Canada in Bloom

 

 

Recently I was fortunate enough to take a trip with my sister and some friends to Montreal and Quebec City. What I love about Canada is that everywhere I went the flowers were just beautiful and the people there cared enough to keep them looking lovely, despite the hot summer we have had.

 

Here it is August and what I saw was beautifully maintained. Usually by this time of year my own garden is starting to look a bit rough around the edges. Not in Canada though. Everything looked lush and beautiful.

Whether the plants were on public property or privately owned, they looked wonderful. What a pleasure this trip was! Good company, wonderful friendly Canadians, and of course excellent food.

 

If you have never been there, I highly recommend both cities as a trip you will enjoy. So get packing!

Forellenschluss lettuce : Plant Profile

 

I bought these seeds from the Seed Savers Exchange this year and was quite pleased with this particular lettuce. There was no trouble with them sprouting (despite the lack of rain), they produced well, continued growing despite the heat and only just recently have the plants I didn't harvest gone to seed in the garden. This pot of Forellenschluss lettuce continues to go strong on the deck.

Forellenschluss lasts pretty well in the refrigerator and I expect to be eating it for awhile, even though this is August. What does this mean for the future? It means that I am going to try and save the seed and plant them next year. Any plant that has survived this summer in my garden is a keeper. A lettuce still alive in August, well that plant is not just a keeper, it's a winner.