Spotlight on Swiss Chard

Not actually Swiss, but classified by a Swiss botanist, Swiss chard is a millennia-old green that packs a vitamin-filled punch!

Swiss chard leaf ready for the pan

I have only ever used Swiss chard as a leafy green vegetable, adding it to salads for its different texture and color. It has always been a popular choice with our customers, who buy both plants and seeds.

As I mentioned previously, Swiss chard isn’t actually Swiss. Instead, its ancestors grew wild along the coastlines of the Mediterranean. It is high in vitamins and minerals and holds up better than spinach when cooked.

Usually, I grow the baby leaf variety since that is what I use. This is the first time I’ve ever bought chard. Reading the history of the plant and seeing the benefits laid out before me, I knew I wanted to try something new.

Swiss chard with Chickpeas

I picked a couple of recipes online to try out. First, I decided on a cooked green recipe. Cooked greens are not my favorite, but they were once recommended by a coworker; I looked for a recipe to try.

Swiss Chard w/ Chickpeas

Dinner ended with this exchange with my father:

“Is there any more of the burnt stuff?”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t burn anything!”

“The burnt stuff. What was it? Charred?”

“It wasn’t burnt; it was Swiss Chard…oh!”

And off Dad went, cackling like the evil genius he is.

Plate ready

 Mom and Dad found the cooked greens delicious, but I knew I needed a backup plan since I didn’t want to waste food, and Mom is not big on leftovers.

Hummus

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. It’s not super-pretty, but it was tasty and I’m excited to have it in my “snackle box” for the week. I think it would also be a great spread for sandwiches. I even brought some in for my coworkers to try.

Delicious hummus

My last foray into the world of Swiss chard led me to pickled Swiss chard stems. I almost made them. I was prepared to, but I wanted a way to use them up without them sitting in the fridge to just be tossed later. Enter Swiss chard relish.

Swiss chard stems relish

It was the perfect topper for the hummus, especially since I forgot to add the lemon juice when I was making it. I’m excited to share it with a few coworkers on Monday to top our hot dogs with a sriracha ranch sauce.

Ready for dipping and sharing

 Just the facts:

Swiss chard is a member of the beet family; the stems taste like a cross between celery and beets.

High in vitamins A, C, and K; high in magnesium, potassium, and iron.

 Growing Tips:

Plant in spring and again in late summer; chard prefers cooler temperatures. With protection, it could also overwinter.

 Swiss chard prefers loose, well-draining soil.

 While it can tolerate partial shade in hot climates, chard performs best in full sun.

 Harvest outer leaves while leaving the rest of the plant to grow for continual harvesting.

This blog and the recipes were created by Jen Kostick. Jen curates the herb transplants we carry as well as the phenomenal selection of garden seeds sold at Valley View Farms. An excellent cook, Jen shares her gifts of food with friends and coworkers at Valley View Farms. We are so lucky!

September Seminars and Workshops

 Our classes are open to the public, with no need for reservations. Join us for fall classes and workshops. 

Bonsai---Unusual Styles        September 6, 9am

Martha Meehan shares her love of literati and cascade style bonsai. Spruce and Chamaecyparis are the Plants of the Month

Fall Garden and Container Workshop            September 6, 11 am

Plant a Fall Container with a combination of perennials, grasses, herbs, and autumn annuals that will last through the season. The approximate cost of $60 includes a planter, soil, fertilizer, and 5-7 plants. Ruth leads the class. 

 

Ornamental Grasses and Fall Blooming Perennials        September 13, 11 am

Learn about perennial grasses and late-fall perennials, including native plants. Fall bloomers provide shelter and food for migrating butterflies, hummingbirds, and birds. Join Baltimore County Master Gardener Lexie Leeser for more information.

 Houseplant Care and Feeding        September 20, 11 am

After spending the summer outside, our houseplants will need to be moved indoors. Things to consider: How can we prevent insects from entering indoors? Should we repot? How do we provide lighting for our indoor plants? What’s the best way to acclimate our plants for indoor health?

Eric will answer these and other questions during the seminar. 

Fall Lawn Clinic        Sept 27, 9 am

Fall is the BEST time to seed a new lawn or repair an existing one. Our experts will discuss fertilizer, seed,  weed control, and timing to achieve fantastic results. Join Brian and John for the information. 

Stay tuned for our October events and classes. See you soon!

New Annual Varieties from Cultivate '25 and Penn State Trials

 July was a busy month, ordering varieties of plants for our farm to grow next year and connecting with our other growers.

Our team at Cultivate: Tim, Carrie, Jen, and John

Cultivate '25 is an international trade show and educational event held in Columbus, Ohio. Valley View Farms sent four key people: John, our grower, Tim, our GM, Jen, buyer for seeds, herbs, and annuals, and me. We met several times during the event, then went our separate ways according to our interests. Important to all four of us was the New Plants Showcase and the companies that breed and produce many of them.

Leave a comment about any plants that you find particularly interesting. 

Many new houseplants are entering the market as interest remains for this group of plants

Perennial flowering and foliage plants 

New introductions from Hilverda

Ball FloraPlant is a primary supplier for our greenhouse

Plants Nouveau brings many plants to market, including Hydrangeas

Terra Nova is a source for our perennial growers

AAS tests varieties in nationwide trials

After 3 days at Cultivate and hundreds of photos later, we head to Penn State's Annual Field Trials in Landisville to compare the many new plants in 'real world' conditions of weather. John went a week ahead of us. We came back with the same conclusions about the plants we were judging. You'll see some of these and more in 2026!

Yelena and Leah joined me in evaluating the flower trial

Looking for combinations to grow in our larger pots

Many Sunbeckias were trialed. We've sold them this summer.

Many, many coleus varieties looked beautiful! 

Ageratum Monarch Magic lives up to its name.

New colors of Vnca were on display.

We love the ruffled petals of this vinca.

A look across the trial field. 

Amazing tropical colors!

Lots of Calibrachoa and Petunias!

Nice summer combo

New colors of popular Sunpatiens

Impatiens and begonias are grown in shade and sun for comparison. Most did equally well.

Our job isn't finished yet. John will work to find the plants we have asked for from growers, marketers, and breeders and schedule them for growing in 2026. 

 We would love your feedback on what you are looking for in next year's garden for containers and color. 

Basil Recipes

 It’s Good to be the King

I am probably one of the few people who do not rush out to the garden for fresh basil at every meal. I'd rather get the dried basil than go outside in this heat and humidity just for a handful of basil.

Despite this quirk, if someone asks me what herbs I like, basil is undoubtedly the first I list and reigns as the King in my garden. After freezing and drying, what else is there to do with basil? Realistically, how much pesto can you store in your freezer, fridge, and pantry? Okay, a lot! But here are a few other ideas for using up your basil.

Infused Oils and Vinegars

Infused oils and vinegars are simple to make, taste great and even make great gifts during the holidays. Pair an infused oil with some delicious crusty bread for dipping, or an infused vinegar with some salad tongs and bowl!

Tuscan Butter

Tuscan Butter

I just made this for lunch this week. It's basil, garlic, and sundried tomatoes in butter. Spread on crackers…YUM! And it can be frozen for use later. I'm thinking of trying it on spaghetti squash next, or maybe zucchini noodles! Pro tip: don't follow a recipe-just go to taste! The recipe I used needed more basil and sundried tomatoes for me; I may have added extra garlic to begin with.

Raspberry Basil Sorbet

Raspberries are ready at Shaw's Orchard, and I stopped after work to pick some. I'm not a fan of raspberry seeds, but I ran them through the juicer, mixed them with basil simple syrup, and then froze.

Simple syrup is simple! It is 1 part sugar to 1 part liquid, boiled down to a thicker consistency. And I know there is an easier way to do this, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't make it a bit difficult. I place basil and water in a small crockpot and leave it on warm, usually for a day. I am a firm believer that gentle heat and a cover make a better infusion, especially with aromatic herbs such as basil. This also produces a lot of basil-infused water that freezes much better than simple syrup and allows me to enjoy it all winter long!

To finish the simple syrup, mix the infused water with sugar and boil it down. Or just add the basil-infused ice to ¼ cup pureed watermelon and a small can of Sprite for a quick spritzer!

Tea

Tulsi Tea

Culinary herbs were familiar to me when I started working at Valley View, but holy basil, or tulsi, was something that I had never heard of. It quickly became one that I talked about to everyone who would listen.

Holy basil falls under the term of adaptogen, a type of herb that helps to regulate stress in your body. How wonderful is that?!

I used holy basil, peach, and sage to make a nourishing infusion. Basically, I steep them in hot water and allow them to cool. I usually just let it sit overnight and strain it in the morning. To drink, I mix about 1/4 cup with a small can of club soda to make it bubbly. Pro tip: a little sage goes a LONG way. I was originally planning to use lemon balm, but couldn't find it in the cabinet when I looked. Of course, I found it the next morning!

Tulsi Tea

I have a couple more recipes that I want to try. One recipe is for peach bread with basil that I am going to foist onto my coworkers to see if it is any good. So, what are you planning on doing with your basil?

Written and photographed by guest blogger, Jen Kostick.

Summer Garden Tours in Columbus with GardenComm

 July 12 Tours with GardenComm in Columbus, OH

Access to the backyard among an oasis of green

We met early on, expecting another day with temperatures in the '90s. Sessions Village is a gated community in Bexley, a suburb of Columbus. The architecture, featuring stone, cobblestone, brick, and other materials, felt old and timeless. A strong garden club presence helped the residents plan and maintain their gardens. Hedge and espalier trimming was contracted to a pruning specialist, but most of the other designs and plantings were the work of the homeowners. 

Stone, gates, plants, and ponds were all a part of this community. 

Several of the homes featured water gardens

Espaliered pears ran the length of outdoor walls

Formal gardens highlighted patio spaces featuring hydrangeas and roses

A Japanese maple and hosta frame a beautiful pond and waterfall

A stop at another area garden featured a wall-enclosed backyard. But the highlight of the stop was hearing from Dr. Allen Armitage about how storytelling enhances our social and other media postings. 

Dr. Armitage connects with GardenComm

Mezzacello is an urban farm that embraces science, robotics, plants, ponds, and animals to teach STEM to students in the area. The city corner lot uses computers, energy-creating turbines, and tools for students to create and maintain the farming space. 

A passion for teaching 

A chicken coop from found materials

A garden with sheds housing rabbits, ducks, and chickens

Gardens for pollinators

Showing us various uses for the pond, including water filtration

Our last stop of the day was the Franklin Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Stunning displays, a Chihuly Glass installation, and remarkable Lego creations were around every corner. A storm kept me from seeing the Botanical Gardens outside, leaving me reason to revisit.

I highly recommend a visit

Summer heat-loving annuals 

Indoor wall of Philodendron Brasil

Bonsai show 

Rooftop plaza

View from the plaza

Orange tree, lantana, dipladenia

Life-sized Lego sculpture

One of 18 Chihuly glass sculptures

Lovely sight and sound of water movement

Indoor pond

After a day full of fun, I headed back to get ready for Cultivate '25 tomorrow, which I will attend with my Valley View Farms workmates. 

Thank you to GardenComm for the tours, meal arrangements, and leadership. Also, thanks to our sponsors Proven Winners Color Choice shrubs, Twixwood Nursery, Dramm, Upshoot Gardens, and The Mid-Ohio Farm Collective.