Re: Crete
Janet B wrote:
>
> Moira wrote
>
> > Janet
> > I was just re-reading with great interest and pleasure your account of
> > gardening in Crete, and thinking how similar the climate is to quite a
> > few parts of my country.
> >
> > I found one striking omission in you list of fruits which flourish for
> > you. Though you mention several ornamental species of Passiflora, you
> > don't list P.edulis, which I feel would be perfectly suited to your
> > conditions. Perhaps it was omitted inadvertantly or maybe you simply
> > don't like the taste.
> >
> > It is enormously popular in NZ and even in my local area, which is a bit
> > on the cold side for it in winter, people manage to grow it is sheltered
> > spots against warm walls, but further north it is happy just about
> > anywhere.
> >
> > Commercially it is marketed both as the fruit and also in the form of
> > bottled pulp for dressing sponge cakes and and as one of the traditional
> > toppings for our national dessert the Pavlova (a very superior variant
> > of the humble meringue)
> >
> > Also a passionate gardener
> >
> > Moira
> >
> > Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
> > Wainuiomata,
> > New Zealand (astride the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
> >
> >
> Moira
>
> You are right, P.Edulis would be a very strange omission. However, while all
> the flowering Passifloras go from strength to strength, P.edulis gets caught
> by our traditional 'one night at 0C' every winter and dies back to the
> ground. it is looking good now though and we are as ever optimistic that we
> may eventually get some fruit.
>
> (astride the "Ring of Fire") what a fantastically romantic thing to be able
> to add to your mails!
>
Janet
We do have much the same problem in my area, but clever people seem to
get round it by putting the plant on a sunny wall right under the eaves
or in some similar position. of course this tends to keep rain off too
and may necessitate special watering.
The "ring of fire" may sound romantic, but just means we are on shaky
ground, do sport the odd active volcano (not _very_ active at present,
thank goodness) and may get large earthquakes at any time!!
(No need to explain this further to people in your part of the world,
eh?)
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata,
New Zealand (astride the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
