This year, I am hoping to grow more greens than before. The ones that I planted last year didn't even sprout. I think that either the squrrels or the birds got the seeds, and then the spring rains washed the rest away. Whatever happened, they didn't grow. So, now I am starting the seeds inside. I have some of those explanding peat pellets, and started beets and the rainbow swiss chard and spinach in the house. So far, they are an inch or two tall, and looking good; sso once the rain settles down, I should be able to move them outside before long. I looked on eBay, and found collard greens, dinosaur kale, and red mustard greens and have ordered a packet of each of those. Both the kale and the mustard greens are supposed to get 2-3 feet tall, and the collards should be about the same, from what Bobby told me about growing them. I intend for the greens to be ornamental in the yard, as well as edible, and will plant more for a fall crop if all goes well with the spring ones. I am excited about the dinosaur kale, it is dark green, wrinkly, and actually looks kind of prehistoric.
Yes, @Chrissy Page . That is the dinosaur kale. It is a very ancient type of kale, and has apparently been cultivated for over 2,000 years. The information said it grows 2-3 feet tall; but can actually get even taller than that. The called it a "palm kale", or something like that, because as it grows and you cut off the bottom leaves to eat, then it has a "trunk" and palm-like leaves fanning out at the top. I think that it will give the yard kind of a tropical look and I am hoping that it really grows good ! It is also called Tuscan Kale, and it is supposed to have an excellent flavor, and also be one of the most nutritious varieties of greens. Here is an informative article by Dr. Weil about dinosaur kale and also a picture of the giant red mustard. It is beautiful, too. http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03040/Tuscan-Kale.html
Thanks Yvonne, I'm liking the decorative aspect of it too. We do have palm trees in my neighborhood, so it's a good fit here. After reading about it seems mine will grow in the cool season which is winter. I actually have about 7 very big pots that I don't have anything in except dirt. In the winter time I wouldn't have to worry about watering them, which is why my pots don't have anything in them anymore, I'm away too much and whatever was in them would die in the summer.
My wife picked up some greens yesterday at Lowe's. Pepper plants, tomato, and some others, I forget right now. Pepper plants two years old are still loaded with flowers (blossoms?) in our garden. Mint and Rosemary growing profusely. The dangdest thing, though, are some strange-looking non-frond sprouts coming up out of the central core of the Date Palm now 3 years old. Real thick and wide, with no hint of spikes or needles, like the regular fronds. Are we about to get dates? Hooray! Love them! Frank
The kale does look interesting Yvonne, and I do use kale in stir frys sometimes, but like Chrissy, I am away from home too often to grow anything myself.
Do the red mustard greens have a different flavor, @Yvonne Smith? I still haven't done anything about planting the tomatoes or lettuce. I haven't been anywhere to pick up the supplies, although hopefully I will be at that type of store later in the month. I was going to order some items to be delivered via Walmart, but a few of them weren't able to be delivered, so I just cancelled the whole order and will pick them up in person. I really like the idea of growing my own beets, since those are a favorite, so I'll have to look into them. I hope you keep us posted with your gardening progress, it might spur me on.
@Terry Page , but at least your daughter lives in the house, when I leave there is nobody to take care of anything.
Yes true but she works long hours and doesn't have green fingers, all the house plants I had including the artificial ones have died
Okay, I understand. My daughter doesn't have a green thumb either and neither do I. The gardners in my family are my middle sister and my brother. You have to also enjoy it, which I don't.
What you need is an Aerogarden, @Chrissy Page . They almost totally take care of themselves, and you can grow all kinds of things in one of those. My daughter gets sent away fairly often; so she needed something that didn't depend on her being there all of the time, and she has tomatoes almost ready to eat in her Aerogarden now. The nutrients go right into the water, and you only have to add either one once a month or therabouts, so you could go off on your little trips and everything would be fine while you were gone, and it would be able to grow things for you all year long. @Diane Lane , as far as I know, the red mustard has the same hot and spicy flavor as the green mustard does, and it is all related to horseradish, I think. I have never even seen any at the grocery store or even at the farmer's market; so I haven't tasted it. Once the seeds get here and I have some that is large enough to try, I will let you know what I think about it. I am hoping to have plants that are edible and also add to the landscaping of the yard; and these looked like they would be awesome to have growing in some large containers in the yard. I love getting seeds from eBay ! They have almost anything that you might want to grow, and the prices are usually cheaper (and more seeds) than you would find just buying them at the store. Here is a picture of Robin's tomatoes in her aerogarden.
I still have all kinds of questions though, who will pick whatever I'm growing if I'm not home, etc? It enough that my neighbor gets all my junk ads that are always put on my porch or driveway, I'm not going to ask them to pick my tomatoes.
I am still I interested in the dinosaur kale, @Yvonne Smith. I think that is doable for me and I like that decorative aspect and also curious to taste.
Those little tomatoes are adorable, @Yvonne Smith. I'm way behind on my garden this year. I don't recall the stink bugs being on my tomato plant, but my memory is so bad that's probably not surprising. Maybe that's why I didn't grow them last year. I love horseradish, so the red mustard greens sound like something I'd like. I bought some flower seeds on eBay a few years back. They sent me the wrong ones, so I got a really unique red spider lily (or something like that) instead of the blue angel trumpet I ordered, but it was still pretty. @Chrissy Page Maybe your neighbors would like picking and eating your tomatoes? I wouldn't mind doing that, even if I left most of them at your house, assuming you'd be back in time to eat them. There's nothing like fresh produce!
True about the taste of fresh produce,especially tomatoes. My trips are usually a month long unless I'm going to my daughter's then it varies.