In a fit of silly I purchased a cardamom plant a while back. I don´t live sub tropically. I live in central Victoria where the summer can flay the skin off of your nose and winter can snap freeze your butt cheeks in the blink of an eye. Not exactly prime growing conditions for cardamom. I hold no hope in her ever flowering as the conditions we have here are simply not conducive to that. However her leaves will still impart a subtle flavour of cardamom. Mini yay!
I potted her up in early February so that when the weather started to turn I could move her around through the various micro-climates to offer her some protection.
I think she has done rather well considering her geographical handicap. Check out her puppery.
I am quite proud of her achievements.
Do you attempt to grow the unusual or take on the challenge of growing things completely outside of your growing zones?
Oh yes, I try to grow everything and fail spectacularly all the time. But I don't like to take people's word for it when they say something won't grow... it might, I always think! I have never seen a cardamom plant before, where on earth did you get it from you lucky thing.
ReplyDeleteHi Ali, I found this little cardamom plant at a gorgeous nursery down here in Melbourne that recently closed due to too much competition from the new Bunnings Warehouse that cropped up down the road from it. It was owned and run by a Greek family passionate about plants and trees for eating. You could have grown the best kitchen garden from their product lines. Unfortunately they fell victim to the big bad corporate monster that caters to the mindless masses. Shame
ReplyDeleteWhen I was looking at your cardammon, I have the same feeling as you do. I bought one end of winter last year. I don't think it has grown much at all. I too wonder if it ever bloom for me. The leaves are sometime use when grilling fish like turmeric leaves.
ReplyDeleteI once had a friend who grew it as a house plant perhaps you could try that.
ReplyDeleteI on the other hand am convinced I will be able to grow cool climate plants like apples and pears here in QLD. Well a girl can only try.
Oh, Malay Girl, I was hoping to cook with the leaves for the subtle flavour as I simply KNOW that there will be no flowers or seeds for me.
ReplyDeleteFiona, I swear I love the challenge of taking on plants to see if I can grow them successfully outside of their natural habitat zones. Much to the chagrin of my purse strings sometimes! I would love to grow vanilla in my straw bale house......I have no idea how to go about that one. I need a minimum temperature of 22 degrees and a fair whack of humidity. If can cultivate those kind of growing conditions my energy bills would sky rocket, although my complexion would look quite youthful and dewy...oh, what an unfortunate side effect!!!!!!
Hope you try the leaves when you grill some fish.
ReplyDeleteHullo! Thanks for telling me I can use the leaves! I've been growing a cardamom as well, hidden under the crazy parsley, but I have no hope of flowers...especially after this week's cold snap! Didn't know what to do with it but I'll try adding the leaves to rice hen it's steaming perhaps?
ReplyDeleteI am also thinking of baking them with tofu or chicken and vegies in a stew, or on skewers with chicken bits and vegies as kebabs.
ReplyDeleteOh that's terrible and very sad too. The nursery sounds like it was quite fabulous. Silly people going to Bunnings instead.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to have the time/dedication to keep a plant alive. If I had a better set up I'd really like a nice little herb garden. I love fresh herbs :)
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