Niki Jabbour takes global gardening journey in new book

By Meghan Groff

Canada’s best-selling gardening author is inviting those with green thumbs to try something new this year.

Niki Jabbour spent years growing the typical vegetables in her garden, like potatoes, beans, tomatoes and peas, but she was motivated to launch a global gardening journey about 10 years ago.

Jabbour said was growing snake gourds for Halloween, when her mother-in-law, who grew up in Lebanon, saw them and mentioned she used to eat them growing up.

“I didn't know my gourds were edible, and it started me thinking about what else I could grow for her that would be from the Middle East, that she would recognize but not be able to find here,” she said.

Once Jabbour realized she could easily grow many Middle Eastern vegetables in Nova Scotia, she started to wonder what else would work.

“I started growing other vegetables based on what cuisine I like to cook,” she explained. “Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, South American, Central American, there's so many great cuisines. It's hard or expensive to buy the ingredients, so I grow them myself and save some money.”

Her new book, Veggie Garden Remix, focuses on greens from around the globe.

“There's a section on peas, but I'm not talking about your traditional garden varieties, I'm talking about things like Magnolia Blossoms, which are amazing, or Golden Sweets, which have butter-yellow pods, or Royal Snow, which have deep purple pods.”

Jabbour said this is the time of year to start planning what to plant, but first you have to consider where your garden is located.

If it's in a shaded area, sun-loving tomatoes won't do well, but leafy greens, like spinach and lettuce, could thrive.

However she's encouraging gardeners to try different types of the vegetables they're used to planting.

“If you like carrots, you could try rainbow carrots this year, maybe Purple Haze, or Yellowstone, or White Satin,” she said. “There's lots of different variety, even in the vegetables you love, so don't be afraid to try something new.”

Her top pick for 2018 is ground cherries, an easy-to-grow tomato relative. She describes the taste as a mix of pineapple, butterscotch and vanilla.

Veggie Garden Remix will be on store shelves by Tuesday, but gardeners can get a sneak preview Saturday during a book launch party at Halifax Seed.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today