Grow a Salad Bar of Lettuce, Onion Greens, and Calendula Flowers

Zone 9 and 10 friends. Do you want a weekend January project that allows getting your hands dirty while filling your soul and body?

As for other zones, this is also a great way to kick start your growing season when temperatures remain consistent between 45-65 F.

What you'll need:

1. Large Pot, Barrel Planter, or Grow Bag (at least 10-gallon size).

2. Potting soil (If you're going for it, splurge on the good organic stuff and know your planting container's capacity so that you get enough)

3. 1-2 Six-packs of one variety, or multiple varieties, of lettuce seedlings (I pack them in, and when you harvest, take the outside leaves and let new leaves grow from the center.)

4. Onions (seeds, bulbs, or in sets - a bunch of young singular onions growing together in a pot or bunch). Having fresh onion greens on hand is always bonus, but the strong odor deters unwanted pests.

5. Calendula Flowers. They also repel insects that might graze your lettuce greens, and bees and native pollinators love them. Plus, you can add petals to your salad for beauty and nutrition.

6. (Optional) Olla - this buried clay jar pulls water from the container into the surrounding soil as needed and helps to make your new salad bar a little more low maintenance.

What you’ll do:

Plant this super trifecta of planting companions together. Pack them in and remember to harvest outside lettuce leaves to continue to make space for plant growth.

You can do it! I be-leaf in you!

When harvesting lettuce leaves, remove the outside leaves, allowing for more growing space and new leaves to grow from the center of the plant.

Include various varieties of lettuce for both culinary and aesthetic purposes.

Onion greens protect your tender lettuce leaves and add a flavor "kick" to your salad or other dishes.

Calendula Flower Petals add color to your Salad Bar planter and later your plate.