Sow red and green leaf lettuce seeds in a vintage colander for a stunning effect inspired by patchwork. It makes an impressive display at dinner parties where guests can cut their own fresh salad leaves.
TIME IT RIGHT Sow cut-and-come-again lettuce from spring to early fall and also through fall and into winter by using seasonal varieties. You should be cutting the first harvest in 4-5 weeks.
SEED LIST
Batavia leaf lettuce Red leaf lettuce
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Place your colander upside down on some thick cardstock and draw around the rim. Then draw another circle inside the outline, 34-1%in (2-4cm) smaller.
Within the smaller circle, draw your stencil design. Keep it simple; we divided the circle into four quadrants. Cut out your stencil, and keep all the shapes.
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Cover alternate sections of the design with stencils and sow lettuce seeds of one color, then cover the sown areas with stencils and sow the remaining areas with the other lettuce seeds.
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Remove stencils and sprinkle a layer of soil mix over all the seeds to cover them lightly, then place in a warm, bright place, or outside in summer. Note that red lettuce seedlings will be green at first and then change to red as the plants mature.
More Salad Planting Ideas
Why not try growing lettuce in other containers? Wicker baskets are great because, like colanders, they allow drainage. Metal adds a vintage look, while for something quirky, cut the base off plastic milk jugs, plant them, and hang on a wall. Lettuces can be decorative; they’re perfect to plant on the edges of beds and with other herbs and ornamental plants in containers.
As well as lettuce, you can grow plenty of edible flowers that will add a splash of color to your planting and an unusual zing to your salads, such as calendula (top center), nasturtiums, pansies, and primroses.
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