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... slices of quince

Burdock beauty

21/4/2015

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Some large impressive leaves turned up uninvited in my vegetable plot. A fellow gardener identified them as Burdock. They grew into huge, grand plants with impressive tall, prickly seeds.

Harvested, the root was so long it didnt leave the earth without snapping off. Ugly too. It still won a prize at a 'Grow and Show' competition 'unusual' category and then was sacrificed as kinpira gobō.

Burdock roots can apparently grow to a metre long. The root has a reputation as a general herbal remedy and is one of the best blood purifiers.

Burdock leaves are beautiful, grey and furry and the young stems are a soft pink/purple colour. Immature flower stalks can be eaten too. The plants are architectural and grand. Like globe artichokes, they would look lovely in a flower garden. They are related to the artichoke. 

The prickly seedheads of burdock are noted for easily catching on to fur and clothing – great for seed dispersal. After taking his dog for a walk one day in the early 1940s, George de Mestral a Swiss inventor, became curious about the seeds of the burdock plant that had attached themselves to his clothes and to his dog's fur. Under a microscope, he noticed the hook-and-loop system that the seeds use to hitchhike on passing animals aiding seed dispersal, and he realised that the same approach could be used to join other things together. The result was Velcro.

The Royal Horticultural Society defines burdock thus – Arctium lappa - Arctiumis from the Greek arktos, (bear) after the rough coated fruits, The common name “burdock” refers to the fruits (burs) , and the large dock like leaves. Lappa is from the Latin lappare, “to seize”, and describes how the burs cling to passing animals. 

Shakespeare called it a weed...

 Crown’d with rank fumitor and furrow-weeds,
With burdocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo flowers,
Darnel and all the idle weeds that grow
In our sustaining corn.
- King Lear

 Burdock is cultivated as a vegetable in Japan where it is known as gobo. A popular Japanese dish is kinpira gobō - julienned or shredded burdock root and carrot, braised with soy sauce, sugar, mirin and/or sake, andsesame oil. I tried it. It was earthy and sweet. The burdock root smelt like Jerusalem artichoke when cut.

Dandelion and burdock is a soft drink that has long been popular in the United Kingdom
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ANZAC thoughts

20/4/2015

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At April every year we honour ANZAC – the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

Here’s an idea for a wreath of remembrance that is a little different from our usual tributes on ANZAC day. And of course we have no Flanders poppies flowering at this time of year in New Zealand so green is the main colour with a hint of Aussie red bottle brush and red ribbon.

Plants that remind us of New Zealand used here are Hebe, and pohutukawa. Bottle brush provides a nod to Australia and some flowers are still around in April to provide a little colour.

The pohutukawa is an important symbol for New Zealanders at home and abroad. . In 1941 German Afrika Korps Prisoner of War Camp, army chaplain Ted Forsman composed a pohutukawa carol in which he made reference to ‘your red tufts, our snow’.

Symbolic plants that have meanings significant for ANZAC include bay - the bay tree is a symbol of glory. Rosemary is traditionally an emblem of remembrance. The foliage of the olive is used as the olive tree is traditionally an emblem of peace and  Oak leaves are an emblem of bravery.

The wreath base can be bought online at

www.oceansfloral.co.nz

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    ... slices of quince blog 
    ...they dined on mince and slices of quince which they ate with a runcible spoon...

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