Chile Pepper. They note that this heirloom pepper is a favorite in Padron, Spain where it is honored annually with its own festival. If you like mole sauce, try the new Holy Mole from Park Seed. The chocolate brown pasilla peppers will add an authentic flavor to your Mexican recipes. And if making your own paprika sounds like fun, Seeds of Change offers a new pepper plant called Paprika Alma whose fruits can be dried and then ground into paprika seasoning. For roasting, try Burpee’s new Big Daddy Sweet Pepper.
Corn: For the sweetest in sweet corn, Territorial claims that their How Sweet it Is has up to 30 times the complex sugars of standard corn varieties. Want to experiment with making your own cornmeal? Try Hickory King Dent from Seeds of Change. This Virginia heirloom dent corn dates back to 1875.
Carrots: Tempt your kids to eat their veggies with the new Dragon carrot from Seeds of Change. Its purple exterior and yellow orange interior is strikingly beautiful. Burpee is offering Rainbow Hybrid which is a one-of-a-kind variety that produces three colors of carrots-salmon orange, yellow, and white. For a unique presentation on a raw vegetable platter, try The Cook’s Garden White Satin Carrot. It’s pure white with a sweet flavor and crunchy texture.
Herbs: Burpee’s Pesto Perpetuo Basil, which has large green leaves bordered in creamy white, will add a beautiful contrast to your tomato and pasta salads. And their rare Lime Basil has a mild citrus taste that would make a fragrant and delicious simple syrup. Both these basils can be successfully grown in pots.
Edible Flowers: Territorial Seed Company’s Night and Day nasturtium will give you both pale ivory and mahogany flowers to add contrast and a peppery note to your lettuce salads and herb butters. Antique Shades Hybrid Pansies, offered by Burpee, have blossoms in soft, pastel shades of apricot, pink, and lavender for adding a feminine touch to cakes and cupcakes. The Italian Bolero Hybrid Mix Pansies from Park Seed offer huge, double ruffled blooms. The petals would be sensational in a baby mixed green salad or cascading down the side of a tiered cake. Both the nasturtiums and pansies will thrive in pots on your patio.
I can hardly wait to get out in the garden and plant some of these. Now all I have to do is decided which ones. From the looks of things, I may not be able to limit myself to just one or two!
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What's New For The 2007 Garden
Tomatoes: Burpee has introduced their exclusive Porterhouse Beefsteak Tomato which they claim will produce 2-4 pound fruits and is the largest beefsteak tomato they have ever bred. If yellow tomatoes are more to your liking, they have a new paste tomato called Golden Mama which would be perfect for making a gorgeous yellow gazpacho or marinara sauce. Territorial Seed Company has a new cherry tomato called Bambino which will produce 1 inch fruits all season long. Seeds of Change is introducing a new heirloom called Cherokee Purple which will produce a striking reddish green tomato with a purple cast. Park Seed is offering a new heirloom tomato called Pineapple having a predominantly yellow flesh streaked with red. For sheer culinary drama, you can’t beat the richly colored, ebony-purple, one inch fruits of the Black Cherry Tomato offered by John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. If you want to grow tomatoes on your porch or patio, try Park Seeds new Tumbling Tom tomato plants which are perfect for growing in hanging baskets.
Peppers: John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds has a new chile pepper called De Padron Hot Chile Pepper. They note that this heirloom pepper is a favorite in Padron, Spain where it is honored annually with its own festival. If you like mole sauce, try the new Holy Mole from Park Seed. The chocolate brown pasilla peppers will add an authentic flavor to your Mexican recipes. And if making your own paprika sounds like fun, Seeds of Change offers a new pepper plant called Paprika Alma whose fruits can be dried and then ground into paprika seasoning. For roasting, try Burpee’s new Big Daddy Sweet Pepper.
Corn: For the sweetest in sweet corn, Territorial claims that their How Sweet it Is has up to 30 times the complex sugars of standard corn varieties. Want to experiment with making your own cornmeal? Try Hickory King Dent from Seeds of Change. This Virginia heirloom dent corn dates back to 1875.
Carrots: Tempt your kids to eat their veggies with the new Dragon carrot from Seeds of Change. Its purple exterior and yellow orange interior is strikingly beautiful. Burpee is offering Rainbow Hybrid which is a one-of-a-kind variety that produces three colors of carrots-salmon orange, yellow, and white. For a unique presentation on a raw vegetable platter, try The Cook’s Garden White Satin Carrot. It’s pure white with a sweet flavor and crunchy texture.
Herbs: Burpee’s Pesto Perpetuo Basil, which has large green leaves bordered in creamy white, will add a beautiful contrast to your tomato and pasta salads. And their rare Lime Basil has a mild citrus taste that would make a fragrant and delicious simple syrup. Both these basils can be successfully grown in pots.
Edible Flowers: Territorial Seed Company’s Night and Day nasturtium will give you both pale ivory and mahogany flowers to add contrast and a peppery note to your lettuce salads and herb butters. Antique Shades Hybrid Pansies, offered by Burpee, have blossoms in soft, pastel shades of apricot, pink, and lavender for adding a feminine touch to cakes and cupcakes. The Italian Bolero Hybrid Mix Pansies from Park Seed offer huge, double ruffled blooms. The petals would be sensational in a baby mixed green salad or cascading down the side of a tiered cake. Both the nasturtiums and pansies will thrive in pots on your patio.
I can hardly wait to get out in the garden and plant some of these. Now all I have to do is decided which ones. From the looks of things, I may not be able to limit myself to just one or two!
Serves/Makes: 1 cup
- 1 cup white superfine sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup lime basil leaves, torn in half
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the basil leaves. Cover and let sit for an hour or until the syrup is completely cool.
Remove the basil, pour the syrup into a glass bottle with a nonreactive cap, and store it in your refrigerator.
NOTE: Add a generous splash of the syrup to a glass of chilled club soda or a shot of vodka over crushed ice for a refreshing summer drink. Garnish with a slice of lime and a sprig of the basil.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/victoria-wesseler/476-plant-garden-vegetables/