THERE IS NOTHING TASTIER and more nutritious than fresh organically grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and what comes off the stem at the Vineyard Nursery is at the top of my shopping list.

The old vineyard was cleared in 2000 to create a landscape nursery and organic gardens, and what began as a small crop of spinach, green beans, and tomatoes has grown significantly in size and variety. A popular provider to local restaurants Vineyard Nursery also sells to the public at the Middleburg and Purcellville Farmers' markets.

Linda Hart, organic garden manager says "it all about the soil," and every year their soil gets richer with their composting program. Linda, who used to be a chef, thinks gardening is more fun and rewarding.

She has brought in many new vegetables and herbs during the two years she's worked at Vineyard Nursery. She now grows seven-to-eight types of potato; little Japanese turnips and eggplants; rainbow chard, the list goes on and on. If you see something new at their Farmers' Market stall don't be shy, Linda will be glad to share with you the best ways to prepare it and what it best accompanies.

The organic gardens now grow in three large hoop-style nurseries to jumpstart the spring and summer planting. They also serve as the indoor gardens to produce, on a much smaller scale, produce and herbs during the winter months.

Last year an unusual killing frost in first week of October, froze many plants that were already six-to-seven inches tall. No matter how well prepared a grower is, Mother Nature is still in charge. But sometimes, said Linda, you get lucky like the spinach they covered to save from the frost survived beautifully and a hundred-foot row of thriving healthy spinach came up on its own this spring.

Linda has hope for this years' crop of tomatoes, last year with all the rain it was a poor year for everyone. She fancies the Heirloom tomatoes the most, and once again it comes down to the soil and water.

Linda tries not to water but will use soaker hoses if needed, however it is better for the root stock to grow deep for the best tomatoes and too much watering keeps the root structure close to the top allowing the plats to tip over. Now you know what you did wrong last year. But, this year, just go to the Middleburg Farmers Market and let Linda do all the work.