Your Backyard Garden Information Source
Turnip This root vegetable, Brassica campestris rapa (syn. B. rapa), has been grown in Britain since the sixteenth century. The roots are global or flattish round. A well-drained sandy loam is suitable for both types—summer and winter. But if the soil is light and sandy, it dries out rapidly and turnip flea beetles flourish. A heavy soil is unsuitable for […]
These are crops grown especially for salads and those which, although suitable for other use, may also be added to the salad bowl. You should create your own salad recipe of plants. Lettuce is the foundation of most salads and the gardener may take his choice from the many butterheads, crispheads, cos and loose leaf varieties. `May Queen’ is liked […]
Parsley Cultivation The point to remember about parsley is that it is certain to be needed by the cook at all times of the year. To allow for this, frequent (at least three) sowings should be made between March and September. Large beds of parsley will not be required by the average family and so the plants may be used […]
Radishes Seeds of this quick-growing vegetable may be sown for salads at intervals from early March to October. It is generally treated as a catch crop, being sown on a piece of ground which is intended for cabbages or some other crop to be planted subsequently. A rich, moist soil and cool conditions yield the most succulent radishes. Slow growth […]
Savoy This hardy plant, a type of cabbage, has been grown in Britain since the seventeenth century. The leaves are quite distinct from those of other cabbages, being very puckered or crimped. Although there are early varieties, most gardeners prefer those which are of use during the winter and early spring. Successional crops are obtained by choosing drumheads for cutting […]
Sweet Peas A most popular annual, the sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) is not difficult to grow, though the richer the soil the better the results. Given good cultivation it will produce stems 2 ft. long bearing four, five or more florets. Elegant, graceful and fragrant, with the exception of yellow, it will provide every color of the spectrum and dozens […]
Shallots Some people prefer the milder flavor of the shallot, Allium ascalonicum, which they grow in place of onions. Generally, however, shallots are grown for pickling. When stocks of non-bolting onion sets were not available, many gardeners found shallot growing far easier than onion growing. The soil in which they are to be grown must be well-drained and, unless very […]
The cabbage family includes the following vegetables that grow best in cool weather: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, collards, and a delicious, yet little-known vegetable, called kohlrabi. Most of these vegetables are sold as transplants in the spring and again in late summer for planting in the fall garden. They are not difficult to grow if you give them […]
ROOT CROPS Crisp, sweet carrots are just the beginning of delicious roots from the vegetable garden. Parsnips are back in style, quite possibly because of their sweet nutty flavor when lightly grilled. The new appreciation for vegetarian cuisine has also caused a surge of interest in turnips and rutabagas, two root crops long known only as stock-up foods for hard […]
Collards These are small, hardy types of cabbage cropping in autumn or winter and useful as a catch crop following the harvesting of, say, early broad beans, peas or potatoes. They are not widely grown, but are most useful, especially for smaller gardens. They are green throughout, with hearts looser than in the white-hearted cabbages. Cultivation Seed is sown in […]