Winter is the perfect time to grow delicious vegetables

You'll fall in love with winter gardening. And there are numerous reasons why: The weather is working with you; it will be a no-sweat garden; vegetables maturing in cool weather will be high quality; expect fewer pests (weeds, insects and diseases); you'll be using less water; saving money on grocery bills; and you'll be receiving accolades from those sampling your produce.

Plant any time before mid-October. However, there is one thing certain about weather. You never know when it's going to turn cold and may slow down the growth of your vegetables. Take advantage of our Indian summer and plant before the middle of September. That way, these vegetables will produce bushels into the holidays.

Don't hide your garden in the backyard or off in a far corner. Put it on display for all to see, harvest and eat. These vegetables are as spectacular as flowers and are edible. Vegetables are beautiful in their own way.

Be imaginative! Cluster vegetables around shrubs and flowers or in place of flowers, in whiskey barrels in highly visible areas. But wherever you plant, keep veggies close to the kitchen for easy access at harvest time.

Crucial factors to keep in mind when planting in the fall:

1. Grow vegetables you like, not what is easy to grow. However, radishes make me sick, but they are good starter plants for children.

2. Select from the following vegetables: lettuce, spinach, mustard, endive, Swiss chard, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, broccoli, kale, collards, beets, carrots, garlic, onions, parsnips and turnips. Also include parsley, basil, dill and cilantro to provide additional flavors.

3. Veggies need as much as six hours of sunlight; take into consideration shadows from your home, walls and shade trees.

4. Mark out the area where you intend to plant your garden or use containers.

Soil preparation is such a critical factor to ensure success in our valley. Here's how:

1. Spread 4 inches of organic matter such as compost or planting mix over the garden area. Use planting mix in containers.

2. Broadcast a vegetable fertilizer such as blood meal and bone meal over your plot.

3. Add sulfur to counteract the alkali.

4. Till or spade organic matter and fertilizer into the top 12 inches of soil.

5. Water your garden thoroughly to leach away salts.

Seed packets provide a wealth of information you'll find at your nursery. Here are some planting tips:

1. Stay away from straight row planting. Create a design and plant accordingly for added interest in the landscape. In the olden days, we planted in straight rows to make it easy to cultivate with horses.

2. Plant seeds a bit deeper because the soil surface gets so hot.

3. Firm soil around the seeds for good seed-to-soil contact.

4. Mulch over seeds to prevent crusting; otherwise, seedlings can't emerge.

5. Keep soil surface moist until seedlings emerge.

6. Note the picture of the seedling on the packet so you know what it looks like when it emerges. Some seedlings are peculiar and you may weed them out.

7. When seedlings get their first true leaves, thin to the proper stance. Do not wait too long to thin, or you'll set back plants you keep. Have someone else do the thinning, as no one likes to thin vegetables.

8. After thinning, feed and water deeply to push veggies into maturity.

9. Keep an eye on new growth for aphids; if it's a problem, wash them off.

10. Keep the seed packet picture, so you'll know the precise time to harvest at its peak of quality.

Finally, kick back in your easy chair and dream of those prize-winning vegetables that will soon be coming out of your garden.

SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL

It is a desert out there, but thanks to the variety of desert-adapted plants available, you can have much more than just a yard. Come to a free seminar at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., to explore the steps to creating a beautiful water-efficient landscape and how to extend your living space into the outdoors.

DRIP IRRIGATION

This free class equips you with the skills to design and install a drip irrigation system. Learn the complete installation process from the street to the plants, including how to select and assemble components, from Southern Nevada Water Authority experts. You'll build a drip system in the classroom and learn how easy it is to save water and have healthy plants. It is at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Springs Preserve.

Linn Mills writes a gardening column each Sunday. You can reach him at linn.mills@springspreserve.org or call him at 822-7754.