Swiss Chard ‘Bright Lights’

* Common name: Swiss chard ‘Bright Lights’

* Botanical name: Beta vulgaris ‘Bright Lights’

* What it is: An edible beet relative that’s colorful enough to be grown as an ornamental. The celery-like stems come in a rainbow of colors, including red, rose, gold, yellow and cream. The leaves are green and similar to beet leaves, only larger. Both stems and leaves can be eaten in salads or stir-fries.

* Size: 18-20 inches tall. Plant or thin to 1 foot apart.

* Where to use: Great for adding color to a vegetable garden. Also can be paired with annual flowers in a foundation bed or used in pots. Full sun to part shade.

* Care: Loosen the soil and incorporate compost to prepare the bed. Plant seeds directly in the garden from May through mid-summer or transplant young plants from the garden center. Keep soil consistently damp for best growth and mildest flavor. Harvest by cutting leaves from the perimeter, and ‘Bright Lights’ will keep producing all summer. Tolerates a light frost in fall. A scattering of granular organic fertilizer that’s slightly higher in nitrogen (first number on the bag’s three-digit formula) is optional after planting.

* Great partner: Carrots or parsley. Red and gold celosia or marigolds make good annual-flower partners.

— George Weigel