| The Hidden Almanac for Friday December 4th, 2015 |
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| Episode 343 |
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| Previous episode: 2015-12-02 |
| Next episode: 2015-12-07 |
Summary[]
Today we remember the surprising delivery of a seed catalog. It is the Feast Day of the Fairy Slugmother, and in the garden, there is a more traditional seed catalog.
Be Safe, and Stay Out of Trouble.
Transcription[]
Welcome to the Hidden Almanac, I’m Reverend Mord.
Today is December 4, 2015.
It was on this day in 1902 that a seed catalog was delivered to various gardeners, non-gardeners, and apparently randomly chosen addresses throughout the known world. All listings were in cramped, apparently hand-written text, and reported to be nothing less than plants imported from the Fairy World. The vast majority of recipients simply threw it away as junk mail or dismissed it as a hoax. A few, however, paid the small fee and their packages arrived with blurry return addresses. The seeds therein were the stuff of legends. White peppers and black Narcissus, snow peas that caused light flurries when picked; cold hardy bird of paradise, and radishes that sang madrigals in the ground. The catalog was never delivered again but a few of our more extraordinary cultivars can trace their ancestry to plants ordered from this publication.
It is the Feast Day of the Slugmother. This is celebrated only in a tiny hamlet of six farms, far to the west of the city, called Brooking Acres. The Fairy Slugmother reportedly appeared to an ancestor of one of the farmers on that exact spot and struck a bargain with him, the details of which are unknown.
In the garden, we read again from Beans of the Ages, a catalog which hails from south Troyzantium. It has a perfectly legible postmark. It speaks effusively of the Green Winged Bean, a near-tropical bean with winged edges. Every part of this delightful bean is edible from the pods to leaves to roots. Even the flowers are edible, with a nutty, mushroom-like flavor. The fresh pods are sweet and somewhat chewy, while the beans themselves are tea-like. A short day variety, it performs best in southern climates where it bears in late fall; but the fleshy roots can be harvested even in the north. It should be noted for listeners, that this bean has recently become trendy. Various articles have been written about it, promising that it will end hunger and slow aging. I am skeptical. The power of a good bean is not to be underestimated, but there are practical limits.
The Hidden Almanac is brought to you by Red Wombat Tea Company, purveyors of fine and inaccessible teas. Red Wombat — "We Dig Tea."
Also brought to you by the Echo Harbor Tourism Board. It is winter. The earth is quiet. You may walk upon it without disturbing what lies beneath. Earth walking tours are available.
That's the Hidden Almanac for December 4, 2015. Be safe, and stay out of trouble.
Outro[]
Out of Character
The Hidden Almanac is a production of Dark Canvas Media, written by Ursula Vernon and performed and produced by Kevin Sonney. Our theme music is Moon Valley and our exit music is Red in Black, both by Kosta T. You can hear more from Kosta T at the Free Music Archive. All other content is copyright 2013 through 2015, Ursula Vernon.