Growing Rhubarb in Deck Pots

Last spring I planted a rhubarb bare root in a medium sized pot on my deck. It's a deep pot to allow for root growth and to help insulate them during the winter. Even so, I wasn't sure it would work.

Rhubarb is a long-lived perennial plant. The directions said to not to cut any stalks the first year to allow the roots to get established. I cheated a bit and took a few to make a pie. Looks like I dodged a bullet.

I would say this is a pretty good start for year two. The pot is in full sun and catches the rain. Plus, it's in a location for easy watering with a can of lake water.

My good friend Margaret from Powell River also posted about rhubarb this week. Head on over to her blog Thistle Garden to see how easy it is to freeze extra rhubarb. Plus, she has a handy tip for using the leaves (they are poisonous) to cut down on garden weeds.

Do you grow rhubarb? What are some of your favourite recipes? -- Margy

Avian Trampoline

Two years ago, all of the baby Barn Swallows fell from their nest to our porch roof. None survived. So last year, we gave our nesting visitors two helping hands. First, Wayne built a small wooden shelf to help support their mud nest high up under our eves. The second was a soft "landing pad" just in case any babies got pushed or fell from of the nest.

I used an old sheet and sewed a large pillow. Then I took some polyester fiberfill I had from an old craft project to fill it. The fiberfill dries fairly quickly and retains its loft, making it a good choice for an outdoor "avian trampoline." To help keep the fiberfill in place, I created three pouches in the pillow.

To keep it in place on the porch roof, Wayne used some strategically placed rocks. The pad has an additional benefit. At the end of the season, it can be discarded with all the droppings from the nest.

We are hopeful our Barn Swallows will return by the end of May. If they do, everything is ready for them. The old nest just needs refurbishing and the new trampoline is in place.

And by July, maybe we'll have more babies to watch like these. -- Margy

Quick Trip to Steveston, BC

Wayne and I took a quick trip to Richmond including a dinner stop in Steveston Village, BC. It's cute with lots of shops and restaurants, but what really caught my eye was the working harbour. There were lots of fishing boats varying types. Looking at their sizes, some must fish the Fraser River and nearby Strait of Georgia. Others looked like they could handle the open seas on the west side of Vancouver Island or north to Alaska.

Also, there is the Gulf of Georgia Cannery. The once busy plant that operated from 1894 to 1979 is now a historic monument dedicated to a fishing industry that has dwindled over time. It wasn't open for tours when we were there, but I bet it would be very interesting. Maybe on another less quick trip.

I like visiting touristy towns in the off season. I bet the businesses appreciate it as well. While we were there, we went to Steveston Marine & Hardware. It is an amazing place with just about everything a private or commercial boater could need. Can't make it to Steveston, just go to their website and shop to your heart's content. - Margy

Walking the Plank

Our cabin floats away from shore on all sides. Steel cables 3/4" thick hold it in place on two sides, and a large log called a "stiff leg" keeps it away from the rock cliff. This allows the cabin to float in place and withstand heavy wind storms.

To get to shore, we have a gangplank to a transition float. This small secondary float supports our bridge to the adjacent rock wall. But when the wind blows, or speeding boats create wakes, the gangplank often falls into the watery gap. Now that I'm going to the cabin more on my own (Wayne and I are taking turns in Bellingham with Mom), I need to be able to raise the plank on my own.

Brainstorming has included everything up to an elaborate drawbridge, but I came up with a simple idea while stuck on the cabin float last month. A strong rope long in the middle of the plank will give me the leverage I need to get it up on the deck. Wayne came up with the other half of the solution. He tied the other end of the plank on the transition float. That way the cabin end might drop into the lake, but the other will remain in position on the transition float. This solution shows that two minds are always better than one. -- Margy

p.s. Doesn't Wayne's new redwood deck stain look nice?

A Barrel Full of Potatoes

I've been growing potatoes in barrels for four years now. It's such an easy way to get a good crop of spuds. Last year, I grew two kinds, Norland Reds and Yukon Gold. I really like eating the red potatoes fresh, but for lasting, the Yukon Gold are better. We're still eating the last of last year's crop now.

My remaining red potatoes have all started to sprout. But that's not a total loss. I had to buy new Yukon Gold seed potatoes, but for my Norland Reds, I had plenty of my own sprouted ones to plant.

I planted two barrels of Yukon Gold potatoes. They are both on the deck of our transition float to shore. That will make it easy for Wayne to water after the spring rains stop. Last year I saved the soil from my potato barrels in plastic bags. As the potatoes grow foliage, Wayne can just dump a bag of soil on top. That will continue until the entire barrel if filled with soil. The increased depth will encourage the plants to produce more potatoes.

The Norland Red potatoes went up in my hillside potato patch. I have been building up a small section of soil up on the top of our granite cliff with my compost, decomposed leaves from the forest, and bags of peat. In addition to the potatoes, I am trying garlic. The land-based critters have left my potatoes alone. Hopefully the garlic won't be to their liking either.

Do you grow garlic? I'd be interested in your experiences. -- Margy

Wings Over Westvew

Last week when I went home to Powell River BC, I took Pacific Coastal Airlines as usual. It was a beautiful sunny spring day.

Our base turn highlights Harwood Island and cloud covered Vancouver Island in the distance. Lining up on final approach the Catalyst paper mills slips by and a tiny glimpse up Powell Lake means I'm almost home.

Air travel is very important for Powell River. Even though the city and region are on the mainland of Coastal BC, the area can only be reached by air or sea. Powell River Airport serves as a commercial and private hub. In addition to the regular Pacific Coastal Airline flights, you will see helicopters supporting the logging industry and a multitude of private aircraft.

Last summer Tourism Powell River commissioned local authors to write stories about the beauties and activities in our region. I chose "Wings Over Westview" as on of my stories. I invite you to click on the link to give it a read in pdf format. You can also go to the Discover Powell River website to read all of the other great stories. -- Margy

Spring Cleaning

Getting ready for spring gardening meant I needed to do some clean up first. I let my strawberry plant foliage die around the roots for mulch to protect them through the cold winter. But it makes spring cleaning quite a chore. After clearing away the dead leaves, I surrounded the surviving roots with broken egg shells to thwart a slug invasion. Unfortunately, only one of my strawberry beds survived. Grubs got to the roots of the other one.

I have two perennial asparagus beds in my garden. I usually wait until the picking season is over and the ferns are tall to build a support system. This year I wanted to have it ready for Wayne so he could easily take care of it in my absence. Some stakes (provided by the lake) and string and it was quickly done.

In addition to my perennial asparagus and strawberries, I have ongoing herbs and flowers. And I didn't have the heart to pull the remaining carrots and chard from last fall. But in the remaining space, I planted onion sets and seeds for chard, spinach, kale, lettuce and carrots. Hopefully, they will hardy enough to produce with less care and watering over the summer months. If not, at least I had the fun of trying.


I love the floating garden that our good friend John made for me. It's a unique way to keep my thumb green and my hands dirty. Gardening is good for the soul as well as the tummy. -- Margy