Saffron from the yard!

      I have my own saffron!!!   Saffron crocus is a fall blooming crocus that is hardy here (zones 10-6).  The saffron is the red threads you can see on the lower petal.  The leaves are almost like grass they are so thin. I planted them all over the yard in a variety of soils and exposures.  They are, of course, doing best in the richest soil with the most sunlight, but they are producing even in the worst clay.... slowly.  They are even doing well in a medium size pot.

      Here's the clip from  Odyssey Bulbs, recommended to me by Mike Gibson at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. 

Crocus sativus ~ The beautiful pale lilac-purple flowers of this long-cultivated species are prized for their toothsome stigmas and styles (although keep in mind that it takes the dried styles of more than 4,000 flowers to produce 1 ounce of seasoning). But it is equally valuable (although perhaps not in the literal sense) as an ornamental plant. A natural for the herb or kitchen garden, it requires rich, well-drained soil, periodic division, and deep planting to do its best. Mediterranean. Zone 5.

   Can't wait to try it in my mother's family recipes!  I already have more than I got in the bottle at Publix, and they are just starting to bloom.  Here's hoping they are as flavorful as they are pretty!  They smell wonderful as they are pulled ready for drying.

They are dainty, and those in the richest soil are blooming several times.  I'm going to leave some out this winter well mulched to see if they will survive.  I'll dig up the ones in the poorest soil before a really bad freeze and give them a better home next year. 

Ginger is good for what ails you...

and tastes great too!   Here's a link to some recent research on ginger that I know we'll come to appreciate more and more as the gardening season goes on.  Seems that it reduces muscle pain caused by overexertion if taken daily.  I'll have to find some more to plant..thank goodness it is a lovely plant that will grow in our hot summers (that's August 2009)...and even survive this last really cold winter. 

We thought we had lost the one in the front garden, but it's peeking up now!

Cilantro is coming up!

Having  your own cilantro is the way to a happy marriage!   Well, a happy cooking relationship.  If you have your own, you can make  your own salsas and curries with just the right amount of seasoning for each of you.  I'm not wild about cilantro, but my husband loves it...apparently  we aren't the only ones! Love it or hate it, this herb has served a variety of purposes over the  years, try it in your garden.

Cilantro is relatively easy to grow around here as long as you get it while the weather is cool.  Spring and fall suit it best, although it isn't as winter hardy as parsely.  If you don't want the coriander, plant a lot of cilantro in the beds that will get later veggies (winter squash? )  then harvest and dry until you have enough for your cooking plans and get it outta there for another crop!

The Poor Parsely

It's pitiful really.  I've seen parsely thrive through snow and rain and dark of winter.  I don't even pay any attention to it during the summer, but look forward to that bright green all winter. "My parsely will cheer me up!"
Not. 
Poor pitiful thing.  Sagging and shriveled.  I guess the 12 degrees and days of snow/ice were too much.  I couldn't even bear to take a picture.  Ah well,  we'll see how it recuperates! 
Onward parsely!   (Pay no attention to that little pot of dirt in the south window.)

GentleVoice

Tis the season...to be busy!

A quick note to remember what was in the garden this day....
turnip greens, turnip (purple top), collards, cabbage (smooth) and savoy, buttercruch lettuce, chinese cabbage, onions (purple),  bunching bermuda (heritage), sage (! even the annual), rosemary, thyme, lavendar (! blooming?) oats and wheat hanging in there...ah, the garlic (elephant).
Not too bad :)   and very thankful for the bounty of the summer in jars and freezer. 
A quick peek at the website soon!!

GV