It’s time once again for Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. It’s another week, and not much has changed here. Cold weather has delayed planting outside, but at least it has made for high quality salad greens. I’m cutting a lot of lettuce, and we’re enjoying it several times a week. I have started a few heat resistant summer types in hopes of extending the season a bit longer. Usually the quality diminishes once our really hot weather sets in and makes it not worth growing. For the time being the leaves are tender and mild tasting.
Oscarde lettuce
Salanova Red and Green Oakleaf lettuce
Miz America is a mild tasting mizuna type mustard green with deep burgundy leaves. I first saw this one at a local nursery where the owner convinced me to try a few plants. I’ve been growing it ever since, and it always does well for me here in containers or in-ground plantings like I am growing it this spring. It’s my first time growing the Red Veined Sorrel, but it has already become a favorite. The leaves aren’t as tangy as French Sorrel, but it makes a tasty companion for it and other salad greens.
Red Veined Sorrel and Miz America mizuna
We often have salad for lunch and with a slice of homemade sourdough bread it makes for a light but filling meal. The possibilities are endless, and the base of greens is usually topped with fresh ordried fruit along with beans, nuts, cheese or egg for protein. One creation last week featured fresh ataulfo mango and black beans along with some homemade whole wheat croutons. For that one I used some of the mango to make a vinaigrette dressing along with mango infused white balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
salad with mango
Another creation was a Mediterranean themed salad topped with artichoke hearts, flageollet beans and feta cheese. For that one I made a lemon vinaigrette with a bit of fresh oregano from the garden added. I keep an assortment of cooked beans in the freezer which makes it easy to add them to salads and other dishes. And I’ve been making our salad dressings for years now.
Mediterranean themed salad with sourdough bread
In non-harvest news, the soil in the greenhouse beds did warm up enough for me to get the cucumbers planted in there. I’m growing six slicing types this year plus two picklers, which should keep us well supplied. I’m using remesh cages to support the vines, and water reservoirs (aka plant halos) to aid in watering and fertilizing.
greenhouse cucumbers
The iris have been putting on quite a show in our Sun Garden for a couple of weeks now. There were some planted here when we moved in, and my wife has added quite a few since then along with some we got from friends. I moved a short yellow flowered one from my old place, which I got from my neighbor Eva who had moved it from Alabama to Kentucky. Eva moved back to Alabama eventually but her iris lives on here in Indiana.
iris in Sun Garden
Eva’s yellow iris
Our pink peony has just opened up too, and the frilly double blooms are fragrant as well as showy. My parents were not big gardeners but they had several plants of the white flowered ones that grew in our yard for years.
pink flowered peony
Harvest Monday is a day to show off your harvests, how you are saving your harvest, or how you are using your harvest. If you have a harvest you want to share, add your name and blog link to Mr Linky below. And be sure and check out what everyone is harvesting!
I was looking at your soil temperature chart last week Dave and coming from a climate with warmer weather in spring/summer you afford your plants with more luxury than we do in the uk. We generally accept temperatures a few degrees lower. For example my French beans germinated well in the ground at 12c and tomatoes are doing well at 12c too : All the best – Steve
Our outside soil temps are just now getting past the 12C/54F mark Steve. We had low temperatures down near 5C/40F for much of the last two weeks, which slowed the usual spring warming quite a bit. I took the temps yesterday where I want to sow beans and it was finally 55F, so I hope to get them in the ground this week with tomatoes soon to follow. I am doing some testing with black weed barrier material this year to see if that will speed the warming along with providing weed control.
Our lettuces don’t need to worry about being too warm. They are so slow to germinate. The irises are beautiful.
Everything looks so beautiful. The plant reserve are interesting. At first I was thinking it was some sort of protection from critters.
Your salads are just what I like. Nice combinations. Iris are so cheery and what a nice stand you have. Peonies are a favorite as well. Mine did well in Massachusetts but only a few varieties grow in Southern California. I had not seen the plant halos and had to look up online. Looks like a perfect solution for the greenhouse.
Beautiful flowers, and fresh salad greens are always wonderful!