At last! The French Grey aka Griselle shallots (Allium oschaninii) for planting arrived. They look a little scuzzy and a few are just dried out husks inside the skins, but who am I to judge, especially buying so late in the season? I’ve no experience with these storied alliums, originally native to South West and Central Asia, reputed to have been carried on the Silk Road, and which are now apparently very desirable in the culinary world. May the spirit of Anthony Bourdain attend.
Some have already been put in the ground in the other section of the bed where the Diwali garlic (as opposed to the Halloween garlic) was planted last Sunday. There are a lot in a pound of French shallots, way more than that of Dutch shallots, so work is progressing on preparing another area for shallots.
There’s a cold front promised later this week. I would like as many French Greys in the earth by then, since they apparently grow better after a little chilling. Not that we ever get hard freezes here.
Meanwhile the first garlic, planted on Halloween, is showing strongly. 100% of the cloves planted seem to have sprouted, taking about 9 days for the first green shoots to pierce the mulch.
Fresh new shoots is one of my favourite things in a garden. So full of potential.
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