Do you know how to grow your own saffron?

Well I certainly didn't! But a couple of weeks ago I learnt all about it and so I'm sharing my new wisdom with you. We can pretend we are Saffron Farmers - doesn't that sound exotic?

So here's the story. A couple of Saturdays ago I was at the Maraekakaho Country Market Day and the Minnie + Ree stall was next door to Mark and Janice of Terraza Saffron. They live in Maraekakaho (and we all know that is in Hawke's Bay) and they grow saffron. As well as selling saffron products and some rather divine little saffron meringues, they were also selling the corms.

Corms are the bulbs that you grow your saffron flowers from. They need to be in soil that is sunny, free draining, cold in winter and hot in summer. Just like Kapiti perhaps? So I've planted out my few corms (only 5 actually) and am looking forward to what happens next. This should involve flowers with saffron threads and the corms multiplying ...

And when the flowers are ready here's what you have to do.
I guess there will need to be quite a few flowers ... 

pic from hedgerowrose.com

It's all good fun. I will report back on my huuuuge harvest when it happens. But don't you think this is more interesting gardening that weeds and silverbeet???!!

Ree

xx