Helichrysum italicum

This Helichrysum, or curry plant, is a cutting from the original bush which was looking poorly a few years ago. Both are now doing fine thanks to the last two hot summers.

Helichrysum italicum

                                        Aka curry plant.

It's been a good year for ...

Helichrysum italicum aka the curry plant, enjoying its best year yet.

Back To My Roots

Trying to root some carnation and curry plant cuttings. -3° outside doesn't help.

Curry No Favour

Walked out of the house this morning to find my curry bush on the pavement, snapped off from the main stem. It hadn't been large enough to hang over the front wall and get in anyone's way, so I can only imagine who and why. Perhaps a reluctant toddler, hanging on to anything rather than go to nursery school but no, it would have been out of reach. Maybe the passerby in recent years who told me that they didn't like the smell culled it before it flowered, or someone doing parkour grabbed it to prevent a fall or perhaps someone meant to pull a bit off as they passed, to appreciate the pong, but grasped too much and yanked away the branch.

It's been bugging me all day, especially as I don't think it was done until this morning, which rules out alcohol. Ho hum. It was over ten years old I suppose and not in the best of condition, although the pruning I'd given it a year or two ago seemed to have restored it to life a bit. The yellow flowers in summer are great and the aroma intense. I've taken some cuttings for what it's worth and I've been thinking about what to replace it with, probably a mahonia.