Perennial Vegetables, Arugula!

I had no idea that I would have so much fun with arugula!  
WHAT?
Yes, this leafy green is already up and ready to harvest in Central Oregon.  
Wild?  Well, this one is an heirloom variety but yes, I planted it when we moved in late summer, 2013 and now it is well established right next to the patio door.  We pop out in the evening and pick a mess before dinner and voila, fresh salad greens!

Here is what I found on the Internet about this perennial vegetable:

Sylvetta Arugula

Known as wild arugula, or wild rocket, this perennial heirloom (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) was originally cultivated in Italy, but has found its way to gardens around the world. Sylvetta has a sharper, more fiery bite than regular arugula, and its pointed green leaves are welcome additions to salads and egg dishes, and it can also be used to make a peppery pesto sauce.

I have been known to walk around the yard and simply graze on this stuff.  We hand it out to neighbors walking by and they think we are crazy until they taste it.  Peppery, aromatic, spicy, delicious!  I love it on my gluten free rice bread BLT's instead of the L! 

Warning, they do have a tendency to reseed so cut off the flower heads through the summer and you will have fresh arugula all season long well into fall. 

A quick link to the article:

http://inhabitat.com/re-discovering-perennial-vegetables/sylvetta-arugula/?extend=1

Renting in Central Oregon

Who says that renters cant act like homeowners? 

When we moved to our new little abode in Bend at the end of May, 2013, the yard had been seriously neglected. The property had been bank owned for a number of years and we all know that banks have no motivation to maintain a yard. As a homeowner for the past 30 years, we just dug in and acted like it was ours.  (See previous blog)
We live there, after all, right? 
This year, the fruits of our labors are starting to show.  The forsythia is in full bloom, daffodils and hyacinths are popping up all over the flower beds and the perennials are starting to get some size to them. 
The newest addition to the mix are several large planter box's that we inherited from a friend that moved to the Bay Area.  We are putting them to good use in a former weed lot at the west end of the driveway. 
Last fall our next door neighbor to the south, also a renter, decided that the weed patch between our properties was an eye sore.  He was right!  He cleared the strip and then we planted daffodils, daylilies, iris and moved in some perennials and grasses that needed to be divided.  
I am excited to be gardening again even though I do not own the house.  As a good steward, I have been asked to "keep it up"!  In so doing, I am also getting some garden therapy that is much needed right now. 
Pictures will be posted in the next few days.