Happy new year, gardeners! Here's hoping that in the year ahead we enjoy good health and good gardening! 2010 was the year of storms, rain, hail, more rain, and blight. I don't think any of us will ever forget it. But let's just take what we can learn from the year, and move on and look forward to the year ahead. I think that, in general, gardeners are an optimistic group, so we'll hope for sunshine and gentle breezes and moderate temperatures!
I don't know if any of you follow the British comedies, but there's one that we really like called "As Time Goes By". It's a great story about a man and woman who were young sweethearts during the war. They became separated and lost touch; and when the story takes place, 35 years later, they have found each other again and are re-building their relationship. During their time apart, the man, Lionel, was living on a coffee plantation in Kenya. We were watching an old episode the other day and I thought that while we always hear about coffee plantations, I don't really know how coffee grows.
So it's time for research!
Coffee grows in many countries, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The coffee tree is a tropical, evergreen shrub that like acidic soil with good drainage. The type of soil influences the flavor the coffee, so it will taste differently if it is grown in volcanic type soil or a more peaty soil.
Coffee plants like mountainous surroundings, with a lot of rain, not too much wind, and no extremes of heat or cold with temperatures of about 65 - 75 degrees. The plants can live up to 70 years! They will grow up to forty feet high, and will start producing their best after six years.
The coffee beans are contained in the coffee berries. The most common varieties are the "canephora" and the "arabica". When the beans are picked and dried, they are roasted; depending how long they are roasted determines the final flavor of the world's third most favorite beverage (water and tea come first and second).
Coffee is one of the most traded agricultural products in the world. It's been a valuable commodity since the 15th century. It's certainly a worldwide beverage; I think that a traveler can enjoy a cup of coffee almost anywhere in the world.
I read that we gardeners can actually have a coffee plant as a houseplant, although I have never seen one anywhere. I'm sure you and I are the same, wherever we go we always have to check out the plants! It would make an interesting specimen to have, although I doubt that we'd get enough beans to make a small cup of coffee! But still, it would be an interesting challenge for us to try.
The first meeting of the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society will be on February 16, not that far away. Our meeting will be in a new location, at the Sunshine Room in SIGN on North Street. I'll have more details for you as the date gets closer, but just keep in mind that we'll be meeting in a different place.
Till next time, have a good week and enjoy some relaxation time!
