Hey Reader,

When most of the garden begins to fade, there’s one group of plants that just keeps giving — cut-and-come-again greens. 🥬

These are the steady workers of the fall and winter garden: lettuces, kale, spinach, and mustard greens that you can harvest leaf by leaf, again and again. With just a little protection — a cold frame, hoop, or sunny windowsill — they’ll feed you long after your summer crops are gone.

If you’ve ever wanted to stretch your growing season, this is the simplest way to do it. You don’t need a greenhouse or fancy setup, you can grow indoors with the following:

• a few trays
• good soil
• a sunny window and
• the right varieties.

🌱 Grow These for Continuous Harvest

Don’t plant them all at once, ok Reader? 😉
Just choose one or two, sow them this week, and watch what happens.

🌱 Lettuce & Salad Mixes (Before you buy, shop your seed storage for leafy green seeds)

• Leaf lettuces (Use whatever you have on hand, but if you need some proven varieties they are: Forrelenschluss, Red Sails, Black Seeded Simpson, Salad Bowl)
  Harvest outer leaves regularly and the plant keeps producing.
• Mesclun mixes – A blend of lettuces, mustards, and arugula for easy, varied salads.

🌿 Brassicas

• Kale (Lacinato, Red Russian, Winterbor) Cold-hardy and resilient.
• Collard greens – Reliable fall staple that thrives into winter in Zone 7.
• Mustard greens (Southern Giant Curled, Mizuna, Red Mustard) – Spicy, fast-growing, and forgiving.
• Tatsoi – Spoon-shaped leaves that keep producing well into frost.

🍃 Spinach & Relatives

• Spinach (Bloomsdale, Space, Giant Winter) – Thrives in cool weather; harvest outer leaves first.
• Swiss chard (Bright Lights, Fordhook Giant) – Handles light frost and regrows quickly.

🌸 Asian & Specialty Greens

• Pak choi / Bok choy (baby varieties) – Harvest small and it’ll resprout.
• Arugula – Peppery, fast-growing, and great for quick salads.
• Claytonia (Miner’s lettuce) – A cold-tolerant green that shines in low light.
• Mâche (Corn salad) – Thrives in cool, short-day conditions.

🌿 Cool-Weather Herbs

Don’t forget to tuck in a few herbs among your greens! Many thrive in cooler weather, and others can be easily extended with a cold frame or a light row cover on freezing nights.

• Cilantro – Loves cool weather and tends to bolt in heat; fall is its best season.
• Parsley – Hardy and flavorful; keep harvesting outer leaves to encourage growth.
• Chives – Perennial and cold-tolerant; snip regularly for continual regrowth.
• Thyme – Evergreen and hardy; will keep producing through light frost.
• Rosemary – Can overwinter outdoors in mild climates; protect with row cover during hard freezes.
• Oregano – Tough perennial that can handle light frost; mulch the base in winter.
• Sage – Woody stems withstand cold; prune lightly and cover during deep freeze.
• Mint – Spreads vigorously; holds up well into late fall. Grow in a pot to contain it.
• Winter Savory – A lesser-known perennial that thrives in cold weather with peppery leaves.

(Tip: On one-time freeze nights, simply cover herbs with a light row cover or old sheet — you’ll extend their life by weeks.)

Need seeds? Go here.

🥗 A Chef Who Loves Fresh, Local Greens

Our friend Chef Daniela Williams, founder of Cucinamore, knows a thing or two about keeping things fresh.

Born and raised in Italy, she built her business around the idea that food is about connection — not just cooking.

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It’s a reminder that the more vibrant and alive your food is, the more nourishing it becomes, for you and for others.

🍞 Chef Daniela’s Simple Herbed Oil

Here’s an easy recipe from her kitchen, perfect for drizzling over your next homegrown salad.

Cucinamore Herbed Oil​
​Ingredients:

• 1 bunch flat Italian parsley
• Equal volume fresh basil (leaves only)
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp nuts (pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, or walnuts)
• 4 tbsp grated sharp cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, or Pecorino)
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste

Instructions:​
Place all dry ingredients in a tall container. Add enough olive oil to cover by ½ inch.
Using a hand blender, pulse until smooth and fluid. Adjust oil and seasoning to taste.

YUMMY!
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Lettuce know if you have parsley because we don't! I can't believe it. This is a good reminder that I need to sow some ASAP. What leafy greens are you growing or planning to grow this season, Reader?
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If you need some help deciding, we're hosting a YouTube Live Q&A Bethany Farm Tour tomorrow, Wednesday at 2PM ET on our YouTube channel.

Grow abundantly!
Nicky & Dave