GARDENER'S READING ROOM
Edibles

Grow a Garden You Can Sink Your Teeth Into

Cherry trees are blooming, dusting yards and sidewalks with luminous color and fragrance. As the soil warms, bulbs are changing stored energy into bright green leaves and colorful flowers. Hummingbirds are diving into flowers to appease a voracious appetite. Spring is floating through the air, activating dormant energy to feed our senses.

In the Northwest we can also feed our bodies year round with relative ease. We can grow root crops, leafy crops, and fruiting crops. Grow lovely beets and add a touch of goat cheese for a colorful mouthful, or crisp lettuce leaves for a fresh spring salad, or even a robust head of broccoli for a tasty and healthy side dish.

Among the first edibles to arrive are garlic bulbs, onion sets, and bareroot asparagus in February. They are ready to plant in well-drained soil with plenty of sun. The asparagus fronds in midsummer are also beautiful cut and arranged in a flower bouquet.

Then in mid-March you will find a large selection of spring vegetables to grow for a feast. You can look for seed potatoes and the following plant starts as the weather warms: artichokes, arugula, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, garlic, endive, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, mustards, onions, pak choi, shelling, sugar snap and snow peas, radicchio, spinach and Swiss chard. Plant red kale and Swiss chard in March and harvest into October. But save some space for your summer crops!

Most warm season crops begin to arrive between April and May, depending on weather. Tomato starts come earlier, for people who have greenhouses or warm windowsills. Yes, the adventurous tomato! People share with us many wonderful and wacky stories about their tomato travails and triumphs. We carry tomatoes from sweet cherries to a bright yellow mid-sized tomato to (for gardeners with plenty of heat) large heirlooms.

Along with tomatoes come many other delicious vegetables for your warm-season menu. Rhubarb arrives in April as a nice-sized healthy start. Look for beans, cucumbers, corn, eggplant, melons, peppers, pumpkins, squash and zucchini. April and May weather is often unpredictable, so many warm season crops need protection under a cloche or in a greenhouse. We know the specifics on how to grow each vegetable, so ask us if you don't!

If your garden plan has limited space remember edibles can be stunning in amongst your ornamentals. A tomato or cucumber creatively planted with a pretty trellis can add the missing link to your garden hedge. Think of red ruffled lettuce or crinkly parsley planted in your containers with pansies. Hardy oregano, thyme, or basil will thrive in a sunny rock garden. Remember to keep these ornamental areas free of pesticides.

There are many varieties of vegetables to tempt your taste buds and we love to talk about edibles, so feel free to ask one of our experienced vegetable gardeners here at the nursery for advice. We can help you grow a garden you can sink your teeth into.

By Kristel Dillon
Skylights Spring 2010, Vol 25, No. 1

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