GARDENER'S READING ROOM
Edibles

Fall Vegetables at your Fingertips

A fall vegetable garden is a gorgeous creation to feast upon. A row of lime-green lettuce next to burgundy beet leaves can be incredibly beautiful in the bleak early winter. The deep purple frilled leaves of Redbor kale with the wavy green ones of spicy arugula is a zesty combination for the eyes and the mouth!

This time of year you can plant leafy greens such as arugula, collards, lettuce, kale, mustard, spinach, and Swiss chard. Others that can go in now are beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, leeks, and garlic.

We offer seeds and starts at Sky. Plant seeds and starts for root and fruiting crops by September to have a healthy plant able to withstand frost. Greens can go in a little later, but shop early for the best selection. Cover your leafy greens with a cloche or cold frame for a continuous harvest of fresh vegetables through the winter. If your Swiss chard leaves die back with a freeze, simply cut them away and when the weather warms you should see new leaves emerge for the picking. To harvest kale through the winter, choose a variety with thick leaves such as Redbor. It takes a frost beautifully and tastes sweeter.

Our Northwest winter with its moderate temperatures, gray skies, and rain gives us the opportunity to grow fresh, fresh vegetables all winter long. Oh, how sweet that can be.

By Kristel Dillon
Skylights Fall 2010, Vol 25, No. 3

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