Daily Greens, and Reds

A simple harvest of pumpkin shoots, Malabar spinach, and the first of the amaranth leaves.  

Since this is at least nominally on occasion a gardening blog, a plant review every now and then seems in order.   So ... I am quite happy with these new-for-this-year “crops” - all easy to grow in my modest size containers, they produce abundantly (for a one, or two-person household), and add visual interest, too - the red of the amaranth, the vines of the Malabar spinach that climb beautifully up the trellis (and it's shade tolerant - total bonus), the vibrancy of the pumpkin shoots.  AND, they might be prolific enough (if I plan properly) to take the place of purchased greens that wilt so quickly in summer; I think all can be harvested a bit at a time and still produce new growth - so no overabundance or need to consume a ton within a tiny window (love me tomatoes, but there bumper crop, ripen all at once timing can be overwhelming).  These greens will be on the plant roster again for next year... (and I will plan for the pumpkin shoots to have a permanent home, rather than leaving them to struggle to emerge from the compost bin - if I gather seeds and stagger their planting, seems I should be able to have a supply of shoots through the season).

All in hopes of avoiding the mistake this year of purchasing tub after tub of kale or spinach with all intention of making a veggie lasagna, never getting to it, and having them go bad.  The guilt of food waste when so many don't have enough.  Sigh.