The color range of the ‘Cubanelle’ sweet pepper.
Photo by L.A. Jackson
Hot peppers have been the darlings of both vegetable and ornamental gardeners in recent years because many are so sizzling, so colorful and so sexy, especially when compared to sweet peppers, of which the ol’ utilitarian, blocky green bell pepper readily comes to mind. Ho-hum.
But, pssst! Ya wanna know a secret? There are sweet peppers that not only have great taste—with way, way less heat—but also the visual sass to compete with fancy hot peppers in the garden. Here are four such floosies to consider not only for your veggie patch but also for flower borders or container planters this year:
Carmen. An All-America Selections winner, this cultivar shows off 6-inch, elongated peppers that mature from green to a handsome red—creating, for those inclined to wish, a touch of summertime Christmas in the garden. Easy to enjoy raw, this selection is also delicious when roasted.
Shishito. Another contender to create a “Yuletide July” effect in the garden, this Japanese heirloom variety also sports slim, wrinkled green peppers that eventually color-shift to bright red. True to their East Asian roots, the 3- to 4-inch, thin-skinned fruits are a popular ingredient in stir-fries and tempura. Shishito peppers are generally mild, but take note that an occasional rogue fruit could pack a slightly spicier punch, just to keep your taste buds guessing.
Sweet Banana. Its fruits start out banana-like in shape and hue—yellow—but then their color morphs to warm orange and then a striking crimson, making for a very pretty plant. In the kitchen, ‘Sweet Banana’ is a tasty addition to salads, sandwiches and stir-fries, and it is a favorite pick of pepper picklers.
Cubanelle. Green, chartreuse, orange, red—this is the delightful range of colors that ‘Cubanelle’ can bring to any garden scheme. Usually harvested when it is immature green for the mildest taste, the 4- to 6-inch-long, crinkly fruits have thin skins, making them good candidates for frying and roasting. But sandwiches and salads can also be perked up with the addition of raw slices of this pepper.
Although not as common as bell pepper plants, these four alt-sweet selections aren’t hard to find. At various times, I have frequently found all of them in big-box garden centers, so spotting them at local independent nurseries shouldn’t be tough. And, of course, many online companies can readily serve your needs, especially with seeds.
May in the garden
• If you want to try your green thumb at growing annual summer flowers from seeds, soil temperatures will be warm enough this month to sow such popular pretties as moonvine, amaranth, nasturtiums, cosmos, blanket flowers, cleomes, marigolds, zinnias and sunflowers.
• Watering the vegetable garden is, of course, a necessary chore when the rains don’t come. But keep an especially close watch on the moisture needs of radishes, cucumbers and onions. Failure to irrigate these three regularly will result in pungent radishes, bitter cucumbers and puny-sized onions.
Tip of the month
This year, why not plant forever? In this case, “forever” refers to so-called forever flowers, which are also tagged as “everlastings.” These are ornamentals that dry easily and hold up well in indoor arrangements. Such persistent pretties include celosia, liatris, statice, strawflower, globe thistle, yarrow and gomphrena. The best way to dry them is to hang small batches upside down in a warm, dark, dry location such as an attic or unlit garage until they feel crispy to the touch, which for most everlastings should be in about a month.
L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.