“Unfurling” is the word that springs to mind every time I set foot outside of the front door. My garden is awash with buds which have decided that now is the right time to push themselves upwards, ready to burst open and display their beauty. 

​Alliums are about to rip open their covers and form mighty balls of purple, my ferns are exquisitely poised to curl open in limey-green fronds …even my toes have unfurled from their winter boots and socks and have dared to exhibit themselves with freshly painted nails on a couple of occasions! (no photos of those, you’ll be relieved to hear!)

​And in the farm shops, the offerings on the shelves are changing. More colour, more juicy rows of farm-fresh vegetables and a riotous rainbow of seasonal produce.

​Red, pink and green rhubarb stalks are glossy and vibrant, promising that shock of delicious tangy fruit flavour when cooked with sugar and topped with crumble (my favourite, can you tell?!).

​Originally from China, rhubarb was first imported as a medicinal plant and prized as much as rubies, satins and pearls. The name comes from the Latin word “rhababarum” meaning “root of the barbarians”. Jewel-like in appearance, I can see why it was so desired and, if I don’t add quite enough sugar, the children tend to screech like barbarians when served their pudding.

​Another glorious seasonal addition is the bundles of asparagus spears which have worked hard to push themselves up through the soil. 

​The green shoots are true pioneers and harbingers of early summer. During a sunny day, you can almost hear them growing (sometimes up to 10cm in one day!) Cut them in the morning and they’ll be another one growing by the evening. No wonder the season is short – it must be exhausting to be asparagus. 

​Let’s cheerlead for these short-lived stars of our farm shops. Display them with pride, shout about them on social media and get the shoppers ringing the date on their calendars each year…