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April 2010 |
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Grow Great Greens |
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As spring finally arrives, it's time to relish the first crops of crispy
flavorful greens. Think of them as a gardener's spring tonic - a delicious way
to get the body and spirit awakened and toned up for the joyfully active summer
months ahead. Why not expand your "green" repertoire with other tasty, easy to
grow options like
broccoli raab,
chard,
spinach,
mache,
frisée and
arugula. Read
Great Greens for suggestions for growing and preparing some of these tasty and
nutritious vegetables.
Nothing can surpass the luscious tastes, textures and
pretty colors of
mesclun mixes (tender baby salads), freshly
harvested simply dressed and enjoyed just minutes after they are cut. These
mixes are one of the most beautiful and easy things to grow and enjoy, whether
you have a lot of garden room or just a few big containers on an outdoor patio. Read "Growing
Delicious Mesclun Mixes", which includes planting information and salad recipes.
Our
library of
Technique
Tips with Photos includes "Sowing
and Growing Mesclun". This guide, illustrated with photos from our
trial garden, shows you how to successfully cultivate and harvest a
continual supply gourmet salads. Follow this lead and enjoy your own
gourmet salads throughout the season.
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Remember your Do's and Don'ts
#1: Don't Sow Your Seeds or Set out Seedlings Too Early!
#2: Do Thin to the Proper Spacing
#3: Do Build Good Soil
#4: Do Fertilize Both Organic and Conventional Gardens
#5: Do Read Packet Backs First
#6: Do Store Extra Seed Properly
#7: Do Think in Terms of Early, Main and Late Season Vegetable Harvests
Read
Renee's Six Do's and One Don't for a Good Garden for details.
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 In the Trial Garden
- by Lindsay Del Carlo, Trial Garden Manager
Greens, Greens, Greens! In some welcomed breaks in between rain
storms we have done a lot of direct seeding of cool season varieties
into our Trial Garden beds. We are currently growing 20 different
lettuce varieties and Mesclun mixes, 8 Spinach varieties, 5
varieties of beets, many different Asian Greens, and cool season
flowers like Calendulas. These varieties like to grow and mature in
the cooler weather and germinate well this time of year.
In the greenhouse, we are nursing along our young tomato, pepper,
eggplant, and tomatillo seedlings. All require a very long growing
season, so starting them early indoors is a must. Once the danger of
frost if past and temps are in the 50º F. range (10 º C.) both night
and day, we will transition the plants gradually to the outdoor
conditions to “harden off” or acclimate. Then they can be planted into
the garden beds.
We are still eating 2 varieties of tasty Green Cauliflower from our
favorite Italian seed vendor. Planted in September, these frost-tolerant
plants grew through our mild winter (down to mid 20’s F.). Then, as the
early spring days lengthen, the plants produce heads and are ready for
harvest.
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On Renee's Blog
Every year, the entire Renee’s Garden office staff takes a full
day off to attend the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. This
year I asked everyone to share their their favorite impressions
from the show:
Click Here to view
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Featured Seed of the
Month:
Asian Baby Leaf Lettuce Mix
If you enjoy both crispy salads and Asian flavors you will love this
pretty baby salad mix. Cut often with scissors at just 4-6 in.
tall for a surprisingly mild and balanced salad blend.
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Come Visit Often!
 Please
visit our website
to view all of our monthly feature
articles and
online catalog. Ordering is quick, easy and
secure. We look forward to hearing from you. Best Wishes,
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Renee's Garden sends seasonal messages, including information on
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Renee's Garden Seeds, 6060A Graham Hill Rd., Felton, CA 95018
customerservice@reneesgarden.com |
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