Has gardening gotten boring? If you are tired of growing the same crops every year, try these 8 rare and exciting veggies that bring fun back to gardening! These rare vegetables are easy to grow, have few pests and are a delicious, versatile addition to your kitchen. Make gardening fun again and try these awesome new vegetables!
Seeds featured can be purchased** here:
• Escarole, ‘Eliance’: https://www.pjtra.com/t/8-12781-345111-269073?url=https%3A%2F%2Fterritorialseed.com%2Fproducts%2Feliance%3Fvariant%3D41647586672814
• Romanesco: https://amzlink.to/az0mFYVmldDol
• Squash, ‘Zucchino Rampicante’: https://amzlink.to/az0Xuxu1sBPFs
• Pumpkin, ‘Seminole’: https://amzlink.to/az0wcJIxQ0oAP
• Bok Choy, ‘White Stem’: https://amzlink.to/az0UigCUdKD3x
• Parsnip, ‘Model’: https://amzlink.to/az0rjJy6JLDXp
• Mizuna, ‘Miz America’: https://www.gopjn.com/t/8-12781-345111-269073?url=https%3A%2F%2Fterritorialseed.com%2Fproducts%2Fmustard-miz-america%3Fvariant%3D12786109317219
• Mustard Greens, ‘Southern Giant’: https://amzlink.to/az0R1cmgXPzr9
• Leek, ‘Giant’: https://amzlink.to/az0zTxgUzoUQM
• Arugula: https://amzlink.to/az0bfUZAipQ7f
I use the following products* most often in my vegetable garden:
Alaska Fish Fertilizer [5-1-1] (Gallon): https://amzlink.to/az0Jhw8liNoe3
True Organic All Purpose Fertilizer [5-4-5] (4lb): https://amzlink.to/az0hjJZgpjzCe
Espoma PlantTone Fertilizer [5-3-3] (36lb): https://amzlink.to/az0RYzirNqMFg
Espoma PlantTone Fertilizer [5-3-3] (50lb): https://amzlink.to/az0dh0dYaye1l
Organic Bone Meal (8lb): https://amzlink.to/az0SPMUq1WsxE
Organic Blood Meal (3lbs): https://amzlink.to/az0jNeCruTl6a
Azomite Trace Minerals (44lb): https://amzlink.to/az0qPn4i34Eol
Pruning Snips: https://amzlink.to/az0S6BULZGPmi
Weed Barrier: https://amzlink.to/az0ZjqJBU6qTS
Grow Bags (Black): https://amzlink.to/az0UDaVzkSLWi
Grow Bags (Tan): https://amzlink.to/az02kBaExY5sL
Thicker Row Cover, 1.5oz/yd, 10x30FT: https://amzlink.to/az0yuc0Ul92Fk
Shade Cloth: https://amzlink.to/az01boLJy9JNI
Insect Netting: https://amzlink.to/az0ZdeiIJWHMw
Jack’s All Purpose [20-20-20] (1.5lb): https://amzlink.to/az0JG0Dv6Da0h
Jack’s All Purpose [20-20-20] (25lb): https://amzlink.to/az0F6FgxdhKjO
•• Full Amazon Store: https://amzlink.to/az0yli4Cz0iXX
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 Introduction
0:33 Crop #1
2:24 Crop #2
3:52 Crop #3
6:18 Bonus Crop!
6:37 Crop #4
8:46 Crop #5
11:00 Crop #6
13:40 Crop #7
16:08 Crop #8
18:07 Final Thoughts and Summary
19:46 Adventures With Dale
If you have any questions about vegetable gardening at home, growing fruit trees or the things I grow in my raised bed vegetable garden and edible landscaping food forest, are looking for more gardening tips and tricks and garden hacks, have questions about vegetable gardening and organic gardening in general, or want to share DIY and “how to” garden tips and gardening hacks of your own, please leave a comment!
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MY WEBSITE
https://www.themillennialgardener.com/
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VISIT MY AMAZON STORE FOR PRODUCTS I USE MOST OFTEN IN MY GARDEN*
https://amzlink.to/az0yli4Cz0iXX
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CUSTOM MERCH!
https://shop.spreadshirt.com/themillennialgardener
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SUBSCRIBE TO MY 2ND CHANNEL!
https://www.youtube.com/c/2MinuteGardenTips
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SOCIAL MEDIA
→ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/millennialgardener/
→ X (@NCGardening) https://x.com/NCGardening
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ABOUT MY GARDEN
Location: Southeastern NC, Brunswick County (Wilmington area)
Zone 8B, 34.1°N Latitude
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*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
**Some seeds are affiliate links and earn commission at no cost to you.
© The Millennial Gardener
#gardening #garden #gardeningtips #vegetablegardening #vegetablegarden
22 Comments
If you enjoyed this video, please LIKE it and SHARE it with family and friends! TIMESTAMPS here:
0:00 Introduction
0:33 Crop #1
2:24 Crop #2
3:52 Crop #3
6:18 Bonus Crop!
6:37 Crop #4
8:46 Crop #5
11:00 Crop #6
13:40 Crop #7
16:08 Crop #8
18:07 Final Thoughts and Summary
19:46 Adventures With Dale
We like fresh mustard greens in salads and as garnishes….. We also eat the entire leek 😂
Your style of putting strong emphasis on important points and your jokes are truly appreciated. Watching your videos is fun and I still leave with actionable points. 😅
I already grow some of the veggies you mentioned and indeed brings a smile to your soul.
Potato leek soup! I leave the skins on the potatoes and make it a little thick. It’s an amazing year-round soup that isn’t too heavy, yet filling.
I got soil for my raised bed vegetable garden from a local landscape company. But when I plant seedlings, they are not putting on green growth and are stunted. I did a Soil Test at the local university extension and found that the pH is 7.9 . It’s high phosphorus, calcium and magnesium, and moderate potassium. What would you recommend to revive the soil?
Thanks in advance
I had no idea that people didn’t eat the green part of leaks. That’s my favorite part.
One aspect of gardening that is new to me every year, is learning New Ways to eat them! I really dont know much abt several of the veggies I’ve seen you grow. Learning to garden is as important as learning to cook. 👍🏼😎
I’m still harvesting leeks from last years spring planting, need to harvest and freeze to make room for more!
Try Florida Broadleaf Mustard greens. They are an excellent mild flavored (uncooked) green. My winter salads with radishes, tiny carrots, and leaf lettuce would not be the same without the mustard. The smooth leaves keep the bug problems away as well.
Could you do an update video on the pvc pipe canopy structure you built? How is it holding up after years in the sun? Have you had to rebuild or strengthen them up?
Leek scapes (the bud and about 6-8” of the bud stem) are delicious also. Similar to green onion but less astringent and a little garlicky
Cannot wait to try tromboncino, the zucchini imposter! You've mentioned it enough that I got the seeds. Also, as long as the tomato selection remains as massive as it is, I'll likely not get bored any time soon.
I have parsnips o Ming up in a jug that I winter sowed a couple months ago just south of Chicago. They have just germinated. I also have a tub of them I just planted. Praying all do well. ❤️🙏 we will have at least one more night in the 20’s.
I grow trombocino in zone 6b on arched trellises. The fully mature fruit overwinters and keeps FOREVER. I ate one in October 2025 from my 2024 harvest. They’re so tasty and buttery when you pick them a few days within being pollinated, too. Massive producers, too.
Romanesco is yummy, mild and gorgeous.
Omg!!! Italian Romanesque zuchinni is also vine borer resistant. It roots along the vine and is an insanely prolific. It spreads.
That was a great video. Might try those Escaroles. And I look forward to seeing how the Seminole's turn out for you. Speaking from experience, they really do fruit more and bigger if you let them sprawl on the ground and root at the leaf nodes. Hope you like them as much as I did. They were really delicious baked and mashed with butter and garlic. Good growing! 👍
Mustard is easy???
You have a nice growing area. I experience a plant that bolts faster than anything else I try to grow. We have too many fluctuations between very warm and cold and mustard doesn't want to be in the 80s. But most this March we were in the 80s or 90s with brief periods dropping to near freezing or a day or two inbetween that would be in the 60s – 70s. Mostly though, way too warm for most mustard types.
So, I WANT to plant them early Feb but they need full exposure to sun because of the lack of solar radiation until the end of Feb, but when we get to the end of Feb and it's 85F and I forgot to turn misters on and blow them with fans, they bolt.
And the easiest one to grow, I don't want to because even the leafs require a bit of cook time, best done in a broth, so something like a more soupy dish, but the dishes we make in that area are best with pak choi, so I use pak choi. I want mustard types that I can saute/stir fry, and there's only a couple I can grow and they get attacked by multiple insects, IN FEBRUARY!!!
It's getting REALLY volatile here and some of the cool weather crops are getting harder to grow.
I haven't been able to get my leeks to size up for some reason. They just stay chive sized. 😒
"This video is truly outstanding and so inspiring! 🌈✨ I used to think gardening was just about the same few common veggies, but after seeing these 8 rare varieties, it feels more exciting than ever. These crops are not only unique but also bring so much meaning to the garden. Thank you for putting so much heart into finding and sharing these gems with the community. Liked and subscribed to support you! Can't wait for more videos on unique plants! ❤🌱🚀"
I want to share a potting mix tip.
I've made p-mix for decades. I learned that peat moss is an ancient soil. Harvesting it often harms the place it's taken from and it doesn't grow back.
I've tried many different things and have had great success using semi-rotted pine needles from the big drifts that form in pine plantations.
Sometimes I sieve out larger bits or break them up.
Mixed with compost and river sand I've propagated cuttings grown plants from seed. It's also suitable for large plants.
It's quite good fun to collect sacks of this sustainable alternative to peat.
🙂 Happy gardening everyone.