From Soil to Table: Spring’s First Flavors at The Greystone

After a long winter, we love to see the different signs of spring finally taking place! For the gardeners, this is both a busy and exciting time! Although it may seem early, we are already seeing the first sprouts of many plants! 

The garlic we planted back in November has really begun to grow, and the green shoots are starting to come up quite nicely More than just demonstrating the growth of the garlic underground, the scapes are edible as well! They have a mild garlic flavour, and are great in so many different things, like pesto, in salads, soups, or even used in pickling. Not only do we get to enjoy this delicious vegetable, but harvesting these scapes helps the garlic grow better, by redirecting the plant's energy back to the bulb. 

With a similar flavour profile to the scapes, we are starting to see some of our walking green onions as well! This plant is great, not only is it perennial, but it also replants itself. Hence, its name! 

As a classic early spring plant, our rhubarb is starting to emerge! With its tart flavour, it is great in many baked goods, like pies and muffins, and, of course, jams too. It’s another great plant for gardeners, as it is perennial, low-maintenance, and starts to come up early. 

Rhubarb is one of the first perrenials to emerge in the garden

Even the tiniest sprouts get a shout-out! Both our beets and spinach are just starting to come up. For now, they are just the smallest leaves, almost hard to see! But soon they will be dominating their own sections of the garden. 

We are even appreciating the controversial yellow flower around here, the dandelion. We officially had our first one come up just the other day! Not just beloved by the pollinators, especially at this time of year, we love using them in salads and tea! Here at the Greystone, every plant plays an important role! 

We love having this peaceful garden escape and everything it provides for us! By the time it is summer, most of the fruits and vegetables we serve at the bed and breakfast come right from our own garden. A classic recipe we look forward to creating is a quiche! We have our own chickens, so fresh eggs are readily available to us. Then, it’s really easy to use what is in season. A classic combination is kale, onions, red peppers, and tomatoes. Everything does taste so much better when you can see right where it came from!