I can vaguely remember just how small the rhubarb was when I first noticed it in an old whiskey barrel.

That was back in February before we  cleaned up the gravel stairway area and before I understood what the red shoots were.

I identified the rhubarb in March and wrote about it in Tart & Sweet.

Today I’ve begun researching rhubarb harvesting and rhubarb recipes! I’ve learned that the leaves are poisonous, loaded with oxalic acid, so it’s important to stick with the stalks. I learned that to remove a stalk you do not cut, but gently twist it side to side at ground level until it releases from the plant. This tugging and twisting stimulates further growth.

Today our rhubarb is gorgeous.