Hi,

I know this is not the best time to be starting a salad garden (apparently I should wait a few more months till end of August) -- but thought I'd begin the thought process.

I read on a gardening blog on someone's experience on starting a salad meadow (mixed salad greens) in her side yard. It looked interesting and I found a variety of salad seed mixes in the nursery.

I am interested in knowing if anyone here has tried this idea and what to watch out for/what to expect. I am smitten by this idea and have cleared a spot in my yard.

- Do they all grow at a similar rate?

- Is soil preparation needed? I was thinking of transferring some of my compost over to this area. Any other steps necessary?

- How often do you harvest?

- If I started seeds now, will they bolt before end of summer? For the bay area weather, will mid-August/Labor Day weekend be a good time to start the seeds? (I want to start out before it gets too cold for seeds to germinate).

Any additional pointers appreciated!