Swiss Chard - Bright Lights--Lin Frye

Swiss Chard - Bright Lights
Originally uploaded by linfrye

Daily Practice
Journal
Plein Air/Studio

Thank heavens yesterday was somewhat less frenetic then the last week and especially Monday! WHEW! I took few minutes around noon to sit on the bench outside my office (yes, I know, we rarely have the time to actually SIT in the garden! LOL), and sketched the newly pruned Swiss Chard in the square-foot garden we have as you enter the Arboretum offices.

The variety - Bright Lights (Beta Bright Lights) is one of the showiest of the chards - growing almost 20" high - with the most wonderfully colored stems - from a light yellow to gold to orange to red to purple to white! Not only are these wonderful vegetables colorful and a great addition to the garden, but the leaves and cooked stems are succulent, sweet and good for you! We sell a lot of this at our annual plant sale and we try to keep some in our kitchen garden as well! The leaves will continue to grow if kept cut back to no less than 2" from the crown.

I wanted to paint this chard in all its electric color, and so used a bit of imagination and artistic license to show off their 'bright lights.'

We're supposed to get some rain today - and I'm hoping we do. Though the fog embraces us most mornings and the dews are heavy, our soils are fairly dry and could use a good, gentle soaking.

Have a great day -- and eat your CHARD! LOL

Lin Frye
North Carolina