Whats Growing Outside

Wild onions

The rain has finally let up. In the next couple days the temperatures are expected to soar from the 30-40 degree weather we have been having in the last half of the month to upper 60's and even lower 80's on Saturday! What a great way to bring in April!

Warmer and dryer weather? This can only mean that one will find me outside at every possible moment to soak it up and garden away.

Today wasn't 80 degrees, but it did call for a round of photos to update what's been growing around the place. The wild onions (above) I found in the yard. They are easily overlooked, but since I've learned how to identify them I seem to find them in patches of grass where ever I go. You can eat them and use them just as you would chives... as that's pretty much what they are.

Wild garlic

Does the lawn need to be mowed already? Nope- that's wild garlic on the sprawl. Another volunteer that keeps coming back year after year. These guys make pretty decent garlic bread if you have the patience to dig them up and wash all of their tiny bulbs. I forget about them once summer is in full swing, but I wonder how large the bulbs do get- if I were to try digging them up in the fall, would they be an even more worthy treat?

Garlic

On to more domestic edibles... my garlic! This garlic which I planted last November is off to a great start. I planted three rows (for 2009 I had two) and this was the only one I did not mulch with leaves... I wonder if they are growing faster because the soil has warmed up faster... and now I wonder why I mulched the other too (it was because my garden books told me to).

Rhubarb

The rhubarb. Its so pretty, I love all the color and texture of its emerging leaves... which you don't eat. Only the stems are used in cooking (pies and jams in our case) as the leaves are toxic. I don't know how long this patch has been growing on the property, but it was a welcome addition to the palate as I had never tasted rhubarb until last year.

Leeks

Last but not least, the leek seedlings. Oh how I fretted about their germination in February, but they turned out great after all. The year old seeds were planted almost exactly two months ago today. They are getting big enough that I decided to start hardening them off... today... which they were allowed one half hour of pure sunlight. Tomorrow will be more.