Sunday, March 27, 2011

A Bit of Rhubarb

The rhubarb seems to have grown so quickly through this month.  At the beginning of March there were just  a few signs of life in the rhubarb bed - now look at it.

I love the colour of the leaves and stems.

It was time to pick just a few stalks to use in the kitchen

To make the first rhubarb crumble of this year.  This means a big decision later on - shall we serve it with custard or ice-cream?

Meanwhile, back in the garden, yesterday I planted some new strawberry plants picked up at Aldi for £2.99 for six.  They are Elsanta variety and  I hope they will grow and produce fruit;  I love strawberries but only in the summer season.

I also bought two new lavender plants to replace the ones we have lost.  An English Lavender and a French one.

Also from Aldi a couple of bunches of bright cheerful tulips.  I usually choose pink, white or purple tulips so these orange and yellow ones are a colourful change.

Just an observation but over the last few days we have noticed lots of herring gulls flying over head and calling with their mournful cry day and night.  They woke me early yesterday morning.  Whilst working in the garden yesterday it sounded as if we had suddenly moved to somewhere near the sea - what a great thought!  I could almost hear the sounds of the sea and feel the sand between my toes.  Has anyone else noticed this?

17 comments:

  1. Custard or ice cream sounds like a very difficult choice to me! :)
    xxx

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  2. How beautiful! your strawberry plants look so healthy and neat! I wish I could hear a gull. I am lucky and grateful to hear the redwinged blackbirds and the meadowlarks...

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  3. I love rhubarb! I like ice cream and custard equally so I don't mind which I have with the crumble! I bet your garden is going to be wonderful this year with all the new plants you are putting in. We have had gulls passing over but I don't know if they are the 'herring' gulls that you mention. x

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  4. Oooh, crumble and vanilla ice cream, please! The rhubarb looks lovely.

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  5. Gosh your rhubarb does seem to have grown fast! In Wolverhampton there are always lots of gulls (I'm not sure which kind) and in Spring and Summer they make so much noise, it makes me think of the seaside and I sit in Dave's flat wishing we could go!

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  6. My Grandad used to say that if we had gulls this far inland it meant stormy seas! Let me know how you go on with the French Lavender, Ive never had any success with it. I just noticed one of my big Forsythia trees seems to be very dead. Another one for the bonfire! xxx

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  7. Funny I mentioned to Amy on friday about all the seagulls overhead. She said they get a lot on the school playing fields. It is nice to hear them although my car does'nt like all the poop!

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  8. A garden by the sea. Wouldn't that be heaven?
    I do wish I lived nearer to you, I'd be over to taste some of that rhubarb. Do you know, I've never had any?! Shameful.

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  9. Custard! Every time. Your rhubarb looks wonderful.

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  10. When I was at school in the Midlands we had
    rhubarb jam for breakfast
    stewed rhubarb for pudding
    rhubarb jam for tea
    stewed rhubarb for supper --with Bird's custard.
    You get the idea

    Oddly I still like it...........
    greetings from New York

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  11. I'll have mine with custard, no, ice cream, no, cust...oh, both then! Was intending to buy some of those plants from Aldi so hope they have some left.

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  12. Rhubarb crumble, oh yummy. I'm sure you are having a lovely time planting new things in the garden and enjoying your spring weather.
    Have a lovely week,
    Anne xx

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  13. Oh, definitely ice cream! yum! I can't believe you've gotten something from our garden already...we still have frost!!

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  14. We couldn't resist the strawberry plants from Aldi either, although ours are still waiting to be planted. As for custard or ice cream - I'd have both.

    Tracey

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  15. Custard - definitely!

    We heard a large group of gulls the other evening when it was already dark - most bizarre!

    Your rhubarb looks fabulous!

    Jeanne
    x

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  16. I will have mine with both if I can :) Love your very cheery polka-dot table top, it looks especially lovely with the tulips .

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