Ella's Garden: Vegetables
| Growing your own vegetables can be a fun experience not only for an individual, but also for the family as a whole. Long before today’s grocery stores made it convenient to purchase our produce, humans were growing their own food. Besides the fact that homegrown vegetables not only taste better, they are also considered being healthier for you in many ways. Just the excitement of planning, planting and the harvesting of your own crops can provide a sense of peace and well being to the human body and add a sense of accomplishment to a persons life. Also, vegetables contain essential vitamins that may help in the prevention of chronic diseases to us humans. Vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, and peas contain Vitamin A, which enables the body in the development of good cell reproduction, bone growth and boosts your immunity levels. The Vitamin B1, Thiamine, found in corn, Lima beans, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash convert carbohydrates into energy to power your body. Vegetables also help in aiding in the development of strong heart muscles and nervous system. Did you know, that if you were stranded on a deserted island, were permitted only one vegetable to take to survive on, that the sweet potato contains so many essential nutrients that it would sustain your life for many years? Do not let the idea that you may have limited space prevent you from growing vegetables. Even a small 4 foot x 4 foot section can produce enough fresh produce year round to feed a family of two for a year for the average cost of less than $20. Just because you may live in an apartment complex don’t think you can't grow vegetables too. With a few containers and some stakes your balcony can become a virtual fresh vegetable paradise for you to pick daily. The most difficult part of growing and raising vegetables is the question of which cultivars to choose to grow. Advancements in hybridization offer a person the choice of many new different and exciting cultivars some with excellent levels of disease resistance. There are hundreds of different cultivars of Tomatoes and Peppers alone. Would you know the difference between growing an 'Early Jalapeno' pepper and a 'Scotch Bonnet' pepper? The first will warm the insides of your digestive tract, while the second will have you racing for the nearest fire hydrant. This is because hot peppers are rated according to their heat index. The heat index is called the Scoville Scale. The higher the number a hot pepper rates on the Scoville Scale the hotter it is. Knowing the Scoville Scale can protect you and especially a child from experiencing a potential hazard. To assist you in your decision of which vegetable and its cultivars to grow, this database has been created. Within it you find information not only the names of different vegetables, but their cultural growing information too. This database is a constant work in progress. We are striving to make sure all information is as accurate as possible. Any information, photograph’s, and personal comments you can donate for this database would greatly be appreciated.  All photographs posted on the Vegetable Database is copyrighted. Copying or duplication in any form is prohibited without prior written consent. |
| » Add a new entry to this database |
| Entry name | Username |
|---|---|
| Watermelon, Blacktail Mountain, Citrullus lanatus | Patti1957 |
