Chard: Swiss Chard Jewel Mix

The tender chard stalks of this jewel mix glow in sunlight – red, pink, yellow and orange with vivid green leaves. The added bonus is the role in salads and cooked dishes.

Soak the seeds in warm water for an hour or two to aid germination. Sow 2 mm deep, directly into beds or containers. Expect leaves to pop through the soil in 10 to 14 days. Sow small batches every couple of weeks to provide an ongoing harvest through the year.

Chard copes better in warm weather than old-fashioned spinach and will provide greens and colourful stalks for weeks. Eventually, after up to two years in the ground, they will bolt and produce seeds which would be worth collecting.

Harvest leaves by firmly pulling the outer leaves down to break the connection with the root, and allow leaves to continue growing from the middle. Use in any recipe that requires spinach – wash and saute the stems like onions, and then add the leaves to wilt into the mix. Don’t overcook the leaves or they’ll end up grey and bland.

Did you know? Swiss chard is also called ‘silver beet’ and is closely related to the beetroot.

Kale is easy to grow in one’s home garden and the leaf is attractive in a mixed border. In fact, why not install a mix of kale varieties for dramatic effect?

In many gardens it will last through to a second season and, even when the cabbage white caterpillars and aphids come out in force, kale eventually shrugs those off and carries on producing nutritous leaves.

All greens are ‘hungry’ so plant in well-composted soils and feed them with organic fertiliser for best results. Best to sow in autumn and spring but results can be had all-year-round.

Did you know? The crinkly leaves of this compact plant are rich in vitamin A. Pack some punch in salads by adding baby leaves.