18 - Friday, February 8, 1991 - North Shore News HOME & GARDEN Crocus has roots Photo submitted NOTHING BRIGHTENS up the spring scene like masses of early-flowering crocus. Planted like wild flowers across a front yard, they bloom before it's time to mow the lawn. SAVE YOUR SUNDECK FROM RAIN BALCONY ENCLOSURES SOLARIUMS tien ME emorreawar mousties tra 403 Riverside Drive, North Van. 929-3811 Give Your Windows the treatments they deserve! BLINDS _ from ss” ee 0° 0 Result Price Come view one of the largest selections of drapery & blind samples Lonsdale and Blinds Established for 18 years For tree in-home estimates, please call 922-1709 1441 Clyde Ave., West Vancouver THE CROCUS is probably one of the best known and loved of the early spring flowers. However, there are many autumn-flowering species, too. Among them, the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus, is one of the most famous, known since the early days of modern civilization and mentioned by Homer and Hippocrates. 1: has been prized through the ages as a spice and coloring, lending a golden hue wherever it is applied. Saffron is an expensive spice because it takes 18,286 flowers to obtain 100 grams. No wonder it has been called ‘the king of spices’. In medieval Europe saffron was so highly valued and priced that many bogus versions were introduced by unscrupulous merchants. Consequently, strict controls and severe penalties were eracted. For in- stance, in 1444 a man named Findeker was put to the stake, along with his substitute saffron, and in 1456 someone named Pfagerin was buried alive for the same reason. In time, the penalties were fessened but the fines increased. In France, Henry 11 ordered cor- poral punishment for anyone making fake saffron. The spice saffron is brownish red in color, has a strong aroma, an anaesthetizing effect and a bitter, spicy taste. It is very hygroscopic (i.e. absorbs moisture easily) and feels oily. Because of its golden hue — the eternal symbol of prosperity — it has been used to color varnish, bread, rice and cheese. We don’t know for certain from where saffron originates. It may have come from Cilicia, in Asia Minor, where there is a headland known as Koorykos (corycos), not far from the Coryc cave where, in a dip in the valley, the most beautiful real saffron grows. {in antiquity One legend has it that Alexander the Great's troops discovered saffron in a valley in the Indian province of Kashmir. There they broke ranks and ran wild, seemingly crazed by the sight of fields aboun- ding with autumn-flowering crocus. In fact, the name Kashmir itself is said to corne from Kasmiraja, which means saffron. It is possible that the Crusaders brought the spice to European countries in the 13th century. It is said to have been smuggled into England at the end of the 14th century by a pilgrim from the Holy Land who had a corm in his hollow staff. We de know for cer- tain, however, that the saffron crocus has grown commercially in Essex in the 16th century and one of the towns that takes its name from this crocus is Saffron Waldon. Currently it is the spring-flowering crocus, Crocus vernus, that is the most important Dutch product, where it has been grown commercially since 1785. This crocus comes from the Alps, the mountains of southern Germany and the Mediterranean and is the forbear of the large-flowered Dutch hybrid crocus, of which the purple and white varieties are the most widely grown. A white groove runs the length of the leaves. Foliage appears after the plant has flowered and the blessom opens when the sun rises and closes again toward evening. Young crocus corms grow on top of the old ones and, theoretically, would in time stack up above ground level. To counteract this, the crocus has de- veloped contractile roots which draw the corm back down to the correct depth, sometimes as much as a few centimetres a year. These roots are easy to spot because they are larger and more wrinkled than others. * Quality Products DLHA102 50 W Halogen with duaf intensity switcts List: 203.55 Speciat 99, 00, =< yy ‘i be. CEO DLHA626 150 W Halogen with dimmer DLHA627 180 W Halogen with dimmer eeoemence SWIC List: 231.89 a 129.00 HOG, fast MAST fas SENOLE SALE an DLHA613 50 W Halogen with dual intensity switch List: 226.74 ss a 139, 00 List: 226.74 Special 119.00 - CONTESSA SS DLHA619 50 W Halogen with dual intensity switch List: 226.74 LS, special 139,00 - Fa . mA A AS i AUTAABY ~ 299: ‘0666 +