Rhubarb Appreciation Society

[Blackpuddingbertha]

Going with Rhihaf's thread name suggestion, following on from the first rule of gardening club is thread.

Pull up your kneeling pads, crack open the elderberry wine and the blackberry gin and come and join us. No real experience or gardening know-how needed.

funny I have been lusting after looking at that Sarah Raven Venetian collection for weeks as the colours are right up my street, and is a much better price since she knocked it down from £30 to £20! Can I also ask what you feed your clematis with?

And re: parents. Life sometimes seems so hard. At least a little joy can be snatched at this time of year by a ray of sun, a beautiful flower and all the lovely bees, birdsong and butterflies.

Maud B&Q BOGOF ends today. And I am also planting potatoes in the RD Willow planters which I have been very pleased with.

If anyone has been watching Beechgrove Garden, their soil isn't even warm enough to plant spuds yet. (Still a bit of snow in Scotland)

we were going to make a rhubarb pie last night. DH found a pack of pre-made shortcrust pastry and a bag of rhubarb from last year in the freezer which he thought we should use before the newly grown stuff. I didn't remember pulling rhubarb last year (as per my previous crown-nurturing post) but anyway agreed.

Once defrosted and about to get on with it I looked at the bag. He had obviously done a 'man look' in the freezer (which is worrying as he did the meal plan/shopping list yesterday too). It was 500g of Rainbow Chard stems. Shortcrust is now on fridge. If I have the energy I'll pull some new rhubarb tonight and make the pie.

::snort:: at man-look. I know it well.

I didn't pick the Swiss Chard last year and it's still there. I suspect it will be too tough to eat now.

Spent the morning painting the shed a lovely calming willow green colour. Looks much nicer than the dog turd brown it was before and blends in better with the woodland garden infront of it.

arf at the rhubarb chard. I want to grow chard this year. Is it tricky?

Just dug over another third of the veg patch. Is there a nicer sight than a freshly turned over plot of earth? Greenhouse arrived and plinth being built tomorrow. V excited.

I had a rhubarb chard plant sprout in my garden last year, probably inherited from the previous owners. The leaves were extraordinarily delicious and I'm trying to grow it deliberately this year. Probably it will meet a tragic death at the tiny teeth of the local slug population, but in principle it shouldn't be tricky.

The 'bright lights' Chard I grew was a thug very rewarding to grow. Didn't seem to be remotely bothered by slugs.

that sounds very promising

Rainbow chard pie, interesting one ! The rainbow chardon th allotme t grew massive .Cantspel your shed sounds lovely. I can visualise it amongst fatsia and camellias.

I'm going to watch Beechgrove tonight as am loving Chris Beardshaw on it which I might have mentioned before, a very welcome addition.

Another tulip in bloom here so the grand total of two so far. I've decided I'm definitely not going to grow courgettes on the allotment as fed up with marrows and can't keep up with bean picking. Instead they are going into last year's chilli Autopots and will be by the kitchen steps for easy picking.

I have just had a rewarding couple of of hours part-changing the compost in the pots of lilies, removing a carex which had long annoyed me and which had the grace to die over the winter and generally sprucing-up the garden. I also went to B&Q this morning. The BOGOF on plants is finished, but I got a huge pot of narcissus Minnow, six aquilegias and six pansies for £1 each, a rosemary for 50p and 3 pots of sweet peas for 5p each. I love a bargain, me. ::grin::

Ooh Humph the greenhouse has arrived - I am very excited for you!

Cantspel I am very impressed at your energetic morning - well done!

Came home from work and planted up my seed tray with sunflower, chive and rocket seeds.

Can't help on the chard front. I have heard of it, but... I am to say I don't know what it looks like (rhubarb?) and have never seen it in the supermarket or eaten it. Must go off and google that!

Oooh, missed the greenhouse arrival, exciting ! Mine has washing drying in it at the moment alongside the plants. Plus I found a ripe Sungold tomato earlier.

I'm goings follow Maud round the shops as those are some impressive bargains.

Chard is one of those things you never seem to see in the shops but is very easy to grow.

I know a baby called Rubin Chard. I can't help thinking of ruby chard the vegetable when I hear it. Not good.

I haven't done any gardening lately; too busy with the offspring. I did look at my celandines with new eyes after GW this week though. And we have tulips nearly out.

Congratulations on the greenhouse Humph.

Good luck with the greenhouse construction Humphrey - exiting

I grew rainbow chard last year but really struggled to get it going. Do still have two plants left in though going strong and have sown a batch for this year as they are lovely to look at (and eat obviously).

Wynken - does your labradoodle dig holes? Our moss lawn is like a minefield at the moment and don't know how to stop her. Not sure if it's a doodle trait.

My oca have started to pop up in their little pots. I do love growing oca.

A slug ate a cucumber seedling....in the upstairs bedroom!! The nematodes are in the fridge waiting time for me to start waging the war.

blardy cats.
they have dug out all the strawberry plants that I have planted in their loo a nice row. had to put them all in again. used squash to water them in again. hope that deters them. why do some cat owners not have a cat toilet?

oh, and monty at least explained why my pumpkins did not germinate. it's too cold in the kitchen. they live in my living room now.

The white tulips are out in the front garden. I can't remember the variety, I really should keep a diary.

I start every year with good diary intentions. And fail every time.

If anyone needs any compost Wilkinsons own is reduced to £2.50 for 60 litres. I bought 4 this morning for my hanging baskets a a couple of new pots.

I was given a garden diary a couple of years ago but still haven't used it. I really should - it would be interesting to record (say) the date of the first daffodil or tulip and see how it varied from year to year.

Off now to plant up a hanging basket (99p Store special) for my parents, using yesterday's £1 pansies. I am nothing if not generous.

I am terrible for forgetting what it is I have actually planted though. You all know what it is that you have planted, don't you?

Another beautiful day. I am really looking forward to the bed outside the back door, I have put in a lot of geum plants that I got from a friend. Don't know what they are but they are lovely, a single orangey red flower. There are also some Mrs Bradshaw along with another plant I do not have a name for, but have a similar habit to geums and are also red flowers. I have underplanted with forget me nots. This planting scheme was copied entirely from a random magazine and I am keeping my fingers crossed it works. I will have to think of something for later in the year though.

I have a pocket sized diary I have used for two consecutive years, but can't find it now!!! Last year I did end up having to write things in by scrolling through my posts on one of these gardening threads! I put in when I planted seeds, when things bloomed for the first time, first appearance of butterflies, frogspawn etc. Was indeed fascinating.

I do in fact own three garden diaries, all presents and all beautiful. Never used them

Cantspel was it you who said you could pass on a fencing person? Attractive fencing man's quote came through and was exorbitant.

Just got the pruning saw out and chopped off three roses that were growing randomly out of the middle of the bottom lawn. And a buddleia. I hate things growing out of lawns and it will make mowing less arduous.

Started going through one of the borders, weeding and tidying, and found evidence of crocosmias, aquilegia and campanula of some description. It was lovely out there - wish I could have stayed out longer.

Yes i will private message you his details.

Thanks v much!