The kids got most of the second set of strawberries, and are now helping with the daily basket of cucumbers (those Mini Me sure don't quit!). Cherry tomatoes are raining down, but I'm almost skunked out of paste tomatoes. I bought 20 lbs from an organic farmer, and realized it wasn't going to quite make four litres. Last year, I put up 19 litres of reduced tomato sauce, so this year might just be a bust. I also have not made any use of the rhubarb.
This year, I won’t be making a new batch of dill pickles. We may likely still juice many apples, but that’s usually not until September. I never did get to make more lilac honey, but I have a little leftover. Most of the herbs got dried, so I will have many flavourful winter meals and pots and pots of minty tea.
I really had to release myself from all the “shoulds”: just because I’ve canned in years’ previous, doesn’t mean I have to this year. There’s only so much energy I’ve got, and it’s been unequally spent on the book. So, the garden gets a rinse and repeat, and the cherry tomato vines are sprawled on top of the strawberries, and I will have a forest of dill volunteers next year, because I didn’t keep them in order, but that’s alright. I’ve let the celery mellow, which means it’s getting tough and flavourful—honestly, how I prefer it, since it gets chopped, frozen, and then cooked in sauces anyway.
If you’re following me on Instagram, you’ve seen the deluge of dahlias! One of my favourite summer activities is cataloguing the new varieties by photographing a single bouquet and comparing its colours to the rest of my collection. Allow me to share my notes with you on some of my favourites!
bridezilla
This one is always a favourite. It takes a little while to get going (I’d say mid-season), but the slight point on the petals and perfect colouring make them so regal. White can be a notoriously attractive colour to bugs, but I find this one did much better than a similar (smaller and floppier waterlily) Bride to Be.
Kelgai ann
Ever since I fell into dahlias during Covid, I’ve wanted this one. She is supposedly very hard to keep. Some dahlias produce skinny, weak tubers that shrivel up over the winter. I will see what she makes, and then try a few different storage types, though now that she is not so rare and commanding $25+ per tuber, I could find her again if I had to. I ADORE these waterlilies that close up at night, though I will admit that her appearance is average during the day.
creamy
Another rare beauty that I admired from afar, I was so pleased to get Creamy this year. How funny, the soft butter yellow I fell in love with… is actually a lot more white in person! The camera can be deceiving… still, this mini ball is a nice size and goes with everything.
Ka’s Mocha katie
Wow. I was a little sus when it had mottled leaves this spring, but that did not stop this stunner from pumping out the blooms. It was one of the first to bloom, and now in the heat of summer the stems are quite weak. I could probably cut it back and get another strong flush at the end of season. This is a stellar form, which means the petals curve all the way back to the stem.
Valley porcupine
SO cute and distinctive. It’s never been very productive for me, so I may not grow next year, but I am a sucker for unique shapes, and this one actually has pokey petals.
wine-eyed jill
A must-have staple. She is first to bloom, pushing out tall stems that are so easy to cut, and tolerates the shade better than any other. I’ve put her at the end of the row, and she’s now entwined with the scarlet runner beans. They’re having a summer fling.
hollyhill pinky
Give me all the fluffies. She pops in the garden, and adds beauty to every bouquet. Productive and cute even when her centres blow open. The bees love her.
milena fleur
Her petals glitter. I’ve tried and failed to capture it well on camera, so you’ll have to see it to believe it. I almost don’t want to cut her for bouquets, so I can enjoy the sun sparkling on her in the garden. Wow. Very strong stems and a tidy grower.
NADIA RUTH
Yes, I have a lot of similar pinks, but I can never let go of this one. You might have seen ho-hum pictures of her before, a frizzy mop of white and pink—but have you seen this sea anemone lookalike? She does something special when the weather’s just right, and you get these wild, fringed peony beasties that you can’t look away from. Love my Nadia.
Mission gypsy
Another forever favourite. Her smoky raspberry tones are unique to every bloom, and I love this 2-3” size. When I first started collecting dahlias, I had a lot of 4” balls that dominated the bouquets, and I found them hard to design with. In my opinion, that size is best suited for the market gardener, who needs more bloom impact. For my table arrangements, I want to stuff as many different flowers into a vase as I can, and these cuties fit the bill.
sandia bertha
She’s a new addition, and wow, does she pack a punch! She’s the most saturated gal in the garden, and the photo does not do her justice. She isn’t burgundy, or purplish red; she is an hot electric magenta, with cooler, streaked undersides. The camera doesn’t quite get it right.
Koko puff
After three years of failed and rotted trades, I decided to buy two tubers this year to ensure I would finally get my Koko Puffs. They absolutely live up to the hype; a smoky raspberry that changes its ombre according to the temperature, and the perfect blender flower. Will definitely be keeping this one.
Are any of these beauties new to you? Tell me which ones you want to add to your garden next year, and I’ll put you on my first dibs list!
