My Summer Greens

Moringa tree starting to bud out in 
March after a severe pruning
in winter to 4 ft.

I thought it would be slim picken's for greens in my garden once all my winter greens (lettuce, arugala, kale, bok choi and chard) dried up due to the rising temperatures.  But as the summer heat intensifies, so does the growth of my "summer greens".

It started in March with my Moringa Trees springing back to life after a severe winter pruning.  Also called Miracle Trees, they live up to their name.  It is truly miraculous how quickly they grow back once it warms up outside!  By April we were already drying a new fresh crop of moringa leaves to make moringa powder. I've been energized this summer by having moringa salads, moringa in stir fries, moringa soup, moringa smoothies, and even moringa cookies!  And now in May I am just starting to harvest the young moringa pods, or "drumsticks", steamed, sauteed or stir-fried, they taste just like asparagus!

The same Moringa tree towering over the
fence by the third week in April!

Another summer green that will kick into high gear when we start staying in the triple digits is Malabar Spinach.  Not a true spinach but more of a succulent vine, its not only good to eat, its also pretty to look at! If you don't care for the texture of the leaves you can always add the leaves to smoothies. Malabar spinach vines start out slow, so be patient.

Malabar spinach in October 2016

Egyptian Spinach also does well in the heat.  I'm growing it for the first time right now and my starts are still tiny.  When fully grown they will be about 2 or 3 feet tall and bushy.

Egyptian spinach.  (Photo from web)

Young sweet potato leaves are in good supply right now in my summer garden and are a great substitute for spinach or lettuce in salads.

Flowering Sweet Potato vines, May 2017

Dandelion Greens might be an acquired taste for some, but if cooked properly they can be delicious.  My favorite way to eat them is sauteed and served with Dill Roasted Red Potatoes.  Be sure to grow them in pots or planter boxes because they are invasive, and try to gather the puff-ball of seeds before the wind blows them all over your garden!

Dandelion Greens in redwood planter box.

Soon Purslane will be popping up in mounds all around the yard, in cracks, among rocks and cactus, as it seems to love poor soil and rough conditions.  I eat the purslane raw as an addition to other greens in my salads.

Purslane growing in my rocky cactus and agave bed
next to the swimming pool

I also have my good old perennial Tree Collards to rely on for a steady supply of greens year round.  In the summer I use big collard leaves for wraps instead of using tortillas.

My Tree Collards as of May 2017

My tiny little Tree Collard starts in February 2015

So there will be no store-bought lettuce or spinach for me this summer :-).  I've got a steady supply of fresh-picked greens right from my garden!