Orientals for Summer

     Our gardens, parks and grand houses have been enriched by the trees, shrubs and flowers that were brought back from the Orient by the plant hunters of the 1800s.  Many of these are now so widely grown it would be easy to think they have always grown here, indeed some have settled here all too well!  Those plant hunters were searching for the wow factor in return for their patron funding their journeys to the far reaches of the world.  They returned with specimens, seeds, cuttings, drawings and new knowledge.  Over 100 years ago burdock, Chinese cabbage, Malabar and hardy mustards were available to the garden connoisseur but as curiosities not as vegetables worthy of a place in the kitchen garden.

     What a treasure trove was missed.  Tasty, vigorous, highly adaptable – with so many proving to be ideally suited to growing in the cooler months of the year when our ‘native’ vegetables are in short supply (hence the new ‘tradition’ of sowing after mid-summer’s day).  Many can be grown fast and intensively – they fit the bill for small gardens, container and raised bed growing especially as cut-&-come-again.  And they are highly nutritious – for the health-conscious fast stir-frying or steaming is appealing.  For everyone it is the range of colour, texture and above all the flavours that tempt us to explore.

     And thus a rich variety of vegetables is available to you at this time of year.  We share a similar climate to parts of the far east, perfect growing conditions for that host of flavourful options.  There is no shortage of recipes but sourcing the ingredients remains difficult except if you are a gardener willing to discover the potential of all things oriental.

     All of these vegetables are versatile and can be used in a variety of cooking methods, such as stir-frying, steaming, and adding to soups and stews.  Whilst some can be grouped together others are unique…our range includes

Leafy Greens such as Chinese Cabbage, Pak Choi, Choy Sum, Komatsuna Mizunas, Mibuna Mustard Leaves Amaranth & Malabar to name a few  

Roots such as Mooli & Burdock, Salsify & Scorzonera

In the Bean family you will find Snow Peas & Yard Long Beans.

Radishes – Leaf Radish and the beauty heart variety Watermelon Radish

And then there are…
Bunching Onion – Ishikura, Chinese Chives, Stem Lettuce – Celtuce, Mitsuba, Watercress, Okahijiki & Mitsuba

     Whilst some can be sown in spring there is a very real benefit to sowing Orientals in the summer. They can be used to fill up the spaces as you harvest earlier crops and many have a harvest that stretches right through into the autumn and early winter.  Sowing later avoids flea beetles that make lots of little holes in the leaves (use flypaper stretched over the prongs of a fork as a sticky trap – disturb the leaves, the flea beetles jump up and stick to the sticky paper!).

     Some Oriental varieties are harvested in one go for their complete head or rosette of leaves.  Some, like Mizunas, can be harvested as cut-&-come-again – simply snipping near the base and taking leaves from the outside to leave the central leaves to grow on for cutting again at a later time. And some, such as Pak Choi, can be enjoyed in stages – young plants and any thinnings are perfect in your salads whilst others can grow on to maturity for cooking.  In the case of Scorzonera and some other roots you can dig them up and replant the smaller ones to grow on.

     And should you be bamboozled by the choice then look out for our oriental special offers over the summer months.  Remember all our seed packets come with a sowing and growing guide and harvesting and eating ideas too.  Enjoy those Orientals from your own garden.

Rachel

June 2025