blue cabbage Landscape, Denver

Setting out small plants rather than starting from seeds is a good way to jump-start the process. Once the last frost date has passed and the soil has warmed, you can safely plant warm-season crops, like cucumbers, summer squash, pumpkins, beans, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and corn. Keep a lightweight freeze blanket handy and cover plants when nighttime temperatures are forecast to dip below 55 degrees.

Leafy veggies. Look for varieties of cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, chard, lettuce and others. Get them in the ground as soon as the scorching days have passed.

Go For the CrunchThere’s a reason broccoli is a fall and winter favorite in the stores; it can handle the cooler temperatures. Any member of the cabbage family is a good choice for the garden when temperatures drop.

When to plant: Like most cool-season crops, cabbage is happiest growing in fall or spring. For spring planting, sow the seeds of an early variety in very early spring. You can also start them indoors about six weeks before the last frost date and set out transplants three weeks later. For fall and winter crops, plant seeds of midseason and late varieties in late summer. Days to maturity: 50 to 100 Light requirement: Full sun is best; partial shade is also fine, especially if the weather heats up quickly.Water requirement: Provide ample water and keep the soil moist.Favorite cabbage varieties: Alcosa, Arrowhead, Brunswick, Early Jersey Wakefield, Gonzales, January King, Late Flat Dutch, Mammoth Red Rock, Red Drumhead, Red Express, Red Meteor, Redball, Samantha, Savoy King, Savoy Queen, Super Red 80, Winnigstadt Planting and care: Be sure your soil is fertile and well drained. Sow seeds up to a half inch deep and an inch apart. Give them space, setting them out or thinning them to 1 to 2 feet apart with 2 feet or more between rows. They like water, so keep the bed continually moist. Feed the plants about halfway through the growing season with a complete high-nitrogen fertilizer. Weed them carefully, as the roots are shallow.Cabbage is prone to problems; what can you expect when there are bugs named cabbage loopers, cabbage root maggots and cabbage worms? They can also have problems with diseases, such as damping off and downy mildew, and these are just some of the possible problems. Solving plant problems: You can watch to see if the problem resolves itself naturally, especially if you follow the principles of integrated pest management and organic gardening. But if it gets out of hand, take steps to eradicate it, beginning with the least invasive approach and moving from there. Rotating crops in the future may help with some problems. Heads will split if they’re too old, so harvest before that happens. Harvest: Watch the cabbage heads carefully and harvest before they split. Store them in a cool spot and keep them damp to help prolong their storage life. More: How to Grow Cool-Season Vegetables

Likewise, veggies bring a sense of intrigue. Use lettuces, cabbages and kale as cool-season foliage plants. Tuck in a few bell peppers or tomatoes for tasteful color in summer.

Plant cool-season edibles. Kale, cabbage, spinach and Swiss chard are all fall favorites. Radishes and lettuce also will have plenty of time to grow and be harvested before the cold weather comes. September is also the best time to plant onions and garlic. Cover these with bird netting raised a few inches with blocks of wood or old nursery pots. Birds seem to love to peck at those emerging tips! Once the roots have established, the netting can be removed.For more great ideas on how to grow cool-season crops, enjoy this ideabook.Gardeners in the maritime Northwest will find Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades by Steve Solomon invaluable.

Northwest. When it comes to edibles, “kale, cabbage, spinach and Swiss chard are all fall favorites,” says landscape designer Karen Chapman. “Radishes and lettuce also will have plenty of time to grow and be harvested before the cold weather comes.”She adds, “September is also the best time to plant onions and garlic. Cover these with bird netting raised a few inches with blocks of wood or old nursery pots. Birds seem to love to peck at those emerging tips! Once the roots have established, the netting can be removed.”Get her Northwest September checklist | More cool-season crops | Find a compost bin

Greens in nature. Look at any plant with variegated foliage, like this lovely, plump cabbage, and you can see how green can blend nearly seamlessly with other hues. Here the bluish purple fades into silvery green. Nearly any plant, if you look closely enough, will reveal many subtle shades of green. Now step back and notice what surrounds the green plant you have been looking at — it may give you an idea for a color pairing.

we would like to see a herb garden and incorporation of edible plants.

Color palate to use with deep purple walls

Color palette inspo for living room - green walls, accents of purple, yellow, shadow