Melinda's Garden Moment Radio Tips
Melinda Myers
Nationally known gardening expert, TV/Radio host, author & columnist with over 30 years of horticulture experience and tons of gardening information to share! www.melindamyers.comMelinda's Garden Moment videos will help you create that beautiful landscape you’ve always wanted. Each week throughout the growing season, a new gardening video will be added right here, so be sure to stop back. You can also watch Melinda’s Garden Moments on your local network TV station affiliate.
As summer temperatures rise our lettuce, spinach and other greens tend to fade from our gardens. Take heart, there are a few greens suited to the summer garden.
Black seeded Simpson, oakleaf blend and red sails are a few leaf-lettuce cultivars that stand up to the summer heat.
Malabar climbing spinach, although not a true spinach, has a buttery, nutty spinach-like flavor. Use it fresh, as a wrap for sandwiches or in stir fries.
New Zealand spinach is another plant that shares the common name and flavor but is not a true spinach. Eat the small leaves raw or cooked.
Many of the mustards like Red Giant and Florida Broadleaf will tolerate summer heat, while adding a bit of zip to your meals. Or try the mild flavored All-America Selections winner, Red Kingdom Mizuna. Use mustard greens pickled, raw, wilted or in salads.
A bit more information: Swiss chard, kale and orach are a few more heat tolerant greens. Orach prefers cooler temperatures but does not go to seed as quickly as spinach. Harvest young leaves for the best spinach-like flavor.