nespole, medlar etc.
- To: "'m*@ucdavis.edu '"
- Subject: nespole, medlar etc.
- From: V* A*
- Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2001 20:03:53 +0200
Sorry to be so late in answering to Tim's questions. I am busy organizing
the garden fair "Primavera alla Landriana", which will take place in the
Landriana Gardens (www.giardinidellalandriana.it, alas only in italian) on
April 20,21,22 and I can hardly stop to breathe, let alone reading my mail.
However, during the few days I did not check the list managed to find an
answer to the various questions arised. IN any case, as Tim requested an
answer from Italy, here I am.
Mr. Cocker apparently is (or was) a garden expert, author of several "how
to" books published in Italy, and if I remember it correctly, for a while
was the head gardener of Villa Taranto, the huge gardens in the Italian Lake
district. Having said this, I can't figure out how he could have mistaken
persimmons for medlars. Eryobotrya japonica, as many of you have pointed
out, here blooms in the winter (hence the difficulty of growing it in colder
countries), has one of the best scents ever, and fruits in late spring, with
soft, delicious orange fruits, that bear 2-3 kernels (I would have said
nuts)with a polished, hard woodsy skin (like a small oval chestnut) we
always say it fulfills the gap between the last of winter fruits (citruses)
and the first strawberries and cherries. Mespilus germanica is an autumn
fruiter,and the fruits need to ripen before they can be eaten. It is one of
those old fruits that have been replaced by mor einteresting plants, but it
is still found in old farms and in the woodland. Now the problem is that
BOTH are called Nespolo, one is del Giappone, the other one comune (common.
At any rate, today you can find Er.jap's fruit in shops, whereas the other
ones are not on the market. I will look in my granny's old books for the
liqueur recepie, it did ring a bell, I must have read it sometime.
As for the other plants, come on, Italy like the rest of the civilized world
was filled in the 60es and 70es with hedges of Cupressus arizonica glauca,
Prunus laurocerasus, Pyracanthas and conifers, with a few traditional
Laurus nobilis in the less trendy areas. Still, I know of old Maclura
hedges(not one of my favourites, I am afraid), and a gorgeous Poncirus one,
seen once in an old country house. Never seen Edgewortia ones,
unfortunately. Talking about unusual plants for hedges, in Sicily they use
Prickly pears (Opuntis ficus indica) to line miles and miles of country
lanes.
All the best,
Alessandra
Alessandra
