I found this sport of a Heavenly Blue Morning Glory in the far green house of an obscure nursery that Bob and I found when we moved to Oregon. The twice retired giant who runs the place won't sell it to me. It was his mother's favorite flower, so each year he captures seeds to propagate and produce vines worthy of her memory. This edgy man now shuffles with stooped shoulders as he goes about his tasks. He's a decorated combat veteran who returned home to raise a family and mind the family business. Age took his wife and mother. Combat took his son. His gardens still remain. I've been privileged to see them. The trellis in the garden behind the house is smothered by artfully twisted, climbing vines overlain with the heavenly blue flowers I so want to be mine. Protected by a willow planted the year his boy was born and engulfed in the fragrance of the rose hedge his wife tended, we have our coffee and repeat the game we've played for years. I ask for seeds I know I won't receive, but learn more each year about this gentle man and his passion for this quiet spot and the land that he has turned. Some folks buy headstones, he propagates flowers and tends the earth. I suspect his family would love the monument he's created for them.





One of life's simple pleasures is morning coffee in the garden. It's made sweeter still with a crusty baguette or sweet pastry. Morning Glory Petal Bread is perfect for breakfast in the garden. It's a wonderful flower shaped confection whose petals are sugar dipped biscuits that are pulled apart for eating. It's assembled rather than made and it's one of my secret weapons for company breakfast or brunch. The recipe first appeared as Orange Marmalade Coffee Cake in the 1999 Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook. I urge you to play with this recipe until you're comfortable with amount of fat and sugar you are using. I've altered the original recipe to use a soft spread that tastes like butter. I also reduced the amount of marmalade used in its preparation. As to sugar, I've used a combination of golden brown and granulated sugar but have not cut back on the original measurement. My changes to the base recipe appear in red. I urge you to try this when you need a special dish for breakfast or brunch. It takes 5 minutes to assemble and its absolutely delicious.

Morning Glory Petal Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 to 2/3 cup sweet orange marmalade

2 tablespoons (or more to taste) chopped walnuts

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup golden brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 (approximately 12 ounce) cans of refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup melted soft spread (i.e. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)

Directions:

1) Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-inch Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.

2) Spread marmalade in bottom of Bundt pan. Sprinkle with walnuts.

3) Melt soft spread and place in a small bowl. Combine sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl. Separate biscuits, dip each into soft spread, dredge in cinnamon-sugar and place, standing up, evenly around the edges of Bundt pan. Drizzle any remaining soft spread over biscuits and sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture.

4) Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until top is a deep golden brown. Cool on a pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto a platter and serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.