If you were closer I'd be inviting you over.

Oh YUM - those strawberries look delicious! I want to come for supper too

Arlene, you'd better make extra as we will all be over later.

Yummy!

Yum! Really looking forward to summer.

>> But I am trying to get more easily grown things that I can use in veggie soup. ...
>> I am thinking I could put any type of non lettuce greens in there.

I love Bok Choy that way, or any Brassica greens. The leaves need less than a minute of boiling, and I prefer the stems only heated all the way through: crisp, not soft.

You can slice the stems into 2" lengths and pencil-thick so they get hot but not soft.

Even the very mild hint of "mustard flavor" is reduced by cooking.

Tatsoi and Tyfon Holland greens are c old-hardy and could be carried through par tof the winter in a plastic tunnel or cold frame.

I've ready that big, old, thick Bok Choy leaves can be sun-dried and saved for winter soup!

Bok Choy is very difficult to grow here, bolts like crazy. I do love the flavor of it though.

I have my Pepper Plants in ground so now both my peppers and tomatoes are planted. Probably tomorrow I will plant those cuke seedling that I bought. Meantime I have more cukes I am starting myself from seed.

Wow, strange! Is that only in the spring, or do late summer/early fall crops also bolt? At least you can have microgreens and baby leaves before they go to seed!

I thought it took warmth or medium-heavy frost to make Bok Choy bolt.
Tatsoi is more cold-tolerant, but grows slower and lacks the sweet crunchy stems.

I have a wide variety of Bok Choy varieties, with different bolting tendencies if you would like to test a few. Maybe shade would help in early summer, or keeping soil more moist.

White stem:
Joi Choi - F1 Hybrid - fall or winter bolt-resistant
Kitazawa #056 - To avoid bolting plant later in cool areas.
pick when young:
'Round Leaf San Tong' - marketed as "Taiwan Bok Choy" - 35 days
Extra Dwarf OP Pak Choy pick when 2" tall

Green Stem:
Shanghai Pak Choi - 'San Fan' Hybrid - Early maturing, heat tolerant
Baby 'Mei Qing Choi' - Hybrid 35-40 days - tolerates heat & cold - good bolt resistance
Baby Bok Choy 'Ching Chang #5001' - tolerates high heat
Bok Choy 'Dong Zhi' - F1 Hybrid green stem - Best suited to cool areas

Maybe I start my greens too late. I do have some Bok Choi seeds so maybe I will try again.

I used to take it as gospel that any frost would cause most Bok Choy to bolt. But that turns out not to be the case.

Chinese cabbage is said to like the shortening days of Fall better than sporing. In most places, if you want spring Chinese cabbage, you have to start it indoors and plant out after frost.

One thing about starting Bok Choy indoors: all the other seeds get jealous when they see how fast Bok Choy sprouts and grows!

I agree, not a fan of kale. I keep trying though. At least if I grow it and we don't like it we can give it to the chickens.

I have Chinese cabbage growing right now. should be ready for next week's market. But it does do better in fall, as does broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

I have not grown Bok Choy but I do have seeds. I keep forgetting to plant it! Maybe I'll remember this fall.

I took a few pictures of my garden but Google is having trouble with instant upload. As soon as I can I will post some. Better get some sleep for market tomorrow and our trip to Michigan right afterwards! All packed for market and all packed for the trip!

Well I put up the trellis mesh for the cucumbers and beans. Last year I had this flimsy mesh, the cucumbers broke it and all fell down in August. Fortunatly it was late in the season. But it just couldn't take the weight. This year I put up that flimsy mesh for my beans as they are not heavy and put a nice strong pastic mesh that I got at AM Leonard up for my cukes.

So I am ready to plant as soon as the weather is warm enough.

I forgot to say that all this talk of Bok Choy got me going and I sowed some seed of Baby Bok Choy this morning. Probably really late to get it going but maybe not. Frosts make it bolt, heat makes it bolt. Maybe I can get lucky. I love the taste of Bok Choy.

My cucumber seeds that I started on May 1st have sprouted. Now waiting on the melons.

My seedlings that I planted on May 1st. Cukes already sprouting!


Sunflower seedlings that of course I started myself. I grow these becase the Goldfinches come and eat them plus they are pretty! Course people could eat them also.


Brocoli doesn't care it is in pots, its thriving.


And in this pot I planted my Nevada lettuce seeds. Nothing happening yet.


Back upstairs in the garden I put up my netting that will be supporting my cucumbers.


And finially my peas in pots. So pleased with my peas.

Snow peas- 4 pots growing like gangbusters!


Sugar Lace II snap peas. Look odd becasuse of all the grabby things. Really interesting variety that I have never had before.

Rita, everything looks so colorful and healthy. You are going to be eating very well when this bounty starts producing

I have so many tomato plants this year and peppers also. Already in ground but I bought them as seedlings. Then my zuchini is planted but my eggplant and cukes still to plant. I have a small tray of four cuke seedlings that I bought. But cukes are so easy to do from seed. Oh yes, I bought melon seedlings besides the ones I am starting myself. Still need to plant them also.

Market got rained out and it rained from GA to Ohio for our driving. Ugh! I hate driving in the rain!