2011 has been a strange year weather-wise, and the fact that December has had only a trace of snow put this season in the books as a rare one, indeed. I will actually be able to go into the woods on New Years day, January 1, 2012 and be able to collect kindling wood with no snow!
I'm officially amazed at how many seed catalogs have been delivered to my mailbox in November and December of 2011.
This year I made it a point to write the date of when I received each catalog in the upper right-hand corner on the catalog itself.
These seed companies must be using some new strategy because I've never had so many arriving in the months of November and December.
Here is a list of when and what I've received thus far:
11/14/11, HPS (Horticultural Products & Services)
11/23/11, Vermont Bean & Seed Co.
11/23/11, Totally Tomatoes
11/30/11, Seed Saver's Exchange Seed Catalog 2012
12/01/11, Johnny's Selected Seeds
12/17/11, R.H. Shumway's
12/19/11, Harris Seeds
12/27/11, Gurney's
12/28/11, Gurney's Henry Field's
12/28/11, Jung Seeds & Plants
12/30/11, Farmer Seed & Nursery*
*Not in above photo because photo was taken on December 29, 2011.
Here, I hold some special Rhubarb seeds which will be planted for experimental purposes. Any gardener that has Rhubarb knows that once a seed stalk shoots up, it is best to cut it back so the rest of the plant can produce better stalks to eat. I kept one seed stalk up and harvested some of the seeds. As far as I know, the seeds do not require stratification.
There is an amazing story behind this strain. It began in the early 1970s in Southwick, MA in my grandparents' garden. As a child, I would always get a small bowl of sugar and pick a few stalks of this luscious Rhubarb to eat like candy!
In 1981 (I was 14 years old), I transplanted a few roots to our new home in Chester, MA. By 1990 or so that patch was overgrown by weeds and the plants were almost lost.
I moved the few plants that I could from the old patch to a better garden location circa 1993.
As of 2005, even that section was compromised by weeds (and, unfortunately, still is today). I took the initiative to dig up two roots in early 2006 and planted them at my new house in Becket, MA, that spring.
It took about 2 seasons, but after 2008, I've had spectacular yields of Grampa's old Rhubarb!
It takes about 2 years for Rhubarb to grow from seed. Many books I have read say that I might get an entirely different type of Rhubarb all together.
So here we go! I can't wait to see what happens!
More photos will follow in the coming months.
:)
