Tag Archives: forcing rhubarb

Foxes on roofs and seeds in trays

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It’s been a nice dry bright day today for a change and it hasn’t been too cold either. Earlier a fox came through the garden just as we were putting an old bucket over the clump of rhubarb shoots. It weren’t bothered with us and the intricacies of forcing rhubarb, rather in the roof of the shed a few doors down. There it stayed for a good few hours.

Thanks to our radio pal Justin Patrick Moore across the pond, who sent us a wonderful seed catalogue from the US from Farmacie Isolde that has many “out there” seeds on it. Even though you won’t be able to order from them (unless you are in the USA), it will give you some great ideas and you could source a seller over here. Download or browse here.

There’s so many we have never heard of before but the above and below are real suprises to us. We forwarded the catalogue onto our mate Gerry Hectic who enquired about “Flat of Egypt (300 seeds for $3,75) or some Bulls Blood? on Page 31″. Isn’t gardening great?
Anyone started any seeds off on this bright Saturday? Pictures and stories if you have. One deck pete at gee male dot com.

 

What a difference an hour makes

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Last weekend another hour was spent out in the garden in the cold and damp but it was worth it. As you can see the beds at the left-hand side of the garden were looking initially untidy. After about an hours work they now look half reasonable. There’s overwintering garlic in the end of the bed nearest the fence and opposite that some rhubarb being forced under an upturned tub with bricks on it. Underneath the plank that’s come off the raised bed is a pregnant frog! The question is will it be nice enough weather to finish the remaining bed by the pond at the bottom of the garden this weekend?

Talking of rhubarb (Above: the result of forcing the plant a couple of years ago; lovely red stalks!) in an old gardening book we once learnt about a place called the Rhubarb Triangle (aka The Tusky Triangle) in West Yorkshire where the plant in grown and forced in dark barns and picked by candlelight (as not to turn the stalks green). Fact not fiction! More about that here and here.