Duck egg custard with forced rhubarb This recipe was provided by The Pig. /*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 07-02-2024 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=".svg"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} Forced Rhubarb Although you can harvest rhubarb throughout the summer, nothing quite beats the rush of trying those tender shoots of the first forced rhubarb of the year. The process of forcing rhubarb, is as simple as putting a forcing pot over the crown in the late winter, which in turn warms the soil up slightly, which promotes growth, and blocks all light from the plant. Keeping your rhubarb in complete darkness can seem counter-intuitive when you are trying to get an early harvest, however by doing this you are quite literally “forcing” the plant into focusing all of its energy into trying to find a light source, and as a consequence it forms long straight shoots. These long, straight shoots are particularly desirable to our chefs, as without light, the shoots do not produce oxalic acid or chlorophyll, meaning that they are sweeter and more tender than those grown without being forced.If you would like to try forcing rhubarb yourself, there are many varieties of rhubarb that can be forced, but our favourites are Timperley early and Victoria. And don’t worry if you don’t have a purpose built forcing pot, an upside down plant pot or bucket will do the job, in the past I’ve even used an old chimney pot with slates laid on the top to block out the light.Yorkshire is famous for producing forced rhubarb, where it is grown in huge barns, that have all of their windows blacked out to remove any natural light. In fact, even the staff who pick the rhubarb have to do it by candlelight. For the custard:Ingredients375g Double cream8g Good quality vanilla paste, or a fresh vanilla pod, split and scraped3 duck egg yolks (approximately 90g) or 4 medium hens egg yolks (approximately 90-100g)50g Caster sugar MethodBring the double cream and vanilla to the boil in a suitable pan.Whisk the yolks and sugar together.Pour one third of the cream on to the yolks and whisk together, then pour into the remaining cream and mix well. If using a vanilla pod, remove it now.Return to the heat and stir constantly until the custard starts to thicken – if you have a temperature probe, remove it from the heat when it reaches 820c.Divide the custard into suitable serving dishes and allow to cool at room temperature, then chill for six hours. For the rhubarb: Ingredients 200g Forced rhubarb stalks 100g Water 50g Caster sugar (or to taste) Zest and juice of one orange A shot of Grenadine (optional) MethodTop and tail the rhubarb stalks and then wash in cold water.Chop the stalks into 2cm chunks, and place in an oven-proof shallow pan with the remaining ingredients, cover with clingfilm and bake @ 1400C/2840F/Gas mark 1, for approximately five minutes, or until softened.Alternatively, poach the rhubarb on a very low heat, on the hob.Allow to cool before chilling.To serve:Take the custard from the fridge, one hour before eating, and just before serving top with the cooked rhubarb, and the juice. /*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 07-02-2024 */ .elementor-column .elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--spacer-size)}.e-con{--container-widget-width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer{width:var(--container-widget-width,var(--spacer-size));--align-self:var(--container-widget-align-self,initial);--flex-shrink:0}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container{height:100%;width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer{height:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--container-widget-height,var(--spacer-size))}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty{position:relative;min-height:22px;min-width:22px}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty .elementor-widget-empty-icon,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty .elementor-widget-empty-icon{position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;left:0;right:0;margin:auto;padding:0;width:22px;height:22px} BOOK BBC GARDENERS' WORLD LIVE TICKETS BOOK SPRING FAIR TICKETS Find more grow your own recipes Find out more about the Fair

Top Five Spring Plug Plants Discover the Top Five Spring Plug Plants! From the elegant Bellis to the fragrant Lavender, these perennial favourites promise vibrant blooms and easy care for your spring garden. Join us as we delve into their unique qualities and growing tips, perfect for all levels of gardening enthusiasts. With thanks to British Garden Centres 1. Bellis A spring perennial, boasts vibrant hues and delicate petals, thriving in cool, moist soil. Easy to grow, it’s a favourite of both novice and seasoned gardeners, offering continual blooms for elegant spring gardens. 2. Erysimum Erysimum, or the wallflower, is a spring perennial, known for its long vibrant blooms and scent. Thriving in well-drained soil and sunlight, it adds colour to beds and containers with shades ranging from purple to yellow, making it ideal for spring and beyond. 3. Dianthus A sought-after spring plant, has silver foliage, vibrant blooms and fragrances, perfect for garden beds and containers. Low maintenance and adaptable to different soils, it’s great for quick impact. Its compact size suits pathways and pollinators love it! 4. Primroses Primroses are iconic spring bloomers, thrive in cool temps and partial shade and are perfect for early planting. Their vivid colours adorn beds, containers, hanging baskets, and troughs. Low maintenance, they need only water and well-drained soil. Cluster them together for a visually striking spring display. 5. Lavender Loved for its fragrant, purple blooms, is hardy and thrives in diverse climates, enduring cold and heat, and ideal for spring gardens. Fast-growing, and fuss-free, it adds beauty to gardens and containers, enticing bees. British Garden Centres are sponsoring BBC Gardeners’ World Live Theatre. Experience an inspirational talk or practical demos from your gardening hero BBC Gardeners’ World Events 2024: BBC Gardeners’ World Live, 13-16 June at Birmingham’s NECBBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair, 3-5 May, Beaulieu HampshireBBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, 30 Aug-1 Sept, Audley End House & Garden BOOK NOW VIEW THE THEATRE TIMETABLE

How to grow carrots: Everything you need to know Discover the vibrant world of home-grown carrots, where flavor reigns supreme, and diversity thrives beyond the confines of the typical grocery store fare. From the familiar orange to the exotic hues of purple, yellow, and white, and even the charmingly rounded varieties perfect for container cultivation, there’s a carrot for every palate and every patch of soil.Embarking on a carrot-growing journey is refreshingly straightforward with a few essential considerations: soil preparation, fending off pesky carrot root flies, and selecting the right varieties tailored to your space and preferences. By sowing seeds successively and mastering storage techniques, you can relish your home-grown bounty nearly year-round. Here’s a step-by-step guide to cultivating carrots from our friends at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine: Sowing Seeds: Plant carrot seeds sparingly in prepared soil from March to June. Create shallow drills, cover the seeds lightly with sieved soil, and water gently. Within a couple of weeks, you should see the seeds germinate. Avoid thinning to deter carrot root flies, but ensure the area remains weed-free and water as needed. Depending on the variety chosen, expect to harvest fresh carrots in approximately 10-16 weeks post-sowing. Soil Preparation: Pot on into individual pots when the first true leaves appear. Keep potting on if growing in pots or plant out into the greenhouse when night temperatures exceed 10ºC – ensure the soil or compost is free-draining. Feed weekly with a high potash fertiliser once plants have started flowering, and harvest chillies as and when they appear.  Variety Selection: Choose between early and late varieties based on your preferred harvesting timeline. The prime sowing season spans late March to June, but adjustments can be made for earlier or later sowings using protective structures like greenhouses or cloches. Successful Sowing: Extend your harvesting window by sowing seeds every two weeks. Opt for a diverse selection of carrot varieties to stagger your harvest throughout the season. Container Cultivation: Carrots adapt well to container gardening, particularly in environments with heavy or stony soil. Select containers with a minimum depth of 30cm, filling them with well-draining soil or compost. Ensure regular watering, especially during dry spells, and cover containers with fleece to deter carrot root flies. Care and Maintenance: Keep the soil weed-free and water occasionally, aiming for deep root growth. Avoid overwatering to prevent stunted growth. Monitor for bolting, which indicates the plant has flowered and become inedible. Thinning Practices: Sow seeds thinly to minimise the need for thinning, which can attract carrot root flies. If thinning becomes necessary, follow proper techniques to minimise disruption and scent release. Pest Management: Carrot fly infestations pose a significant threat to crops. Consider resistant varieties or employ physical barriers like fine-mesh netting or companion planting with aromatic herbs like onions or garlic to deter pests. Harvesting: Harvest carrots when the soil is moist to prevent breakage. Gently lift them from the ground, and water afterward to settle the soil around remaining roots. With these guidelines in hand, you’re poised to embark on a rewarding journey into the world of home-grown carrots, from seed to harvest and beyond. Enjoy the bountiful flavours and vibrant colours of your labour, knowing you’ve cultivated a taste of freshness right in your backyard. Find more grow your own recipes Find out more about the Show

How to care for birds in your garden this winter The Woodland Trust, who you may have seen at our BBC Gardeners’ World Events earlier this year, have put together some top tips to care for birds in your garden this winter. Read on below to find out more!  Winter can be a difficult time for wildlife. Temperatures plummet and food becomes difficult to find. Insect-eating birds turn to alternative foods, some species travel far and wide, and foraging behaviour adapts, but we can lend a helping hand by providing a welcome source of extra food for birds to turn to in leaner times. Different birds are attracted to certain foods, often reflecting their special adaptations for natural food types. Offer a variety of tempting morsels to maximise your bird table’s wow factor. Where to feed birdsIt’s not only the types of food that tickle particular birds’ fancies, but also where they’re fed. You may have noticed that dunnocks and wrens shy away from bird tables and hanging feeders.Sprinkle crumbled fat balls and seed beneath shrubs for secretive and ground feeding birds. Smear fat mixtures into the cracks and crevices of branches or bark for treecreepers, nuthatches and woodpeckers. And don’t forget to clear feeders and feeding areas of snow after fresh falls as smaller birds can struggle to get through it. Waxwing Planting for birds One of the most satisfying and hassle-free ways to feed birds in winter is to plan ahead and let nature provide. Rowan produces a lasting crop of berries that in bumper years can see birds through for several months. They’re a favourite of mistle thrushes which will guard them jealously from other hungry visitors. Ivy is also a good plant to encourage, its late-ripening berries offering food through the colder months and its evergreen leaves provide the perfect larder for wrens to search out hibernating insects. Redwing Keep it upOnce you start feeding birds, try to keep regular in your topping up habits. While most visitors will adapt and move to new feeding grounds when natural food gradually runs out, a sudden drop off in feeding puts them on the hop. In winter when alternative food sources are already scarce, this could mean the difference between life and death for some.Woodland Trust woods support wild birds year round with food and shelter in their natural environment so even if you don’t have your own outdoor space you can be there for your favourite winter visitors by standing up for trees with the Woodland Trust. To find out more about our work and get involved, click the button below: Blackbird FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WOODLAND TRUST With thanks to See what's on at BBC Gardeners' World Spring Fair in 2024! Applications for Beautiful Borders are now open - click to find out more!

The Landscape Service, Furzey Gardens and Kingston Maurward College scoop top Awards at the BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair at Beaulieu  BBC TV gardening presenter, Frances Tophill, has presented awards to design teams and horticulture students behind some show-stopping gardens and displays at the BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair at Beaulieu today.Winner of the Spring Fair’s Best Showcase Garden and a Platinum Award was Nordic Retreat by The Landscape Service, based in Southampton. Designed by Luke Mills, the stylish, minimalist garden is designed to offer a calming space to relax, unwind and rejuvenate, providing temporary respite from the urban environment. It features neutral colours, planting features to create dappled shade, and natural hard landscaping materials.Best Beautiful Border and Platinum Award winner was ‘Not all those who wander are lost’ by Furzey Gardens and Minstead Trust who provide training and work experience for people with learning disabilities. The Border was inspired by a poem from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, and features plants grown at Furzey Gardens, a stepping stone path, and a grand chair carved from the trunk of an old Elm tree.The Beautiful Borders competition is a highlight at all BBC Gardeners’ World Events and is designed to provide achievable inspiration for smaller gardens and tricky spaces. Entrants take on the challenge of packing compact 9m2 plots with imaginative planting and creative design features. This year’s theme is ‘My Garden Escape’. Spring Fair award assessors for the Beautiful Borders were Ian Hodgson, editor of Garden News, and acclaimed Hampshire garden designers, Anita Foy from Anita Foy Garden Design, and Richard Barnard from Kings Oak Landscapes.  The Spring Fair’s first ever inter-horticultural college competition was won by students from Kingston Maurward College in Dorset. The college team won Best College Garden and a Platinum Award for A Wardian Garden, a design inspired by the college’s Victorian heritage. Colleges were tasked with designing budget-friendly gardens with a Victorian Garden theme. All the college teams were mentored by award-winning garden designer, Cherry Carmen.Show Assessor Richard Barnard said: “It’s great to have the colleges here at the Spring Fair. The quality of work is excellent and these brilliant students are the future of horticulture.”Reviewing all Award entries at the Spring Fair, BBC TV gardening presenter Frances Tophill, said: “I’m hugely impressed with the talent involved and the hard work that has gone into creating these wonderful gardens and displays, with every award richly deserved. I have no doubt that they will inspire thousands of people over the Spring Fair weekend to try something new or different in their garden, veg patch or window box. Whether you’re new to gardening or a green-fingered expert, it’s a great time of year to make garden plans for the summer ahead. The BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair really is the perfect place for ideas to blossom and grow.”  READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE /*! elementor-pro - v3.19.0 - 07-02-2024 */ @charset "UTF-8";.entry-content blockquote.elementor-blockquote:not(.alignright):not(.alignleft),.entry-summary blockquote.elementor-blockquote{margin-right:0;margin-left:0}.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote{margin:0;padding:0;outline:0;font-size:100%;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;quotes:none;border:0;font-style:normal;color:#3f444b}.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote .e-q-footer:after,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote .e-q-footer:before,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote:after,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote:before,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote cite:after,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote 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.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button{padding:.7em 1.2em;border-radius:100em;background-color:#1da1f2;color:#fff;font-size:15px}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover{background-color:#0967a0;color:#fff}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover:before,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover:before{border-right-color:#0967a0}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button svg,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button svg{fill:#fff;height:1em;width:1em}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--button-view-icon .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic.elementor-blockquote--button-view-icon .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button{padding:0;width:2em;height:2em}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--button-view-icon .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button i,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic.elementor-blockquote--button-view-icon .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button i{position:absolute;left:50%;top:50%;transform:translate(-50%,-50%)}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:before{content:"";border:.5em solid transparent;border-right-color:#1da1f2;position:absolute;left:-.8em;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%) scaleY(.65);transition:.3s}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--align-left .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:before{right:auto;left:-.8em;border-right-color:#1da1f2;border-left-color:transparent}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--align-left .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover:before{border-right-color:#0967a0}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--align-right .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:before{left:auto;right:-.8em;border-right-color:transparent;border-left-color:#1da1f2}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--align-right .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover:before{border-left-color:#0967a0}.elementor-blockquote--skin-boxed .elementor-blockquote{background-color:#f9fafa;padding:30px}.elementor-blockquote--skin-border .elementor-blockquote{border-color:#f9fafa;border-left:7px #f9fafa;border-style:solid;padding-left:20px}.elementor-blockquote--skin-quotation .elementor-blockquote:before{content:"“";font-size:100px;color:#f9fafa;font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-weight:900;line-height:1;display:block;height:.6em}.elementor-blockquote--skin-quotation .elementor-blockquote__content{margin-top:15px}.elementor-blockquote--align-left .elementor-blockquote__content{text-align:left}.elementor-blockquote--align-left .elementor-blockquote .e-q-footer{flex-direction:row}.elementor-blockquote--align-right .elementor-blockquote__content{text-align:right}.elementor-blockquote--align-right .elementor-blockquote .e-q-footer{flex-direction:row-reverse}.elementor-blockquote--align-center .elementor-blockquote{text-align:center}.elementor-blockquote--align-center .elementor-blockquote .e-q-footer,.elementor-blockquote--align-center .elementor-blockquote__author{display:block}.elementor-blockquote--align-center .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button{margin-right:auto;margin-left:auto} The Nordic Retreat is our first show garden so I couldn’t be happier to have won this award. Inspired by my Nordic heritage, I wanted the garden to have a therapeutic effect, providing calm and respite from busy life. It’s been a real team effort by gardeners, landscapers, suppliers and sponsors, and I’m over the moon. Luke Mills, Director of The Landscape Service We are delighted for all the people that we support that have worked so hard to create this garden. It has created a real sense of purpose and shows what people with learning disabilities can achieve when they have support and encouragement. Andrew Bentley, Estates Manager at Minstead Trust This garden has brought students together from across the college’s horticultural courses. They’ve done the research, sourced materials and built the garden, all with the support of our tutors. It’s just incredible to have won. Alison Firth, a Level 3 Horticulture student and designer at Kingston Maurward College

Pantone Colour of the Year - Very Peri! The bets are off! Pantone has named its highly anticipated Colour of the Year for 2022. This is an annual trend forecast by the colour giant that determines which colour is set to appear all over our homes and gardens in the following year.This year, the Colour of the Year is, Very Peri! Considered the ‘happiest and warmest of all the blue hues’, Pantone describes Very Peri as a ‘dynamic periwinkle-blue hue with vivifying violet-red undertones’, which makes it perfect for a calming garden designed for thoughtfulness, personal inventiveness and creative thinking – the inspiration behind the colour. In terms of picking out plants for your garden in 2022’s trendiest hue, there is so much to choose from.Here are 8 examples of plants found at #BBCGWLive 2021 that cover the spectrum and would give your garden the Very Peri seal of approval!  Featured: Blue Cupidone/Catanche caerule The bright blue, cornflower-like blooms of cupid’s dart, Catananche caerulea, appear continuously from early to late summer, peaking in midsummer. Grow Catananche caerulea in full sun in well-drained soil, such as a mixed herbaceous border or gravel garden.  Featured: Woodland Sage/Salvia nemorosaPerennial sages look wonderful in ornamental borders, producing summer-long displays of spiky, nectar-rich flowers. For best results grow Salvia ‘Caradonna’ in a sunny, sheltered spot in well-drained soil. Deadhead spent blooms regularly to encourage flowers into mid-autumn. Mulch annually with well-rotted manure, or garden compost. Featured: Garden Dahlia/Dahlia pinnata Summer wouldn’t be summer without dahlias. Their beautiful flowers come in almost every colour imaginable, from pale pastels to hot, vibrant shades. They come in a range of flower shapes, from small tight balls to lily-like blooms the size of dinner plates. Dahlias require a fertile, moist but well-drained soil, and a sunny, sheltered spot. Featured: Anise hyssop/Agastache foeniculum Anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum, has aromatic leaves and colourful flower spikes beloved of bees and other pollinators. Its fragrant leaves can be dried and used to make a delicious tea. Grow agastache in moist but well-drained soil in full sun. Featured: Bellflower beardtongue/ Penstemon campanulatusPenstemons are valuable garden plants, grown for their long-flowering season and popularity with beesGrow penstemons in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Mulch annually with well-rotted manure or leaf mould, and feed weekly in summer.  Featured: Anise hyssop/Agastache foeniculum Agastaches are scented perennials from North America, China and Japan, where they grow in poor, dry ground. They’re perfect for growing in gravel or Mediterranean-style gardens, and may also be grown in containers on a sunny patio.For best results, grow Agastache ‘Blue Boa’ in full sun, in well-drained soil.  Featured:  Catmit/Nepeta faasseniiCatmints add a lovely, soft, floppy, gentle touch to cottage gardens. Nepeta gigantea ‘Six Hills Giant’ has grey-green foliage, which is covered all summer in masses of short spikes of lavender-like flowers which attract lots of beesLight, well-drained soil is the key to success. After the first burst of flowers, shear over the growth to get a second crop of leaves and flowers. Featured: Lobelia / Lobelia speciosa Lobelia speciosa flowers are  a popular garden plant that particularly attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Grow in deep, fertile, reliably moist soil in full sun or partial shade. Feed with a balanced liquid fertilizer every two weeks until mid-summer and a low nitrogen fertilizer from then on.  Find even more spring gardening inspiration at BBC Gardeners' World Spring Fair BOOK TICKETS Interested in bringing a Beautiful Border to the Fair? Find out more about applying below. Find out more