Have you ever seen a vegetable try to touch the sky with a cloud of creamy white blossoms?

Most of us know rhubarb as those crisp, tart, reddish-green stalks that make our favourite summer desserts pop. But if you let this hardy perennial do its thing in the warm June sunshine, it pulls off a spectacular magic trick. It shoots up massive, dramatic stalks crowned with feathery, cloud-like clusters of hundreds of tiny flowers. In the gardening world, this is called “bolting.”

While these beautiful blooms are a sight to behold, local gardeners usually snip them off early. Cutting the blossoms directs all the plant’s energy away from making seeds and sends it right back down into the roots, ensuring those tasty stalks grow as thick and juicy as possible for the kitchen.

Beyond being a treat for the tastebuds, rhubarb is an absolute powerhouse for your health. It is naturally packed with dietary fibre, bone-strengthening vitamin K1, and vitamin C, making it a nutritious addition to any diet. Just remember to keep your focus entirely on the stalks—the massive, umbrella-like green leaves contain high amounts of oxalic acid and are completely toxic. Once the leaves are safely removed, those robust stalks from the Art Borups Corners Land Lab are ready for the ultimate upgrade. Forget the usual pies; this fresh harvest is being whipped into a rich, moist, sweet-and-sour homemade cake that will have everyone coming back for seconds.

Captured for the Canvas: Our Community Tradition

Every single summer, local community residents pour their hearts into tending these vibrant plots. It is a wonderful season of growth, mud, and hard work, and we absolutely love documenting the journey from tiny sprouts to towering blossoms.

We snap these gorgeous garden photos all through the sunny months to save them for a special purpose. Every year, these snapshots and others from our community gardening projects become featured highlights in our annual fall arts and photography exhibition. It is our favourite way to celebrate the beauty of local agriculture and showcase the incredible artistic talents of our community residents!