mojitos & pasta tossed with fresh asparagus and garlic scapes...

Oh.
Yes.
You are on the i fiori blog.
Summer is here, and the hot weather makes sitting on the balcony, sipping a mojito and eating a pasta salad with local asparagus and scapes seem like the right thing to be doing.

The latest and the freshest plants in store this week are rosemary (or as one customer said, "this is the best-looking rosemary I have ever seen..."
More English lavender arrived on Thursday, as well as bushy, healthy mojito mint

mojito mint

 

 

 

 

There are so many different varieties and flavours of this herb, but if you want the essence of real mint try the mojito mint. With a pure mint flavour, it is perfect for salads, vegetarian and meat dishes, jams and preserves - and of course - mojitos.

the Mojito

In an 8 to 10 ounce glass, combine 10-15 rinsed fresh mint leaves and 2 teaspoons superfine sugar.

With a muddler or a wooden spoon, coarsely crush mint leaves with sugar in the bottom of the glass.
Add:

- 4 to 5 tablespoons light rum

- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Mix well.

Fill glass with ice cubes and top off with chilled soda water.Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Makes 1 serving.

And what about garlic scapes?

These curly, deep-green stalks are the flower shoots that grow from young garlic bulbs and are available to us in southern Ontario in mid-June. They meander and twist elegantly in vases, and the best part? After you enjoy looking at them for a few days… you can eat them!

They are a bit like asparagus in texture, but have a subtle garlic aroma and gentle taste - much milder than the garlic cloves. The entire stalk and flower are edible. They are wonderful additions to puréed dips, pestos, marinades, fritatas, salads, pasta dishes, stir-fries - any dish that you want a really fresh-tasting hint of garlic flavour (try them with new baby potatoes!). You can use them raw, gently steamed or stir-fried.

I have a small amount of fresh scapes in the shop, and like fresh local asparagus - they will not last long.

terrariums & succulents

terrariums

This week a limited number of hanging and tabletop terrariums will arrive in the shop. These are beautiful blown glass orbs - the hanging terrariums have an integrated glass loop on top, and both the hanging and the tabletop terrariums can nestle onto a ceramic ring for use on flat surfaces.

They are ideal for small tropical plants, filled with pebbles and mixed mosses, or planted with a selection from the many succulents we have in the shop.

succulents

This season has seen a renewed interest in succulents - for good reason! Succulents are

• easy to care for
• adaptable to most environments and light conditions
• drought tolerant 
• they come in an amazing variety of shapes and colours

With one of the largest assortments of succulents to choose from, i fiori has an ever-changing and expanding selection.

large, sculptural flapjacks

 

the delicate and whimsical 'string of pearls'

finishing moss

New in store are packages of finishing moss for use with plants, orchids, and ideal for the terrariums.
Choose from 3 different types or combine them as part of your design:

• sheet moss: sometimes referred to as woodland moss, it is sterilized and dormant (dry), but is easily reconstituted in warm water to create a natural looking, classic soil cover
• spanish moss: remains dry and used primarily for texture interest or to cover the soil
• reindeer moss: fluffy clumps used for texture interest and as a soil cover

sheet moss   :   spanish moss   :   reindeer moss