"Set a table in the garden"

The freshest greens: a living salad bowl

"Set a table in the garden" is a quote on the front of Renee's Garden vegetable seed packages. And yes, I do wish I had space for a table (preferably teak) on my balcony. But there's barely room for the gardener at this time of the season let alone furniture.  This afternoon, though, after I harvested my first crop of lettuce, I couldn't resisting bringing the linen outdoors and setting a placemat on an overturned plant pot -- an improvised table on which to display the salad bowl.

Lettuce & Mesclun varieties in the bowl:

'Cut and Come Again' (Rouge Grenobloise, Royal Oakleaf, Cimarron, Sucrine, Blonde Batavia & Red Salad Bowl)

'Heirloom Cutting Mix' (Speckled Troutback, Blush Butter Cos, Red Ruffled Oak, Green Devil's Tongue, Sucrine)

'Monet's Garden Mesclun' (Little Gem, Dutch Redina, Rouge Grenobloise, Red Salad Bowl and Tango)

'Paris Market Mix' (Curled Endive, Escarole, Chicory 'Blonde', Red Oakleaf, Red Salad Bowl Lettuces, Arugula, Chervil) 

What lettuces are you growing this season?  How do you schedule the sowing so you don't alternate between surplus and scarcity? (As a novice lettuce farmer, I over-planted the first crop.)

Comments

[Anju]

Honestly, you inspired me to do lettuce as part of my first container garden (also my first garden). I think I overplanted as well. I think I still have about two weeks before I can harvest, though.

I'm using a Burpee sweet mesclun mix.

[Elaine]

That is so great to hear, Anju. Lettuce is such a rewarding crop. I marvel at how easy & economical it has been to grow.

[Arwen from Hoglet K]

I love the way you've got so many varieties, and thanks for the reminder to plant again to avoid scarcity! I've been growing cos because it's easy to take off the outer leaves. I like the idea of your cut and come again lettuces for the same reason.

[Fern @ Life on the Balcony]

My lettuce is usually attacked by caterpillars. How do you protect yours?

[Elaine]

Hi Arwen. I must add cos to the list of lettuces to try.

Hi Fern -- so far I've been lucky. My lettuces are above the ground, in containers along my balcony railing. However, last year I found a caterpillar in the violas which were in the containers, so I know the caterpillars either climb up or drop down from the sky.