Thursday, 20 March 2008

Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb

Rosie here this time with a garden update. I've been trying, without success, to get some rhubarb plants by swapping for something else on the local AngloInfo forum. People kept telling me I could buy it almost anywhere but they completely missed the point that I wanted to swap it for something, NOT to buy it! So imagine my surprise when Simon said there was a load growing in the old veg area. We'd seen it last Autumn but couldn't find it when he started clearing the area with the digger. Somehow, though, he managed to miss it. I've transplanted 5 clumps into the new veg patch and will leave the main clump to crop this year. My mouth is already watering at the thought of rhubarb crumble, cake, chutney, jam, cheesecake ........ Let me know if you want any recipes.

All the locals I've spoken to have said wait until April before getting on in the veg patch with exception of planting shallots and garlic. Well, I have done that but I am an impatient gardener so I've done a bit more - I've planted out some parsley (Persil in French!) and lettuces, sowed broad beans and put in half the onion sets. Last week-end we were able to sit outside for lunch on the hedgelaying week-end - but no chance of that now. We had a frost last night (my poor lettuces!) and there is a bitter wind blowing as I write. Snow is forecast for tomorrow not far from here so you never know - we might get a White Easter!! Looks like the locals knew what they were talking about!

I've also sown some seeds inside and keep nagging Simon to make me a cold frame. He hopes to use the old windows and as we collected the new double glazed windows today I might get a cold frame sometime soon. Not sure when we'll get the polytunnel up bearing in mind we've just bought 1000 hedge plants and they need planting ....... NOW.

Anyone for a hedge planting holiday in Normandy?

Posted by at
Labels: ,

36 comments :

  1. Phoebe @ Lou Messugo5 March 2016 at 11:29

    I'm one of the few select people who HATE rhubarb! But I'm the first to comment on your first blog post from nearly 8 years ago!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life5 March 2016 at 11:33

      LOL and thank you. What with your dislike of chard you don't seem to like your stalks. What about asparagus and celery?

      Delete
  2. Phoebe @ Lou Messugo5 March 2016 at 11:35

    asparagus heaven, celery good, chard I can eat just not in the veggie box quantities. Rhubarb though.....urgh!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life7 March 2016 at 08:06

      I love all of them but find French white asparagus odd. My father grew large amounts of green asparagus and I think the white looks anaemic!

      Delete
  3. Phoebe @ Lou Messugo7 March 2016 at 09:30

    thin green over white any day...white is too big and slimy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous20 March 2016 at 12:04

    Nice to read your first post, Rosie. I expect you're a real pro now at swapping vegetables! I'm not that keen on rhubarb either but love asparagus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2016 at 20:02

      I failed miserably to grow asparagus but he rhubarb is growing triffid like year on year.

      Delete
  5. Island Living 36520 March 2016 at 12:24

    I love rhubarb!! Did you get that white easter I wonder??/ #myfirstblogpost :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2016 at 20:05

      I don't think so as I couldn't find any photos or mentions of Easter snow on the blog.

      Delete
  6. Kim Carberry20 March 2016 at 13:29

    Ahh! I love rhubarb. I remember my grandad growing it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2016 at 20:06

      It does seem to be a love it or hate it food - I adore it.

      Delete
  7. Shaz Goodwin20 March 2016 at 17:06

    Did you get your cold frame Rosie? Great first post :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2016 at 20:14

      I did but not for a while and we didn't use the windows in the end. It is currently filling up with veggie seedlings once again.

      Delete
  8. Swags20 March 2016 at 21:07

    And now? Do you have tons and tons of rhubarb?! It's so nice to see how far all of us have come since we first started recording in our blogs! Thanks, Rosie!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2016 at 20:15

      Yes - the only plant that never does well is the one I bought before I rescued the others!

      Delete
  9. MummyTravels20 March 2016 at 22:25

    So how is the rhubarb?! I'm with Phoebe that I really don't like it (years of nasty school rhubarb crumble)... lovely having a little trip back to long before I'd discovered your blog - or blogging!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2016 at 20:17

      The rhubarb is wonderful and each year I have more than it know what to do with - luckily, as a family, we all love it, though.

      Delete
  10. clara@expatpartnersurvival.com21 March 2016 at 08:32

    LOVE rhubarb! It grew in our garden in England, we didn't actually have to do anything every year it just grew! And there was loads of it even though we have a small garden so every year we would have crumble, jam, compote...I bought some here the other day and although it was cheap (which is unusual, thanks to the drought this year all fruit and veg prices seem to have rocketed), it wasn't nearly as sweet as the stuff from our garden back home. Ahhhh I am missing England at the moment :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2016 at 20:20

      There is nothing as good as freshly harvested rhubarb cooked and eaten quickly ... if only I could send you some to SA!

      Delete
  11. Jessica Powell21 March 2016 at 14:03

    So much rhubarb goodness! I'm addicted to rhubarb yoghurt at the moment! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2016 at 20:23

      Mmm - I love stewed rhubarb and yoghurt. I can't wait for the harvest to start this year although I still have some I bottled last year and I bet there is also still some in the freezer - I will have a look tomorrow.

      Delete
  12. SarahMummy21 March 2016 at 15:38

    I don't like rhubarb at all, but we had some growing in our garden until very recently!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life21 March 2016 at 20:24

      Ha ha - it definitely is a bit like Marmite - love it or hate it!

      Delete
  13. Morgan Prince23 March 2016 at 20:59

    Good luck with that planting, I'm absolutely rubbish at gardening so couldn't lend a hand - I'd probably ruin everything!! Love the idea of recipes though - I haven't had rhubarb for years! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous25 March 2016 at 12:54

    It all sounds so idyllic! And I for one love rhubarb, particularly in a good crumble.
    David
    www.pottyadventures.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life25 March 2016 at 13:11

      I do think rhubarb crumble s up there as a food of the Gods!

      Delete
  15. Mama Herself26 March 2016 at 05:43

    I like rhubarb, but it grows so successfully that we ate a LOT of it when I was a kid, and for a long time it wasn't something I really needed to eat more of. Plus, we aren't great pudding eaters in this family. I am starting to get to the point where I could go for it though...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life26 March 2016 at 09:06

      I make a very nice curried rhubarb and date chutney and I have a Asian recipe somewhere using beef and rhubarb. If you search online for savoury rhubarb recipes you'll find loads!

      Delete
  16. Stephanie 139a29 March 2016 at 23:12

    I'm smiling to myself reading this Rosie - as some things don't change in 8 years! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life30 March 2016 at 07:27

      This does sound just like this year with snow forecast again for Thursday!

      Delete
  17. chickenruby30 March 2016 at 07:33

    i love rhubarb and would eat it more often if it wasn't such fluff to cook and i really do like mine sweet, as no one else likes it, it is much easier and cheaper to buy a ready made pie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life30 March 2016 at 08:06

      Can you get rhubarb easily in Dubai? Mind you I suspect you can get everything there!

      Delete
  18. fun as a gran30 March 2016 at 09:17

    I am a rhubarb lover, actually had some this morning with my breakfast. I picked, cooked, and froze a load from son in law's garden last year while up for the wedding, and did not realise it was still at the back.
    Hope all the growing is going well. We have had a cold spell here with a few nights of frost as well this last week. We are told look at the packets that are designed for England and add a month for being north of the border.
    over from my first blog post

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Green and Rosie Life2 April 2016 at 13:57

      We are still getting frosts here which is slowing down the rhubarb but at least that will give me time to check if there is any still lurking from last year in the freezer! I hope there is as I really fancy a crumble now!

      Delete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )