Winter is halfway through and I’m sick of it. Over it. Tired of the back and forth freezing and thaw. This week snow and ice, next week thaw and mud. I’m missing the garden big time, but what I’m missing most aren’t flowers, bright colours, smells, or living soil, although I miss those things too.
What I long for, what my body craves, are the leafy greens harvests. I miss that diversity of flavours, nutrients, and phytochemicals from my diet something fierce. I miss the rituals of sowing, harvesting, processing out hard stems and debris, and washing the leaves. I miss filling up a pan with a medley of colour, shapes, and textures and I miss the feeling in my body as it takes all that good stuff in.
In 2017, the last handful of fresh greens were harvested from my garden on December 2 (top left) and the first plate on April 10 (bottom of page). Harvests are pictured chronologically from bottom to top.
Years ago, I wrote about a desire to grow enough leafy greens to become independent from market and grocery store purchases, at least through the growing season. With some exceptions I’ve achieved that and there are even times in the season when I am able to produce an abundance of surplus to share with friends. That’s a pretty big deal considering how much we consume daily between just the two of us. WE LOVE GREENS!
Last year I decided to document every single leafy greens harvest from the garden. Collectively, Davin and I missed a few, but for the most part, the images I’ve compiled below, save a few days here and there, represent the leafy greens we harvested through the 2017 growing season. As you will see, I included edible flowers and some herbs in these photos since they went into the bags and eventually into the pan and on the plate alongside the greens. If you’d like to follow along during the growing season, I tag every image posted to Instagram #yougrowgirlgreens.
As growing edible greens becomes a bigger focus of my gardening practice, I intend to write more here about my experiences, tips, and the plants that have become my staples. In my next post I will list out all of the plants that are depicted in these images. I think you’ll be surprised by the diversity available and the plants that have become my favourites.
We’ve been missing greens as well. I have a tiny garden, but we have a farm share that runs from early March through early December that keeps us well-supplied. I’m looking forward to that first leafy salad on a month.
This has truly been a weird winter. We go from subzero to 50 degrees and back again in the span of 10 days.
Your greens posts are some of my favorites.
For me, it is the summer when we don’t have greens that is difficult. I’m going to attempt New Zealand spinach this year and see how it goes. I’ve tried Malabar but was not a fan.
I’m in the same boat Misti. In L.A. we have lots of greens right now (it’s almost too hot for them). I grow New Zealand spinach with the kids I work with, it is fun for them because it is salty, I enjoy it in small doses.
It’s also my goal to grow as much of my own lettuces and greens and we do pretty well considering how hot it gets here (Texas). I strive to have lettuce for at least six months; greens, I can push a little further if they’re heat tolerant enough. It’s the one crop that gives me such satisfaction, it’s quick to grow , versatile and such a good feeling to pick your own dinner. By the way, the wild arugula you sent with my book order has re-seeded everywhere, so we should be harvesting buckets of it come April.
I really love that arugula and its one plant that keeps us going through the hottest, driest periods. It can get a little bitter with the heat, but is mellowed out a bit with cooking.
beautiful, a feast for my winter-weary eyes,
2 questions:
does your garden supply all your greens needs for the growing season?
what is a good, no-fail combination of perennial and/or self-sowing greens and veggies?
Thank you in advance
It does not supply fresh greens through the winter. I do freeze some, but we just don’t have the freezer space. There’s no no-fail combo since seasons can be unpredictable and quite different from year-to-year. One big key is diversity. Know which plants do better in differing growing conditions and make sure you have a wide range so that if one crop fails, there are others still going.
Such beauty! How do you keep all these plants alive?
we’re just about the end of the rainy season here in the Caribbean. Some small night and early morning rain showers. My green are loving it. Wish I had more seeds to plant for the next season. Most of the seeds one can buy here are GMOed. Which limits my possibilities. All the same I do with what I have. Quite a selection you have………..yes how do you keep up all these plants alive? Enjoy them.
Which plants thrive and for how long depends on the season. Last year was unseasonably cool with heavy rainfall and some periods of heat and drought in between. Many leafy greens are early and late, cool season crops. However, there are some that can survive and produce through the heat. I am always sure to make sure I have a wide range of plants growing so that whichever way the season turns, there will be plants that work with it. I’ll do a post in the future on my tips and tricks. But number one is diversity.
This is amazing! You’re such an inspiration! It’s so nice for me to see all your greens laid out like this, I can’t imagine how thrilled you must be!
Amazing……. Wish that I had more seeds options to plant for this season.