I have not grown the Tyfon, since it is a mustard green, and we don't eat those in my household -- mustard, turnip greens, and collards aren't really in my culinary tradition. I keep meaning to try something along these lines, probably kale, but haven't done so. I've grown various kinds of kales, both ornamental and edible, as ornamentals, since they are one of the hardiest annuals for my northern climate, and often give a nice display almost until Christmas, but I've never cooked or eaten them. However, as for the orach, I have grown that several times, and it is a very nice leafy green. The leaves are like thick, "meaty" spinach, and taste exactly like spinach, although they have sort of a different "mouthfeel," they are just a little muciligenous (probably NOT spelled right), but not unpleasantly so like, say, boiled okra. The plants seem vigorous and hardy. I have had them attacked, although not severely, by some type of a leaf miner, probably the same one which goes after spinach and wild, weedy goosefoots/pigweeds, which are close relatives -- all are members of the Chenapodiacea. The plants offer a pretty long harvest season -- they get to be up to six feet tall, and eventually develop a soft, spinch- or goosefoot-like flower cluster, which can actually be picked whole when young and tender and thrown into a salad or cooked. In my garden, I can pick leaves individually or small stems until well into August. As the season progresses and plants get tall, the leaves on the new growth get smaller and smaller -- young basal leaves are up to about 3" x 3", while at the very top, amongst the flower buds, leaves are at most half an inch long. This plant responds strongly to high nitrogen fertilizer and lots of watering with rampant growth, so you can keep cutting on it all season. Since it's from the semi-arid or arid regions of the west, like Nevada and Utah, I would be careful about overwatering in heavy soil or flooding, although I've not had any problems with any type of root rots in my garden. Also, deer and woodchucks both seem to love this plant in my yard, and can decimate a stand overnight, so you may want to keep that in mind if this is a problem for you. The orach is available in both a red and green variety -- there is absolutely no difference except for the coloration. The red is, of course, more ornamental, and I have seen it sold as a foliage type bedding plant in the spring. Orach left on its own will also reseed itself quite easily, and, since its open pollinated and basically just a wild plant, it's a prime candidate for seed saving. Well, I certainly hope this answers your question about Orach. I consider it definitely worth growing. This past summer, I made a salad of orach, leaf lettuce, sweet onion rings, strawberries, mulberries, croutons, and a berry vinagret dressing, and it was a big hit with my family.

well I eat it. I know it as atriplex and we grow it on the allotment as a nice red leaved ornamental which can be eaten when the leaves are young. From the same family as fat hen and good king henry - chenopodiums, I think. Although we do eat it, it is not really that thrillsome (my chickens were mad for it though). Super easy as an annual from seed.

Hi BP! Thank you for being so generous. I just can't seem to resist more seeds. Have an awesome weekend! Please email your snail mail address and I will forward a SASE right away! Agastache foeniculum (Anise Hyssop) Allium tuberosum (garlic chives) Asclepias syriaca (milkweed) Asclepias tuberosum 'Gay Butterflies' (milkweed) Atriplex hortensis (Ornamental Red Spinach) Agastache foeniculum (Anise Hyssop) Allium tuberosum (garlic chives) Asclepias tuberosum 'Gay Butterflies' (milkweed) Atriplex hortensis (Ornamental Red Spinach) Caragana arborescens (Siberian Pea Shrub) Liatris spicata Morning Glory 'Star of Yelta' Nicandra physaloides (Apple of Peru) If someone doesn't happen to claim them I wouldn't mind: Mimulus (monkey flower) Prenanthes (Rattlesnake Plant) Talinum paniculatum (Jewels of Opar) Thanks again for the offer. It's great for a newbie like me! Kind Regards, Patricia

Uncle John's sells red wigglers. You can find them online. After a Master Gardener training about composting and vermiculture, I ordered 1,000 of them. They are thriving and I am about to harvest the first castings soon. 1,000 costs about $40. Good luck! Carlyg