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Post by Flatypus on Jul 29, 2009 2:00:59 GMT
I'm sure is a flower usually known as Love lies bleeding but I have a packet of it that I thought might be an interesting change from millet or cous-cous or quinoa and now I don't really know what to do with a packet of it. It does work as well as those to stuff peppers with smoked coley mix but it wasn't much cop as a salad cous-cous substitute. Anybody use it?
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Post by riotgrrl on Jul 29, 2009 9:57:44 GMT
(Is he talking about flowers or food? Help. Can it be deep-fried?)
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Post by Alpha Hooligan on Jul 29, 2009 10:18:24 GMT
Amaranth is an old cultivated crop originating on American continent. The Aztecs, Incas and Mayas considered amaranth as their staple food together with maize and beans. It used to be one of the most important crops in America before Spanish colonialists conquered it and further cultivation of the crop was banned. Amaranth was preserved on hard to reach places of mountainous Central and South America. Amaranth was first introduced as an ornamental plant in Europe in the 16th century. Different species of amaranth spread throughout the world during 17th, 18th and 19th century. In India, China and under the harsh conditions of Himalayas this plant became important grain and/or vegetable crop. www.vurv.cz/altercrop/amaranth.html  AH |
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Post by everso on Jul 29, 2009 16:07:25 GMT
>sigh<  Beneath that harsh, hard, muscle bound exterior there lies a knowledgable gardener. |
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Post by Flatypus on Jul 30, 2009 0:18:24 GMT
Thank you Alpha. Is it love-lies-bleeding, do you know? The pictures look like it probably is. I must admit that my usual reaction is distrust as food of anything grown for flowers and vice-versa. It's nice enough but no fantastic deal. Sounds to me like one of these 'Health' shop (ie three times the price of your local Pakistani) promotions of new exotica now that Quinoa (Kinwa) is passé. Looking that up, it looks like they have similarities and the leaves can be eaten too - if you like stuffing yourself full of oxalic acid. I wouldn't turn it down, but I understand why a lot of these things just never became part of the main food cycle where there were others.
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Post by housesparrow on Jul 30, 2009 7:19:27 GMT
Food crops that look good are great for small gardens. A few years ago I tried popping in a few purple sprouting seedlings in among the fowers, but just ended up with beds dominated by giant broccoli with dhalias and lupins cowering beneath.
If you have the room, why not give it a go with just a few, and keep the rest of the seeds for next year?
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Post by Flatypus on Jul 30, 2009 20:22:26 GMT
I have not seen purple sprouting on sale for donkeysyerz. It used to be and I like it. Sadly, the packet I have is for eating, not planting. No garden and nobody thought of an allotment system. I do remember growing decorative cabbages though, mostly cream and red-tinged. Romanescu spiky cauliflower is good too. Jerusalem artichokes are OK too if you can anticipate a summer hot enough for them to flower. Come to think of it, I think they are native to these latitudes but Canada gets appreciably hotter in summer.
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Post by percyplum on Aug 2, 2009 13:14:38 GMT
We only have a small courtyard garden, mostly paved or decked with one large raised bed. But, this year I've grown tomatoes in a growbag and runner beans in pots as well as salad leaves and herbs also in pots. They look great amongst the pots of flowers and roses in tubs. Taste good too!
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Post by jean on Aug 2, 2009 15:17:06 GMT
So long as you have a bit of sun, you can grow some edible crops anywhere. Runner beans are very prolific, don't take up much space and grow very well in pots.
But our backyard is NW facing and the only edible crop I've ever grown successfully there is Alpine strawberries. So I've just concentrated on leaves of interesting colours, and ferns in the really dark corners. All the edible stuff has to be grown on the allotment.
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Post by housesparrow on Aug 2, 2009 17:49:11 GMT
Jean - In the interest of science - and also because it is somewhere to put the cold water run-off - I have a pot of tomatoes by the NW facing kitchen door. They are not as prolific as those on the south wall, nor so red (yet) but are twice the size. Not sure why - more sheltered?
Flatypus - alas I have no helpful suggestions re amaranth seeds. Perhaps roast them with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and enjoy them with gin and tonic while the rest of us are slaving away in the garden or allotment.
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