All the Dirt on Gardening

Red Russian Kale Today I planted a row of Red Russian Kale seeds in the ground. Reminder: It's time to get all your cabbage and cool family seeds and plants started outside. That includes broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, chard, kohlrabi, onion, leek, lettuce, peas, potatoes,parsnip, radish, spinach, turnip, asparagus crowns, etc. Here's a link to the Oklahoma State University planting guide. Click over and have some fun in this glorious warm-ish late winter we are having. Lacinato (Dinosaur) Kale Our two favorite kales for garden and table are Red Russian and Dinosaur. They are both wonderful in salads and cooked. After a two year break, vegetable plants are showing up again in our gardens; I only bought Red Russian seeds this year in order to re-enter the veggie growing bit gradually. Cucumbers are a must, of course, but it's too early to start those seeds. We'll buy a six pack of banana peppers and I'm undecided about tomatoes but there...

Flowers of Dynosaur Kale  I've never met a Brassica I didn't like and that includes kale, chard, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, broccolini, kohlrabi, turnip, rutabaga, etc. If you look up Brassica food plots you may be surprised to know that people plant plots of it to attract deer they can shoot. Being mostly vegetarians, we are appalled. In fact, I think that Brassica is pretty enough to put into flower beds among perennial shrubs and other wonderful additions to the garden. One of our favorites, Dino Kale has been grown in Italy since the 1700s and was a favorite in Thomas Jefferson's garden. Since it is a heirloom plant, you never have to worry about GMOs, hybridization and seeds not coming true when you harvest your own seeds. Our winter was so mild that several kale plants remained productive. With this warm spell, I expect them to do some rapid spring growth and then I'll harvest the seeds and replant our tiny veg...

Lettuce seedlings to pot up red radish Wax beans Hedged my bets- planted peas (cool) and cucumber (heat) seeds along the fence. Silverskin beans harvested daily and we find more the next day! Arugula ready to harvest  Red Russian Kale seedlings to re-pot Red Russian Kale - seeds directly sown Dinosaur Kale