March, 2001
Bluebonnets are blooming at Horsetail Haven, a home garden in Austin, Texas, but first a word about one of Ann Marie's favorite herbs.

Giving Bay A Bad Name!!!
Austin cooks and gardeners are being confused by a bay impostor.  If you purchase "bay" with long, thin, pointed leaves, you are actually getting California bay.  The flavor is different, many consider it harsh, and it may not suite the recipe you intend to use it in.  In addition, there are toxicity question about California bay.  Read on....

Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis)
Also called bay laurel, this is the classic bay of the Mediterranean Region with leathery, dark green leaves and a rich, full flavor.   In its native region it grows to be a large tree, in Texas it is usually a smaller shrub.  Sweet bay is hardy to zone 8.  It may die back in severe winters but will sprout from the roots. It is a slow grower and is also susceptible to scale so be on alert for this insect pest.  A number of cultivars exist, showing variation in leaf shape and color, but all will have leaves that are broader and more rounded than California bay.  Every cook in Austin should have a little bay tree, because of propagation difficulties you may pay a bit more than you do for most herb plants, but it will be a wonderful addition to your culinary garden that you will enjoy for many years to come.

bay laurel and california bay leaves
California Bay (Umbellularia californica)
This bay can cause sneezing, headaches and sinus irritation.  Despite not having GRAS status (Generally Recognized As Safe) it is sometimes found being sold in grocery stores and recommended in recipes.  The leaves are elongated, pointed and leathery with an olive green surface and lighter underside.  Because of toxicity questions (due to the presence of a compound called umbellulone) and the generally unpleasant flavor of California bay, sweet bay is preferred.  (For more information refer to The Big Book of Herbs by Arthur Tucker & Thomas DeBaggio or Gourmet Magazine, November 2000)

Other Bays
Mexican Bay (Litsea glaucescens) is rarely seen in the United States.  It resembles sweet bay in appearance and flavor.  Cookbook author Diana Kennedy recommends it in her book MEXICAN REGIONAL COOKING.  Another bay seen in the Southern United States is Red Bay (Persea borbonia) with a camphor and bay-like odor.


On to other things...Spring has Sprung!

Blooming on the First Day of Spring:  Bluebonnets, Roses, Arugula, Columbines, Sweet Peas, Larkspur, Salvia gregii, Narcissus, Iris, Bignonia Vine, Pelargoniums, Sweet Violets, Dwarf Sage

iris blossom  Gracing Horsetail Haven is a beautiful Iris given to Ann Marie by cookbook author and herbal expert Lucinda Hutson.

New Plantings:  Lorapetalum with plum colored leaves and fuschia blooms, combined with blue flowering plumbago (not in bloom until summer), hot pink flowering verbena and the fall blooming "Country Girl" pink chrysanthemum.  Adding a bit of vertical interest to the bed are walking iris and silver sage.

Birds abound:  The purple martins have been in the area for several weeks, but alas, they seem to be selecting houses on the north side of the street, Ann Marie hasn't given up hope, Carolina wrens were seen gathering nesting materials and are singing louder than any band on Austin's Sixth Street ever plays, Cardinals continue to come to the feeder along with chickadees and titmice, no hummingbirds yet.

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