California Gardeners Club

ON MONDAY, June 5 we had the welcome return of Paolo Arrigo to give us a talk on Franchi Seeds. He entertained us with Italian music on his accordion until it was time to begin.

Franchi Seeds (pronounced Franki) was founded in 1783 and has been in the family for seven generations now. Franchi are seedsmen and commission over

90% of their range themselves, locally in Italy. Their seeds are traditional regional varieties and some come from the mountain areas, so are used to much colder climates than the UK. Many are not globally available; they may have odd shapes, but taste very good.

He talked about how the Romans brought many food plants like asparagus, dill and basil to this country.

He went on to say how growing your own was first encouraged after men were found to be malnourished in the Boer War. Then came Dig for Victory following shortages in the two World Wars. Now more people than ever enjoy growing vegetables.

He then produced basil, pine nuts and parmesan, and proceeded to make Pesto, and samples were handed round for us all to try! His tip is to never cut basil with a knife, as it oxidises and turns black. Always tear it.

We had the opportunity to buy some of the unusual seeds to try for ourselves, as well as recipe books, and there was quite a crowd around them! Our next meeting will be on Monday, July 3, when our own Stuart Slocombe will be showing us the Flora and Gardens along South Africa’s Garden Route, which is something to look forward to!