Garlic Bulbs

[ChrisGreaves]

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So spring is being talked about, and you forgot to go out and buy hyacinth bulbs to force, or crocus⁽¹⁾, freesia, daffodils and so not.
Dive into your ‘fridge and grab a handful of garlic cloves.
Who knew they could bring the promise of spring indoors?
And perhaps provide some free garlic along the way!

⁽¹⁾ memo to Rudi: "To Crocus" is NOT a verb⁽²⁾.
⁽²⁾ Nor is it verbiage.

[Rudi]

⁽¹⁾ memo to Rudi: "To Crocus" is NOT a verb⁽²⁾.

Thanks Chris; neither is it an erb, but it is beautiful.

[HansV]

⁽²⁾ Nor is it verbiage.

But it is foliage...

And exfoliage is something entirely different...

[Rudi]

Chris, if you don't uproot those sprouts soon to use the garlic bulb, you may need to transfer them to the yard as they will overwhelm that little pot!

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[HansV]

And then there is wild garlic:

Wild_Garlic.jpg

[Rudi]

Chris, since you've started growing your own garlic, here is two unusual recipes you can try along the way with what you harvest...

1. Pineapple-Garlic Upside Down Cake
2. Garlic Chocolates

I cannot fathom how they will taste, but I won't stake my life on it!

[StuartR]

And then there is wild garlic:

they call those plans Ransoms round here. Our local woods are thick with them in early Summer, when the bluebells come out. As you walk through them the air is thick with the smell of garlic.

[HansV]

Isn't that 'Ramsons'? The picture above was taken in the Cotswolds early in June last year. You could really smell the garlic.

[StuartR]

Isn't that 'Ramsons'?

Yes, of course it is. My spelling went a bit dyslexic there for some reason.

I'll take a photo of the ransoms and bluebells in our local woods in May, they look really impressive.

[StuartR]

Here's some photos of bluebells and ramsons from today's walk in the woods, and here's what I said about them on my Facebook post today...

We nearly didn't go for a walk in the woods this morning, because it was raining a bit. That would have been a mistake, it was a delight for all the senses...

There was a shimmer of bluebells into the distance wherever you looked, the heady smell of ramson (wild garlic) as you brushed through them with your feet, the rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat of the woodpecker competing with the chirps and tweets of numerous other birds, the gentle feel of very soft rain that was barely enough to make us feel wet.

My favourite time of year for walking in the woods.

Bluebells.jpg

Ramsons.jpg

[HansV]

You're becoming a poet, Stuart!

It looks lovely, and it's clear that nature is farther along than a year ago, when we had a cold and dismal spring.

[Rudi]

You're becoming a poet, Stuart!
It looks lovely, and it's clear that nature is farther along than a year ago, when we had a cold and dismal spring.

I was about to say the same....

Here it is broken up into stanza's...
With a slight bit of editing for rhyme.

We nearly didn't go for a walk in the woods this morning,
Because the rain was playing on pretenses
That would have been a mistake,
It was a delight for all the senses...

There was a shimmer of bluebells into the distance wherever you look,
The heady smell of ramson as you brushed through them with your foot,
The rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat of the woodpecker
Competing with the chirps and tweets of numerous other birds,
The gentle feel of very soft rain that was barely enough to be heard.

Truly, my favourite time of year for walking in the woods.

[StuartR]

That's lovely Rudi, thank you

[Rudi]

No....thank you.