Last weekend was his 60th birthday, and of course, for anyone turning 60, it is a special occasion.

For most people, the 60th birthday is known as a diamond jubilee. It is an important milestone for most people. The diamond jubilee is commemorated and celebrated with extreme extravagance because the person begins a different life.

We all know that Lloyd is a person full of energy, able to continue with enthusiasm this new Decade, whether working or resting, surrounded by all of us who love him.     Happy Birthday, Lloyd!                                                                                                                                    

At home, we always celebrate birthdays with a birthday cake. It is a family tradition to bake a special cake for special celebrations.

The most traditional of the Chilean Birthday cakes is the Torta de Milhojas con Manjar, or in English: Thousand Layers Cake filled with Caramel. 

Milhojas cakes are ubiquitous in all Latin America. Like many recipes introduced by Spaniards, almost every country has its version.

However, the Chilean version is one of the most famous ones, often called Torta Chilena (Chilean cake) in Central America.

For the traditional Chilean Thousand Layer Cake or Torta de Milhojas, you must fill the cake with Dulce de Leche (caramel) and walnuts.

If you don't like it too sweet, you could add in between some layers of vanilla custard and whipped cream or Chantilly cream.

Also, adding a few extra layers of plums jam, raspberry jam, or rhubarb jam is excellent. The tart contrast enhances the overall flavour.

INGREDIENTS:

The dough:  3 cups sifted flour; 250 grams unsalted butter, cold from the fridge; 3 egg yolks; 3/4 cup milk; 1 tablespoon white rum or brandy; 1 pinch of salt. 

The filling:   3 cups of dulce de leche or caramel; 3 cups of custard, 2 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional);1 cup of Jam (optional), and 1 can of Caramel. 

Steps to make it:

1.Sift the flour andcombine it with salt in a large bowl. Add butter in chunks, egg yolks,milk, and liquor. Work to form a dough of medium consistency.

2.Do not work withyour hands. Use a fork or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Do notuse your hands because your body temperature will melt the butter. Somebits of butter must remain in the dough to give its crispness. Don'toverwork the dough.Wrap it in plastic film and put it in the fridge for at least 6 hours. 

3.After 6 hours,preheat the oven to 180C.

4.Divide the doughinto 14 equal portions. Roll each piece on a floured baking sheet,parchment paper or Silpat until very thin. Utilizing a paring knife, cutcircles of 8 – 9″ diameter. I usually use a dinner plate as a guide. Piercethe circle of dough with a fork across the entire surface.

5.Bake each circleover an un-greased baking or cookie sheet for 5-7 minutes until golden.Let cool.

6.Assemble the cake,filling each layer with caramel (3-4 tablespoons). Every three layers ofcaramel, add one of custard or jam. Don't forget the ground walnuts also. Save a cup for decoration on top!

7.Cover the wholecake with a thin layer of caramel and sprinkle with a mixture of walnuts,icing sugar, and crumbs.

8.Cover it and letit rest for a few hours in the fridge. Serve at room temperature.

Let's talk about the Rosaceae family:

European Plums,  Japanese Plums and some Hybrids are the most cultivated worldwide, many of them you will find in our garden centre. Currently, we have a great variety and quantity of one of the favourite fruit trees for many:

Prunus domestica, European Plums have small, sweet, rounded fruit with solid yellow flesh. Although most European plums are self-fertile, you will produce a better crop if you grow two or more varieties together. 

No special European variety is preferred over another as a pollinator.

Prunes are one of the various types of European plums.They have a high enough sugar content to allow growers to dry the plums in the sun without fermenting.

Prunus salicina, Japanese Plums have large attractive fruits with yellow to red flesh, especially in blood plums. They are small flowering trees that bloom earlier in the spring, and their fruits ripen earlier in the summer than European plums. These trees typically require fewer chilling hours than European plums to set fruit.

Santa Rosa, a self-fruitful Japanese cultivar, is reputed to increase the yield of any other Japanese variety when the two cross-pollinate. Japanese plum trees are more likely than European varieties to require cross-pollination.

Let me recommend some of my favorite Plums:

Plum Luisa: To me it is the best Japanese plum. As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, its origin is Hamilton - NZ, so if you are local, you must get one.

Luisa Japanese Plum produces gorgeous, oblong fruits with beautiful, sunset-coloured skin and bright yellow flesh. Fruits are super juicy, flavourful, and are phenomenal when eaten fresh off the tree! Is it self-fertile and super easy to grow.

Plum Santa Rosa: This is another one of my favourites for his flavour. Medium to large purple - skinned fruit with yellow-tinged pink, juicy, tangy flesh. Partially self-fertile, you can improve fertilization with Black Doris. Excellent pollinator. Early to mid-season.

Rhododendrons and Azaleas:

Rhododendrons and azaleas are in the same plant Genus; Rhododendron. With thousands of varieties, there are rhododendrons and azaleas for just about every landscape situation.

Low-growing ground cover azaleas grow from 30 to 60 cm tall. However, there are others that can grow up to 8m high. The clusters of flowers are tubular, funnel, or bell-shaped, very showy in late spring. Available in many flower colors, including pink, red, white, yellow, and purple.

Rhododendrons tend to be larger shrubs than azaleas and  have large blooms and leaves.The leaves of the smaller Azaleas are usually pointed and narrow; the leaves of the rhododendron are generally large and leathery.

Weed control:

Turfix Lawn Weed Spray Concentrate is a selective, hormonal weedkiller and contains three active ingredients. Controls daisies, clovers, Onehunga weed, catsear, chickweed, chamomiles, docks, thistles and dandelion. 

Turfclean Ultra is a fast-acting lawn weed killer that controls the broadest range of lawn weeds. Kills broadleaf weeds including dandelion, clover, Hydrocotyle, Onehunga, selfheal, speedwell, oxalis, daisies, dock, plantain and more.

Yates Hydrocotyle Killer is a selective weedkiller for the control of hydrocotyle, creeping oxalis and other broadleaf weeds (including daisies and clover) in grass lawns.

Chem Zero Super Concentrate Zero Super Concentrate is an effective and economical broad spectrum weedkiller.  Kills weeds and grasses, roots and all.