Ray has just brough in a jar filled with the berries from this shrub,
related to the guava. I took off the lid and a powerful scent of
strawberries filled the room. I felt quite like Queen Victoria for a
moment, though without the lace cap and diamonds! (t is said these
fruits made her favourite jam)
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

In article ,
Sacha wrote:

Ray has just brough in a jar filled with the berries from this shrub,
related to the guava. I took off the lid and a powerful scent of
strawberries filled the room. I felt quite like Queen Victoria for a
moment, though without the lace cap and diamonds! (t is said these
fruits made her favourite jam)

I didn't know that, so looked it up and got very interested, but I
doubt that it would survive here :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 2013-11-20 15:45:10 +0000, Nick Maclaren said:

In article ,
Sacha wrote:

Ray has just brough in a jar filled with the berries from this shrub,
related to the guava. I took off the lid and a powerful scent of
strawberries filled the room. I felt quite like Queen Victoria for a
moment, though without the lace cap and diamonds! (t is said these
fruits made her favourite jam)

I didn't know that, so looked it up and got very interested, but I
doubt that it would survive here :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

It's been through some tough times here but we did lose one in that
very cold winter 3 years ago. Do they grow it at the Botanic Gardens?
(used to be Myrtus ugni)
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 20/11/2013 15:45, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Sacha wrote:

Ray has just brough in a jar filled with the berries from this shrub,
related to the guava. I took off the lid and a powerful scent of
strawberries filled the room. I felt quite like Queen Victoria for a
moment, though without the lace cap and diamonds! (t is said these
fruits made her favourite jam)

I didn't know that, so looked it up and got very interested, but I
doubt that it would survive here :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Likewise, I didn't know that, thought you always wore your lace cap and
diamonds.

On 2013-11-20 17:14:24 +0000, David Hill said:

On 20/11/2013 15:45, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Sacha wrote:

Ray has just brough in a jar filled with the berries from this shrub,
related to the guava. I took off the lid and a powerful scent of
strawberries filled the room. I felt quite like Queen Victoria for a
moment, though without the lace cap and diamonds! (t is said these
fruits made her favourite jam)

I didn't know that, so looked it up and got very interested, but I
doubt that it would survive here :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Likewise, I didn't know that, thought you always wore your lace cap and
diamonds.

Now THAT is cheating! You've often seen me in my jeans and the
diamonds. Pull yourself together!! ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

The only reason it sometimes got called the guavaberry or Chilean guava is because it has a somewhat more perfumed flavour than the blueberry, rather than any particular relationship to the guava. As it happens, guava is, like blueberries, eucalyptuses and cloves and bottlebrushes, in that very diverse family the Myrtaceae, but one wouldn't usually think it worth mentioning that blueberries are related to the guava. It was until recently classified as Myrtus ugni and is much more closely related to the blueberry than to the guava. The Chileans themselves call it murta, which in Spain would refer to common myrtle.

You are very lucky, and perhaps also clever, to have them. They are very delicious. I've only ever eaten them in Chile. I tried growing them here in the Chilterns but despite my pouring lots of collected rainwater on them, they never produced and eventually died.

On 2013-11-21 11:56:16 +0000, echinosum said:

'Sacha[_11_ Wrote:
;995517']Ray has just brough in a jar filled with the berries from this
shrub,
related to the guava. I took off the lid and a powerful scent of
strawberries filled the room. I felt quite like Queen Victoria for a
moment, though without the lace cap and diamonds! (t is said these
fruits made her favourite jam)
--

The only reason it sometimes got called the guavaberry or Chilean guava
is because it has a somewhat more perfumed flavour than the blueberry,
rather than any particular relationship to the guava. As it happens,
guava is, like blueberries, eucalyptuses and cloves and bottlebrushes,
in that very diverse family the Myrtaceae, but one wouldn't usually
think it worth mentioning that blueberries are related to the guava. It
was until recently classified as Myrtus ugni and is much more closely
related to the blueberry than to the guava. The Chileans themselves
call it murta, which in Spain would refer to common myrtle.

You are very lucky, and perhaps also clever, to have them. They are
very delicious. I've only ever eaten them in Chile. I tried growing them
here in the Chilterns but despite my pouring lots of collected rainwater
on them, they never produced and eventually died.

With every respect to Ray, he doesn't do anything special to them that
I know of. We have one living in a terracotta pot which is the one he's
collected all these berries from. Today, he's opened a few and got
dozens of seeds, so we'll eat the rest. I'm happy to send you a few
berries if you'd like to 'try again' with it. If you send your
snailmail to me at Yes, the name change was quite recent and as these
things are, a nuisance, though not a major one! It is a symbol of
fertility and fidelity, apparently and as Queen Victoria carried a
sprig in her bouquet, it appears to work! The Myrtus communis we have
in the garden (many because it seeds itself all over the place) seems
to flower on and off throughout the year.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 2013-11-21 16:46:38 +0000, sacha said:

On 2013-11-21 11:56:16 +0000, echinosum said:

'Sacha[_11_ Wrote:
;995517']Ray has just brough in a jar filled with the berries from this
shrub,
related to the guava. I took off the lid and a powerful scent of
strawberries filled the room. I felt quite like Queen Victoria for a
moment, though without the lace cap and diamonds! (t is said these
fruits made her favourite jam)
--

The only reason it sometimes got called the guavaberry or Chilean guava
is because it has a somewhat more perfumed flavour than the blueberry,
rather than any particular relationship to the guava. As it happens,
guava is, like blueberries, eucalyptuses and cloves and bottlebrushes,
in that very diverse family the Myrtaceae, but one wouldn't usually
think it worth mentioning that blueberries are related to the guava. It
was until recently classified as Myrtus ugni and is much more closely
related to the blueberry than to the guava. The Chileans themselves
call it murta, which in Spain would refer to common myrtle.

You are very lucky, and perhaps also clever, to have them. They are
very delicious. I've only ever eaten them in Chile. I tried growing them
here in the Chilterns but despite my pouring lots of collected rainwater
on them, they never produced and eventually died.

With every respect to Ray, he doesn't do anything special to them that
I know of. We have one living in a terracotta pot which is the one he's
collected all these berries from. Today, he's opened a few and got
dozens of seeds, so we'll eat the rest. I'm happy to send you a few
berries if you'd like to 'try again' with it. If you send your
snailmail to me at Yes, the name change was quite recent and as these
things are, a nuisance, though not a major one! It is a symbol of
fertility and fidelity, apparently and as Queen Victoria carried a
sprig in her bouquet, it appears to work! The Myrtus communis we have
in the garden (many because it seeds itself all over the place) seems
to flower on and off throughout the year.

Don't know what I did there! The email address is
and I promise I can be trusted as to
anonymity etc! Ray has just come in and says he thinks the myrtle in
Queen Victoria's bouquet was possibly/probably Myrtus lechleriana
because of the flowering time in spring. And he also says I'm wrong
about it being M. communis seeding all over the garden, it's Luma
apiculata, aka M. luma to some.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 21/11/2013 16:46, sacha wrote:
On 2013-11-21 11:56:16 +0000, echinosum said:

'Sacha[_11_ Wrote:
;995517']Ray has just brough in a jar filled with the berries from this
shrub,
related to the guava. I took off the lid and a powerful scent of
strawberries filled the room. I felt quite like Queen Victoria for a
moment, though without the lace cap and diamonds! (t is said these
fruits made her favourite jam)
--

The only reason it sometimes got called the guavaberry or Chilean guava
is because it has a somewhat more perfumed flavour than the blueberry,
rather than any particular relationship to the guava. As it happens,
guava is, like blueberries, eucalyptuses and cloves and bottlebrushes,
in that very diverse family the Myrtaceae, but one wouldn't usually
think it worth mentioning that blueberries are related to the guava. It
was until recently classified as Myrtus ugni and is much more closely
related to the blueberry than to the guava. The Chileans themselves
call it murta, which in Spain would refer to common myrtle.

You are very lucky, and perhaps also clever, to have them. They are
very delicious. I've only ever eaten them in Chile. I tried growing them
here in the Chilterns but despite my pouring lots of collected rainwater
on them, they never produced and eventually died.

With every respect to Ray, he doesn't do anything special to them that I
know of. We have one living in a terracotta pot which is the one he's
collected all these berries from. Today, he's opened a few and got
dozens of seeds, so we'll eat the rest. I'm happy to send you a few
berries if you'd like to 'try again' with it. If you send your
snailmail to me at Yes, the name change was quite recent and as these
things are, a nuisance, though not a major one! It is a symbol of
fertility and fidelity, apparently and as Queen Victoria carried a sprig
in her bouquet, it appears to work! The Myrtus communis we have in the
garden (many because it seeds itself all over the place) seems to flower
on and off throughout the year.


I always understood that the Myrtle in Queen Victoria's bouquet was
rooted and has provided sprigs of Myrtle in every Royal brides bouquet
since then.
David

On 21/11/2013 17:24, David Hill wrote:

I always understood that the Myrtle in Queen Victoria's bouquet was
rooted and has provided sprigs of Myrtle in every Royal brides bouquet
since then.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/osborne/garden/italian-terraces/

"...the royal myrtle (Myrtus communis) growing against the walls of
the central flight of steps. This sweetly scented Mediterranean plant
was grown from a sprig presented to the Queen from Albert's
grandmother when they left his ancestral home, Gotha, in 1845 and has
been used in royal wedding bouquets ever since."
--
Phil Cook

On 2013-11-21 17:24:07 +0000, David Hill said:

On 21/11/2013 16:46, sacha wrote:
On 2013-11-21 11:56:16 +0000, echinosum said:

'Sacha[_11_ Wrote:
;995517']Ray has just brough in a jar filled with the berries from this
shrub,
related to the guava. I took off the lid and a powerful scent of
strawberries filled the room. I felt quite like Queen Victoria for a
moment, though without the lace cap and diamonds! (t is said these
fruits made her favourite jam)
--

The only reason it sometimes got called the guavaberry or Chilean guava
is because it has a somewhat more perfumed flavour than the blueberry,
rather than any particular relationship to the guava. As it happens,
guava is, like blueberries, eucalyptuses and cloves and bottlebrushes,
in that very diverse family the Myrtaceae, but one wouldn't usually
think it worth mentioning that blueberries are related to the guava. It
was until recently classified as Myrtus ugni and is much more closely
related to the blueberry than to the guava. The Chileans themselves
call it murta, which in Spain would refer to common myrtle.

You are very lucky, and perhaps also clever, to have them. They are
very delicious. I've only ever eaten them in Chile. I tried growing them
here in the Chilterns but despite my pouring lots of collected rainwater
on them, they never produced and eventually died.

With every respect to Ray, he doesn't do anything special to them that I
know of. We have one living in a terracotta pot which is the one he's
collected all these berries from. Today, he's opened a few and got
dozens of seeds, so we'll eat the rest. I'm happy to send you a few
berries if you'd like to 'try again' with it. If you send your
snailmail to me at Yes, the name change was quite recent and as these
things are, a nuisance, though not a major one! It is a symbol of
fertility and fidelity, apparently and as Queen Victoria carried a sprig
in her bouquet, it appears to work! The Myrtus communis we have in the
garden (many because it seeds itself all over the place) seems to flower
on and off throughout the year.


I always understood that the Myrtle in Queen Victoria's bouquet was
rooted and has provided sprigs of Myrtle in every Royal brides bouquet
since then.
David

It was in a nosegay given to her by Prince Albert's grandmother. It was
rooted at Osborne House and has been there ever since. It is from that
plant that all royal brides are said to carry a piece in their bridal
bouquets.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On Wed, 20 Nov 2013 15:27:22 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

Ray has just brough in a jar filled with the berries from this shrub,
related to the guava. I took off the lid and a powerful scent of
strawberries filled the room. I felt quite like Queen Victoria for a
moment, though without the lace cap and diamonds! (t is said these
fruits made her favourite jam)

It's a laxative

Steve

--
EasyNN-plus. Neural Networks plus. http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast with Neural Networks. http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN. Just Neural Networks. http://www.justnn.com

On 22/11/2013 09:39, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On Wed, 20 Nov 2013 15:27:22 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

Ray has just brough in a jar filled with the berries from this shrub,
related to the guava. I took off the lid and a powerful scent of
strawberries filled the room. I felt quite like Queen Victoria for a
moment, though without the lace cap and diamonds! (t is said these
fruits made her favourite jam)

It's a laxative

Steve

That makes sense.
My paternal grand mother and great aunt both liver to past 100.
They used to soak senna pods over night and take that every day, and
also had their daily glass of Guinness
They were doing something right.

On 2013-11-22 10:06:46 +0000, David Hill said:

On 22/11/2013 09:39, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On Wed, 20 Nov 2013 15:27:22 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

Ray has just brough in a jar filled with the berries from this shrub,
related to the guava. I took off the lid and a powerful scent of
strawberries filled the room. I felt quite like Queen Victoria for a
moment, though without the lace cap and diamonds! (t is said these
fruits made her favourite jam)

It's a laxative

Steve

That makes sense.
My paternal grand mother and great aunt both liver to past 100.
They used to soak senna pods over night and take that every day, and
also had their daily glass of Guinness
They were doing something right.

Hmmmm! There is a school of thought nowadays that all the obsession our
elders had with their bowel movements was actually very bad for them.
Now we're going to read your story in the health pages of the Daily
Mail as one of those 'reverse-that-smoking-is-good-for-you' stories!!
;-)
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk