Goth you can eat?!
One of my best gardening friends, Kat, the owner of The Blackmoon Garden …
here in Ottawa, ON is not only a fellow goth gardener, but a master of growing goth fruits and vegetables.
Her harvest baskets literally make me foam out the mouth, seriously stunning shades of black and white that are completely edible! She inspired me in 2025 to start my own gothic vegetable garden with the help of Westcoast Seeds and Veseys. Unfortunately we had a very late spring, and just when everyone thought we were in the clear end of May (which is normally a safe time in our area to plant annuals and food items) another frost swung back around and killed half of my stock.
Utter heartbreak.
Image Highlight: The Goth Garden | Dark Opal Basil August 2025
BUT, some survived and were graciously consumed by the Hurst household. Despite the devastating experience, I am determined this year to have a full stock of black vegetables… Perhaps planting outside in June this time to avoid any fatalities.
Kat is a huge inspiration for me and she deserves all the flowers (no pun intended), so be sure to check out her page and give her some love! If you too want to start your own goth fruit or vegetable garden, here are some ghoulish seed recommendations.
Purple beauty bell pepper
Purple pepper that holds its dark color for a long time, while internal colour is the standard green. Purple Beauty’s compact bush plants offer good protection to the developing fruit. Flavour is mildly sweet with a fine, crisp texture. Peppers will turn green when cooked.
Matures In | 75 days
Season | Summer
Exposure | Full Sun
Image Highlight: The Goth Garden | August 2025
Red perilla
Red Perilla shiso seeds grow into substantial plants with wide, deep purple leaves. The dark ruby leaves of this sharply flavoured Asian herb have nicely frilled edges. They look a little bit like stinging nettle leaves, but rounder, and without any prickles.
Matures In | 14-20 days
Season | Summer
Exposure | Sun to Partial Shade
Image Highlight: The Goth Garden | October 2024
Dark opal basil
This gem came from the Kitchen Basil blend pack! Kitchen Basil Blend seeds combines three unique basil varieties with green and purple leaves for use in the kitchen. The Blend includes basil with large, smooth leaves that are suitable for pestos, pastas and salads, and also more pungent varieties to make vinegars and herbal teas.
Season | Summer
Exposure | Full Sun
Image Highlight: The Goth Garden | August 2025
Hungarian black Organic
Gorgeous jalapeno shaped peppers that mature from black to dark, garnet red. Sturdy 60cm (2') tall plants are loaded with these thin walled, pointy peppers that ripen early. Use them as you would jalapenos. Mildly spicy.
Matures In | 70 days
Season | Summer
Exposure | Full Sun
Image Highlight: The Goth Garden | August 2025
Velour bush Beans
Velour dark purple French filet beans grow slender and straight on upright, bush type plants. 12cm (5") high quality beans have a velvety rich colour that really pops when mixed with yellow and green varieties, or with the magenta coloured Celine. Beans hold well on the open plants for an extended harvest.
Matures In | 60 days
Season | Summer
Exposure | Full Sun
Image Highlight: The Goth Garden | June 2025
Indigo Rose tomatoes
Indigo Rose Organic tomato seeds produce the most extraordinary, dark purple-skinned tomatoes currently available. The flavour of these tomatoes is clean and clear, reminiscent of plums, with a slightly acidic sweetness you'll only find in home-grown tomatoes.
Matures In | 75 days
Season | Summer
Exposure | Full Sun
Garden Huckleberry
Transplant out in mid-May to June, with your tomato seedlings. The small, 1cm (1/2") fruits begin to set early, turning from bright green to jet black. These hold on the plant, even if they appear early in the season.
Matures In | 80 days
Exposure | Full Sun
Balsors hardy blackberry
An exceptionally hardy selection of blackberry from Nova Scotia. Produces very large sweet berries late in the summer. These dark juicy berries are great for baking, but most people aren't able to resist the temptation to eat them right off the plant. Produces fruit the second year.
Perennial
Hardiness Zone | 4-8
Exposure | Full to Partial Sun
