This is actually pretty claggy too, when we were planting the rhubarb we kept having to scrape the soil off the spade with a heel or stone, it wasn’t exactly falling away beautifully! It is rather when not sopping wet though. I have areas in my back garden just like you describe – and get these horrid deposits of yellow clay working their way to the surface. Ugh…
Haha, yep we have the horrible yellow clay… Last year when making our new border we dug out so much we were tempted to charge people to see our very own stone henge! Still have piles of it around the garden, really need to take it to a tip or something.
Some patches are wonderful, like the soil beneath our young Cherry tree, the original owner of the house used to have a veg patch and the previous owners landscaped the garden, I think all the nice soil ended up on the upper tiers and all the horrible clay was exposed in the lower areas.
Is that in your garden or allotment? I’ve got two rhubarb crowns which have been in a container for three years now, let’s hope I get round to planting them at the allotment this year.
Hi Jo, that’s my “freebie” from a fellow allotmanteer, planted by myself plus BIL & SIL on Monday. I just hope it likes its new home, it was clearly very happy in its old one.
yes yes, it is rhubarb! All these plants springing to life in other climates makes me want to run out into my own yard and check for signs of life. Except I’d have to dig 3 feet into the snow to find them. *sigh*
Oh dear! Still?! I keep thinking about your buried compost bins and the trek to the woodpile. I suppose there have to be some downsides to living in such a stunning location.
Yours is doing much better than mine. Probably because my soil is light and stony and yours looks like it belongs in a gardening magazine :-) A pity as I do love Rhubarb.
Hello easygardener, sorry, just found your comment lurking in my spam folder! Sorry about that, and thank you for commenting. I suspect it will soon look a lot less like it belings in a gardening magazine, as the tiny pieces of couch grass and dandelion root we left behind go forth and sprout…
Hi Cat, had never thought of combining strawberries and rhubarb, is it good? I suppose the sweetness of the one combines well with the sourness of the other? Do you have a recipe?
Simple, but tasty, Rhubarb Torte: 2 C. all-purpose (plain) flour 1 C. brown or white sugar (either is great) 3/4 C. butter Mix, then set aside 1 C. of the mixture. Put remainder in large torte pan (or 9X13 pan). Cover with 4 C. of Rhubarb. Then mix in saucepan: 1 C. water 1 C. sugar 1 tsp. butter 1 tsp. vanilla 2 T. corn starch Boil gently in saucepan until thick. Pour over Rhubarb in torte pan. Sprinkle the set-aside 1 C. of crumb crust over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!
I was sure my rhubarb had had it’s day. But there it is, back again. I think it deserves to be moved to a better spot in the garden in recognition of it’s sheer determination!
Glad to hear you still have rhubarb! Hope you get a tasty crop, whether moved or not. If it is big I don’t envy you the moving – we were amazed at how heavy this one was. A fork got broken…
That’s a nice looking clump you’ve got there Janet! I used to grow them as an ornamental, never did have the chance to cook them, looked too nice to harvest, hehe!
Your clump of rhubarb is looking very promising! I have a small patch of rhubarb as well. Surprisingly, it thrives despite the fact that it is in the half shade. Have a great weekend.
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Hi,
Look at all that! I think someone is going to be up to their eye-balls in Rhubarb and custard, or rhubarb crumble :D
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That’s the plan!
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:)
wish I had such nice soil, mine normally comes out in horrible spade-shaped wedges.
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This is actually pretty claggy too, when we were planting the rhubarb we kept having to scrape the soil off the spade with a heel or stone, it wasn’t exactly falling away beautifully! It is rather when not sopping wet though. I have areas in my back garden just like you describe – and get these horrid deposits of yellow clay working their way to the surface. Ugh…
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Haha, yep we have the horrible yellow clay… Last year when making our new border we dug out so much we were tempted to charge people to see our very own stone henge! Still have piles of it around the garden, really need to take it to a tip or something.
Some patches are wonderful, like the soil beneath our young Cherry tree, the original owner of the house used to have a veg patch and the previous owners landscaped the garden, I think all the nice soil ended up on the upper tiers and all the horrible clay was exposed in the lower areas.
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yummy!!!
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Pie, crumble, fool…
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Lovely, and may I say that lovely rich soil looks delicious too in its own way :)
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There speaks the gardener! I agree Cyndy, it is possibly even more exciting than the rhubarb.
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Is that in your garden or allotment? I’ve got two rhubarb crowns which have been in a container for three years now, let’s hope I get round to planting them at the allotment this year.
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Hi Jo, that’s my “freebie” from a fellow allotmanteer, planted by myself plus BIL & SIL on Monday. I just hope it likes its new home, it was clearly very happy in its old one.
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yes yes, it is rhubarb! All these plants springing to life in other climates makes me want to run out into my own yard and check for signs of life. Except I’d have to dig 3 feet into the snow to find them. *sigh*
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Oh dear! Still?! I keep thinking about your buried compost bins and the trek to the woodpile. I suppose there have to be some downsides to living in such a stunning location.
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Yours is doing much better than mine. Probably because my soil is light and stony and yours looks like it belongs in a gardening magazine :-)
A pity as I do love Rhubarb.
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Hello easygardener, sorry, just found your comment lurking in my spam folder! Sorry about that, and thank you for commenting. I suspect it will soon look a lot less like it belings in a gardening magazine, as the tiny pieces of couch grass and dandelion root we left behind go forth and sprout…
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That rhubarb says one thing to me: Potential. The promise of lots of good things to come…
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Hi Mark, that’s a really good way of seeing it. Plus lots of wonderfully prehistoric leaves and strange buds…
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Rhubard strawberry pie!! Yum!
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Hi Cat, had never thought of combining strawberries and rhubarb, is it good? I suppose the sweetness of the one combines well with the sourness of the other? Do you have a recipe?
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Yum! I have a great recipe! I hear you can cut up Rhubarb and freeze it in zipper bags for later baking. I haven’t done it, but it makes sense. Enjoy!
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I’m always up for a good recipe – details?! I like the idea of cutting it up and freezing it in chunks for later.
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Simple, but tasty, Rhubarb Torte:
2 C. all-purpose (plain) flour
1 C. brown or white sugar (either is great)
3/4 C. butter
Mix, then set aside 1 C. of the mixture. Put remainder in large torte pan (or 9X13 pan). Cover with 4 C. of Rhubarb. Then mix in saucepan:
1 C. water
1 C. sugar
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. corn starch
Boil gently in saucepan until thick. Pour over Rhubarb in torte pan. Sprinkle the set-aside 1 C. of crumb crust over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!
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Oooh, excellent, thank you! Will give that go when I have rhubarb.
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My girlfriend makes strawberry rhubarb pie and it’s good! Here is a link to a website that I really like and her recipes are usually good. http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/06/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-improved/ Love to hear what you think!
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Thanks Cat, I will file that away for when I have rhubarb and strawberries available to play with. It does sound rather good, will let you know!
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I was sure my rhubarb had had it’s day. But there it is, back again. I think it deserves to be moved to a better spot in the garden in recognition of it’s sheer determination!
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Glad to hear you still have rhubarb! Hope you get a tasty crop, whether moved or not. If it is big I don’t envy you the moving – we were amazed at how heavy this one was. A fork got broken…
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That’s a nice looking clump you’ve got there Janet! I used to grow them as an ornamental, never did have the chance to cook them, looked too nice to harvest, hehe!
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Why am I not surprised?! I am looking forward to eating it, but in the mean time it is a wonderful plant, so prehistoric, such glorious colours.
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Your clump of rhubarb is looking very promising! I have a small patch of rhubarb as well. Surprisingly, it thrives despite the fact that it is in the half shade. Have a great weekend.
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Hi Jennifer, glad your rhubarb is thriving! Rain forecast for the weekend here, so limited gardening for me, hope your weekend is better!