ellen 
I forgot how much I love Johnny Jump Ups and Violas. I started two seed packets of them this winter to interplant with my leaf lettuce. It is pretty cute. Throwing in some sweet alyssum, zinnia, nasturiums, sunflower, basil, dill, stock, and bachelor button to surround the lettuce and a few onions really gave the collage the complexity it needed. I love it. This is a bed of completely edible, pretty things. Not being one for straight lines, these clumps and bursts suit me. This method covers the open ground so that there is little space for weeds to take root. Not much to weed = Win!
Our new garden is part shade to full shade, and the lettuce has far surpassed my hopes of harvest time. Thanks to the part shade, even on the hottest days, I haven’t had much problem with bolting. That said, lettuce does come to an end, like all plants. It is about time to compost what is planted and reseed the open areas. Salad turnip and red leaf lettuce are next up so that they are ready in time for fall harvest. The flowers, herbs, and onions will stay put and give some structure while the new seeds germinate. Looking forward to the next stage of blooms in this bed. More to come…
