hi, i have some of these you are looking for. take a look at my trade list and see if you'd like to trade. brandy Here is a link that might be useful: My Trade List

Seeker, If you don't have sheer curtains, you might find some at a thrift store or garage sale. Otherwise, tulle netting can be a good option for keeping pests off crops, depending on the size of the pest. Other than lightweight sheer curtains or tulle netting (available at fabric stores), I can't think of any other sort of covering that would be lightweight enough to substitute for floating row covers. Other than covering the plants, you could try to repel the pests. A garlic spray or a hot pepper spray might work. Sometimes repellent sprays work and sometimes they don't. If you need a simple recipe for a garlic-based or hot pepper-based insect repellent, let us know and somebody or several somebodies will post recipes here for you. For any crops bothered by cabbage loopers and imported cabbage worms, there's an organic spray called Bt for short. It is a form of bacteria that only affects that specific group of insects....in this case, you'd need Bt 'Kurstaki' which targets butterfly and moth larvae. There are other forms of Bt that target other pests, including one that targets Colorado Potato Beetles. I'll link an example of one of the Bt caterpillar killers for you. This product is made by many different manufacturers and sold under many different names so just look for a caterpillar killer that has Bt as the active ingredient. Susan, They are one of our earlier signs of spring, though not the first, but not one I'm happy to see. We have had swallowtails around all week (it seems early, but then everything is early this year) and I always am happy to see them. I think slugs and/or snails could/would attack Swiss Chard but here in the land of red river clay, we don't have no stinkin' slugs.....so obviously I've never seen them on my Swiss Chard. I've never seen a slug anywhere on our property since moving here 13 years ago, so I hope I didn't just jinx my garden by saying that. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Example of One Bt 'Kurstaki' Product

I'd plant them. There's probably at least a month before the first frost, plenty of time for them to germinate. & once they stick their heads above ground, they'll do fine as long as we don't have a killing frost, in which case you cover them with a sheet until the sun rises the next morning. Have fun!

Here's a recipe I made up last weekend using beet greens, but you can certainly substitute Swiss Chard, as they are closely related and taste nearly identical. DH told me last week that I should write this one down, but of course, I didn't get around to it till now, so I'm having to go by memory of something I just threw together using what I had on hand at the time. We were at our farmhouse in Tahlequah, but I had picked some beets from my garden in Texas to take with us. DH grilled the beets, and I had the beet greens to play with. To keep this on the Swiss Chard subject, I would just substitute Swiss Chard for the beet greens listed in the recipe. To give credit where it's due, I very loosely based this recipe on Giada DeLaurentis' Mediterranean Salad, but it's changed quite a bit. Orzo and Beet Greens Ingredients (measurments approximate) 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons 1/2 large onion (1015 or red) chopped Beet Greens - from around 2 or 3 beets, or more, chopped into small pieces (makes around 2 cups packed) 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 lemons, juiced 1 lemon, zested 1/2 pound Orzo (1/2 box) 3 cups vegetable (or chicken stock) 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste) 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste) 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves Using a medium to large pot, saute the onion in 1 tablespoon olive till transluscent. Add the beet greens and saute till wilted and a little tender. Add the lemon zest, and remove from the beet, onion, and zext mixture from the pan into another dish, and set aside. Add the 2 tablespoons oil, salt, pepper, and the garlic, saute for just a minute, then add the orzo, sauteing until just toasted and a little brown. Carefully add the stock and lemon juice, and boil till the orzo has absorbed most of the liquid. Stir occasionally. When itÂs almost done, add the beet and onion mixture, and continue heating till the stock has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and stir in the basil. Serve warm or at room temperature. Sally