Events Calendar > Fall Garden Fair
In Santa Clara County, we can grow delicious vegetables year round. Our cool season lets us grow vegetables typically grown as early spring crops elsewhere in the U.S.
- See Cool Season Vegetables for information on how to grow each vegetable.
- Refer to our Vegetable Planting Chart for a month-by-month guide on when to plant which vegetables. Developed specifically for Santa Clara County.
- Check our Events Calendar for upcoming talks on cool season vegetables.
Below are some varieties that Master Gardeners have found grow well here.
All sale plants are in 6-packs unless otherwise noted.
OP: Open-pollinated. Seed saved will breed true to type.
Hybrid: Produced from crosses between two distinct parent lines. Seed saved will not be true to the variety planted. (More on Saving Vegetable Seeds from the University of Minnesota Extension)
Artichoke: Violetto Precoce, OP
3½-inch pot. Violet purple globes, medium-sized, thorn-free. Perennial, full sun. Cut to ground level after spring production. Grows 3 to 5 feet tall by 2 to 3 feet wide.
Arugula: Italian, OP, Eruca sativa
Delicious salad greens with deep, spicy flavor. Will resow if allowed to go to seed. Flowers are edible, too. Grows 8 to 10 inches tall. Space plants 3 to 6 inches apart.
Asian Greens: Bopak Choi Hybrid
Ready in 45 days. Tall, heavy, full-size heads with mild, succulent flavor. Grows 8 to 10 inches tall. Space plants 8 to 12 inches apart.
Asian Greens: Chijimisai, OP
A cross between tatsoi and komatsuna. Smooth, spoon-shaped leaves in a loose, upright rosette. Great spinach substitute for salads, soups, stir fries, and more. Grows 8 to 12 inches tall. Space plants 12 inches apart.
Asian Greens: Chinese Broccoli, Gailon, Gai Lan, OP
Thick, juicy stalks, young leaves, and flower buds are tender and delicious. Can harvest shoots repeatedly for weeks.
Asian Greens: Komatsuna Mustard OP
Also called Mustard Spinach. Mild, sweet flavor, good in salads or cooking. Plant closely for baby greens or up to 10 inches apart.
Asian Greens: Napa Cabbage, Minuet, Hybrid
Excellent mini variety. Upright, dense heads. Slow to bolt. 9 inches tall. Space plants 12 inches apart.
Asian Greens: Shungiku (Edible chrysanthemum), OP
Clip young leaves frequently to keep plants small and tender. Fine, lacy leaves are mild and tasty. Grows 4 to 8 inches tall. Plant close together.
Beets: Merlin, Hybrid
Smooth red beet with great flavor and tasty tops for greens. Grows 10 to 12 inches tall. Space plants 4 to 6 inches apart.
Beets: Touchstone Gold, OP
Sweet golden beets are mild and tasty. Beautiful in salads. Greens are delicious and mild. Stabilized OP version of Touchstone Gold hybrid. Grows 8 to 12 inches tall. Space plants 4 to 6 inches apart.
Broccoli: Calabrese, OP
Medium-sized 3 to 6 inches main head followed by numerous side shoots for months afterwards. Grows 24 to 30 inches tall. Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart.
Cabbage: Caraflex, Hybrid
Pointed mini cabbage heads weigh just 1½ to 2 lbs, have a sweet, mild flavor. 9 inches tall. Space plants 12 to 24 inches apart.
Cauliflower: Cheddar, Hybrid
Like a regular cauliflower, but orange! Sweet and tasty, with about 25 times as much beta carotene as white cauliflower. No blanching needed. Delicious and striking. Grows 18 to 24 inches tall. Space plants 24 to 30 inches apart.
Cauliflower: Fioretto 70 Sprouting, Hybrid
Loose heads have tender stems that elongate as they mature. Harvest sprouts up to 8 inches long. Grows 18 to 24 inches tall. Space plants 24 to 30 inches apart.
Chard: Bright Lights, OP
Gorgeous stems are red, yellow, gold, orange, white, pink, violet, and striped. Delicious and tender. Multicolored stems and leaves make a wonderful show. Grows 18 to 24 inches tall. Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart.
Chard: Perpetual Spinach Beet, OP
A perennial chard with tender leaves and thin stems. Grows 12 inches tall. Space plants 8 to 12 inches apart.
Fennel: Di Parma, OP
Superior bulbing fennel, large and uniform, with great flavor. Flowers attract beneficials, and swallowtail butterflies will lay eggs on the feathery greens. Grows 24 to 36 inches tall. Space plants 10 to 12 inches apart.
Italian Greens: Rapini Broccoli Raab
Plentiful shoots have delicate slightly bitter, spicy, peppery flavor. Grows 12 to 18 inches tall. Space plants 6 to 10 inches apart.
Italian Greens: La Rosa del Veneto Radicchio
Loose head of tender salmon pink /rose-gold leaves. Less bitter than most radicchios. Late maturing. Grows 8 to 12 inches tall. Space plants 12 inches apart.
Italian Greens: Sculpit/Stridolo, Silene vulgaris/inflata
Flavor similar to arugula or chicory with an herbal note. Use young leaves in salads or cooked in omelets or risotto. Will self seed if allowed to flower. Grows 8 to 18 inches tall. Space plants 12 inches apart.
Kale: Lacinato, OP
Dramatic rumpled leaves are beautiful and tasty. Cold and heat tolerant. Grows 18 to 20 inches tall. Space plants 10 to 12 inches apart.
Kale: Mars Landing, OP
Beautiful leaves in bronzy maroon color with scalloped edges. Stays tender, holds well. Grows 24 to 30 inches tall. Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart.
Kohlrabi: Kohlibri, Hybrid
Beautiful purple bulbs look like alien vegetables. The white flesh inside is sweet and juicy. Can be eaten raw or cooked. Grows 8 to 10 inches tall. Space plants 4 to 6 inches apart.
Leek: Tadorna, OP
3½-inch pot. Vigorous leek, thick, medium-length shank. Holds well in the garden. Moderate leaf disease resistance. Grows 18 to 24 inches tall. Separate the individual seedlings and plant them 4 to 6 inches apart in trenches. Gradually fill in the trench as they grow to promote a long, blanched stalk. When leeks are planted early enough in the fall, they will start to size up in early winter, allowing them to be harvested throughout the winter.
Lettuce: Mesclun Mix, OP
A beautiful mix of salad greens. Plant closely (2 to 4 inches apart) for cut-and-come-again harvesting or space plants 8 to 10 inches apart to let them form heads.
Lettuce: Muir Batavia, OP
Compact, dense heads have crisp, light green, extra wavy leaves. Heat tolerant. Grows 5 to 7 inches tall. Space plants 8 to 10 inches apart.
Lettuce: Purple Fusion Batavia, OP
Compact, dense heads have frilly green leaves tipped in purple-red. Heat tolerant. Grows 5 to 7 inches tall. Space plants 8 to 10 inches apart.
Lettuce: Salanova Green Butter, OP
Dense heads with small, delicate, buttery leaves. Grows 5 to 7 inches tall. Space plants 8 to 10 inches apart.
Lettuce: Salanova Red Butter, OP
Dense heads of small, delicate red leaves. Grows 5 to 7 inches tall. Space plants 8 to 10 inches apart.
Lettuce: Skyphos Red, OP
Large, dark red butterhead with green centers. Resistant to downy mildew and mosaic virus. Grows 6 to 8 inches tall. Space plants 10 to 12 inches apart.
Lettuce: Summer Bouquet Mix, OP
Delicious mix of European lettuces: red loose leaf Redina, crisp green Nevada, and burgundy/green Cardinale. Space plants 8 to 10 inches apart.
Peas: Mammoth Melting Sugar (snow pea), OP
Heirloom variety with sweet 4 to 5 inches long flat pods that are borne on vigorous vines. Grows 4 to 5 feet tall. Space plants 3 to 4 inches apart.
Peas: Super Sugar Snap, OP
Vigorous vines yield a heavy crop of delicious, edible-podded sugar snap peas. Healthy and mildew resistant. Thick, juicy pods are great raw or cooked. Grows 5 to 6 feet tall. Space plants 3 to 4 inches apart.
Peas: Tall Telephone (shelling), OP
Large pods of delicious peas on tall vines. Heirloom variety. Needs a trellis. 6 feet tall. Space plants 4 inches apart.