Enjoy Your Leafy Greens This Fall by Heirloom Fan

Many of you know that growing leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach is very easy and provides wonderfully flavorful vegetables for your salads.  Other greens, such as Kale, Chard and Collard greens also provide great flavor and are packed with nutrition as well and should be considered as an important addition to your garden.

This summer, I planted a Swiss Chard variety called “Bright Lights”. It was sown among the lettuce this spring and the lettuce quickly grew quicker and the Chard remained small. However as the summer got hotter and the lettuce faded, I removed the wilted lettuce plants which then allowed room and sunlight for the Chard.
Before long, I found wonderful large Bright Lights Swiss Chard plants that had colorful stems.
Swiss chard is easily prepared and is great lightly steamed or in any dish where greens such as spinach are used. It is high in Vitamin K, C, E and A, and the deep colors in Chard provide additional nutrients. 
The Bright Lights variety with yellow, red, pink and light green stems can also provide a splash of color as a border plant, especially as other plants begin to fade in the fall.
This plant talk bulletin gives you some additional information on growing colorful and nutritious greens: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1810.html