Yardsmart: Food gardens in the side yard

Those narrow slots between building and fence are routinely neglected. This year, take a fresh look at how productive these side-yard spaces can be at your home.

The key to the side-yard garden is to understand what grows best in limited light. A general rule of thumb is to avoid those veggies that are grown for flowers and fruit, for these are dependent on plenty of sun. Instead, look to those plants that offer edible foliage and roots because these will be more adaptable to less-than-ideal conditions. They are the best choices for the transitional seasons of spring and fall. With some protection in the winter, they may even continue far longer, offering fresh, vitamin-rich organic fare to soups and stews.

Among the "greens," those known as pot greens are the most adaptable and long-lived. Pot greens are cooked and eaten warm, often with noodles. These offer an exotic world of new flavors and textures to healthy winter meals.

In the West, pot greens are dominated by the brassicas, which are all relatives of broccoli and cabbage. They are often planted at summer's end to germinate in the still-warm soil and mature into winter. They will not flower so long as days are short, making them productive throughout the offseason. The brassica known as kale actually grows sweeter when exposed to frost.

Many brassicas and other similar greens, such as bok choy, pak choi, choy sum, oriental mustard greens and dozens of others, come from Asia and are little known to Americans. These likely came into cultivation as important, vitamin-rich foods to enhance a sparse winter diet. With seed so affordable, it's easy to plant your own experimental side yard to begin learning how each one grows.

Because greens depend on the stem and leaves to be productive, their nutritional requirements include a healthy dose of nitrogen. Soil enriched with nitrogen from manure, compost and other organic fertilizers stimulate large leafy plants. Prepare soil with any or all of these additives to stimulate fast growth while temperatures are warm. Strive to have plants well established by the time frost rolls around.

To get started with Asian greens, consult these excellent online seed sellers that specialize in these varieties. Kitazawa Seed Company (www.kitazawaseed.com/) in Oakland, Calif., is an old, established company. It offers an excellent selection of Asian greens with many different varieties. Their write-ups and recipes are interesting, with great ideas for how to use these plants in the kitchen.

Here in America, land is taken for granted. It lies fallow in too many homes of cash-strapped families who deserve relief from the grocery bill. Consider each square foot of ground in your yard a gift. Then step outside of your old ideas and discover that it's easy to be green with greens.

Maureen Gilmer is a horticulturist. Her blog, the MoZone, offers ideas for cash-strapped families. Read the blog at www.MoPlants.com/blog. E-mail her at mogilmer@yahoo.com.