Dudes and dudettes, you KNOW it’s summertime! The flood of paint, legal and illegal, that is hitting walls in cities everywhere and possibly around your neighborhood – it’s outstanding. One artist who’s taking advantage of the good weather this year is Fabio Petani, who seems to bang out a mural every 15 days. Each is a lesson in botany and science, often revealing the plant and its uses in society- aside from aesthetics.

Here in San Gavino Monreale in the Province of South Sardinia (pop 8,700), Petani paints Crocetin & Asphodel, which is likely to be currently in season in many areas in this part of the world, producing something decidedly sweet. When the weather turns cold again Petani’s wall will remind the locals of this warm and lush season.

Petani gives us a full exigesis on his new work, Crocetin & Asphodel:

“The asphodel, a spontaneous plant of the Mediterranean scrub, of which the people of Sardinia have been able to exploit all the properties since the dawn of time, begins to flourish in this period, and perhaps for this reason it has assumed an almost magical value in the culture islander.

Once upon a time, there was no bride who did not have in her kit the baskets of asphodel, indispensable, in many different shapes and sizes for work in the kitchen, for the processing of bread and other foods that in ancient times were called at home.

The stems of the asphodel in fact constitute the raw material for the construction and weaving of the baskets. Furthermore, the stylized flower often recurs in embroidery and weaving works.

But there is a characteristic of the asphodel: from its white flowers, the bees produce a very precious, delicate, very clear, almost crystalline honey with a unique aroma, marketed almost exclusively in Sardinia.

It is rare honey and more expensive than the others, due to its delicate taste it is used in haute cuisine preparations and combined with equally fine foods with a refined flavor”

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