Ornamental edibles are all the rage these days. Which is kind of funny, because the edibles haven’t changed at all, it’s just that we’re all noticing how beautiful (i.e. “ornamental) they are. Take mesclun salad mixes, for example. Did you ever take a moment to notice how beautiful baby lettuce leaves are? There are so many shapes and colors of leaves. And they’re totally easy to grow. Here’s How to Grow Mesclun Salad Greens!
Growing Your Own Mesclun Salad Greens is Easy
All you need is a packet of mesclun (mixed salad greens meant to be harvested when the plants are very young) seeds, good quality potting soil, and some sort of container. I’m growing mine in a wooden six pot set, but a basket lined with plastic, a wine crate, a pretty colander, or whatever other pot you have on hand will work.
Simply fill your container of choice with soil and then water the soil so that it is evenly moist. Sprinkle the seeds evenly over the entire surface of the soil. Now spread a 1/8 inch layer of potting soil over the seeds to cover them. If you have a spot with morning sun, that would be ideal, as lettuces often don’t appreciate hot, afternoon sun. If you only have afternoon sun, pick a spot in bright shade or with filtered light. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy.
In my little six pot set, I grew mesclun mix in three of the pots, and pansies in the other three. The combination looks pretty, and the pansy flowers are edible too!
Once the lettuce leaves have grown to the right size for a salad, grab your scissors and cut all the lettuces off about a half inch above the soil line. Most salad greens will grow new leaves. Hence the name “cut and come again” on many seed packets.
Interested in which flowers are edible and what they taste like? Check out this post I wrote: Edible Flowers and How to Eat Them.
Let me know how it turns out for you in the comments below.
