The Basella rubra we sowed has sprouted. This tropical vine loves the heat. It has thick leaves that can be used like spinach. In fact despite being NO relation, it’s called Malabar spinach. I’m looking forward to seeing the red stems and dark green leaves climbing all over its trellis, and experimenting with ways to cook it.

Most of our beans are doing great. Unfortunately multiple tries at growing ‘Royalty Purple’ bush beans were foiled. It was frustrating, but it gave us a spot to plant 2 ‘Ping Tung’ eggplant. This long slender Taiwanese eggplant is described as being sweet and thin-skinned. I find the large, lobed leaves of eggplant, with their slight fuzz, to be oddly distinguished. How about you?