Lettuces

Everyone should grow lettuces.

Seriously.

It is EASY.  We direct sowed our lettuces in early march.  We've been giving them hair-cut harvests & receiving bounty since early April. I'm hoping to extend their growing season by trellising cucumbers in front of them to create shade & a cooler micro-climate.

 Not only are lettuces delicious & healthy but they're lovely.

Boston bibb makes a beautiful ground-cover.  Like chard & many other leafy edibles, it's a fantastic contrast with showy flowers and ornamentals.  There's no reason that edibles & ornamentals should be segregated.  Get creative!  & then get to eat some of the fruits of your labor.

Chard

Chard is a fairly simple & hugely rewarding plant to grow in South Jersey.  We direct sowed our chard in early March.  It does well in dappled-sun or some-shade beds.  We interplanted it with peas in some areas so that the trellising plant could aid in creating shade for chard leaves.

Aesthetically, I love the colors of this fabulous plant.  It always reminds me of a miniature rhubarb.  I'd love to do a cooler weather planting of chard and rhubarb with some bright reds-- maybe petunias?  Roses?  Photinia?-- for contrast.

And edible!  Edible landscapes are my fave.  The mix of edible leaves and flowers (edible flowers are a plus!) is rewarding and innovative.  As I gaze into the leafy depths I'm thinking poppies, calendula...  Visual refreshment, delicious meals, organic landscapes.  So much goodness!