Category Archives: leaves

Summer 2013

Posted in green beans, insects, malabar spinach, raspberries, soybean | Comments Off on Summer 2013

Malabar spinach

This year I’m growing something new to me which is a huge success: malabar spinach or climbing spinach. Not spinach at all, malabar is actually a tropical vine from south and southeast Asia. This variety from Sand Hill Preservation Center (found … Continue reading

Posted in malabar spinach | Comments Off on Malabar spinach

Spring sorrel

Sorrel is nearly the first thing up in the a spring garden, and it’s lime green leaves make it a bright welcome. It’s sharp, citrus flavor lends real zest to spring salads or pesto. Although we tend to think of … Continue reading

Posted in seeds and plants, sorrel | Comments Off on Spring sorrel

Judging when to plant

Spring planting is always a gamble. Of course, we want to plant as early as possible so as to enjoy young lettuces, cabbage, spinach and peas as soon as possible. But the risk involves planting too early so that frost … Continue reading

Posted in backyard microclimate, cabbage, lettuce, planting, radish, seasonality, snap & snow peas, spinach | Comments Off on Judging when to plant

Cruel frost and perservering kale

  The  last couple nights dipped below freezing and it’s a lot colder during the day too. Most everything in the garden has died in the frost. The kale only gets more spectacularly brilliant in color and taste. And the chard, … Continue reading

Posted in cabbage, kale | Comments Off on Cruel frost and perservering kale

Fall’s rainbow chard

The swiss chard still flourishes along with the kale, the cabbages, the arugula. The nights are cold but no killing frost yet. The cold nights only enrich the flavors. And swiss chard — as I’ve written before — is another … Continue reading

Posted in superfoods, swiss chard | Comments Off on Fall’s rainbow chard

Arugula

Wild arugula is best appreciated by people who also like stinky cheeses and smooth malt whiskey. Wild arugula makes hoop house varieties and the spicy salad greens found at farmers markets tame. It has an intensity and zest that truly … Continue reading

Posted in argula | Comments Off on Arugula

Fall kale

Kale only becomes sweeter and sweeter in cool, fall weather. It’s sheer chemistry converting and concentrating the kale’s sugars. And, even after the first snow, it still will be thriving in the garden. As I’ve mentioned before, kale is a … Continue reading

Posted in kale, superfoods | Comments Off on Fall kale

Sorrel and chives

Recently I learned something about sorrel and chives, something they have in common. What I noticed this season  is that they tasted bitter: disappointing when they’d been so delicious previous years.  Assuming they were only good for a couple seasons, … Continue reading

Posted in chives, creating & caring for a garden, sorrel | Comments Off on Sorrel and chives

Easy herb butters

My herb garden is wild this year. So much spilling out and all over each other. There’s too much to write about herbs so here’s a quick entry about something I discovered this year. Alice Waters recommends herb butters which … Continue reading

Posted in basil, cilantro, harvesting, oregano & marjoram, sage, sorrel, tarragon, thyme | Comments Off on Easy herb butters