|
medpundit |
||
 |
 |
|
Tuesday, June 15, 2004 Nasturtiums are wonderful flowers. They're the Franciscans of the garden - they love poverty. No loamy, moist soil for them. They take their dirt dry and poor. Which is why I love them. They thrive on neglect. They are a New World flower, native to Peru and the West Indies, and made popular in Europe by the physician and botanist Nicholas Monardes, in his delightfully named herbal JOYFUL NEWS OUT OF THE NEWE FOUNDE WORLDE. That joyful news also included tobacco and cocaine, but that's another story. The name nasturtium (Latin for "twisted nose") is somewhat of a misnomer, those who have eaten them say they do have a nose-twisting peppery taste. Their seeds can be pickled like capers, and their flowers can be used in salad dressings. And for naturopaths, they have medicinal value. Myself, I've never eaten them or prescribed them, so I can vouch for neither. But they are lovely and fragrant when they're in full bloom. posted by Sydney on 6/15/2004 09:24:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
|
