Master Gardeners, Oct. 21

Autumn garden plants & advice

This month and next, the UC Cooperative Extension/LA County Master Gardeners are at the Green Tent earlier: the third Sunday of the month instead of the fourth. 

This week they'll have some seasonal seed packets, information on what to do in garden in the autumn, and the following plants to give away:

• A lettuce/mesclun mix called Valentine.  These are heirloom varieties of lettuce in rich shades of red, burgundy, magenta and cranberry touched with green.  They're easy to grow in garden beds and containers.  

• Red Russian kale. It's an heirloom variety that will mature into full sized plants, but the Master Gardeners think they are best harvested young like lettuces. Scissor-cut the leaves when about 4" tall.

• A few spinach, rainbow chard and cabbage plants.

Catch the Master Gardeners as well as the Master Food Preservers at the Mar Vista Fall Family Festival on Saturday, October 20. Hae Jung Cho will show you how to make kimchi and Angela Choi will share her knowledge about preserving tomatoes. Here's what the Master Gardeners are growing for you:

• Sugar snap peas -- delicious, eat them, pods and all.

• Cilantro/Coriander plants. "Santo" is a slow bolting variety and grows well in good containers. Use the fresh leaves for their intense tangy flavor.  Allow some plants to mature and save the Coriander seed.  Can be grown inside in a bright sunny window.