October is National Rhubarb Month

I bet  you are asking, ‘why October?’ I am not quite sure.  This doesn’t quite make sense because rhubarb is very strongly associated with spring in the northern United States. In October it is just starting to go dormant with the first few frosts.  If we were in the Southern hemisphere, however, we would just be starting to harvest the stalks this month. Maybe we celebrate rhubarb in October just so we have it in our thoughts year-round and can be jealous of those on the other side of the world enjoying its delicious sweet-tart taste now when we have to wait another six months for it.

Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum, Rheum x hybridum)

Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum, Rheum x hybridum) is a cool season, perennial vegetable with long leaf stalks, or petioles, that hold large, triangular leaves. We eat the red, fleshy stalks of the plant that are quite tart when not cooked. In the culinary world it is considered a fruit because it is often sweetened and used with other fruit in desserts and baked goods, hence its nickname of  ‘pie plant’. Rhubarb pairs perfectly with strawberries because of the flavor and the shared early growing season.

Keep rhubarb on your mind until next spring when you can plant crowns or divisions to grow your own and use some in your favorite recipe or stick with the traditional favorite and celebrate National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day on June 9^th. If you are going to try to grow rhubarb yourself make sure you give it a nice spot where it can live for up to twenty years without being disturbed.  To see some plants in person come check out the Victory Garden at the Museum of American History!

Blooming online!

Welcome to our new blog!

This is an exciting place where you will get to see and read about what’s happening in and around the spectacular gardens here in Washington, DC. Routine posts will be made by our very own horticulturists, and garden enthusiasts including upcoming events, photos of the gardens through the seasons and back stories you wouldn’t hear anywhere else. It is a creation done by Chloe Prince, an Informatics student from the University of Michigan, who volunteered to intern with us for one week on an Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program.

“Working with Smithsonian Gardens has been an amazing experience! This is my first time visiting D.C. and the gardens and the people behind them are more extraordinary than I could have ever imagined! Located throughout the city, they add serene beauty year round and really make exploring the monuments and museums a magnificent experience! Walking through the Orchid Mystique: Nature’s Triumph exhibition was truly a dream! It was incredible to see and smell the stunning collection of thousands of orchid varieties from around the world! I have had a wonderful first experience to the city and Smithsonian Gardens. I can’t wait to come back and visit again!”
Also be sure to check out our start on Pinterest.com, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr!

 Chloe Prince, Intern