[Sca-cooks] Growing saffron (was Isinglass)

[Cindy Ferguson]

phoenissa at netscape.net wrote:
>
>
> Ah, ok.  I live in northern California; I imagine they'd do all right here.  The climate is very much like it is in Spain and other countries around the Mediterranean :-)
>

I grew some saffron crocuses in Sunnyvale for a number of years.
Unfortunately it seemed to rain when the blooms were just about ready
to harvest.  (That and the fact that I have two very small children meant
I missed their peak!) I got my bulbs from Shepard's Garden - don't know if they
still have them or not.  They are fall blooming so we've missed the
planting season this year.  You could try them in a pot - have no idea
if it would work or not.  Most crocuses do fine in pots though.

I grow bay leaves (California Bay Laurel) but no other spices yet.  So many
seem to need a sub-tropical climate and I haven't had time.  As my children
get older I hope to find the time.  I have a lot of rosemary - the deer
don't eat it!  I plan on planting garlic and perhaps shallots in late
Oct. or early Nov.  I'm planning on doing my herbs in containers - I
moved into the mountains and the deer like to eat most of them.  I've heard
some lavenders will work.  In my garden in Sunnyvale, I grew lemon grass
(it grew really, really big), lavendar, oregano, marjoram, basil, tarragon,
chives, parsley, dill, lemon verbena and several varieties of thyme.  The
oregano and thyme made good ground covers!  Where in northern CA are you?
If it's coastal, you could probably grow many of these.

--

Cindy Ferguson
crma at ix.netcom.com