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| Beet Seedlings |
By Ashley O’Connor
I’ve never been inside a community garden prior to interning
at the Washington Gardener, let alone grow something myself from seed. But this
experience taught me everything from the importance of composting to the terror
of finding a baby bunny in the plot.
With the guidance of editor and publisher Kathy Jentz, I
decided to grow beets: a vegetable tempered for the cool-season. We later added
a third row of Swiss chard for good measure.
I was forced to replant after a September day of heavy rains
that washed away my seeds. And a hailstorm in November froze portions of
the Swiss Chard plants.
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| Swiss Chard |
Because of the weather issues, the results weren’t
extraordinary; many of the red variety didn’t grow beyond tiny roots. (The
roots are still edible) But there were enough fully formed white beets and
Swiss Chard greens to make a nutrient-packed salad, dressed with EVOO, salt,
and pepper. Eating something that came from my own efforts—digging in the hot
summer sun, watering in the cold fall winds—was truly special. In the future I
would like to start a small garden of my own.
About the Author:
Ashley O’Connor, a senior multi-platform journalist at the University of Maryland. This autumn, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener.
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