Far from thinking that there is little to plant during the late summer and early autumn, this is the ideal time to get a few pots of hardy leaves started to boost the winter table. It is really amazing how easy it is to produce tasty food from a handful of seeds in a few containers and I am starting to think ahead for the cooler months. We all know spring bulbs need to be planted early but there are some delicious vegetables that will keep going during the winter. Swiss Chard is a lovely plant, milder in flavour than spinach with the added interest of pretty colourful stems. Varieties such as Ruby, Rainbow and Canary Yellow, with its delightful golden leaves, are a great hit with children! Both stems and leaves are edible either in salads or steamed. Perpetual Spinach may be picked after just a few weeks as mini leaves and along with Rocket, which prefers cooler weather, Coriander, Land Cress, tasting similar to Water Cress and lovely lemon flavoured Sorrel you can add an interesting flavour to pep up any winter salad. If you plant too many seeds don't forget they can all be eaten as micro greens so nothing goes to waste!
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