With the advent of winter gardeners are already planning their 2009 vegetable plot. If recent economic indicators are correct, the home garden is still one of the best hedges against inflation and difficult financial times. Home food gardens reduce the carbon footprint as well.

To assist gardeners in selecting varieties to harvest as early as July the National Garden Bureau has released the All-American Selection Winners in superior performance for the novice or experienced gardener. First on the list is Christmas melon 'Lambkin.' The early maturing small oval shaped gourmet melon weighs from 2- 4 pounds with a thin rind surrounding sweet, aromatic white flesh. The outer skin is yellow with green mottling. From seedling to harvest takes only 65-75 days. The small plant may be grown in containers on garden soil.

Another new early vegetable variety is eggplant 'Gretel.' The petite plant bears slender white teardrop shaped fruit 3-4 inches long. It has few seeds and a sweet taste. Gretel may be grown in containers as well and can be harvested in 55 days. Being eggplant 'Gretel' prefers warm growing conditions.

White eggplant "Gretel" is a slender, tender delicacy. Acorn squash 'Honey Bear' takes 100 days to mature but the sweet flavored squash is worth the wait. One of the best reasons to try 'Honey Bear' besides its flavor is its tolerance to powdery mildew. Even into the fall when cool moist air sets up conditions for mildew, 'Honey Bear' continues to produce 3-5 squash per plant without disease. Being a bushy compact plant makes it suitable for small garden.

Visit the following websites for purchasing seed of the above vegetables:
www.johnnyseeds.com
www.parkseed.com
www.stokesseeds.com
www.nicholsgardennursery.com
www.stokeseeds.com
www.territorialseed.com

Christmas Melon "Lambkin" can be harvested in 65- 75 days.