One for Nick, really, although he may already know of it.

While browsing through Cassell's 1913 Dictionary of Gardening, I came
across a couple of unusual vegetables. One I'd never heard of -
Hablitzia. The other, Apios, I have a vague memory of. Anyway a bit of
internet searching led to this website:
<https://www.incrediblevegetables.co.uk/>

Some things are still available, although many are OOS.

--

Jeff

In article <telv2l$kplm$1@solani.org>,
Jeff Layman <jeff@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>One for Nick, really, although he may already know of it.
>
>While browsing through Cassell's 1913 Dictionary of Gardening, I came
>across a couple of unusual vegetables. One I'd never heard of -
>Hablitzia. The other, Apios, I have a vague memory of. Anyway a bit of
>internet searching led to this website:
><https://www.incrediblevegetables.co.uk/>
>
>Some things are still available, although many are OOS.

Thanks very much. I grow Hablitzia, but it's a bit uninspired;
blanched in spring, it tastes like lettuce in salads, but it's a
poor spinach substitute. I have never grown Apios.

I can recommend (rock) samphire as a tarragon-like herb that is very
good with grilled fish. It seems to grow better in a pot with very
gritty soil - not surprising, really.

I will look at that site.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 31/08/2022 10:30, Nick Maclaren wrote:
> In article <telv2l$kplm$1@solani.org>,
> Jeff Layman <jeff@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>> One for Nick, really, although he may already know of it.
>>
>> While browsing through Cassell's 1913 Dictionary of Gardening, I came
>> across a couple of unusual vegetables. One I'd never heard of -
>> Hablitzia. The other, Apios, I have a vague memory of. Anyway a bit of
>> internet searching led to this website:
>> <https://www.incrediblevegetables.co.uk/>
>>
>> Some things are still available, although many are OOS.
>
> Thanks very much. I grow Hablitzia, but it's a bit uninspired;
> blanched in spring, it tastes like lettuce in salads, but it's a
> poor spinach substitute. I have never grown Apios.
>
> I can recommend (rock) samphire as a tarragon-like herb that is very
> good with grilled fish. It seems to grow better in a pot with very
> gritty soil - not surprising, really.
>
> I will look at that site.
>
>
> Regards,
> Nick Maclaren.

Nick have you every grown Dioscorea batatas? I grow it as an ornamental
as it has a lovely scent but people keep telling me it makes good
eating, certainly makes huge yams after two years!

--
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk

In article <tfnmua$29upd$1@dont-email.me>,
Charlie Pridham <charlie@roselandhouse.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Nick have you every grown Dioscorea batatas? I grow it as an ornamental
>as it has a lovely scent but people keep telling me it makes good
>eating, certainly makes huge yams after two years!
>
>--
>Charlie Pridham
>Gardening in Cornwall
>www.roselandhouse.co.uk

No. I am interested it grows well with you. While I have eaten it, I
was too young to remember what it was like, but my understanding is that
it's not exciting in itself, though makes a good alternative to
potato.

I liked Oca quite a lot, but it only produces lots of little tubers
here. A pain. Better than Stachys affinis, though, but the maggots
produced by that were excellent crunchy things for salads; and it was
horribly persistent!

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 13/09/2022 11:05, Nick Maclaren wrote:
> In article <tfnmua$29upd$1@dont-email.me>,
> Charlie Pridham <charlie@roselandhouse.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> Nick have you every grown Dioscorea batatas? I grow it as an ornamental
>> as it has a lovely scent but people keep telling me it makes good
>> eating, certainly makes huge yams after two years!
>>
>> --
>> Charlie Pridham
>> Gardening in Cornwall
>> www.roselandhouse.co.uk
>
>
> No. I am interested it grows well with you. While I have eaten it, I
> was too young to remember what it was like, but my understanding is that
> it's not exciting in itself, though makes a good alternative to
> potato.
>
> I liked Oca quite a lot, but it only produces lots of little tubers
> here. A pain. Better than Stachys affinis, though, but the maggots
> produced by that were excellent crunchy things for salads; and it was
> horribly persistent!
>
>
> Regards,
> Nick Maclaren.

Thanks for replying
Dioscorea batatas is very easy to grow and hardy, it doesn't get above
ground until May then grows like stink! flowers in August September
(very scented) and by October every leaf axil has small bulbils which
can either be used in stir fries (apparently) or to make new plants.
Tubers after two years are 2' plus in length.
I was just wondering whether it was worth the effort as you really need
a deep growing bed as the tubers are vertical rather than horizontal in
our experience.
Based on your assessment of it being a potato substitute I may try as we
cant grow spuds they get eaten by small black slugs or killed by blight
neither of which seem a problem with the yam
--
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk

In article <tfq0vc$2je85$1@dont-email.me>,
Charlie Pridham <charlie@roselandhouse.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Based on your assessment of it being a potato substitute I may try as we
>cant grow spuds they get eaten by small black slugs or killed by blight
>neither of which seem a problem with the yam

Be warned, I am no expert! It's certainly widely grown as a starchy
vegetable, but I didn't know it thrived even in Cornwall.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.