Winters coming…

It’s still Autumn here, but today I felt the chill of winter approaching. After a heavy downpour, I took a rare stroll through the garden…

… okay, I was just having a smoke and felt like a walkabout… and was pleasantly surprised. How did I miss these beauties before? Had to go back inside to get the camera.

These fellas though, almost appear to be defying Winter. Wonder how long they’ll hold out? Seems like I’ll have to take more strolls through the garden and keep an eye on them. Hope they won’t mind the ciggies.

Melograno in blossom

The pomegranate tree in the garden is starting to bloom. It’s actually been sprouting little buds for a few weeks already, but I keep forgetting to take a photograph. Finally got it last week.

Pomegranate just sounds so weird for the name of a fruit; I think I much prefer the Italian name melograno which rolls more sweetly of the tongue. The name derives from medieval Latin – pōmum which is “apple” and grānātum or “seeded”.

The pomegranate is thought to have originated in the region between Egypt and The Himalayas. It is now grown in most parts of the world. Kandahar in Afghanistan which has latterly become infamous for the death and destruction wreaked by the Taliban, is famous for its high quality pomegranate crop (also infamous for the opium poppy).

Pomegranate seeds have a variety of uses, but I’ve used them occasionally to make my Tequila shots more pleasant ala Jamie Oliver style.

Cheers.