Cold Weather Crunchies

4/22/2021 11:20 am

Radishes are one of the easiest and quickest veggies to grow. They love being planted in the ground or in pots, they take only a few weeks to go from seed to veggie (ours were planted right before spring break) and they are so colorful.  

We've planted a gourmet blend of radishes that range from white to yellow to dark red. Radishes typically have a peppery or spicy bite and are full of crunch. They're delicious in salads or quick-pickled for tacos. Radishes that sit in the ground too long get really spicy... so head out to the OB garden and pick a radish for yourself!

Our kale and lettuces are also growing strong. Leaf- veggies can be harvested as soon as they have several sets of leaves. Ever heard of baby spinach? That means they're tiny and new in the ground. Their leaves are soft, tender and mild. 

More dirt about the garden:

• a variety of sunflowers are sprouting in the front corner. We will have Skyscraper (they can be 15' tall!), Teddy Bears (they are really fluffy) and Evening Sun (red, orange and yellow flowers) sunflowers. 
• Our sugar snap peas are LOVING the cold. They've begun to climb our structure and will soon be thick and full of sweet, crunchy pea pods.
• We have a new fruit in the garden–a blueberry bush! This variety makes blueberries the size of big marbles and are so sweet.
• Our bean-babies are looking strong and healthy. They are just popping up around the teepee trellis. Go check out their first set of leaves (official garden talk: "leaflets") and the actual bean-seed that is still connected. Have you tried growing beans before? 

There is so much going on right now down in the OB garden, even though the weather is just now warming up. Visit with your class or your family after school for gardening ideas and inspiration.

Until next time!