Rhubarb and the Forcer (gouache style)

Rhubarb is a hardy perennial grown for its thick leaf stalks, which are cooked as a fruit even though the plant is botanically a vegetable. The large leaves contain oxalic acid and aren't safe to eat. Its wild relatives come from Asia, where rhubarb root was used as a medicine long before the stalks became a pudding. West Yorkshire's Rhubarb Triangle is famous for forced rhubarb grown in dark sheds.

Plant rhubarb crowns while dormant, between autumn and early spring, in a sunny spot with plenty of well-rotted manure. Leave new plants unpicked in their first year. After that, pull stalks with a twist from April, and stop by the end of July so the crown can recover. To force, cover an established crown with a forcing pot or upturned bucket in late winter. The pale, tender stems come weeks early, but don't force the same crown again the following year.

Pink rhubarb stems and large leaves are shown beside an old terracotta forcing pot. The pot tells the story, a reminder of the simple trick that brings the first tender stems of the year. Putting the tool and the crop side by side links the dark of late winter to the colour that follows in spring.