Spice up your garden this year by planting a variety of vegetables. Here are 10 interesting varieties you might not have tried. I am not suggesting you plant your entire garden in these, but try a few for the novelty.

Some of these are cool-season crops that can be planted this month, and others are warm season that should be planted when the danger of frost has passed:

- Colored cauliflower. This garden staple now comes in bright orange, green and purple. Maybe that will catch your kids' attention and make them want to eat it.

Look for it in seed catalogs.

Cauliflower prefers a rich soil, lots of water, and a long, cool growing season. Space plants a foot apart, as they do not like to be crowded.

- Tomatillos. This is a warm season crop like regular tomatoes, but they don't like very hot weather.

Like other vegetables planted from seed, tomatillos should be started indoors and then transplanted. They are normally used in salsas and add tartness to recipes.

- Winter melons. Add variety to your palate by planting Casaba melons and Crenshaw melons. The sugars in these melons are much higher than your standard cantaloupe or watermelon. These will be a big hit with the kids.

- Gourds. The sky is the limit in terms of shapes, colors and sizes of gourds. While gourds are typically not eaten because of their bitter flesh, they are diverse in their uses, from birdhouses to ornaments.

They are easy to grow but need a lot of room. If you don't have a big garden, try training them up trellises.

- Kohlrabi. This is a winter crop that does well in our area. It has been around forever but has never really caught on here. Kohlrabi sounds more foreign than it tastes. It is similar to cabbage hearts but with a milder, sweeter flavor.

It can be eaten raw or cooked. You have to look after the plant because it is susceptible to caterpillar infestation.

- Peppers. This popular vegetable comes in varying shades of orange, red, chocolate and purple. It varies in taste, too, from sweetly mild to volcanically hot.

Peppers do very well here, being in the same family as tomatoes. Keep the soil on the dry side, and do not overwater.

- Brussels sprouts. You might have difficulty getting your kids to try them, but its well worth the wait if you are partial to this small, cabbagelike vegetable. Brussels sprouts can be directly seeded into the garden but are more forgiving as transplants.

They are prone to aphid infestation, but the bugs can be killed with nontoxic insecticidal soap.

- Globe artichoke. This is one you will have to wait until next fall to try. Fertilize it well and keep it watered through the first year. It does not prefer organic matter but likes mineral-rich soil.

- Elephant garlic. As the name implies, this garlic comes in elephantine proportions. With a milder flavor than regular garlic, this plant will add new dimensions to any dinner table. When planting this winter crop, make sure to space bulbs three inches apart in the garden.

- Basil. It might not seem to fit in with the rest of these unusual plants, but do not let this common herb fool you. The list of basil varieties, from cinnamon to lemon sweet, is extensive. It grows like crazy, almost turning into a weed. And you can harvest it several times.

OTHER VEGETABLE GARDEN TIPS

- Plan your garden. Don't get carried away with size: It takes at least one hour per week to care for a 10-by-25-foot garden, not including harvesting and planting.

- Start your vegetable seeds indoors. Start them six weeks ahead of the expected planting date for fast-growing species, and start eight weeks in advance for slower-growing types, such as peppers.

For seeds started this weekend, six weeks is March 28. For planning purposes, our average last frost occurs March 15 to 25. To be on the safe side, it is usually a good idea to wait to plant outside about two weeks after this date range.

- When sowing seeds for transplants, leave about 1/4 inch of space between seeds to give them room to grow and to discourage damping off fungus. Unsterilized soil may contain organisms that also cause damping off, so always use a sterilized potting soil in clean pots and flats.

- For most families, two or three plants will yield all the tomatoes they will use in the growing season. Add additional plants if you like to give them away, can them or make juice.

SID MULLIS IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA EXTENSION SERVICE OFFICE FOR RICHMOND COUNTY. CALL (706) 821-2349, OR SEND E-MAIL TO SMULLIS@UGA.EDU.