The black and white flowers of the fava bean plants are unusual. The seeds of these plants were sown directly into the garden on January 10, 2012. I will be sowing seeds of lettuce in between the rows of fava bean plants.

A swiss chard plant that overwintered is surrounded by romaine lettuce mix that was sown March 6, red onion seedlings planted that same day and mesclun salad.

mesclun and red onion seedlings

Mesclun lettuce seeds that were planted about two weeks ago are now sprouting. The red onion seedlings were planted at the same time.

Wando peas

Wando pea seeds that were planted directly into the garden on March 08, 2012 are now sprouting about 2 weeks after planting.

Fava beans Windsor

Here are the developing Fava bean Windsor plants the seeds of which were planted directly into the garden on January 10, 2012. The plant in the left foreground is marjoram that overwintered. Visible in the right background are rosemary and swiss chard plants that have overwintered in the garden. The pea seeds that were planted on March 08, 2012 at the base of all of the twig tripods have started to sprout.

Kale lacinato

Kale lacinato sometimes called Tuscan or dinosaur kale survived the past mild winter with no protection and has resumed growing. The seeds of these kale plants were sown in the garden last autumn. Here is a salad recipe that will be featuring the leaves of this beautiful and nourishing plant.

Viola

I always plant viola plants in the fall in all of my gardens because they come back so full and healthy in the spring - with well developed root systems that make the plant more self-sufficient. They look really sweet scattered throughout the kitchen garden and they are a very pretty and edible addition to salads.

The following is a recipe from a seventeenth century Dutch cookbook translated by Peter G. Rose in her book The Sensible Cook: Dutch Foodways in the Old and the New World.

"To prepare raw Salads.
Take Head Lettuce, Leaf Lettuce, Curly Lettuce, Lamb's Lettuce, also the shoots of the Dandelions or wild Chicory, also the shoots of Chicory roots, Endive, or red and white Cabbage or Cucumbers, whatever one has on hand that is best or that is in season and all well cleaned is eaten with a good Oil of Olives, Vinegar, and Salt. On Purslane, Burnet, Rocket, Tarragon, Buttercup, one may also add the flowers of Bugloss, Borage, Rose, and Calendula. This salad is also eaten with melted Butter and Vinegar gently heated together instead of Oil and Vinegar, according to everyone's desire."