June 9, 2005

In response to her garden series, Zahrah Nasir answers queries of readers. She asks them to include their location in the country for better advice

Q- I live in Islamabad and growing vegetables is my hobby. I was thinking of growing saffron in my backyard. Could you please guide me on this and also tell me where to obtain its bulbs?

A-. Saffron or zafran in Urdu and botanically called Crocus sativus, is an autumn flowering member of the crocus family. The spice known as saffron is actually the minute, dried stigmas collected from the centre of the flowers. The species is not indigenous to Pakistan.

It is grown as a commercial crop in the high altitude areas of Kashmir, Nepal and Iran and, as such, I do not feel that it would thrive in the climate of Islamabad.

However, if you still want to give it a try, then I suggest that you search on the Internet for a reputable seed supplier. The seeds may take up to three years to flower. Purchasing bulbs of a flowering size may be a far more problematic option.

I presume that you wish to grow saffron for household culinary use and, if this is the case, may I suggest that you substitute either calendula petals or those of tagetes when cooking. These will both colour things such as rice in the same way as saffron.

Calendula petals will not add aroma or flavour but those of tagetes will give a rather spicy/peppery flavour and aroma when used in moderation. Use only the petals, and not any green parts of the plant.

Q-. I want to know the Urdu name for sage and where can I find this herb locally?

A-. Presumably you are referring to Salvia officinalis or broad leaved sage, which is commonly used in European cooking and by overseas herbalists.

Whilst we do have many varieties of sage which are indigenous to Pakistan, this one, unfortunately, is not one of them. It is grown by few commercial farmers here as it requires both cold winters and cool summers in order to flourish.

However, even though it is a perennial plant, it can be grown as a winter annual in places such as Karachi and Lahore, but will not produce many usable leaves over such a short period of time.

I once saw seeds available in Islamabad, but it is possible that you may need to import them yourself. You did not say in which area of the country you live, so I cannot tell you about a variety which may possibly be found in your own locality.

The variety which is widely spread throughout the Northern Areas is Salvia lanata which is known as crokni in the upcountry mountain dwellers’ language and spearkay in Pashtu. My spellings are phonetic, and I’m afraid I do not know the Urdu name.

Q-. May I suggest that along with botanical names of any herbs/plants it would help immensely if you could also provide the Urdu name for general readers like me. We are not so familiar with the English ones and, at times, are at a loss about the availability of these plants locally?

A-. I understand your problem completely, but it is not as simple to find a translation as one may think. If the herb/plant in question is not indigenous in the country then, mostly, there is not an Urdu name for it.

If it is indigenous, but only found in NWFP or Baluchistan, for example, then the name may be in Pashtu or Baluchi but not in Urdu. As far as I am aware, there is no comprehensive guide to plant names solely in Urdu for general garden plants and flowers although some short lists of Urdu names for indigenous medicinal herbs have been printed.

Another problem one faces here is that it is not uncommon to find that the people working in plant nurseries are themselves not aware of the names of the plants they are selling, particularly if it something other than annual flowers such as zinnias, etc.

If a plant seller does know other names, then, if he has been properly trained in the field, he may very well be familiar with botanical names or with various versions of English ones.

To complicate matters further, some plant names vary from area to area. I am sorry that I can’t be more helpful on this tangled subject but will try, where possible, to include plant names in whichever provincial language I know of.

Q-. I love rocket in my salad, but don’t know where to find it. What is the Urdu name so that I can tell my gardner?

A-. Rocket, sometimes called arugula and with the botanical name Eruca satvia, is one of our much under-rated indigenous plants. It is both cultivated and grows wild in Sindh, Baluchistan, NWFP and the Northern Areas.

It has lately become fashionable to use this annual herb as a salad ingredient, but not many people realize that it can also be used as a cooked vegetable.

The delicate pale yellow flowers are loved by honey-bees. It grows and seeds itself rapidly under the right conditions. Its Urdu name may be tara miras, but I am not 100 per cent sure about this.

* Please note that it would be most helpful if you specify the area of the country in which you reside, so that for answering I can take your local climate and soil conditions into account.

*Selected questions will only be answered in The Review and not on a personal basis, and enquiries about items such as landscaping for commercial ventures are not relevant to our general readers.

*Please submit your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com or to The Review at the-review@dawn.com.

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