What's Growin' On: 9/7/06

Before



After

Realization Of The Day:
After spending five hours trying to (unsuccessfully) fix a computer problem in a tiny office that has started to feel like a claustrophobic cage, there is nothing better than heading into the garden armed with only a pair of gloves and your pent up frustration and accomplishing something so visible in less than an hour.

This bed is now seeded with all kinds of Oriental greens (left to right looking north):
--Chinese Celtuce (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, 2005): This is an interesting green I have successfully grown before in the spring. I can't find the description in the Baker Creek catalog and am thinking they didn't offer it in 2006. It used to be listed in the "Lettuce" section. (The rest of the seeds are in the "Oriental Greens" section.)
--Chinese Kale-Small Leaf Kailann (BC, 2005, $2.00): I have no idea if I've grown this before or not. The seed packet was open, but that doesn't mean much around here. Sounds interesting, though. "This is a delicious small-leafed form of this Asian green. Seed from Thailand.
--Michihli Cabbage (BC, 2005, $1.25): I don't remember exactly what this looks like, but I know I've grown it and liked it. "Big tall heads, widely grown in the Orient. Mild and tasty, very tender, great for stir-fry."
--Chinese Pak Choy (BC, 2006, $1.25): Pak Choy is a personal favorite. Not only is it tasty (fabulous in stir-fries), but I love the look and shape of the plants. "Long, white stems and dark green leaves; one of the most popular Chinese vegetables, used in many Chinese dishes."
--Welcome Choy Sum (BC, 2005): Can't find this one in the 2006 BC catalog either. All I know is I couldn't resist the name last year.
--Canton Bok Pak Choy (BC, 2006, $1.50): Now I know I haven't grown this one before because the catalog says "new!" (so helpful). "The typical Nai-Pe-Tsai type pak choy, semi-upright plant produces thick white stems and deep green leaves. Good for warm areas as it is heat-tolerant." Aha! That's why I bought it. I'm a sucker for anything that says it's heat tolerant.

I've never planted Oriental greens in the fall before, so this is going to be an interesting experiment. If I do have success, most of the young leaves will probably be tossed into salads. (I'll use pretty much any leafy green I can find in the garden to feed my salad habit.) When cooler temperatures hit (we're already getting down into the mid 50sF at night), I'll cover the bed with floating row cover.




Realization #2:
Lucky Buddy Bear is half English Shepherd and half Australian Shepherd. He lives to work. If there aren't any animals around who need herding or watching or tending to, he'll fearlessly guard your dirt. . .



For hours.

Attention Dog Lovers! This is Weekend Dog Blogging #51!
To see fun pup pics & discover yummy new food blogs, visit Sweetnicks each Sunday night for the roundup. Care to see more canine candids? The Friday Ark boards everything from dogs to dragonflies.