As a child, I was not particularly fond of greens. I recall more than one dinner spent staring down the nondescript mass of green on my plate, willing it to be transported to some alternate universe or burst into flames – anything so I didn’t have to eat it. As an adult, my opinions hadn’t changed much, since grocery store greens often looked moments away from the compost pile, and rather tasteless to boot.
All that changed when I decided to grow my own.
I discovered an astonishing array of colors, shapes and sizes appropriate for use in the classiest ornamental planting. And I delighted each day with the most incredible variety of flavors and textures from the soft and mild Forellenschluss lettuce to the crunch and wasabi-like heat of the Green Wave mustard to the tangy Tatsoi.
I tried Red Orach for the first time last spring and it was one of the loveliest plants in my garden. Droplets of dew sat on the rosy-pink leaves resembling pieces of glass artistically and intentionally arranged for display. The flavor was mild and pleasing and I got a good laugh when I saw it in flower -- as I recognized it instantly as a close relative of my favorite garden weed, lamb’s quarter (which, incidentally, makes a wonderfully subtle salad green as well).
The most surprising green was Malabar spinach. A coarse textured vine with a beautiful red stem that wrapped around the wrought iron hoops in the garden. It had glossy green, thick, wavy leaves, and clusters of light pink pin-head shaped flowers that turned into dark purple berries.
This Indian culinary substitute for spinach quickly became the most asked about plant in my garden for good reason – it was a show stopper. But beware: when the descriptions say “mucilaginous,” they are not kidding: I was instantly taken back to those childhood dinner stare-downs. Suffice it to say, while I am not likely to grow it for eating again, its beauty has earned it a continuing place in my garden.
Ann Mattingly is The Delaware Center for Horticulture Community Gardens Manager. She works with local residents and organizations to implement community gardens and other urban agricultural projects, like the Community Farm Coalition which will break ground on Wilmington’s first community farm this spring.
