L is for Lettuce

My dad was a gardener, a real "green thumb" gardener.  I think I learned most of what I know about gardening from him, and a love of growing food for sure.  But Dad never grew lettuce.  I think he was sure that Texas was too hot for lettuce, that it would be bitter because of the heat.

I've grown lettuce for the past three years, and I'm getting better at it every year.  I'm finding out that it does so much better in early, early spring, and that it does indeed get bitter if you try to grow it here in our hot, hot Texas summers.  But, it can be done if you start early enough and pick short season varieties.

Red Romaine

We'll be picking young leaves from these this week, cutting leaves around the outside.