Rhubarb, rain and a walk in the West

Of course eventually the run of amazing spring weather had to break, but to be fair we desperately needed rain, no matter how nice it was to have the sun and blue skies, no rain for near on 9 weeks in March and April is very unusual.

Rhubarb from the forcer

I cut the rhubarb I’ve had in the old terracotta forcer for the last few weeks. Its such a beautiful colour and so tender. It deserves to be cooked simply and gently so we can experience the colour and wonderful taste in a bowl with some vanilla icecream, absolutely divine.

Forced rhubarb Compote

250g/8¾oz caster sugar

1 vanilla pod, split lengthways (optional)

butter, for greasing

 

1. Cut the rhubarb into 3cm/1in lengths and mix with the sugar and vanilla.
2. Leave to macerate for a minimum of one hour or overnight if possible.
3. Preheat oven to 170C/325F/ Gas 3.
4. Lightly butter a baking dish, drain the rhubarb and pack it in. Cover tightly with foil and bake for twenty minutes.
5. Remove from oven and leave until cool before uncovering.

Well that was a day..... I know we needed rain but maybe I just rained danced a little to hard?

Despite the weather Isabel and I dealt with all the deliveries and we are now fully restocked with pond plants including oxygenators, waterlilies, marginals, aquatic compost and pots. They were right at home in the rain

We also have stocked up with trees, including some lovely flowering cherries, birch and double pink Hawthorn.

Shrubs are over flowing and we've tucked them in lots of corners in the sales area. Customers have been asking for buddleia, hydrangea and philadelphus amongst many other shrubs and they are all in stock now and looking fab.

In the fruit section we have blueberries, jostaberries, gooseberries, goyiberries, currents and rhubarb.

Climbers have been filled up with 3 new varieties of clematis and more Climbing hydrangeas.

Finally the shade tunnel has been re-filled with bamboo, ferns, meconopsis and many other shade tolerant plants.

We're open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm

See you soon

A scrap of chicken wire, some lengths of raffia and armed with some thick gloves - a heart to hang on the potting shed door

Great to get some painting done this evening, just not the time at the moment, very frustrating.

Summer light

Thank you to everyone who visited this Easter weekend, it's been lovely to chat to so many plant and garden lovers, hear how much everyone enjoyed their visit and who love what we do here at Quercus the weather was great too. I'm now away to lie in a darkened room with my wine and chocolate until Wednesday

Thank you from all the Quercus team for supporting us, recommending us and visiting, see you next week

Our Quercus team are amazing

And all this from someone who was told they would never amount to anything...........

Apparently we were mentioned in the Sunday post magazine on Sunday, I'm trying to track down a physical copy for our archives but I've managed to find it on line. Thanks Agnes Stevenson for writing the article. Here is a wee snipit of the article.

What a mix of a week its been, eventually that run of amazing weather had to end and it did with a down pour on Wednesday, though we really did need rain. It just had to happen on a day we had two big deliveries lined up!

Despite the weather Isabel and I dealt with all the deliveries and we are now fully restocked with pond plants. Trees, shrubs are over flowing and we've tucked them in lots of corners in the sales area. In the fruit section we have blueberries, jostaberries, gooseberries, goyiberries, currents and rhubarb. Climbers have been filled up with 3 new varieties of clematis and more Climbing hydrangeas. Finally the shade tunnel has been re-filled with bamboo, ferns, meconopsis and many other shade tolerant plants.

~ A week of extreme toothache too, thankfully the antibiotics have reduced the pain but my face puffed up and I look like a demented, fed up, soaked with the rain hamster

~ Over the past week or so I’ve been bringing out what we call the exotics, my display of not very hardy for our corner of the borders plants. They are out earlier than usual because I need the space in the new tunnel and I need to get the cover on tunnel 2.

~ Isabel was back in the shade stock beds tidying and potting on Friday and I have managed very little of P’s with all the other jobs going on. I’ve also started the shrub and climber stock bed (behind the scenes) which is also in need of a spring clean. Its all go! A few trolleys more of plants have come over from the farm tunnel to be tidied and put in their new home in the new tunnel.

~ Karen and Erin have been potting up and tidying up plants for stock on the days they are in.

~ The gardens continue to come to life with more green and flowers every day, it’s a joy to see and fair lifts the spirits on a dull or toothache day!

~ In between customers on Saturday Fiona potted up more of last years cuttings that are now ready to be potted on for stock for this year and next. We are filling up tunnel 2 and it doesn’t even have a cover on yet :D

~ I managed to transplant over 100 cowslips into the wild flower bankings on Sunday, this will add to what is already there and make a grand display in the coming weeks when they flower. These were moved from the old meadow in the area that has been returned to the farm.

~ David has been putting down mypex and working out where the new paths will go infront of the new tunnels, this will all make us much more efficient, exciting progress, the tunnels, not us being efficient, we are usually 😊

~ Lastly and I know I say it often, its such a joy to see visitors, discovering Quercus, returning and loving what we do, buying plants and sharing with friends. We’ve built up quite a community and its reassuring to see what I am passionate about, plants and gardens, sharing my knowledge and love of it all is appreciated and enjoyed by so many. Thank you

Transplanting cowslips

The tender display is out

Battling toothache!

A much needed restful day at home, pottering about in the house and garden. I started prep for decorating the bathroom, a much needed make over getting rid of decades of grime

There is so much colour in our garden, beautiful spring I am loving being able grow tulips

On Monday I picked one of each of most of the tulips flowering in my garden. They look fabulous against the dark wall, so happy to have a garden I can finally grow tulips in. The last 6 photos were taken on Wednesday, they've opened up a lot in two days. I really love the frilly Tulipa 'Purple Circus'

Another week, another woodland and river walk with wild garlic again, tis the season. This time in the west of the country along the river Ayr to Pedens cove with Ben and his new dog Dozer. He and Maisie Mouse got on great and we had a lovely walk in the sun. Back to Ben and Cheryl's house to admire the work they've been doing, their amazing apple tree and I might have done a bit of cherry tree pruning for them out for dinner for Ben's birthday, a busy day but great to spend time together with Cheryl and my biggest boy

Ben and Cheryl's apple tree covered in blossom

Addie and Dozer

Cheer

Driving home from Irvine on Tuesday night

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