Varieties that grow best while the weather is cool are thriving now in our spring garden. One favorite is our new Braising Greens Mix, a colorful blend of 4 varieties: 2 colored chard varieties and two beets grown here for their different colored greens. (This Braising Greens Mix will be one of our new introductions for 2012). The fast-growing blend is sown thickly in a garden bed or container. Baby seedlings can be harvested very young as tender micro-greens, or grown larger to shear off with a scissors at 4-5 inches for meltingly tender braising or stir fry greens - really healthy and delicious eating at either stage.

We are also trialing several heirloom varieties of Red and Green Borecole Kale. These frilly, nutrient-rich leaves will be a wonderful addition to soups and pasta dishes, or just steamed with a little olive oil and lemon juice.

Cool season flowers like Sweet Peas, Godetia, and Calendula are starting to grow vigorously now that night time temperatures have started warming up a towards 50°F. By the end of May, we will be seeing them burst into bloom with their incredible colors. We are trialing several new Sweet Pea combinations and some single colors, a double Godetia, and several colors of a new Calendula bred especially for containers. These bright, fully double flowers will grow to just 10-12 inches tall; perfect to shine in containers on a patio with pretty edible petals to add to salads or rice dishes.