Veggies 101-Lettuce/Spinach/Radishes/Swiss Chard

I currently have two vegetable gardens in my yard.  The first, which I call the "lower" garden, is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long and is situated very close to our pond.  I also have an "upper" garden which is about 30 feet by 12 feet.  A ten foot wide section of lawn separates the two:

Lower Garden

Upper Garden

These photos were taken last spring about mid May.  Nothing was planted in the lower garden until later in the month when I put in potatoes.  In the upper garden, you can see spinach, radishes and lettuce growing along with some onions.   This year these will be in the lower garden as I rotate them every year, essentially switching the lower and upper gardens each year.

These gardens were not always this large.  When we moved hear in 1992, there was only a very small part of the lower garden still being used, and the upper had completely grown over with grass.  Each year I expanded a little more (which is initially a lot of work).  I probably should start downsizing at this point but haven't given in to that yet.

The vegetables that I plant in mid May are only the ones that can take the early season cool ground and temperatures:

In 2014, I will start the season planting Swiss chard, spinach, and radishes.  As far as Swiss chard, the varieties may have different color stems, but the leaves are what is used so the edible result is pretty much the same for all of them.  Quite of few varieties of spinach exist also, but I haven't found too much difference in them  Some (such as the Bloomsdale Long Standing which I chose) are slower to bolt in hot weather which can be helpful.

Radishes come in different colors and shapes but most of the differences are cosmetic.  Radishes make a great spicy addition to a salad or are tasty as a snack.

Next on my early planting list is lettuce.  There are so many different choices when it comes to lettuce that it be overwhelming to chose what to plant.  In recent years I have been planting the following types:

Loose leaf mixture:

These are several mixtures I found at the Christmas Tree Shoppe (The Lake Valley Seed Company).

Next I will plant a Romaine variety also from the Lake Valley Seed Co.:

Finally, I will plant a Mesclun mix.  So exactly what is Mesclun?  It is a mixture of not only lettuces but of different salad greens that may include arugula, endive, and mustard greens among many others.  There are numerous mixtures available.  If you like your salad a little on the spicy side, I think you will enjoy Mesclun.
Below is an example of a Mesclun mixture:

In my next post I will discuss onions, which is another vegetable that can be planted early.  I have several varieties which I like and usually plant each year.

In a previous post I talked briefly about Winter Sowing.  I hope to start my Winter Sowing this coming weekend and will also do a post on that.  I plan on planting some lettuce using this method.  I think you will enjoy Winter Sowing.

Until next time.