Scarecrow

Back to the usual here - cold and wet. What a change after such a lovely day yesterday! Did get out for a while give some houseplants a soak and wash down, and potted up a few of these strange tubers. I was going to make it a 'Guess what this is' Blip until I realised that I gave the game away yesterday!

It's a tuber of Oxalis tuberosa, known as Oca, pronounced O-ca rather than Occa, for those who don't know it. I was given a small plant last year and it produced half a dozen or so small tubers, though apparently they grow up to 4" long - mine are red. I'd put them in  a bag on the back of the door and discovered that they were already sprouting.

They were originally native to the Andes and were introduced to Britain in 1830 as a competitor to the humble spud. We all know who won! I've never tried one, but I hope that next year I'll have enough to spare a few to sample. I'll probably grow them in the Glen Lonan tunnel where I have a veggie bed, but they're pretty hardy, coming from fairly high up.

I see that I forgot my Quote of the Day yesterday. I'll have to Back-quote!. Meanwhile - 

Quote of the day:  

Samuel Johnson, “I would rather be attacked than unnoticed. For the worst thing you can do to an author is to be silent as to his works.”