Reflections upon Patterson's Curse & Horned Melons
What could be more beautiful than purple meadows of Patterson's Curse? Maybe images of white horses walking through fields of purple? Or white cockatoos flying across purple fields? As an artist, I find that purple and white seem to go very well together. Actually, the mauve pink of a Judas tree, standing before purple meadows, is also a very pretty sight. Another excellent colour combination is the rich deep gold of Acacia saligna growing in purple fields. Excellent colours for a royal brocade.
Patterson's Curse make excellent cut flowers, and what's more, they are free. Millions upon millions of blooms in purple meadows. I love them. You'll also find that, in any population of Patterson's Curse, there are always unique individuals. (Every population has its minority groups!) For example, if you spend a little time, it's possible to gather quite a few all-white specimens. You can also set out to collect only light blue ones, or even reddish ones. It will, of course, take time to find the unusual ones, but they are always there, if you look for them. I have even come across strange mutated-looking ones that have flat stems and branches. Quite weird. Perhaps they are deformed? Whatever, they still grow and bloom. I've never come across a variegated Patterson's Curse, but I did come across a beautiful dock once. Instead of the usual green, this dock had beautiful leaves with golden variegations. Variegation is said to be one of the most commonly occurring mutations. I did once come across, in my plantation of thousands of Cucumis metuliferus melons (a.k.a. "Kiwanos™"), a variegated specimen. I also found a specimen that had melons that were minus horns on a quarter of their skin surface, so it would be very easy to breed up bald specimens that would make for easier packaging and marketing. True, they would look less exotic and dramatic that way, without the spikes, but they would certainly be less likely to rot from the horn sections that have to be trimmed before melons are sent to the store. They would also require less processing for where they are only needed for their pulp, such as in supplying ice cream stores. (Of course, horned melons were made to be eaten swirled with plain vanilla ice cream. They are perfection this way!) A bald horned melon could be handled more easily--without gloves--just as easily as are the common cucumbers to which they are related.
I've also come across other variegated plants. An occasional weed, or even a young white cedar sucker...
NB
Since putting up this webpage I have been emailed by some horse-owners, who have
lost horses to Patterson's Curse toxicity, and told that the above article is, thus,
''in bad taste''. It certainly is not meant to be. I have, for over twenty years, admired
the horses in the purple fields adjacent to my property. I am yet to see one drop
from Patterson's Curse poisoning. Clearly, there are various co-factors involved
for toxicity to occur. I am not an equine toxicologist, and this article is only meant to
be about aesthetics. Here is a pretty white horse I snapped in the purple field
a couple of days back. I think she might be pregnant....
