Early Rhubarb Harvest

With the very early spring this year, I harvested 5.5 pounds of rhubarb from two plants in the first week of May! Some years the rhubarb has hardly poked above ground at this time.

It's time to divide the roots of the plants as they are starting to bolt after establishing for a few years.

Water Beetle?

My daughter saw this fellow slip out of the garage eavestrough and tumble into the back alley. It seemed to be a water beetle somewhat misplaced from its proper habitat. We put it into a bucket with water and it seemed quite at home swimming around. Any guesses on what type of beetle specifically? 

2013 Year in Review

Highlights of the 2013 gardening year:

Hundreds of Cedar Waxwings filling a half dozen trees before the gardening season begins.

JUNE

 Flooding near Bow River in Calgary. Bad for homeowners near the river, but the rainfall was good for the garden.

AUGUST

Making juice from neighbour's "prairie cherry" trees (not sure what variety) 

 Bumper crop of raspberries. The patch is finally established. The right amount of periodic rains, soil enrichment, pruning and no hail were all factors.

 Red cabbage in foreground.

 Beans. Rhubarb division/transplant.

A tangle of herbs: Chervil, chives, sage, mint, cilantro. This unplanned companion planting (I let the annual seeds grow where they chose).

Most noteworthy was no hail this year!

Beans are now pulled, delphinium and raspberries chopped down for end of the summer.