I'm envious of your Prickly Pears, David. I've finally gotten enough Opuntias established here that I should have a good harvest of them soon ... hopefully this year. I do want to make jelly!

Good morning to you all too!

Thank you Tee, and I wish you success in your Opuntia (Tuna) blooms and future jelly.

Glen,...I've never had those butterflies and actually have never had any sort of bug problems on the Cabbages or greens yet. This is our Winter however and possibly thats the reason. This is the only time of year they work here, but we get a good 7 months of appropriate weather for them. Its hard to hear about the awful Summer heat waves around your beautiful Country. Are you experiencing that as well on the Island? I either use a sharp paring knife to quickly slice off the fine thorns on them. I have experimented with the small blow torch technique which does work with a quick blast of flame to singe them off, but still prefer just a quick flick of the blade and a good rinse with a scrubby pad after.

I do hate getting to the party late, but, sometimes, life gets in the way...

Here's what I have growing on in my Houston, Zone 9a veggie garden...

CAULIFLOWERS, BROCCOLI, BEETS, TURNIPS & SPINACH

MUSTARD GREENS

SWEET OZARK ORANGE TOMATO SEEDLINGS germinated in 6 days

SWISS CHARD

CABBAGES, BEETS, & SPINACH


I have a boatload of seedlings under fluorescent lights, so I'll stagger them in, between now and mid-February. Planting onion transplants from Dixondale Farms tomorrow, and starting bell pepper and eggplant seeds.

This will be a very interesting growing season, LOL!

Godspeed, and Good Harvest!

Linda

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing and gotta love the Collards, Mustards and of course the Swiss Chards. My kind of greens too...

What a great Spring you will have!

Those 'Collards' are probably Cabbages or something else huh?

David,
I do have collards growing, too!

Just discovered this past Thanksgiving that I actually LOVE collards! Had only eaten frozen, mixed greens before (mustards, collards, turnips & spinach). Then, I cooked a bunch of fresh collards for Thanksgiving dinner.

When I tasted the pot of fresh collards, it was a wonder my dinner guests got any, LOL! I was ready to hide the crockpot!!!

OMGoodness!

When kale became all the rage, I tried all the readily available supermarket produce department greens again. I have always loved spinach and it is still my favorite. But MUSTARD was a revelation to me - I love it, too! Kale didn't really move me other than its nutritional value. And guess what I heard on NPR one morning? THE most nutritional of all greens ever tested is the dreaded WEED, Garlic Mustard! And it's delicious! It invades rapidly around here, as in lots of places. I try to get it all when it's just emerging in its second year, before it makes any seed. I haven't had to use any yet, but I did save some seeds so I can if I ever successfully eradicate the volunteers from my yard.

Spinach and mustard are my staple greens now. I didn't plant anything at all for this winter, but I'm going year-round in 2014.

Luv, luv, luv mustard greens, collards and turnip greens. Oh so yummy in the tummy!

Linda, your garden is looking good!

DavidofDeLand said:Beautiful! Thanks for sharing and gotta love the Collards, Mustards and of course the Swiss Chards. My kind of greens too...

What a great Spring you will have!

Those 'Collards' are probably Cabbages or something else huh?

I will have to learn some new names. Swiss Shard is I assume Silver Beet, I will have to check what collards and mustards are. Mustards sound attractive.

Collards are nonheading (leaf cabbage) You are correct Chard is called Silver beet in English. Mustard for greens is Brassica juncea. The condiment brown mustard is made from the seeds. The condiment white or yellow mustard is made from the seeds of Sinapis hirta.
Top Bunch Collard


Southern Giant mustard

"Mustard greens" are just a leafy green, somewhat bitter, - it's difference form the others is it's slightly spicy - like radish.

Less spicy when cooked its raw flavor has a slight bite.

Boy! bad wording in my last post = hope it's understandable.....

Many thanks Farmerdill and Crittergarden. I will give mustard greens a go. I will probably pick up seedlings from the Sunday markets - I haven't grown them before. But I will probably have to grow them under insect wire.

Try the Giant Red Mustards if they have them Glen. They are incredibly delicious and have absolutely smooth leaves with none of the tiny thorns on the underside of the leaves many Mustards have at all. The leaves get huge and stay delicious. I use them in salads too as an arugula substitute as they are also not bitter raw and sweeter when cooked...They do have a nice peppery flavor raw and are the only Mustards I've grown the last 3 years.

Thanks David. I will try and pick up Giant Reds from the mainland tomorrow.

Yes the heat has been awful. Other islands here have gone up in smoke. The last day has seen some relief. But we have been a bit better off in SE Queensland too.

At the tennis, Australian Open, down south, there has been some treating of heat stress of players. It is weird that 1000 miles to the south of here it is hotter.

Welcome Linda - that is quite a garden you have there.

Hello to all of you. I'm still putting up my raised cinder block garden bed in my mind. figure i will order the blocks sometime in April ande in may i will get my 50/50 combination of top soil and compost mixed together.

I just learned a new plant: Skirret.
Anybody got experience?
Anybody got seeds?
http://farmerscrub.blogspot.co...

I also just received my canner and tools yesterday!
I'm READY for those tomatoes now!!!
Pity I'll have to wait.....

I just learned about skirret too. Sounds interesting enough to try some.

http://www.restorationseeds.co...

I knew seed savers didn't have it because I just finished going through their entire catalog last week. Found them at restoration.