This is just GREAT. I too have been trying to extend the season, and I have spinach, lettuce and some chard. Which one is the mache, and what does it taste like? I've never seen it but my brother-in-law who is French and a chef talks about it. Cute little 2 year old, I have one myself, and they make grand gardening companions! Is he standing in front of collard greens?

The mache is on the right of the picture, and also two rows in the front mixed in with baby carrots and parsnips. In my opinion mache is the best tasting of all the leaf lettuce varieties. A bit like spinach in consistency, but with a fantastic nutty flavor. It's totally winter hardy, and it produces through late spring. I will pick it all winter long.

The tall plants in the back row are broccoli, which I got in my garden probably two weeks too late. I don't think the heads will end up well formed. It will be delicious, but I won't get more than a meal or two out of all of it.

The kale is divine. I fry up a slice of bacon, then dump a big bunch of kale right in the fat. I cook it down just a bit, put some beer or wine in the pot, and cover and cook till tender. Just a pinch of salt and pepper and it's divine.

I'm DEFINITELY trying that mache, sounds great! Huh, so that's what broccoli looks like growing.
I love veg. gardening, and am currently turning my lawn into raised beds for veg. next year. I would love to see more of what you are doing. I guess I'll have to visit the veg. forum.

PS Where do you buy your seeds for the mache?

My seeds came from Germany (carried back by my Mother), but you can find it for sale in plenty of places if you look around on the Internet.

The vegetable forum and square foot garden forum have both helped me with my raised beds, but it's really pretty simple. Just be prepared to water a LOT.

Great looking garden! If you are looking to see some really nice garden photos of raised beds and yards turned into gardens see the "Potager Gardens" forum here on GW.

DL

I was just flipping through the RH Shumway catalogue before it hit the bin, and noticed they sell seeds for 'Corn Salad' or 'Fetticus', which are other names for mache.

Cynthia- that's the stuff. You really should try some. It's amazingly good. I'm about ready for another big picking courtesy of this above freezing, rainy weather. In the next week or three I'll be picking the rest of my parsnips, a big bunch of baby carrots, and many meals worth of mache. By the end of January I'll be ready to pick some more mache and more kale. I'm not picking a lot of anything, but it sure beats not having any garden at all.

Patapscomike,
When did you plant your carrots? Are you eating them now? I'm interested because I planted carrots at the beg. of Sept. but they are still miniature and I'm guessing will be ready to eat in mid-Spring. Happy gardening.

I planted one batch the first week in August, and they worked out perfectly. I planted another batch the first week of September and they are still tiny. We would still be eating them, but we ate the last ones two weeks ago. Both the parsnips and the carrots were still in perfect condition.

I guess these tiny ones will grow up eventually, but I'm afraid they'll be tough.

I follow this guide pretty religiously http://www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/publications/planting_dates_pfv.pdf

Here is a link that might be useful: planting guide

Interesting, I guess mine might be tough also since I planted in Sept. I knew about this, now I'll be paying it more attention.