As the cold season hits, some Americans put vegetables like corn, peppers, green beans, and okra away in freezers. Tomatoes are put in cans. Turnips, beets, and winter squashes are stored in refrigerators or cool areas of the home. But American gardening expert Lee Reich says some vegetables can still be picked fresh from the garden through the cold season. They can survive through some snow and temperatures dropping to the teens. Many gardeners get closer each year to the goal of growing a year-round supply of vegetables. Reich has advice for those who want to grow vegetables in the colder part of the U.S. and the world. Lettuce, endive, spinach and parsley are among the cold-hardiest vegetables, he says. Late summer plantings of these vegetables can start as tomatoes, peppers, and other warm season crops end. The exception is parsley, which needs a long season so it must be planted earlier in summer. The plant might no longer be a thick, colorful green, but it is still tasty. Other vegetables make fresh salads complete. Arugula is quite cold-hardy. A few kinds of radish are still firm and sharp-tasting.
