Swiss Chard

Family: Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot family)
Genus: Beta
Species: vulgaris (subspecies cicla)

One of the many privileges associated with being a Master Gardener is the continuing opportunity to learn more about every aspect of home horticulture. We’re treated to knowledgeable and entertaining speakers, and we’re given the most up-to-date, research-based information about what’s new and important for gardeners to know. This information equips us to help the public differentiate between what works and what doesn’t—think chocolate-covered laxatives for gophers, here, and bath soap in nylons hanging from trees to guard against deer. We’re also better prepared to help them sift their way through current garden trends to find the nuggets of proven wisdom and tested experience that will make it possible for them to realize their own visions of what a garden should be.

Sometimes, when we take a look at trends in gardening, it turns out that what’s “new” is actually a return visit to the old tried-and-true. This is certainly the case today, with renewed interest in the dependability of older varieties of plants, the lasting impact of foliage over the fleeting beauty of compositions depending solely on flowers, and the idea that our landscapes must serve us year-round, whether what they give us is aesthetic pleasure or food for our tables. Gardening is an activity that spans all seasons, even though many of us have formed the lifelong habit of thinking of it in terms of a “growing season” that happens only from April to September.

Over the next few months, I will feature in this column some of the plants that bring us pleasure and sustenance through the long Pacific Northwest winter. Many are purely ornamental. Others provide fresh vegetables for our table. Some serve both purposes, and that’s why I’ve chosen Swiss chard this month.

Swiss chard—discovered in Switzerland, no surprise there—is a beet with no “beet.” It’s all greens, nutritious and tasty to eat and a pleasure to look at in the garden. It’s a fine example of a plant to incorporate in your ornamental beds for strong winter interest. It grows easily from seed sown directly in the ground and is ready to harvest in less than sixty days. It’s too late to start seeds now in Whatcom County—mid-August is best, for harvest well into the winter and sometimes, in mild years, all the way to February, when you can start your next batch if you find chard to your liking. It will germinate when the soil has warmed to 50°. Starts may still be available at local garden centers and if you can find them, there’s still time to transplant them into the setting of your choice, so long as the soil is well amended and you place your chard where it will get full sun. There are a number of very attractive varieties. All feature deep green leaves tending to bronze in cold weather, but the colors of their fleshy midribs vary. Argentata Swiss chard—often billed as ‘Bionda á Costa’ in seed catalogs—has pearlescent white midribs and large, very dark leaves. The midribs and leaf veins of ‘Ruby Red’ are just that. And ‘Bright Lights’ has midribs of pink, red, bright gold, pale orange, white, and mauve.

All the Swiss chards will grow to perhaps two feet—if you give them the chance. Many people prefer to harvest the leaves as they emerge, to add to a “baby greens” mix for a fresh salad. If the leaves do reach full size, they’re still good in salads made with other hearty greens. Or you can sauté the midribs and serve the uncooked leaf borders alongside. This combination of fresh-and-cooked is wonderful. Let your culinary imaginations run wild with chard. Cut entire leaves into strips and sauté them in olive oil with garlic and a bit of lemon juice, combine with white beans and pine nuts and toss with hot pasta. Make a gratin of the midribs, or steam the whole leaves and use them to encase savory fillings as you would with cabbage leaves. Because its taste is assertive, chard pairs beautifully with strong-flavored cheeses and with other winter vegetables.

And yes, there are other winter vegetables that our gardens here can happily produce. Nantes-type carrots actually get sweeter if left in the ground until you’re ready to use them. Parsnips are a Thanksgiving favorite for many people. Spinach and even lettuce can be yours for the growing. ‘Winter density’ lettuce looks—and tastes—like a cross between romaine and spinach. It will withstand some frost if left unprotected. If you’re willing to consider the time, trouble, and expense of techniques involving cold frames, cloches, and covers, you’ll expand your choices even more.

Besides producing nice things to look at and good things to eat, your winter garden can also nurture the Soil Food Web that we’ve learned about in our Master Gardener training. Taking good care of that complex biological community is an important part of environmental stewardship. We Master Gardeners are charged with that, which is even more important than helping gardeners avoid putting laxatives in gopher holes or hanging bars of bath soap tied in hosiery from the branches of their trees.

Deep thanks to all of you who worked hard to bring us the Master Gardener Advanced Training on September 5. It was beautifully organized, wonderfully interesting and entertaining, and extremely informative. An all-around great day!