Heirloom vegetables are those old varieties of vegetables that have been around so long that some kind of history is eluded with them. The seeds of these valued vegetables are saved for the next crop season. These types may have been grown for almost century or longer. The same varieties that some of us enjoyed as kids, and that our parents and their older generations have planted in their backyard gardens. With that knowledge, more and more people are into growing heirloom vegetables all over the world.

There are no certain reasons why people like to grow heirloom vegetables. Some grow them as a continuing practice of what their elders did during their time. Others find these vegetables interesting and fun to plant in their gardens. Others want to have a control about the kind of harvest they would get from these vegetables; free from toxins and truly safe for their own consumption. It is also considered a cost saving tip because you can just pick fresh vegetables from your backyard garden thus; saving time and money for you.

By growing heirloom vegetables, you will be able to recapture that bit of variety and diversity of vegetables which is not commonly found in supermarkets. These vegetables may taste and look different from the widely massed produced kinds of vegetables. They even have more nutritional value compared to those sold in groceries.

Some examples of heirloom vegetables that are popularly planted are the heirloom tomatoes and peppers, grey zucchini and yellow squash. These vegetables grow quite different from their common counterparts because the variety and diversity methods as part of planting heirloom vegetables have been applied to these vegetables. They become bigger, have different shapes and vary in colors. They are more resistant to insects. They can stay fresh for longer periods of time than most common vegetables.

Rather than plant plain green beans, you can choose one of the colorful types of yard long beans. Instead of planting ordinary green broccoli, you can choose one of the attractive purple colors and grow them in your garden. If you decide on eggplants, you can grow a lot of heirloom varieties that may have different shades of lavender, red or even colors of red, pink and white. The shapes would range from long to slender or egg-shaped. Their sizes may range from the very tiny pea sized to the "giant" sized eggplants.

If you really want to grow heirloom vegetables it is highly recommended that you get a good heirloom vegetable seed catalogue and start growing them in your own backyard garden. A little patience is needed, and maybe some good advice from someone who is experienced in doing this will come a long way. You will surely enjoy the fruits of your labor once you see your heirloom vegetables grow. You will also have that feeling of achievement that you have continued that part of a long line of generations, which have done their part to do this good and practical practice of growing heirloom vegetables.

Jason Ladock

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