DiggIn’ – Gardening, Unemployment and the Quest that is Life

Between May 1st and 3rd, I planted cool weather greens in the garden bed with the snow peas: mesclun, Grand Rapids lettuce, corn salad and three varieties of swiss chard. I have had a lot of luck with these greens varieties. Here is what I have to say about them each:

Mesclun – I consider this salad green variety a Must Grow for my garden. Mesclun reaches maturity quickly in just 30-50 days. It is also inexpensive to grow in comparison to buying it in the store: mesclun is the gourmet salad mix you see sold at produce counters throughout the Puget Sound area. It’s been a while since I’ve bought mesclun in the grocery store but I remember the price being $5.99 to $7.99 per pound. I will never pay that price again as this mixed green is much too easy to grow all season long. It tastes better fresh, too. The mix consists of leaf lettuce, kale, endive, beet greens, spinach, swiss chard, sorrel, corn salad, radicchio, cress and mustard.

Grand Rapid’s Lettuce – This lettuce is another Must Grow for my garden. It’s my husband’s favorite lettuce due to its crisp yet tender leaves. This lettuce almost melts in your mouth. It grows quickly, reaching maturity in 55 days. It doesn’t get bitter in the hotter weather.

Corn Salad – My little wildling is a Must Grow for my garden. It is a plant that can take both the heat and the cold while maintaining its delicate, slightly nutty flavor. It takes 60 days to reach maturity.

Swiss Chard – Another Must Grow for my garden. I do favor sturdy greens. Swiss Chard grows well in the cool part of the season but holds up well when it gets hot, never becoming bitter. Chards can be planted in late summer for a fall and possibly winter crop. I plant three varieties in my garden: large white rib, rhubarb and bright lights. Rhubarb has red stalks while bright lights has a white, yellow, orange and red stalks. To me all these different colors taste the same but it makes for a very ornamental greens bed. All these chards reach maturity in 60 days.