Four out of five collards align

I don’t plant anything in rows. I like squares and clusters. Where I don’t plant, I like letting new plants spring where they think they will do best; and where I do I like to make it look as if the plants put themselves there. So what am I to think when I let collards […]

Collards in the rain

I love the way the rain beads on leaves, and I love my collards. There’s three little plants establishing themselves and one big one. Like so many weeds, the volunteer plants form a rosette, but tasty ones. Between them, I’ve cut two batches of greens already. Since they’re so young, it doesn’t take nearly […]

A New Year’s harvest

Collards are great plants but they aren’t looking too great in the snow. Even so, today I managed to clip a handful of young leaves. They were so tender, all they needed was a quick blanch to turn bright green and crisp. Yum. And of course they were just a side to a batch of […]

Collard love

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my collard plants? Usually when a crucifer goes to seed, that’s it. These collards got huge, went to seed, took a breather, and now they’re sending up new leaves, as tasty as ever. Since they went to seed, volunteer collards are turning up. Even the empty seed […]

Shades of ripe

I seem to be doing pretty good at growing fruit. The yard is full of promise in many different shades of ripe.

More bees on the collards

Bees on the left. Bees on the right. Bees on every side of the collard plants. Like many crucifers, from brussels sprouts and mustard greens to radishes and Chinese broccoli, collards pack a lot of flavor. Now, with the heat and flowers bolting so fierce bright and yellow, every part of the plant must be […]

Collards in flower

Have you ever bought some bok choy and left it in the fridge while you figured out what to do with it until it opened up bright yellow flowers? That’s why my collard plants did, only six feet tall. Tall, outspread candelabrae of flat yellow flowers just begging for big fat bees. It’s covered in […]

Collards are survivors

Well, the collards that poked their heads above the snow from time to time are definitely dead. But the collards out back on the hillside, the ones I didn’t see up close all winter not only survived, but look downright robust. They’re as tough as pansies.

More green emerges

It’s getting warmer and it’s showing more greenery out there, but it’s looking a little like collards are not the sort of plants that consider a foot of snow good protection against winter. I haven’t seen them since I managed to cut a potful of leaves for greens on New Year’s Day. Now, I wonder […]

Would you like a bit of snow on your greens?

The first bit of snow started drifting down last night, leaving just a light frosting, not even enough to hold a cat’s pawprint. I think there’s more snow gathered in these collard leaves than ever hit the ground. By the way, these are the same plants that were looking so droopy last week. Tough plants, […]