Emerging Lettuce

National Bosses Day 2017

I'm the boss of my garden, but that doesn't keep the lettuces and cabbages from arguing about who should be the head.

Full Circle

Now that the worst of the summer's heat is behind us and the cool temperatures are with us once again, there's time to squeeze in one more round of lettuce before Old Man Winter makes outdoor gardening impossible in this neck of the woods.

Lettuce Give Thanks

I can't thank Mother Nature enough for this unusual stretch of mild November weather we're having. My lettuce is certainly enjoying it as much as I am. I wonder if it would be too much to expect another week of this before the first hard frost arrives?

Lettuce Begin

Baby lettuce leaves straight from the garden are a welcome addition to any sandwich. And in case you were wondering, these were taken from a lettuce plant that is being grown in a modest sized container.

Learning To Hate Thinning Less

If you think the title of this piece is about hair, you're barking up the wrong tree. It's actually about one of my least favorite gardening activities, thinning. Maybe it's my keen sense of frugality, but it has always irritated me that sprouts must be removed so that others may flourish. The loss of potential produce just rubs me the wrong way. Although to be honest, I don't just discard the potential tomatoes, carrots, etc. The young plants go straight into the compost bin. But still, I'm haunted by the thought of what might have been.

This sense of loss is greatly reduced when growing lettuce and other greens. Even when young, the tender sprouts can be used in a sandwich or salad. So my thinning becomes grazing. Now that's something I can live with!

Lettuce Begin

A few green shoots to help build the anticipation that home grown lettuce will soon be part of my meals once again.

Salad Days

"My salad days,

When I was green in judgment..." 

Anthony and Cleopatra

I have nothing to offer here as dramatic as a Shakespearean play. Just lettuce that is so recently gathered from the garden that if it were any fresher, it would have to be slapped! And it certainly tastes great in a salad with homemade basil dressing.

Buongiorno Baracolle

Did you know that lettuce is thought to be a selected variety of Lactuca serriola, a wild lettuce found throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa? It is believed to have been first cultivated in Egypt but was also a favorite amongst the ancient Greeks.

It has taken about a month but finally the barcarolle lettuce(a variety of romaine) in my Earthbox is ready for the table. It should be great with some freshly grated Parmesan and crunchy croutons.

Winter Experiment

 

Oh the winter's been snowy and icy 

So gardening outside would be dicey 

But inside no cold winds blow 

So let things grow, let things grow, let things grow. 

(With apologies to Sammy Cahn)

Just a little experiment to see what I could grow in a 2 liter bottle planter during the winter months. This Valentine lettuce definitely needs more room, but it's interesting to see how far it developed.

Fall Planting

For the first time I am trying some fall gardening with Tom Thumb lettuce. Its small size and quick rate of maturation should result in one or two good harvests before the first hard frost comes near the end of October.

Something Different This Season

This year I'm germinating my lettuce and cabbage seeds without soil and then transplanting the sprouts to see how well it works out. Wish me luck.