April 27 column: Growing celery

Here is a link to my column in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Tango celery excels in short seasons. Even though the headline makes it sound like it’s only about growing celery (I don’t write the headlines), it’s also about growing tomatillos, both of which warm-season crops.

What? You’ve never grown them, or perhaps have no intention of growing them? Well, I can certainly understand but I think it’s great fun trying new things. Last year, I grew ‘Tango’ celery and it did great. You can’t beat picking your own homegrown celery for a tuna sandwich, let me tell you!

I’m growing ‘Tango’ again this year and another new crop I’m trying is ‘Toma Verde’ tomatillos. Up until this spring, I’d never given much thought to growing them, maybe because I figured they were difficult to grow or needed a longer growing season than we have. I’ve since learned that I was wrong on both counts, so I have 3 seedlings in my kitchen that are just waiting to go out into the garden once it’s warm enough… which hopefully will be in 2-3 weeks.

I hope you’ll enjoy today’s column. Even if you don’t grow celery or tomatillos this year, perhaps it will encourage you to try new crops or varieties as well.