Congress Park cauliflower grows best in a cool neighborhood: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

Built in 1887, 1906 and 1955 respectively, Capitol Hill Basins Numbers one, two and three were built in Congress Park to hold a three-day supply of water for the 105,000 Denver residents who lived downtown. Consequently, Congress Park Cauliflower has always thrived in the cooler, moister atmosphere of the neighborhood surrounding the basins...

As illustrated in the Denver Neighborhood Seed Company packet shown above, the water basins that sustain Congress Park cauliflower are covered in concrete and landscaped with recreational playing fields. The Congress Park cauliflower plants growing at 950 Josephine Street are easily seen towering over the Denver Police and Fire Communications Center.

For such a highly modified plant, Congress Park cauliflower has a long history. Introduced to Denver by virtue of a treaty signed between the United States Congress and the Arapaho tribe, the garden delicacy did not commonly appear on Denver dinner tables until Senator Henry M. Teller named Congress Park cauliflower the official brain food of the neighborhood's George W. Clayton School.

Congress Park cauliflower grows best in cool, moist neighborhoods. High intake of Congress Park cauliflower has been associated with increased brain activity, enhanced DNA repair and reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

Find the Denver Neighborhood Seed Company Seed Packet for your neighborhood: 16th Street Mall Swiss Chard, Alamo Placita arugula, Baker green peas, Bear Valley Watercress, Belcaro broccoli rabe, Berkeley broccoli, Cheesman cucumber, City Park celery, Clayton sweet potato, Country Club cabbage, Cole pole bean, East Colfax okra, Elyria-Swansea heirloom tomato, Five Points beets, Hale kale, Highland Hops, Lincoln Park Asparagus, Mar Lee sweeties cherry tomatoes, Marston crookneck squash, North Capitol Hill carrot, Park Hill pumpkin, Ruby Hill habenero, Sloan Lake purple pop top turnip, Stapleton Brussels sprout, Sun Valley horseradish, Sunnyside sunflower, University Hills parsnip, Valverde tomatillo, Wash Park condo corn, Washington Virginia Vale watermelon, West Colfax kohlrabi, Westwood zucchini, and Windsor cantaloupe.