Joan Swenson: Healthiest food in the world as far as your garden
| Friday, Jan 23 2009 03:25 PM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 01:34 PM
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Did you catch the recent health item about the 11 best foods you should be eating?
Beets, cabbage and Swiss chard were at the top of the list created by author and nutritionist Jonny Bowden and cited as one of the most-viewed stories of 2008 in The New York Times. You could plant all three in your garden right now.
Cabbage should be transplanted from seedlings, but Swiss chard and beets can be seeded directly into the soil.
Beets like cool nights and sunny days to produce the edible roots (and tasty young tops for salads) and will grow all year in the valley. Plant them from January to May, taking a summer break from sowing seeds in June, July and August, and then start planting again in September to December.
Sow seeds half an inch deep, 1 inch apart in rows that are between 18 to 24 inches apart. Or broadcast the seeds in a wide bed. Keep the soil moist; seeds take up to three weeks to germinate. Harvest time is 45 to 65 days after sowing.
Thin the plants to give the beet roots enough space. The entire young plant is edible, and thinnings can be enjoyed raw or cooked.
Swiss chard can be planted from January to April and from September to December. Sow the seeds half an inch deep, 2 inches apart in rows that are about 18-30 inches apart. To harvest, pull off the outer stalks and let the center leaves and stalks continue to grow.
Look for amazingly beautiful Swiss chard varieties, such as the new variety “Neon Glow” from Renee’s Garden Seeds (available online at reneesgarden.com) or “Bright Lights” Swiss chard, a 1998 All-America Selections winner.
PERSIMMONS AND WAXWINGS
Robert Mergler is a fan of the cedar waxwings that migrate through the valley in late winter to spring. He dropped a note about the birds, which appreciate his persimmons.
“I planted our persimmon years ago at the request of my wife, Eula. This tree I call the ‘Princess of the Orchard.’ She is so dainty is her spring apparel and we love her bronze and green fall dress, also. Of course, an added benefit is the attraction of cedar waxwings, which were common to our home area in Ohio.”
Waxwings are about the size of robins, with a soft gray-yellow breast, a pronounced bandit’s mask across their eyes, a peak of feathers at the back of their heads and a yellow-tipped tail.
“A migratory flock of cedar waxwings arrived early today for their annual forage of my persimmon tree,” Mergler wrote. “These birds have a flight schedule that brings them here immediately following a few nights cold enough to soften the skins of the fist-sized fruit on my tree. They do a good job, a waxwing for each persimmon. By sundown tomorrow all that will be left will be the caps that attach the fruit to stems and the few the birds have allowed me to keep for cookies.”
Keep an eye out for waxwings in your neighborhood. They feast on my neighbor’s holly bushes every winter and, as Mergler noted, “these birds travel with mates, and, when resting, face the sun, be it morning or afternoon.”
It’s a good time to plant a bare root persimmon tree, too, either Hachiya (acorn-shaped, eaten when they are soft) or Fuyu (the crisp-eating type) varieties.
CAMELLIA SOCIETY SHOW
The Camellia Society of Kern County will meet Sunday at Church of the Brethren, Palm and A streets.
Potluck lunch begins at 12:30 p.m., followed by the meeting about camellia culture at 1 p.m. Member Marvin Belcher will give tips on raising the “Queen of the Winter Garden” — the camellia — and answer questions.
Mark your calendar: The Camellia Society’s annual Camellia Show is March 7 and 8.
For information, call 872-2188.
