Yesterday, I gave my first talk about my (second) love of onions (alternative title All you wanted to know about Alliums but were afraid to ask!)….fittingly in the nursery with I believe the best selection of Alliums being sold as foodplants in Europe if not the world , my friend Aiah Noack’s Naturplanteskolen just outside of Copenhagen. Aiah is the author of an excellent book Fantasilater (fantasy salads), only in Danish so far which also includes several Alliums. My book Around the World in 80 plants mentions some 45 Allium species!
In a little over 2 hours I covered about 66 of the world’s cold hardy onions and over 80 if we include cultivars and subspecies…
Other onion related topics were also covered, such as “grow your own fireworks and Xmas decorations”, “Allium as a dancing partner”, the Allium microphone (Alliomike) and the garlic scape armband to keep “wild” animals, trolls and mosquitos away (Transylvanian Garlic keeps vampires away too)… It was a fun afternoon with yet another great group of edimentals fans! ;)
The video is of one of my pictures about drying Persian Shallots with a shot of my drying racks over my wood burning stove. Someone noticed that you could actually see heat rising through the racks!!!! (a wood burning stove was on behind the projector) ;)
Aiah with a collection of late flowering Alliums from the nursery on display for the participants…
The day started with a tour of the (smelly) part of the nursery ;)
A large selection of Alliums for sale…
Aiah has constructed an Allium display garden with some 60 species :)
Allium nursery
Alliza for the food break (Allium pizza!)
Somebody pointed out there was an onion inflorescence hanging from the roof, so I stopped to take this shot :)
Not onion related but there were also delicious rolls decorated with seed of this plant, Plantago major “Atropurpurea”!
On 13th August I’ll be doing an edible wander at Grennessminde, the organic nursery just outside of Copenhagen. A large number of edible flowers are also produced here for Michelin restaurant NOMA. I popped in for a quick look on Tuesday with project leader Aiah Noack who is also (together with Naturplanteskolen) organising a trip from Denmark and Southern Sweden to my garden around 15th – 19th July! There are still some places available!
Red mitsuba (Cryptotaenia japonica)WatercressEdible flowers, MalvaEdible flowers, OxalisEdible flowers, FuchsiaEdible flowers, OxalisAllium fistulosumRumex acetosa “Abundance” (non-flowering form)Lepidium latifolium – Nordic wasabi :)Cochlearia (scurvy grass)Variegated ground elder (Aegopodium podograria variegata)Aster scaber, Korea asterAster scaber, Korea asterPink-flowered dandelion, Taraxacum pseudoroseumAllium cernuum, Chicago onionAllium hookeri, Hooker’s onionCanada violet, Viola canadensisAtriplex hortensis “Aurea” / Golden orachAllium “Summer Beauty”Rumex patientia, patience dockAllium fistulosumFragaria “Lipstick”Fragaria “Lipstick”Grennessminde fantasy lunch!Grennessminde fantasy lunch!
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
