Nemo's Jerry-rigged Closet Garden and Pondering Kale

I finished Nemo's Garden yesterday.  Except instead of putting it in the basement which is very, very cold I used my husband's side of the closet!  To be fair, neither of us has many clothes, at least none that fit, so there was plenty of space.  We both enjoyed food heartily whilst I was pregnant and we both gained multiple pounds as a result.

It seems apropos to be growing vegetables in my closet rather than clothes.  Any who, back to the  closet garden.  The adjustable shelving unit - which can be seen here - fit nicely in the closet with room to spare which was surprising and the light was very easy to install.  Everything seems tip-top! 

All I have growing at the moment are some broccoli, cabbage and parsley seeds - none of which actually require light at this stage - but I'm ready and waiting with my brights on!

Nemo's Garden is looking a bit sad and lonely at the moment.

The My Square Foot Garden Newsletter came yesterday.  Cauliflower, collards, kale and mustard greens were added to the "Start Seeds Inside" list.  One thing that I've been struggling with is deciding what to plant and how much of each.  Part of me wants to try everything but my more rational side knows that I am far more likely to need and use onions and broccoli than, say collards or mustard greens.

Now, I love collards and mustard greens as much as the next gal but they aren't something that I regularly buy from the grocery store.  That being said I think they are delicious and I should be eating more greens.  Isn't that the whole point?

And then there is kale.  I have heard "Dino Kale" referred to again and again in gardening videos.  My cousin who lives in an Airstream trailer in Mendecino, CA praises kale as one of her staple foods and grows it in a container outside her door.  Everywhere you look people are talking about kale like it's the secret to life on earth, a miracle food - the edible holy grail.

I probably purchased kale at the grocery store once, maybe twice, last year.  I'm sure this is a deep seeded character flaw, but there it is.  Onions, tomato sauce, pickles and broccoli, on the other hand, I buy almost every trip.  The problem with broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage is you only get one head per square - anything happens to that head and your net gain is 0.  Likewise, you can only put one tomato plant per 9 square feet - unless you prune it to a single stem.  The garden plan I made seems pretty solid but I wish I had more space.

Thanks to some encouragement from +pam lachute and +Quantina Jones  I will be starting my herbs, spinach and tomato trellises asap!  Thanks ladies!

To kale or not to kale?  That is my question.