On 24/11/04 21:23, in article ,
"Sally Thompson" wrote:

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 12:33:02 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

Hay anyone actually tried eating the berries of these. We have it both
flowering and berrying in the garden at the moment and the smell is
deliciously like strawberries when you crush the berries.
I've found a site that says they're edible and can be used in jellies but
I'm very cautious....... ;-)

Sacha, I've come rather late into this thread but we bought and ate
myrtle jam in Corsica and it was delicious (and we lived to tell the
tale).

Thanks, Sally - I don't think our plant will provide a pot of jam but I
could certainly try a thimbleful. ;-) That's very reassuring from you and
others.
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

Kay wrote:
[ M communis ]

Yes, very beautiful, but here in Yorkshire I get flowers only in a
good summer. But it survives the winters with no problem.

Kay, I'm just down the road from you in central Wakefield, and my variegated
myrtle flowers every year. It was full of blossom last summer.

I know we have a warm microclimate here. In winter it's usually up to 2
degrees warmer here than at the M1 J41, a couple of miles away.

--
Sally Holmes
Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England

In article , Sally Holmes
writes
Kay wrote:
[ M communis ]

Yes, very beautiful, but here in Yorkshire I get flowers only in a
good summer. But it survives the winters with no problem.

Kay, I'm just down the road from you in central Wakefield, and my variegated
myrtle flowers every year. It was full of blossom last summer.

I know we have a warm microclimate here. In winter it's usually up to 2
degrees warmer here than at the M1 J41, a couple of miles away.

And I'm 300ft higher than you too ;-)
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 18:22:16 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

On 24/11/04 16:29, in article , "anton"
wrote:

snip

I've nibbled a few M communis for fun and they're rather sloe-like. The
myrtle gin that I made (same method as sloe gin) has a fantastic scent but
the taste is slightly, er medicinal.

The plant itself is wonderful in flower, leaf and scent and has only been
slightly browned at the tips occasionally by by the East Anglian winter in a
partly sheltered North facing corner.

We have other types of Myrtle in the garden (some self-seeded which I always
like to see) but it had never occurred to me to try the berries. And
speaking of M. communis, is that the one that is supposed to be traditional
for royal brides' bouquets? Because if it is, Ray thinks they may have the
wrong plant and that the 'fertile myrtle' was Myrtus lechleriana, because it
flowers during the months weddings are more often held. We have one of the
latter here grown by Edward Hyams who describes his collection as a 'cult of
myrtles'. The M. lechleriana is now known as Ammomytus luma.
And Ray has just recalled someone telling him that Queen Victoria was said
to gorge herself on the berries of some myrtle or other -- maybe the lovely,
strawberry scented one or Myrtus lechleriana? A sprig of myrtle was in her
bouquet and was planted at Osborne House so I wonder which *that* was.

At one time we had here a herb nursery with Myrtus communis supposedly
derived from the sprig in Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, BC, Canada
to send email, change atlantic to pacific
and invalid to net

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 21:23:55 +0000, Sally Thompson
wrote:

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 12:33:02 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

Hay anyone actually tried eating the berries of these. We have it both
flowering and berrying in the garden at the moment and the smell is
deliciously like strawberries when you crush the berries.
I've found a site that says they're edible and can be used in jellies but
I'm very cautious....... ;-)

Sacha, I've come rather late into this thread but we bought and ate
myrtle jam in Corsica and it was delicious (and we lived to tell the
tale).


Elizabeth David's 1956 "Italian Cooking" refers to the Sardinians
using myrtle for cooking, contrary to Italian law. I can't remember if
it was the oil expressed from the seeds or boughs of leaves used a la
rosemary to scent roasting meat.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, BC, Canada
to send email, change atlantic to pacific
and invalid to net

"Rodger Whitlock" wrote in message
...

[snip]

At one time we had here a herb nursery with Myrtus communis
supposedly
derived from the sprig in Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet.

In a small lawn just outside the Physics building of York University
there is an apple tree which is purported to be a clone of Newton's
tree.

Franz

On 25/11/04 11:27 pm, in article ,
"Rodger Whitlock" wrote:

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 18:22:16 +0000, Sacha
wrote:
snip
And Ray has just recalled someone telling him that Queen Victoria was said
to gorge herself on the berries of some myrtle or other -- maybe the lovely,
strawberry scented one or Myrtus lechleriana? A sprig of myrtle was in her
bouquet and was planted at Osborne House so I wonder which *that* was.

At one time we had here a herb nursery with Myrtus communis supposedly
derived from the sprig in Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet.

Ray's theory on that - which is strictly personal and probably not
verifiable - is that it wouldn't have been Myrtus communis because of the
time of flowering. Victoria was married in February.
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

"Sacha" wrote in message
k...
On 25/11/04 11:27 pm, in article ,
"Rodger Whitlock" wrote:

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 18:22:16 +0000, Sacha
wrote:
snip
And Ray has just recalled someone telling him that Queen Victoria was
said
to gorge herself on the berries of some myrtle or other -- maybe the
lovely,
strawberry scented one or Myrtus lechleriana? A sprig of myrtle was in
her
bouquet and was planted at Osborne House so I wonder which *that* was.

At one time we had here a herb nursery with Myrtus communis supposedly
derived from the sprig in Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet.

Ray's theory on that - which is strictly personal and probably not
verifiable - is that it wouldn't have been Myrtus communis because of the
time of flowering. Victoria was married in February.

'scuse possibly ignorant statement as flouranging not ever been one my
anorakdoms, couldn't the foliage have been used for some of the greenery on
the bouquet, giving a fantastic scent too?

--
Anton

anton wrote:
"Sacha" wrote in message
k...
On 25/11/04 11:27 pm, in article
,
"Rodger Whitlock" wrote:

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 18:22:16 +0000, Sacha
wrote:
snip
And Ray has just recalled someone telling him that Queen
Victoria
was said to gorge herself on the berries of some myrtle or other
-- maybe the lovely, strawberry scented one or Myrtus
lechleriana?
A sprig of myrtle was in her bouquet and was planted at Osborne
House so I wonder which *that* was.

At one time we had here a herb nursery with Myrtus communis
supposedly derived from the sprig in Queen Victoria's wedding
bouquet.

Ray's theory on that - which is strictly personal and probably not
verifiable - is that it wouldn't have been Myrtus communis because
of the time of flowering. Victoria was married in February.

'scuse possibly ignorant statement as flouranging not ever been one
my
anorakdoms, couldn't the foliage have been used for some of the
greenery on the bouquet, giving a fantastic scent too?

Surely the Victorians knew how to get things out of season as well as
we do? (I'm not claiming to know you could do it with myrtle; but if
it can be done, they could.)

Mike.

On 26/11/04 4:33 pm, in article , "anton"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
k...
On 25/11/04 11:27 pm, in article ,
"Rodger Whitlock" wrote:

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 18:22:16 +0000, Sacha
wrote:
snip
And Ray has just recalled someone telling him that Queen Victoria was
said
to gorge herself on the berries of some myrtle or other -- maybe the
lovely,
strawberry scented one or Myrtus lechleriana? A sprig of myrtle was in
her
bouquet and was planted at Osborne House so I wonder which *that* was.

At one time we had here a herb nursery with Myrtus communis supposedly
derived from the sprig in Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet.

Ray's theory on that - which is strictly personal and probably not
verifiable - is that it wouldn't have been Myrtus communis because of the
time of flowering. Victoria was married in February.

'scuse possibly ignorant statement as flouranging not ever been one my
anorakdoms, couldn't the foliage have been used for some of the greenery on
the bouquet, giving a fantastic scent too?

Oh certainly - though the scent of the leaves is a rather musky, sexy scent.
Someone in Greece once called it the scent of Aphrodite. I *think* the
general idea was that she had the flowers in her bouquet, though if it was a
fertility symbol, the myrtle leaves would do just as well, I suppose!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

On 26/11/04 7:47 pm, in article , "Mike Lyle"
wrote:

snip

Surely the Victorians knew how to get things out of season as well as
we do? (I'm not claiming to know you could do it with myrtle; but if
it can be done, they could.)


Could be - the myrtles we have are pretty tall, apart from M. ugni, so a
high greenhouse, orangerie, conservatory, or whatever would be needed. It's
just that we can't see why you'd force M. communis to flower in February, if
others are actually flowering and available naturally.
For those interested, I found this list of the meaning of flowers:
http://www.weddingguideuk.com/articl...asp#symbolicme
aning
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

In article , Sacha
writes
On 26/11/04 7:47 pm, in article , "Mike Lyle"
wrote:

snip

Surely the Victorians knew how to get things out of season as well as
we do? (I'm not claiming to know you could do it with myrtle; but if
it can be done, they could.)


Could be - the myrtles we have are pretty tall, apart from M. ugni, so a
high greenhouse, orangerie, conservatory, or whatever would be needed. It's
just that we can't see why you'd force M. communis to flower in February, if
others are actually flowering and available naturally.

But wee the others available? What was the date of introduction of all
of them?
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Sacha wrote:

Could be - the myrtles we have are pretty tall, apart from M. ugni, so a
high greenhouse, orangerie, conservatory, or whatever would be needed. It's
just that we can't see why you'd force M. communis to flower in February...

We used to grow Myrtus communis ssp. tarentina 'Microphylla' as a
dwarf flowering pot plant and brought it into gentle heat after
Christmas to get early flowering in February and March. By bringing
plants in successionally from cold, but frost-free cover, it was
possible to have them in flower over a very long period. I never
tried with the straight species, but it responds very well to control
by annual pruning and I see no reason why it could not have been
treated similarly. Very first flowers out of doors here in Torquay
usually start in late February, whereas the bush I had growing against
a house wall in the Midlands never showed much before mid May.

As to Ugni fruit Sacha, if fully and completely sun-ripened, they are
utterly lush steeped for an hour or so in Kirsch with sugar and then
eaten with cream!!!!

Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November

On 27/11/04 3:44, in article ,
"Dave Poole" wrote:

Sacha wrote:

Could be - the myrtles we have are pretty tall, apart from M. ugni, so a
high greenhouse, orangerie, conservatory, or whatever would be needed. It's
just that we can't see why you'd force M. communis to flower in February...

We used to grow Myrtus communis ssp. tarentina 'Microphylla' as a
dwarf flowering pot plant and brought it into gentle heat after
Christmas to get early flowering in February and March. By bringing
plants in successionally from cold, but frost-free cover, it was
possible to have them in flower over a very long period. I never
tried with the straight species, but it responds very well to control
by annual pruning and I see no reason why it could not have been
treated similarly. Very first flowers out of doors here in Torquay
usually start in late February, whereas the bush I had growing against
a house wall in the Midlands never showed much before mid May.

That sounds a distinct possibility, then.

As to Ugni fruit Sacha, if fully and completely sun-ripened, they are
utterly lush steeped for an hour or so in Kirsch with sugar and then
eaten with cream!!!!

I'll remember that if we get enough sun to ripen them! Not much chance this
year, I think. Many thanks to all who've answered.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Sacha wrote..........."Someone in Greece once called it the scent of
Aphrodite. I *think* the general idea was that she had the flowers in her
bouquet, though if it was a
fertility symbol, the myrtle leaves would do just as well, I suppose!
.........."

Well if was for fertility it certainly worked.