As soon as I was old enough to pop a seed out of an orange and into the ground I became fascinated with gardening. It was often to my mother’s dismay, as I had the windows and ledges in my bedroom full of little pots of dirt with various things growing in them. The pots were small, so the cantaloupe vine, the pineapple top, the sprouted avocado, and the tiny little orange tree had no chance of bearing, but I stuck with them all the same.
When I moved into my own place the day after I graduated college I started digging an herb garden. In the center of the garden I grew leeks. Back then no one knew what a leek was, much less grew them, but they were easy to grow, heat tolerant, withstood my clay-like soil, and looked great in the center of my herb garden; I was the neighborhood pioneer!
I still grow them (thankfully they self-seed). If you’ve ever found yourself shopping for them at the market and seen the high prices, you should consider growing them too. They can be grown successfully from seed, but impatient gardener that I have become, I look for trays of leeks already sprouted, and well on their way.
I was thrilled to find these two six packs of leek plants when we went to historic Soulard Farmer's Market over the weekend. Those I planted years ago always come back, but I find myself using more and more with each passing season, and consequently needed to double my plantings. One of these six packs will go into the ground, the other into a container.
If you’re a gardener and enjoy using leeks, I can’t encourage you enough to give them a try. As with all homegrown vegetables, the fresh taste unsurpassable.
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6 comments:
I love to cook with leeks and envy your gardening skills. Most of my efforts become deer food! Maybe I will try some leeks, though I have never seen them as small plants here. I just bought some tomato plants, I don't eat them, but dh does. As long as. I get enough to pay for them! Good to see you Pattie!
I'd love to try growing leeks this year. I'll have to look for some 'starts' on my nursery rounds in May.
Oh that's so funny, Pattie. When I was a kid I too had little pots with growing things strewn throughout the house window sills. My mother wasn't too crazy about it but my father was more understanding.
Leeks are a pleasure to grow and eat. I really should plant some this year.
Thanks so much for sharing...
I remember trying to sprout avocados when I was in college! They usually grew only so far, and then gave up. It is very hard to garden here. The deer eat everything--even deer repellant plants. Have a wonderful Sunday. Linda
Wish I had an area for a garden!
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