100 days from setting out transplants.

Congratulations to Hestia, only the second brussels sprout in history to be named an All-America Selection! This heavy-bearing, sturdy, wonderfully flavored sprout richly deserves its honors, boasting tolerance of both heat and cold, so that it's ideal for a wide range of climates. And wherever you grow it, Hestia is simply delicious!

These delectable sprouts are about an inch in diameter, with a bright green exterior frosted over with cool blue and wrapped around a densely-packed yellow interior. The flavor is astonishing: full, meaty, and very satisfying. If you've never had a brussels sprout straight from the garden before, you're going to be amazed by the difference in flavor complexity and freshness.

And Hestia isn't stingy with production. You can expect up to 100 sprouts on every plant. Unlike many other varieties, Hestia grows stout and true, remaining upright and supporting its weight of sprouts all season long. Very uniform, Hestia doesn't take up a lot of space -- figure 2½ to 3 feet high and 2 feet wide -- yet it is stockier than most others.

Best of all, Hestia is ready for rough weather. Bred for the southeast, southwest, and mountainous climates, Hestia is able to cope more effectively with severe winter weather and with hot summers. Frost improves the flavor of its sprouts, and heat will not turn them bitter!

Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before setting out plants into the cool garden. Because it is tolerant of both high and low temperatures, Hestia is a particularly good choice for climate extremes. Here's how to grow it:

If you live in a cooler climate with severe winter weather, set out transplants as soon as the soil warms in spring. You will harvest in late summer and early fall.

If you live in a warmer climate with a mild winter, set out transplants in late summer and fall for harvesting in winter and early spring.

When it's time to harvest your sprouts, you have two choices. If you want a longer season of veggies, pick only as many sprouts as you need immediately, choosing those on the bottom of the stalk (they will be larger and riper than the ones higher up). You can harvest every few days for weeks this way, removing the lowest leaves on the stem along with the sprouts, which encourages heavier production. On the other hand, if you want to harvest the entire plant at once and get uniformly sized sprouts, when the lowest ones on the stalk are about the size of your thumb, remove the topmost portion of the plant. This will force the plant to stop growing new leaves, concentrating its energy on the fruit instead. Then you can harvest when all of the sprouts on the stem are full-sized.

If frost strikes in the midst of your harvest, it should be no problem. Frost sweetens the flavor of Hestia, and you will find your last sprouts even more delicious than the first of the season!