Sunflower Greens with Lemon Verbena

Sunflower greens growing on the deck railing make a tasty, healthy addition to salads and smoothies starting right about now. We use Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, the same ones the cardinals love, and harvest them just before the second set of leaves begin to form. I use scissors and snip off the tops and about 2" - 3" of the stems, leaving the roots and remaining stems to compost naturally in the soil mix. Super easy, super nutritious and the sunflower seeds are super cheap!

Our Lemon Verbena plants in 4" pots are growing fast, now that we are finally getting some sunny days after about a week of rain. In a couple days it will be time to trim them so they grow bushy rather than lanky.

To add Lemon Verbena to salads, either use oil or vinegar infused with it for a couple weeks, or be sure to chop finely or put in a blender with other salad dressing ingredients. 

Lemon Verbena leaves are not as tender as Sunflower greens, which can be munched straight off the stem.