Parsley
In between bouts of sunshine and hail yesterday, I noticed beds of parsley in Aotea Square.
Makes me think of my dear Grandfather, who used to grumble about Grandmother's ranks of roses, as he thought it not worth planting unless it could be eaten (I think living through a few world wars makes one funny in the head. Grandmother - I believe - made rose-petal jam one year to shut him up).
I find it a curious choice of plant for the inner-city, although the local homeless contingent will be pleased to have a ready supply of garnish to accompany their a la bin meals.
9 comments:
I think you may find you have stumbled across the Playhouses herb garden.
Meanwhile, there's a lovely crop of silverbeet growing the length of the median strip on Lambton Quay.
I'm not sure what it is about inner-city parsley. A few years ago I came across a large number of planter boxes filled with parsley on George Street in Sydney. Perhaps parsley is good for growing in fumey areas? Though I wouldn't eat it without giving it a good wash first.
What's the difference between parsley and, um, never mind...
Although a good wash is always a good idea before eating anything.
I had been wondering about this. Is it purely for aesthetic reasons that there are vegetables sprouting up all over Lower Hutt, because if so then someone should fire our Public-Garden-Planner-in-Chief. The rose gardens beside the War Memorial Library look ridiculous surrounded by beds of spinach and parsley.
Or perhaps Mrs. Smith is right and these flourishing veges are actually destined for human consumption? God, I hope not, as I have on several occasions witnessed my neighbours dog pissing over the parsley.
I think I'd be more worried about whatever exhaust fume residues have taken up home in the vegetables than the odd spot of nitrogen from the local fauna - Charlie, don't ever live in the country, they feed those cellophane wrapped salads with poo, then wash them in chlorine.
But they're probably destined for the city missions if they're for eating, rather than the suburban green grocers. We can monitor the poor for bad side effects.
Just don't try to pull it up and transplant it!
Is it the short and curly 'Afro' parsley that my butcher prefers or the flat-leafed Italian parsley - which I prefer to munch on?
Anyway, I would definitely wash it.
Desert Rat - it is indeed the hideous triple-curled type of parsely - which I think unbecoming to an Auckland garden. Who still uses this culinary horror? I too would have expected flat-leaf Italian.
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