Vegetable seasonality

The 6 seasonal windows that structure the vegetable calendar — spring's brief tender greens, summer's nightshade abundance, fall's harvest of brassicas and squashes, winter's storage economy, the late-spring transition between, and the year-round availability that global supply chains create. Each season carries its own visual palette to reinforce the calendar's structural rhythm.

Seasons
6
Variety refs
94
Pairing refs
42
Foundational
5
6 seasons
March through May in temperate Northern Hemisphere (September through November in… · Foundational

Spring peak

March through May — asparagus, peas, tender greens, the first vegetable season

Cool weather emergence.

10 varieties 5 pairings
Mid-May through late June in temperate Northern Hemisphere — the transitional window… · Established

Late spring to early summer

May through June — the transitional window that produces some of the year's best vegetables

The transitional season carries spring's late-season specialties alongside summer's first arrivals.

8 varieties 3 pairings
July through September in temperate Northern Hemisphere (January through March in… · Foundational

Summer peak

July through September — the abundant season for nightshades, gourds, and Mediterranean cuisine

The vegetable abundance season.

12 varieties 8 pairings
September through November in temperate Northern Hemisphere (March through May in… · Foundational

Fall peak

September through November — winter squashes, brassicas, root vegetables, the harvest season

The harvest season.

21 varieties 8 pairings
December through February in temperate Northern Hemisphere (June through August in… · Foundational

Winter peak

December through February — root cellars, storage cabbages, citrus, hothouse exceptions

The storage season in temperate zones — root vegetables and cabbages held from fall harvest dominate;

21 varieties 10 pairings
All year — these vegetables have no meaningful seasonal peak in modern supply chains · Foundational

Year-round availability

Vegetables available consistently across all seasons through storage, greenhouse production, and global supply chains

Modern supply chains produce certain vegetables year-round through combination of: storage (alliums, potatoes, winter squashes), greenhouse production (Dutch glasshouse…

22 varieties 8 pairings