March 2022 - 6

EDITOR'S LETTER
Growing an Interest
in Vegetables
" Eat your vegetables " is
something most kids probably
don't like to hear. Heck, even a
lot of grownups don't want to be
reminded to get their " 5 a Day "
servings of fruits and vegetables.
And yet, research continues to
prove that five servings per day of
fruits and vegetables provide some
pretty awesome health benefits.
So how do we make that happen? We need to start them
young, according to researchers at The University of Texas
at Austin. They found school gardens and lessons on using
what's grown in them helps get them to actually eat the
good-for-you food.
Researchers worked with 16 elementary schools across
Central Texas to install vegetable gardens and teach
classes to students and parents about nutrition and
cooking. Students who participated in the classes ate more
vegetables per day than they did before the program.
Another great way to pique kids' interest in vegetables
is to grow or buy " unusual " veggies in the home garden -
fruits or vegetables in a less common color or shape. This
worked when my kids were little - not only were they
more likely to try the " weird to them " fruits like ground
cherries (a hit!) and passionfruit (meh), but it helped to
open their eyes to trying new things. Heck, they were even
fascinated by stalks of Brussels sprouts for sale in the
produce department (not so much when it came time to
remove the sprouts from the stalk, though ... sigh).
Garden centers can help a parent out by offering veggie
starts beyond the typical tomato. Green broccoli might
not appeal to a kid, but what about purple broccoli? Or
tiny cucumbers that look like baby watermelons? It never
ceases to amaze me what new varieties breeders come
up with. And since this issue is our edibles issue, we've
highlighted some of these new technologies in " What's
New in Edibles, " beginning on page 16.
We asked our readers if their garden center offers
fresh produce by way of a farmers' market or community
supported agriculture (CSA) program, and received some
interesting feedback. While most garden centers cited
tomatoes and tomato plants as their predicted 2022 best
sellers, a few others said that candy, snacks, barbecue sauce
and Satsuma mandarins were popular with customers. Turn
to page 24 for more.
What new edible varieties will you offer this spring? Drop
me a line at tmcpherson@greatamericanpublish.com.
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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Bob Wasson
Crystal Cady
Kate Terrell
John Karsseboom
Pamela Baker
Lisa LeFevre
Stan Pohmer
Christina Salwitz
Wasson Nursery
Sunflower Acres Farm & Garden
Wallace's Garden Center
The Garden Corner
Baker's Acres Greenhouse
Distinctive Gardens
Pohmer Consulting Group
The Personal Garden Coach
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EDITORIAL
MANAGING EDITOR
Teresa McPherson, 616.520.2163
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Winner of 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2018 EDDIE awards for Best Full Issue
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Teresa McPherson, MANAGING EDITOR
616.520.2163 | tmcpherson@greatamericanpublish.com
6 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | MARCH 2022
@lgrmag

March 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2022