More Winter Survivors

Before I turn the blog's focus onto the new growth, let's look at the plants that have managed to survive the winter.

The first of these is red-veined sorrel (above), which I planted in a container in the summer and rather forgot about. Now it is beginning to put on a fantastic show. I love the contrast of burgundy red veins against the lime-green leaves. It seems a shame to pick it. But it adds a nice lemony taste to salads, not to say anything about the visual impact it has. I will leave it a while until it gets some more growth before I start cropping it for salads and as a spinach substitute.

Talking of spinach - my Czech winter spinach is thriving. I took this photo a couple of days ago and now you would hard pressed to see the soil between the plants. It was never covered despite the bitter cold and the snow. It will soon bolt with the spring warmth, but I will keep cropping it while I can.

Another winter wonder has been my red Russian kale. It has cropped and cropped and still managed to appear statuesque with its grey-green leaves, pink veins and burgundy stems. It is now going to flower, but I can't complain having enjoyed it for so many months.

And finally there is the chard. Although I have a couple of red-stalked rainbow chards, which having struggled through winter now are putting on growth and a bit of show, the most successful chard survivor was the white Lucullus variety. This is an heirloom variety from Italy and was named after a Roman general, who was famous for his gardens and his banquets. What a wonderful way to be remembered - by a vegetable rather than by a battle.