Happy Earth Day!

There's my garden.

Happy Earth Day!  It is snowing here.  We have several inches of the white stuff on the ground.  Everyone has cabin fever by now since the weather has been cold and snowy for two weeks.  All I want to do is go outside and be warm while out. No more trudging through snow.

Even Zachary the cat is getting cabin fever.

Springtime is when my mind turns to gardening and I start looking over my seeds and seeing if I need more of anything.  We stay cool up here in the mountains even in July and August so most hot weather plants are out of the running.  They just do not have a chance up here, too cold at night coupled with a short growing season.  Yeah, not happening.

My lettuce mix.

But what I can grow really well is greens and lettuces all summer long.  Fresh salad greens are tasty, tender, and flavourful, makes spring mix from the store very unappealing.  I am a lettuce freak when it comes to the garden, love the stuff.  Here are my top six lettuces.

1. Arugula aka Rocket: peppery and spicy.  Eat it alone with a balsamic vinaigrette or mix it in with mild lettuces.  Avocado, arugula and balsamic vinaigrette.  Okay I am starting to drool.

2. Buttercrunch is sweet and buttery.  Makes a lovely salad all on its own.  Pick a more delicate dressing as it is not a strong tasting lettuce.

3. Parsley in salad is zippy.  If you haven’t tried parsley in salad, toss some in, its good.

4. Chervil is also an herb. It adds a subtle anise flavour and is a pretty addition to any salad.

5. Red Oak Leaf for colour and it also tastes good. This is a nice mild lettuce that adds colour to a salad.

6. Nasturtiums get an honourable mention.  You can eat the leaves and flowers for peppery punch.  

If you haven’t tried growing lettuces, give it a go, you will get a better variety than what you see at a store. Remember they grow best in cool weather, some are more heat tolerant than others,  Fresh lettuce from garden to table in one day, no transportation, and you know what went into it to grow it.  Happy Earth Day everyone.