Things I like - The Banksia parasol, Seville

Sorting out old pictures, I found this photo of a trully stunning Banksia Lutea Rose covering like a giant parasol a street fountain in Seville, Spain.

The two plants covered a 12 m2 area with a dense matt of pale yellow flowers like a starry sky.
Banksias are among my favourite roses, because in spite of their tenderness, they are real champions of strength.

What's blooming now: Soupert & Notting Rose

Introduced by Pernet Pere in 1874, this relatively small Moss Rose has a charm of its own. The blooms are rather small and intensely fragrant ( it reminds me of raspberries, but that of course is quite subjective) and ruffled. The colour is a strong pink with a bluish hint that fades a bit with age.

Foliage is matte green and the stems are covered with tiny but ferrocious thorns.

Some breeders list it as repeating rose , but in my experience it never did. And so says David Austin too!

Soupert & Notting is a rather small, bushy plant.

Some books for the summer

Some nice booklets for the holydays:

I GIARDINI CHE NON C'ERANO
Angelo Vecchio, Edizioni La Rocca

 This book presents four new garden creations arround historical villas in Sicilly.

BEAUTIFUL NO-MOW YARDS
(50 amazing lawn alternatives)
Evelyn J. Hayden, Timber Press, USA 2012

Some great ideas how to get rid of the lawn slavery and keep a stylish garden!

FREE_ RANGE CHICKEN GARDEN
Jessi Bloom, Timber Press, USA 2012

A funny booklet about how to create a chicken friendly garden.

Personally I like chicken ( I know it sounds a bit weird), I mean the beautiful ornamental ones and really belive they can help get rid of pests and keep a healthy biotope in our gardens.

Zucchini flowers from Italy

I do confess I am not a huge fan of the flower eating craze...
I like elder flower cordial and accacia fritters and that is it... No big fan of begonias, calendulas and tulips - in my plate...
But zucchini flowers are quite a different story!
Few things can compare with the absolute delicacy of filled zucchini flowers coated with light batter and fried to perfection! There is something almost metaphysical about them... so light and inconsistent and yet so unbearable good.

Last week in Milan, I went to a local market and came across my beloved delicacy... A feast for the eyes and palate.

Try them in the classical "Fiori Fritti" style or for a lighter version filled with a ricotta, pinoli and lemon zest filling and lightly sauteed in a pan without the batter.

Vegetable eating has never been more poetical...