The modern American garden has its roots in the Victory Garden of WWII

Much of Americans and British gardening today has its roots in the victory gardens of WWII.

In America the goal of the Victory Garden was to supply fresh fruits and vegetables.

The PDF “Grow your own Victory Garden” has suggestions based on historical records for creating your own victory garden.

http://gardens.si.edu/come-learn/docs/Grow%20Your%20Own%20Victory%20Garden.pdf

Spring garden suggested crops

Carrot - Amarillo, St. Valery

Lettuce - Bronze Arrow, Forellenschuluss, Black-Seeded Simpson, Tennis Ball

Kale - Red Russian, Early Curled Siberian Kale

Onion - Red Wethersfield, Siskiyou Sweet

Peas - alderman Tall Telephone, Corne De belier, Green Arrow

Radish - Red Meat, White Icicle

Summer garden suggested crops

Basil - Lettuce Leaf, Mrs. Burns Lemon

Beans, Bush - Black Pencil Podded

Beans, Pole - Kentucky Wonder, Dow Purple Podded, Good Mother Stallard

Beans, Lima - Red Calico

Corn, Popcorn - Strawberry

Corn, Sweet - Stowell's Evergreen, Golden Bantam, Texas Honey June

Cucumber - Lemon, Early Russian, Suyo Long

Eggplant - Black Beauty, Rosa Bianca

Muskmelon - Hale's Best, Pike

Okra - Clemson Spineless

Pepper - California Wonder, Marconi, Black Czech

Pumpkin - Rouge Vif D'etampes

Squash, Summer - Yellow Crookneck, Cocozelle Bush

Squash, Winter - Blue Hubbard

Tomato - Yellow pear, Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee Purple

Watermelon - Moon and Stars, White Wonder

Fall-Winter garden suggested crops

Beets - Detroit Dark Red, Bull's Blood, Chioggia

Broccoli - Calabrese

Cabbage - Early Jersey Wakefield

Carrot - Amarillo, St. Valery

Cauliflower - (All-Year-Round)

Lettuce - Bronze Arrow, Forellenschuluss, Black-Seeded Simpson, Tennis Ball

Kohirabi - Purple Vienna

Parsley - Extra Curled Dwarf

Parsnip - Sugar Hollow Crown

Radish - Red Meat, White Icicle

Spinach - Viroflay, Bloomsdale Long Standing

Swiss Chard - Ruby

Turnip - (Purple-Top White Globe)

If you look at the top rated products at Burpee’s seeds you will see they line up well with the victory garden above.

Top Rated Products at Burpee’s
http://www.burpee.com/gardening/content/gygg/ratings/ratings.html

Tomato Big Beef Hybrid

Sweet Pepper The Godfather Hybrid

Corn Maple Sugar Sweet Hybrid

Sweet Pepper Gypsy Hybrid

Tomato Sugar Snack Hybrid (Cherry)

Cantaloupe Sweet'n Early Hybrid

Cucumber Sweeter Yet Hybrid

Corn Silver Queen Hybrid

Summer Squash Sweet Gourmet Hybrid

If you look at the “Vegetable Carbohydrate Chart” showing low carb and high carb vegetables you will find 13 low carb items listed and only five high carb items listed.

http://www.burpee.com/gardening/content/gygg/carbchart/carbchart.html

For high carb they only list Onions, Parsnips, Green Peas, Acorn Squash, Lima Beans

It is America’s legacy of WWII that has left us today with a focus on the lower calorie items for much of our gardens in America. Staples such as dent corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc. are cheap and easy to obtain. So most people do not bother growing these crops, which is sad because some varieties offer a lot culinary wise. Much of what we grow today would fit well into the victory garden of the early 1940’s. If you go areas of the world where subsistence farming is still practiced you will see a focus on high calorie crops. Each of these cultures will have one or more high calorie crops that their society depends on to meet a large portion of their daily calorie needs.