GARDENER'S READING ROOM
Edibles

Grow a Mouthwatering Menu

"These cabbages, these carrots, these potatoes,
these onions... will soon become me. Such a tasty fact!"
-Mike Garofolo

Purchasing vegetables at the grocery store may pose a few questions: How far did this pound of beets travel? Who grew this head of broccoli? Where was this lettuce grown? Just how much flavor do those carrots contain?
Oh, to harvest flavorful produce from the healthy soil of your own vegetable garden. What a delight! The mystery life of your vegetables is simply known. In the Northwest during spring and fall there is a plethora of vegetables which thrive in our area of the country.

To entice your taste buds and healthy appetite, we will carry a mouthwatering menu of vegetables at Sky Nursery. A few perennial vegetables we offer are 'Sweet Purple' and 'Jersey Knight' asparagus, artichokes, and 'Crimson' rhubarb. For a gorgeous blend of greens try spicy arugula, Kyona Mizuna mustard, and Mesclun Mix. For a cooler palate we will offer over thirty types of lettuce including varieties such as Thai Green, Sweet Valentine, Paris Island Cos, Rouge D'Hiver, Romaine, and Buttercrunch. Or toss some beets and Brussels sprouts on the grill. Plant kale, one of the power vegetables, and choose from varieties such as Nero Di Toscana, Dinosaur, Green and colorful Red Russian. Early spring is also an ideal time to plant broccoli, cauliflower, collards, leeks, onions, sugar snap and snow peas, and many other vegetables.

If you are not sure how to begin planting your mouthwatering menu, just ask us at Sky Nursery. We can give you all sorts of information from soil requirements to fertilizer needs, planting time to harvest time, and seeds versus starts. So, take advantage of the Northwest climate and grow your own!

By Kristel Dillon
Skylights Spring 2008 Vol 23, No. 1

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