Crocuses

Fellow blogger K.M. Weiland posted 15 things which inspired her current work in progress. I like to think that's what my blog is all about: Specific things from the real world that are important to my work even though I write fantasy. When I'm writing, ideas seem to come at me from all sides too. I'm an avid gardener and I get all sorts of catalogs for plants and supplies. One of my standards is McClure and Zimmerman .

One evening I was glancing through their fall catalog when I noticed the word Cilicium attached to something. Bells started going off in my head, but it wasn't until I needed it a couple weeks later that I knew what to do with the find. I do that a lot...file something away for future use. The inside of my head must look alot like my desk, disorganized yet I know where everything is, sort of. I digress.

Why flowers and Turkey? Turkey is home to lots of flowering bulbs besides the tulip. Many are more uncommon and most are named for the places where they were originally found. Cilicia is home to Colchicum Cilicium, a fall flowering crocus-like blossom also known as meadow rue. (Acı Çiğdem for my Turkish friends)

The highly toxic colchicine present in the plant is useful medication for gout in appropriate doses. However, improper use results in syptoms resembling aresenic poisoning which can be fatal (and useful to villains). Mythical madwoman Medea came up with it's more devious purpose and there is no antidote.

Dangerous beauty runs through Burnt Amber if you know where to look. Remember my post on Goldenchain? (Another one of those things kicking around in my head for years....its a good thing I didn't throw that one out.)

On a lighter note, last week I mentioned the precious saffron crocuses which grow in Cennet near KizKalesi. Saffron is known to be the most expensive spice by weight. Its use in cooking and textiles has been important since ancient times. I never make couscous or paella without it.

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• Flower bulbs for year-round pleasure (telegraph.co.uk)

And it's my turn to return the love. (I hope I'm doing this right)  I'm giving an award to my best blog buddy, LTM.  Thanks for following and commenting and generally being a great friend!