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I
OCEANVIEW gardening
nternetparlancehasanacronym
– FAQs or frequently asked
questions; top of my list is what
tree would I recommend for a small
garden? My FGA (frequently given
answer) always provokes surprise
and doubt in equal measures –
Cydonia Oblonga or the common
quince.
Whyquinceandwhatisit? Quinces
were known to the ancient Greeks
and Romans, indeed the Latin name
derives from the Cretan town of
Cydon (now known as Khania).
Crete, the island of Aphrodite, was
home to the Hesperides, or Daugh-
tersoftheEvening,whoguardedthe
tree bearing the golden apples
(actually quince) that Gaea gave to
HeraonhermarriagetoZeus,justas
ParishadgivenAphroditea“golden
apple”asasignofloveandfertility.A
Greekmyth,whichexistseventoday,
statesthatpregnantwomenwhoeat
large amounts of quince will bear blossom appears giving the
intelligentandhardworkingchildren. appearance to the tree of having
InCroatiaquincetreesareplantedto been carefully decorated with
celebrate the birth of children to over-sizedconfetti. Theresultingfruit
symboliselove,fertilityandlonglife. resembles an almost, but not quite,
Plutarch mentions the custom of a square plum which in late
Greekbrideeatingquinceinorderto October turns a golden yellow with
sweetenherkissbeforeenteringthe the texture of a woolly peach, the
bridalchamberinorderthat“thefirst leavesalsoturnarichgoldenyellow.
encounter is not unpleasant or Highlyperfumed,thefleshisusually
distasteful”. used to make jelly, marmalade or
Originally native to the lands sliced and added to apple or pear
betweentheCaspianandBlackSeas tarts to enhance the flavour. The
–theCaucasus,Turkey,IranandGeor- ContignacpreserveofFranceismade
gia it is now grown commercially fromquince(inSpainandArgentina
mainlyinTurkeybutalsoinIran,Mo- it is known as Dulce do Membrilo)
roccoandArgentina;thequincemen- and in Portugal where the quince
tioned by Pliny was likely to have is known as the ‘truffle of the
beenintroducedtotheUKbytheRo- orchard’, a confection of quince jelly
mans,andintheSussexWealdinthe is made into small edible slabs and
early 1500’s quince trees grew wild eaten as sweets.When Joan of Arc
andwereusedtomakewine. entered Orleans and liberated the
…”they dined on mince and slices of FrenchfromtheEnglishshereceived
quince” an honoured gift of Contignac from
Quincesmakesmallmulti-branched thegratefulcitizens. In1871Edward
trees with greyish bark and Lear’s Owl and Pussycat “dined on
sage-green leaves. In late spring mince and slices of quince, which
single white or pale pink fragranced theyatewitharunciblespoon”. Photography: MaidenHallImages
PAGE63 AUTUMN2009
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