Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Nature Suddenly Goes Terribly Wrong

On my walk yesterday, I couldn't help but notice the following natural phenomena:

1. Blazing hot sunshine and thirty-degree heat

2. Mushrooms growing on one side of the path

3. Crocuses growing on the other

It was as if all the seasons had come at once, in a sort of apocalyptic telescoping of all known laws of nature! I was half-expecting to come across some isolated patches of snow underneath the quince trees.

I rushed home and reported this foreshadowing of Armageddon to my mum, who looked at me witheringly and said "Yes, Patroclus, they're autumn crocuses."

Oh.

19 comments:

Tim F said...

A nice mushroom and saffron risotto, perhaps?

patroclus said...

With an iced quince sorbet to cleanse the palate afterwards? Sounds fab.

LoRi~fLoWer said...

I've never heard of autumn crocuses. Croci? But it sounds like a lovely day, anyway.

ScroobiousScrivener said...

Ooh! I was just stopped in my tracks at lunchtime by a spiffing display of autumn crocuses. Luckily my lovely companion was able to explain the mystery thereof.

Wyndham said...

I've just discovered mushrooms growing on my lawn! where did it all go wrong?

patroclus said...

What kind of mushrooms? Not the Wagner-accelerating sort?

Anonymous said...

I inhereted a quince bush when I moved into my house. I've never been sure what you can make with them... Until now! Quince sorbet it is!

cello said...

Blimey. I think this counts as Patroclus's first gardening post.

And yes, Tim, I do believe the autumn crocus is the original crocus sativa of saffron fame. I think you can have too much saffron in a thingy you know.

cello said...

...sativus.

patroclus said...

A belated hello to Lori-Flower and Julia, whom I believe to be new around these parts! I can't vouch for the tastiness of quince sorbet, Julia, but do report back on how it goes...

Scroob - that's what you get for not wandering lonely as a cloud; a different sort of flower entirely.

Cello - nonsense, I'm always writing about gardening. I'm practically the Percy Thrower of the blogosphere. What about this one, for a start?

Wyndham said...

Well, I've eaten one and nothing untowards seems tro have happened. Gotta go, there's a crocodile in a Tyroleon hat levitating at the door.

cello said...

No,no. A pot is not a garden.

Arabella said...

Willy Nelson just got busted in Louisiana for having mushrooms on his tour bus.
They didn't dare send him to jail though. Whatta guy.
Will Wyndham's mushrooms make him sing like Willy, d'you think?

LoRi~fLoWer said...

I should have said I wandered over from Pash's blog. She's gone all silent so I decided to give her blogroll a go.

FirstNations said...

oo. I was about to make the same observation. but nicer.
saffron bearing crocus have a very loooooong pollen bearing structure like a whip. if thats what you see, pick it off and run ot the kitchen!

Billy said...

Saffron is great. If only it didn't cost £8 million for two little strands. *walks off chuntering*

patroclus said...

£8 million for two little strands, you say?

*wanders nonchalantly pathwards, bearing a fine pair of scissors*

Just Tom said...

Simultaneous, multi-lateral, incongruous morphogenesis. nice.

Unknown said...

I hear they now have olives and pinot noir in England these days. Bourgogne anglaise?