Fall and Winter Vegetables

Veg Seed Sowing Plans for May To ensure a continuous harvest throughout the summer rather than a glut successional sowing of salads, radishes, beetroots, carrots, autumn giant leeks and spring onions and peas should continue. Sow basil, particularly alongside tomato seedlings to help draw white fly away plus spinach, rocket and ornamental salad leaves. Globe Artichokes and Swiss Chard for looks as well as food. Pole, French and above all Runner Beans Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Savoy Cabbage, Kale and Calabrese

I have a strong liking for Pelargoniums (which I will call Geraniums from now on). They are still producing lots of colour and variety late into October. Because we suffer strong winds and early frosts up on the Pennines of Yorkshire I am in the process of protecting the varieties I am keen to keep through winter.

Get sowing for some winter greens and veg like Beetroot, Spring Cabbages, Lettuces, Spring Onions, Chicory, Fennel and Rocket.

Autumn sunshine sets off the traffic lights in the vegetable plot. A low angle for the rays of sunshine creates an extra opportunity to appreciate this vegetable. I like the leaf texture and think Chard can look so colourful that I will grow some amongst the flowers for next year.

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Seeds that are sown in summer can either be planted out in winter as seasonal bedding (pansies), or stored over winter in a greenhouse, ready to plant out the following spring.  From annuals to biennials and perennials, sowing seeds is one of the cheapest ways to grow your favourite seasonal blooms and plants. Here are just a few examples of flower seeds to sow in summer.  Cornflowers — Cornflowers are attractive wildflowers that are easy to grow and even easier on the eye. They can be sown indoors over winter, ready to plant out in spring — or sown directly outdoors in early summer for a bout of blooms.

Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris) is a colorful and easy-to-grow leafy green. It is the same species as beet, but without the swollen root, and shares the same earthy flavor.

I don’t know about you, but I love a product that can be used in a variety of ways and has staying power, especially in the home and kitchen. I recently discovered fall/winter squash and the varieties and versatility that they provide. I knew about the typical winter squash that you see in the grocery store like Acorn, Butternut, Spaghetti, Pumpkins, and decorative gourds, but have been introduced to other varieties like Honey Nut, Kabocha, Carnival, Turban, Banana, Red Kuri, Sweet Dumpling, and Buttercup.

Fresh foraged material adds a special touch to any entry, table-scape, or staircase during the holidays.

Rabbit’s foot fern (Davallia solida var. fejeensis) is a favorite of mine and one of the easiest tropical houseplant ferns to grow. Native to Fiji, the genus name, Davallia, was derived in honor of the Swiss botanist Edmond Davall. This beautiful fern has lacy, graceful fonds along with furry rhizomes that grow over the top of the soil and will drape over the sides of a container. Be sure to plant in a container or hanging basket where the fuzzy rhizomes can be seen.

I PUT MY BEANS UP ON A PEDESTAL because they are one of the crops that’s finally producing here in the Year of Big Rains. In fact, I just planted another whole row of bush beans, along with more collards and kale, among many things. Welcome to Week 3 of the cross-blog Summer Fest 2009: Beans and Greens Week, a perfect time (if you hurry) to fine-tune the vegetable garden and eke out some produce for late summer, fall—and beyond.

On Saturday, September 5, just as Mercury goes retrograde again (heaven help us), Bob Hyland, Andrew Beckman and I will give a hands-on class from 11-1 at their Loomis Creek Nursery, near Hudson, NY. We’ll show you what to cut back, and not; review the basics of composting and offseason soil care; prepare to have fresh herbs on hand for the winter; teach you how to stash precious but nonhardy “investment plants” safely for the winter, make room for bulbs and lots more.All for $5, and a phone call to reserve a spot; we have a few remaining. Loomis Creek is at (518) 851-9801. (And p.s., that’s an oakleaf hydrangea up top, H. quercifolia, in the colors that are coming up soon.)Categorieshow-to