[Sca-cooks] Growing saffron (was Isinglass)

[phoenissa at netscape.net]

Cindy Ferguson <crma at ix.netcom.com> wrote:

>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.
>

Hmm...could be a possibility - for next year anyway :-)

>I grow bay leaves (California Bay Laurel) but no other spices yet.

Do you have a tree, or is it a shrub?  I've seen bay grow both ways...there are lots of laurel trees in the area, but I don't know whether they're good for eating (they're all in public parks, and I have no clue if they spray pesticides or anything).

>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.

Yeah, I know how it is - I don't have kids, but I have school, which is plenty time-consuming :-)

>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.

Wow! :-)  Nice selection...at home in L. A. my parents grow mint, two varieties of oregano, thyme, rosemary, lavender, two kinds of basil, chives, and parsley.  (Not to mention a dozen fruits & veggies.)  I only *wish* I could start a garden like that up here!

>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.
>

I'm in Berkeley - I guess it would be considered coastal, since we're not too far from the Bay.  (Isn't Sunnyvale a little less than an hour from here?  I'm still learning my geography...) If I stay in town over the summer, I think that will be my time for gardening experiments :-)  There will be spare time and sunny weather in abundance then, I imagine!

Vittoria


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