New Plant Release: 5 new homegrown varieties to add to your Gardyn

Published Apr 1, 2021

The possibilities to enhance meal planning with homegrown food are endless with Gardyn. Each month we’re delighted to bring new varieties to your Gardyning portfolio and even more fresh food to your plate!

Five new plants have arrived for spring including a fiery hot marigold, Tuscan kale, sweet yet zesty endive, catnip for your feline friends, and a speckled trout back lettuce. (Trust us, there’s nothing fishy about this prized romaine!)

To deep dive into our new varieties, visit the Gardyn Plant Book for growing and nutritional info and harvest to plate recipes. 

Red Marietta Marigold

Loved for its spectacular bright red and orange blooms that grow about 2” in diameter, all the species from Tagetes [marigold] are native to the Americas and span from the southwestern United States through Central America and down into Argentina.

Red Marietta Marigold adds a splash of color to your Gardyn and home, providing vibrant cut flowers for floral arrangements.

Kale Lacinato

One of the reasons we love kale (besides its superfood standing) is because it doesn’t require any pruning. As leaves grow, they can be harvested as baby leaves which is great for fresh salad mixes. 

Lacinato kale is a long-standing staple of Italian cuisine and native to the Mediterranean region. It’s sometimes called Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale, and has been used for centuries in Tuscany.

Catnip

Catnip is a cousin to mint and native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. It works its magic by producing Nepetalactone, the chemical that excites our feline friends. Share catnip with your feline friends and watch them enjoy!

Historically catnip has been used in medicinal teas before large importation of Chinese tea made its way across Europe. It is unclear, however, if catnip is safe for humans: small amounts taken orally or by tea have not yielded negative effects, but large quantities are taken orally, or any quantity smoked, is potentially hazardous.

Flashy Trout Back Lettuce

Don’t worry, this lettuce doesn’t taste like fish! Flashy Trout Back lettuce has beautiful speckled red spots on its leaves that look like the back of a trout.

This incredibly tender and mild lettuce has sweet leaves and is a heavily prized variety of romaine that is more tender and buttery than most Cos species. Plate it as a base with your favorite bright-colored veggies and prepare for a culinary masterpiece that’s tasty and Insta-worthy.

Endive Lettuce

Technically chicory, endive is believed to have originated in Egypt and Indonesia. Use as a salad green to add dimension to the mix; leaves can be bitter, so most of the time the tender inner leaves at the heart of the plant are used, as they taste sweeter. Mature outer leaves can also be cooked and blanched to reduce bitterness.

Low in calories and bursting with micronutrients like vitamin K, endive lettuce can also be roasted and grilled.

How do you introduce new flavors to your family? We’d love to know!

It’s exciting to grow year-round with your own personal farmer’s market, isn’t it? Providing fresh homegrown food not only gives you nutritious options at your fingertips, growing independently gives you peace of mind knowing where your food is coming from.

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Get the most out of your Gardyn with 10 new plants a month, free shipping, and access to Kelby, your own personal Gardyn Assistant. Discover how you can grow with confidence and have access to homegrown food year-round.