A longtime cucumber staple in my garden is the reliable and productive Sweet Success, an early producer of fine fruits. I’d only ever used my own transplants — until last spring, when I happened to notice some sturdy and vibrantly healthy looking Sweet Success transplants at a local garden centre.
There were only three of the plants. On a whim, I bought them. Into the garden they went, along with my home-grown transplants.
One of those purchased plants must have been zapped by some sort of magic ray, or blessed by the gods of juicy crunch and superb flavour. That one plant churned out an astonishing succession of the most deliciously satisfying cucumbers I’ve ever tasted. I devoured them with unseemly relish.
I can’t reasonably expect such a gift to repeat itself this year, but I’ll still be looking for transplants at the same garden centre this spring — just in case.
Meanwhile, I’ve begun noticing in several catalogues a type described as mini-cucumber. These are not dill-sized pickling cucumbers, but small “salad” cucumbers. Most are picked at around 10 cm in length.
W.H. Perron (formerly Dominion Seed House) lists Mini Munch, described as producing a hefty yield of tasty, crunchy fruits, even in cool conditions, in containers or trained on a garden trellis.
Piccolino, listed in the catalogues from West Coast Seeds, William Dam, and Johnny’s Selected Seeds, is adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions. It produces “prolific” numbers of crisp, tasty cucumbers, picked at around 10 cm.
T&T Seeds lists two mini-cucumbers. Aladdin produces season-long yields of 15-cm fruits on strong vines. New is Green Light, an All-America Selections award winner for 2020. I’ll be trying this one. It promises high yields of 10-cm fruits that are “great tasting.” An early producer at around 42 days from transplanting, Green Light is a good candidate for succession sowings and an extra-long harvest season.
Parthenocarpy. All these cucumber varieties are “parthenocarpic.” That means they develop fruit without pollination and subsequent fertilization of a flower’s ovules. They do not require male flowers or insect pollinators. As a result, they also don’t form seeds as long as they are grown in isolation from non-parthenocarpic types, to make sure that no cross-pollination takes place. If it does, the parthenocarpic fruits may develop seeds.
The word “parthenocarpy” is derived from the Greek “parthos” meaning virgin and “karpos” meaning fruit. It’s the botanical equivalent to virgin birth.
T&T Seeds. This Canadian seed company is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year with interesting new listings. Ruby Crush is a new grape tomato that grows on compact, 60-cm plants. Artwork yields tender mini-broccoli side shoots over several weeks. There is also a compact ground cherry (Cape gooseberry, husk cherry) called Little Lanterns.
T&T’s heavy-yielding, compact Redskin and Mohawk peppers produce abundantly for me in containers. Their Pink Blush is the most beautiful lavatera I’ve ever grown. New among the flowers is Choco Sun, a fast-blooming, compact, multi-flowering sunflower, and Tickled Pink, a new type of climbing petunia with fragrant, rose-purple blooms. Can’t wait to try this one.
Gardening families will want to check out a two-page Fun for Kids & Grown-Ups display of baby corn, multi-coloured blends of carrots, beans, and radishes, red and green baby lettuces, miniature pumpkins and giant sunflowers.
GARDEN EVENTS
Floral art. The Victoria Floral Artists Guild will meet on Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. in the Garth Homer Centre, 813 Darwin Ave. A Fabulous March workshop will focus on live plants, bark, cones and other materials found in our gardens in March to illustrate the elements and principles of floral design. A $10 fee will cover container, wire and floral foam. Guest fee $5. Details at victoriafloralartists.ca.
Qualicum meeting. Qualicum Beach Garden Club meets Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. in the Q.B. Civic Centre, 747 Jones St. Margaret Cadwaladr will present A Secret Garden: The Story of Darts Hill Garden Park. Guest fee $3.
Wellness with Nature. The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific is offering the next in the Grow Your Own Wellness Journey series of six Sunday sessions on March 15, 2 to 4 p.m. Learn how to decrease stress and increase wellness through connecting with nature and the seasons. Cost $45 per session for HCP members and non-members. To register call 250-479-6162. Details at hcp.ca.
