Gardeners seeking color for the winter landscape should look beyond traditional pansies and violas and embrace the wide range of ornamental vegetables that can be grown in Mississippi. I’ve written about the colorful varieties of ornamental kale and cabbage, but a plant that doesn’t get much press is Swiss chard. Swiss chard is a winter annual available in a variety of bright and eye-catching colors, and it will certainly attract attention if you grow it.
Though many gardeners have not heard of it, Swiss chard was one of the first vegetables to be marketed for its ornamental qualities. The variety Bright Lights, with its stems and veins of gold, orange, yellow and red, is an outstanding choice for a border planting or combination container. One of my favorite winter varieties is Ruby Red. The leaf stems and veins are a brilliant red, and the dark green leaves have a crinkly texture.

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