Tulip-palooza

Thankyou Veseys for waiting until the end of September to send my bulb order (to my sub-arctic yard). Thankyou Canada Post for taking nine days to get that order to our local post office (our health system may be okay, but the Americans sure do have a superior postal system).
I went to that local post office twice a day for the last two days, anxious to get the parcel. Resident-lawnmower-man also had the (actually very helpful) post office staff double check and see if the parcel was with the unsorted parcels a few days ago. Fortunately, the bulbs and a peony root arrived yesterday and I planted the bulbs this morning. Yes, on a cloudy day at 3 degrees Celsius (37 degrees F) with stuttering fits of snow falling from the air. I don't even own thinsulate-lined garden gloves!

Temptations of the Advance Spring Catalog

I planted fewer bulbs than last year, but combined with the previous year's bulbs, I've probably put at least 1500 bulbs in the ground in this yard. Somehow, word about this hasn't gotten out to the bulb-eating rodents and I hope they aren't reading this blog!

Today, I planted some minor bulbs (Chionodoxa forbseii, White Muscari), some large yellow trumpet daffodils, Double Late "Blue Diamond" Tulips, Allium "Purple Sensation", Allium "Gladiator" and a pink double flowered peony "Bouchela". The Alliums are possibly not hardy, but I got them for a "value" price from Veseys and I'll be thrilled if they do well.

A Convallaria majalis that I DON'T HAVE:



Veseys also sent along an advance spring catalog with the promise of $25 off my next order. You must see this catalog. True horti-porn. My eyes bulge at the delectable new plants I MUST HAVE, or forever dream about. These people know how to market plants. Take this "New for 2008" Lily of the Valley that "is a real conversation piece", with its "pristine white fragrant flowers" which apparently "dance merrily among deep green leaves striped with creamy white veins". Of course, I tell myself that paying $52.95 for 3 pips is totally justifiable for these reasons:
(a) I don't have one of those
(b) now that I read this, my novelty pink "Rosea" Lily of the Valley isn't so cool anymore
(c) it grows in zone 2 and hey, they just aren't many of those

Then again, I'll probably agonize over the catalog for another two months trying to decide which plants I really must have, considering there are so many deals and hot new plants. And these are the months of dreaming and planning...

Fall's Gentian Blues

There were beautiful sunshine and clear skies today, showcasing the effects of last night's -5 degree celsius temperatures on the wilted annuals.

A lucky petunia that has not yet succumbed to frost:

Fall colors of the Siberian Dogwood, a shrub I picked for it's touted "winter attraction". The younger stems are a brilliant red, which if the snow is not too deep, you might be able to appreciate!

Lupinus polyphyllus "Gallery Yellow", another perennial that hasn't looked this good all summer:

Reblooming Campanula persicifolia:

My first blooms of Gentiana septemfida, the lovely blue crested gentian. This one was given to me by a local gardener friend. I see that Kate's (in Regina, SK) crested gentian bloomed in the end of August! Mine is a month late (and 518 km/322 mi north), though this is its first summer in my garden.

Kona is giddy about her new straw bedding. Her house may look over-stuffed now, but it is her bedding for the winter and all the frosty -45 degree celsius nights we are looking forward to! Of course, her fur will also have to keep her warm, since she pulled the rubber door off of her house last spring.

Rhubarb: Tamarind of the Temperate World

Rhubarb is a wonderful plant, especially because it thrives even in harsh northern locations like here. If you live in Canada and can't grow rhubarb, I would say that you might have a problem!

Until a few years ago, I believed that everybody knew about rhubarb. Alas, this was untrue. We know two South African families that moved to La Ronge and got to discover rhubarb as a novel plant. We warned them about not eating the leaves, though this seemed to result in unnecessary paranoia. They wondered at the wisdom of eating only selective parts of "poisonous plants". The other family had a problem with young hoodlums grabbing the leaves off the rhubarb, playing with them, and littering the neighbourhood with them. That family ripped all the stalks and leaves off their plant, thinking they killed it. But no, the rhubarb lived on. It takes more than that to kill a rhubarb.

My rhubarb cookbook - with an introduction by the late
Canadian gardener, Lois Hole.

But back to my title. Have you tried tamarind? It is a sticky brown substance scraped out of pods of the tamarind plant and used to bring tang to such condiments as HP sauce and worcestershire sauce. I imagine the adventuresome British developed a fondness for this sour foodstuff while living in India. It is very very sour (like rhubarb) and needs sugar to sweeten it for candies or drinks, but can also be used to add a tart tang to savoury dishes. It is especially good with fish and I love tamarind chutney on East Indian dishes, especially samosas. The first time I tried tamarind chutney, I became nearly obsessed with finding out what this was and how I could make some myself! My tropical friends all knew about tamarind, of course, but I think it will take some more time and convince them about rhubarb.

Recipe for tamarind chutney:

2 Tbsp tamarind paste (can buy this from Asian grocery, or in
my case, off ebay)

5 Tbsp water

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

finely chopped cilantro leaves, to garnish

1. Place tamarind past in a large bowl. Gradually add the water, gently whisking with a fork to make a smooth, runny paste.

2. Add the chili powder and ginger to the mixture and blend. Add the salt and sugar and mix well.

3. Transfer the chutney to a serving dish, garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, and serve.

Note: It has a consistency thinner than most gravies and is quite spicy and tangy, but leaves you wanting more!