Almost by accident, the raised container bed is turning out to be a great place for growing mesclun. Last weekend, our neighbor had a big family dinner to which we were invited. While we were getting ready to go over, we saw one of her guests outside picking lettuce for the salad. Later she said was really impressed with the mesclun, which was tender and delicate and spicy and delicious, if I do say so myself.
It’s also really pretty.
One little problem is that it’s close to a blooming tree that drops little spent blooms and leaves in the bed. It’s not that hard to pick them out, however. And one doesn’t have to get down quite as far to harvest or clean out the lettuce bed as when it’s at ground level.
Another great thing about growing our mesclun in the raised bed occurred to me this week as I picked our second and third salads. There are no slugs competing with me for my tender greens. Not that they eat all that much, but it does tend to put one off one’s chow when one encounters too many little gooey critters nibbling on what one hoped to nibble for dinner. Slugs don’t seem to be living in the raised bed, which is a definite plus for growing and eating lettuce.
