Roses and strawberries formed a theme for last month’s potluck gathering in my home.
I’d cut some of the garden’s flowers for the evening — the last of the big, fluffy pink Therese peonies and small bouquets of miniature climbing roses that grow together with small-flowered, summer-blooming Clematis viticella vines at edges of vegetable plots.
Laura Ford was the miniature rose I chose to place on the kitchen table. I’d not used that exquisite little rose much as a cut flower, but since that evening I’ve become rather enamoured with its sweet scent. For over a week following the potluck, I came downstairs each morning to become enveloped in Laura Ford’s delightful fragrance.
Since then, I’ve kept all the new flowers that appear on that miniature rose vine clipped for continuing enjoyment of their delightful aroma in the house.
The strawberries, in their prime of production at the time of the potluck, prompted an urge to make a strawberry chocolate cheesecake, a dessert I’d made only once before.
It sounds awfully fancy, but it’s really quite simple. On a baked, plain cheesecake base I spread a slightly cooled chocolate ganache, which is simply plain dark chocolate pieces melted into whipping cream — one part chocolate to two parts cream.
Once the chocolate is spread over the cheesecake, I arrange halved strawberries, cut side down, on the chocolate.
New garden treats. Like most gardeners, I have a roster of longstanding reliable varieties that I grow almost every year. Among them are Green Arrow shelling peas, Sensation cosmos, Napoli carrots, Aspabroc sprouting broccoli and Snow Crown cauliflower.
As I scour the new catalogue listings every winter, I sometimes notice varieties that seem worth a small trial planting to compare with old favourites. An example this year is Grundy-Perfect Arrow shelling pea from William Dam Seeds, to compare with Green Arrow.
Last year, I found Earlisnow cauliflower from Johnny’s Selected Seeds (JSS) produced beautiful heads despite the heat. This new (to me) variety did much better than the Snow Crown plants growing in the same bed.
In this year’s JSS catalogue I noticed an unusual “green stem” cauliflower, a type popular in Asia, that is harvested after the florets have elongated and the curds have begin to separate. It is called Song TJS-65. It is also known as sweet stem or loose curd cauliflower.
The two heads I’ve harvested so far have been the sweetest, most tender and delicious cauliflower I’ve ever eaten. Next year I plan to make indoor sowings of Song every two to three weeks from early February through mid-July, to have a continuing supply of this wonderful cauliflower.
Beaujolais. Across from the front door of my house, under a wide-spreading Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree), a large Heuchera (coral bells) with dark reddish-purple leaves resides. Last month it began blooming, its airy spikes of small, pale pink flowers held on slender, purple stems.
The plant, thriving easily with little care, still brings a challenge. At certain times over the course of sunny days, random shafts of light cause some of the leaves to take on an almost ethereal rosy glow that I’ve never been able to capture in a photo. That lack of success has done nothing to dim my delight in this beautiful plant — and other Heucheras in the garden.
Heucheras can be used, like my Beaujolais, as a specimen plant. They also create a lively ground cover as well. On the far side of the strawberry tree there is a bed of the plants forming a multi-coloured mat of ornamental foliage. These perennials are available in a wide range of colours that include lime green, amber, purple shades and mottled or streaked bicolours.
The foliage, though it may dwindle a little, is near-evergreen in all but the coldest winters. I’ve used Heucheras for colourful winter hanging baskets.
GARDEN EVENTS
Walk and talk. Russell Nursery, 1370 Wain Rd. in North Saanich, is resuming its popular “Walk & Talks” sessions — brief (20 to 30 minutes), informal but informative talks that take place outdoors, around the nursery.
On Sunday, July 7, Nicole will show off her favourite plant treasures, ones you never knew you needed, in “Under-utilized Beauties.”
On Saturday, July 13, join Marian to learn tips and tricks for enticing pollinators into your summer garden. Attendance is free and drop-in. No registration is required. Meet under the willow tree at 10 a.m. sharp.
