Flowers
Broad Fork
It seemed like an eternity until there was a trace of green and now- Wham! Spring is here- rhubarb pie, asparagus snuck into every dinner, narcissus, violets, lilacs and irises in profusion. There is abundant salad greens and fresh herbs. Grocery store style, flat plastic boxes of withered mint stalks are a distant memory. I am sure you understand my feelings that all I want to do is be in my garden. There is so much to do, but it is not so much getting things done. It is being there. It is a reacquaintance after a long winter. Thankfully, my husband understands and my children are as delighted at every sign of spring as I am, but my desk work and housecleaning have not paused for me.
Despite the tug and pull, I am there. I love my garden. The soil is luscious. Last fall I laid a thick layer of compost and digging around in there, I was pleased with its garden magazine look- crumbly yummy stuff. And another batch of compost is almost finished in my tumbler. I mentioned my broad fork last year at this time, but I don’t believe I praised it sufficiently. This miraculous, ancient tool worked wonders loosening the soil in the potato and onion bed. We used it as we would a tiller, but it was quiet, no gas fumes or potential soil compaction. All the little worms and bugs are still doing their good work relatively undisturbed. And to beat all wonders I pulled out dandelions with 8″ and longer roots in tact with total ease. I am taken with this tool.
For those of you who are in the thrust of rhubarb season, here is a recipe for rhubarb cake my mother makes and now I make. I don’t know where the recipe originates. I am sorry I cannot give the proper person credit. One note- every time I make this I think I have done something wrong. Pursue it, it will turn out delicious!
Rhubarb Cake
4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13″ x 19″ baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Combine. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add and combine flour mixture to butter mixture. Fold in sour cream and rhubarb. Spoon into baking pan. Sprinkle with sugar and nutmeg. Bake 40 minutes.
Enjoy!
I writing to you from Northwest Arkansas, “Razorback country.” And I have a question about your statement “…asparagus snuck into every dinner…”
Ahhh, my wife and I are looking forward to enjoying the same thing next year. We put in two rows of two-year old asparagus crowns around mid-April and after a slow start they have been popping up all over the place. Based on our reading we are to just let this first year of spears go to a “fern-like” state, let them die out and then just wait for next year and be prepared to have “asparagus snuck into every dinner.”
Our question is about the fern-like growth. They are quite numerous and extremely full blown. Just when I think the sprouting of more spears is finsihed, “pop,” here come a few more. Do we just let the plants run their course, turn brown and die?
If that’s the case, what should we do after that?
Thanks for your help and by the way we have gone through four full tumblers of compost this year and possibly have two more to go.
Warm Regards,
Sam and Carolyn Sansom <
It is interesting to hear from different parts of the country, like “Razorback country”. Yes, let the asparagus run its course. After the fern like stalks turn brown (they grow to an amazing height), I cut them down. I give the bed a layer of compost or manure and then mulch them with the cut stalks. The rain and snow compacts the branches into a nice mulch. In the spring I take off the branches, but the asparagus spears usually beat me to it and I see them poking up through the old stalks.
Next spring, harvest the thickest spears and let the smaller spears continue to grow. It is also recommended that you limit your harvesting period to two weeks in the fourth year. It sounds impossible, I know, but you will reap the benefits in the years following. Good luck!