Kim Stoddart is a gardener, journalist, author and gardening teacher. She writes for The Guardian, specifically regarding gardening in the current climate change environment, and is editor of “Amateur Gardening” magazine. She has co-written the book “The Climate Change Garden” which has recently been updated and has just published “The Climate Change Resilient Vegetable Garden”.
She also runs the very popular Green Rocket courses where she teaches techniques which she has taught for many years, and has a smallholding in the Synod Inn area of 2.3 acres, of which a third of an acre is used for growing produce. She keenly boosts biodiversity there and doesn’t use pesticides or chemicals. In general, apart from growing in containers, she does not use fertilisers but concentrates on improving soil health which brings its own challenges, since the property is 750 ft above sea level and is often subject to quite serious flooding.
At the begining of her talk Kim encouraged us to think about how things worked in the past, how people had to have productive gardening plots which were not costly and could be maintained as easily as possible. Some of the solutions found in the past have been forgotten or discarded in favour of a quick fix, off-the-shelf solution.
She encourages us all to make time to sit and be kind to ourselves, enjoy our surroundings, including the wildlife, and not to feel we have to make everything neat – weeds are not the enemy! Examples of extreme weather have been studied by Kim in order to understand weather unpredictability and how to discourage pests and diseases that come with it, and what we can do to effectively and cheaply negotiate problems.
Recycling and upcycling, inventing ways of making making a cost effective, productive and beautiful garden need to be seriously considered and will give lots of satisfaction. Think creatively when problem solving, it does not need to be stressful! Do not pamper plants, overprune, or spend hours weeding, sometimes it works to make plants work harder to survive and flourish. If you have a gap in the flower garden, stick a vegetable in there, they often look great and you can (hopefully) eat them. The “no dig” method is proven to be effective and works well, or the German Hugelkultur method which in addition pretty much eliminates the necessity for watering. It helps to use mycorrhizal fungi which will encourage root growth and improve health – only effective when growing organically, as the fungi and fertilisers/pesticides tend to fight and restrict plant growth.
Kim had brought copies of her book for sale, and answered questions from the audience. The link for Kim’s courses is www.greenrocketcourses.com. Dawn thanked Kim for her very enjoyable talk.
John and Helen’s Plant Sale for NGS Charities on 12 May
We were reminded about John & Helens’ plant sale at Ty’r Maes, Ffarmers, SA19 8JP on Sunday 12th May from 1 pm. Donations are encouraged as payment – the proceeds are for the National Garden Scheme charities. Plants can be ordered in advance – emails will be sent to club members at the end of April with a list of available plants to order.
Paul and Liz O’Neill have been gardening at Llwyngarreg for 24 years, when they originally turned a field into a garden open to the public for the NGS with a variety of different environments: peat beds, azaleas and rhododendrons, a tropical bed with Tetrapanax and ginger lilies, a fritillary meadow, gravel beds creating a dry garden (see right), to mention just a few.
A soil map of Wales shows that generally the pH is about 6-6.5, so on the acidic side. Some plants are calciphile (lime-lovers), and others are calcifuge (lime-haters), and there are plenty in-between. But even then things are not so simple. Buddleja, honeysuckle, and ash are defined as being calciphile, but generally do well in Wales. This talk focuses on plants that must have or don’t mind a low pH soil, starting with trees and shrubs, and moving on to plants that grow beside or under them.
To start with – Rhododendrons, the plant that first triggered Paul’s interest in gardening. First come the species, considered to have ‘snob value’, compared to the ‘commoner’ hybrids. A lot of species rhododendrons originate from the Himalayas, but also from North America, and Europe, including Portugal (R. ponticum) and the Caucasus.
They generally come true from seed, which is how Paul has grown many of the species that he has, including R. calophytum (left), which over the years has made a huge plant. Species can take up to 20 years to flower if grown from seed – meriting a glass of champagne when one flowers for the first time! R. cinnabarinum is another favourite, this time grown from cuttings.
Hybrid rhododendrons come from crossing different species. They are generally tougher, easier to grow, and flower earlier in life. They are propagated by cuttings or layers. Paul’s favourite is R. ‘Pink Walloper’, while Liz’s is R. ‘Sappho’ (right) , a lovely old hybrid from Waterer’s Nursery in Surrey – the plant’s only fault is that it is a bit straggly.
Both species and hybrid rhododendrons hate having wet feet – so if you garden on clay soil, plant them on a bit of a mound.
Finally there are what we call the Azaleas (although they are of course Rhododendrons). They can be evergreen, such as R. ‘Hinomayo’ which forms a dense bush (so much so it can be pruned to shape with a hedge trimmer). They are also deciduous – R. luteum (left), from the Caucasus, with its scented yellow flowers and gorgeous autumn colour. The latter can tolerate really sticky grey clay, and Paul and Liz plant them on what they call the ‘killing grounds’ where many other plants won’t survive. R. occidentale, again scented, is from America.
Next come the Camellias. Over time, even in our environment, they can get large (in Cornwall they have been known to take the chainsaw to them!). Some examples Paul gave are C. ‘Donation’, C. ‘Debbie’, and C. ‘Jury’s Yellow’ (right).
Most magnolias want acid conditions – and they vary from huge trees to shrubs such as M. stellata. At Llwyngarreg one of the stars of the show is M. ‘Caerhays Surprise’, a magnificent hybrid bred at Caerhays Garden in Cornwall.
Another is M. ‘Black Tulip’ (left, in bud), a Mark Jury hybrid from New Zealand (which in addition to flowering in the spring can also flower again in September). M. loebneri ‘Merrill’ is pure white with a delicious coconut fragrance in the sun.
Another of the magnolias that Paul and Liz grow is M. ‘Yellow River’ (right), a lovely yellow flower, but as it is late the flowers can sometimes get lost among the emerging foliage. M. ‘Daphne’ is probably the yellowest of the Magnolias, but late, with the flowers coming out with the leaves. Paul recommends the Arboretum Wespelaar in Belgium as a place to see the many species and varieties of Magnolia.
Moving on to other shrubs, a hydrangea that not so many people are aware of is H. aspera subsp sargentiana, with large velvety leaves and lacy flowers which tolerates deep shade underneath beech trees. On the other side of the path from the Hydrangea is a mass of the ginger lily Cauttleya spicata ‘Robusta’, rather surprisingly also enjoying the shade.
Crinodendron hookerianum has magnificent red bells in spring, and like many other acid-loving plants hails from Chile. There are also now other white and pink-flowered varieties, although they have not yet been tried at Llwyngarreg.
Paul and Liz started by planting trees at Llwyngarreg, including Parrotia persica (with tiny red flowers in late winter) and Nyssa sylvatica (the tupelo), both with fiery autumnal foliage.
Eucryphia lucida ‘Ballerina’ is a small evergreen tree with lovely pink flowers in late summer, although here in west Wales we cannot grow the huge eucryphias (trunks like trees!) you see in Northern Ireland. Enkianthus campanulatus has small pink-tinged bells in the spring, with fantastic autumn colour. Jovellana violacea, a sub-shrub, has pale purple bell-shaped flowers with a yellow throat; also from Chile, Desfontainea spinosa has holly-like leaves and tubular red and yellow flowers, a lovely shrub, which in west Scotland can be a tree up to twenty feet tall. The latter is a true acid-lover and will die if it comes anywhere near an alkaline soil.
Jovellana violaceaDesfontainea spinosa
Moving on to climbers – the star of the show is Tropaeolum speciosum, a perennial nasturtium with red flowers and blue berries, renowned for growing very well in Scotland. It is often lost in gardens when first planted, because slugs graze it off.
Amongst perennials, Meconopsis, the Himalayan poppy, are perhaps the ultimate acid-lovers. They are definitely challenging to grow, and need a shady, damp bed with no sun. M. ‘Lingholm’ – the one to grow if you are only going to grow one type – used to seed around in the peat beds, but not so much any more as summers have become hotter and drier.
M. horridula, being monocarpic, takes three years to reach flowering size and then dies after flowering. So too does M. x complexa (it used to be called napaulensis), flowering red or yellow after two to three years.
Primula capitata (right), with its striking blue flowers, is a short-lived peat-lover of moist woodlands. It comes easily from seed if you sow the seed green and don’t cover it.
Another primula for a peat bed is P. flaccida – a lovely lavender blue but it is loved by vine weevil. P. ‘Arduaine’ has ice-blue flowers in January and February. P. poissonii is a candelabra primula which likes wet feet. P. viallii will grow in any soil, but thrives in a peat bed.
Roscoea ‘Harvington Evening Star’ is a dark purple. It comes up late in the year, and slugs don’t like it, always a bonus. It has a tendency to flop over, but it has a long flowering season from mid-Summer to October. Trilliums are invariably expensive to buy, but it is hard to understand why. Trillium luteum, for example, is easy to propagate by chopping it into small pieces, each with an eye, and replanting. Cypripedium, hardy slipper orchids, are gorgeous but difficult to grow, and always expensive.
Cardiocrinum giganteum, known as the giant Himalayan lily, is a truly impressive plant at up to 4m high with gloriously scented flowers (see left, with Liz). Slugs adore them so they can be difficult to grow for that reason. They produce masses of seed after flowering, but it takes seven years from seed to a flowering plant!
Gentians need moist, peaty soil, and also full sun. A good place to buy gentians is Aberconwy Nursery near Bodnant Gardens. G. asclepiadea is a great late summer plant and will tolerate light shade. Corydalis alata (blue flowers), C. flexuosa (blue flowers) and C. solida (purple flowers) are plants that need shade and moisture.
Two favourite plants in the lily family are Nomocharis alata, which requires moist peat, and Lilium mackliniae.
Podophyllum delavayi, P. ‘Spotty Dotty’ and P. ‘Kaleidoscope’ are plants for a moist and shady spot.
Myosotidium hortensia, the Chatham Island forget-me-not, is a challenging plant for acid soil, and unfortunately completely slug-delicious. It must have no sun at all.
At the very low ground level Paul and Liz plant Saxifraga stolonoifera, which makes huge mats of leaves covered in white flowers, and two Chilean plants – Asteranthera ovata, and Philesia magellanica which requires a pure acid soil.
Ginger lilies do surprising well – they prefer an acid soil but don’t have to have it. Hedychium edgeworthii (yellow) and H. ‘Tara’ (orange), produce some of the most exotic-looking flowers you can grow in the UK.
Other plants not requiring acid soilthat grow well at Llwyngarreg include Epimedium, lovely for its new foliage, and Aquilegia. Primula pulverulenta prefers a woodland environment rather than wet feet. Primula bulleyana (orange-yellow) and beesiana also do well. So too do Rodgersia podophyllum, which is easy to propagate, and Matteucia struthiopteris (the Ostrich fern).
At the time of this talk, the second half of March, some of the highlight plants in the garden at Llywngarreg are listed below:
Snakeshead fritillaries, which love wet grassland. Paul and Liz started with ten pots, over the years religiously collected the seed and sowed it – and now they have a whole fritillary meadow; sadly, Mr Badger has developed a taste for the fritillaries.
Ground cover in the form of Eomecon chionantha with poppy like white flowers from China, which can be quite a thug; also Maianthemum racemosum.
Rhododendron arboreum ‘Album’ is now starting to flower properly. So too is R. calophytum, which this year is much pinker in flower than it has been previously.
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Surprise’ (left), M. ‘Merrill’ and a large M. stellata, along with M. ‘Black Tulip’, which is a very reliable flowerer.
The talk concluded with a video of a dramatic burning of the Monocot bed, largely populated with Miscanthus but also Dierama. Paul and Liz have discovered that the simplest way to tidy up the grass beds is to cut down all the old foliage, and then set fire to the bed!!
In response to a question about tropical-looking plants that he would recommend, Paul suggested Tetrapanax papyrifera. It can be a little bit tender, and even though it was cut back by the hard frosts of December 2022, it has come back strongly. You need to be careful when handling it, as it has little brown hairs which make you cough badly. Paul also recommends cannas and hedychiums.
The talk was fast-paced, very informative, and delivered with lots of humour. The web editor, for one, came away with a long list of plants new to her to try in the garden. All those present were very appreciative and made a beeline for the plant sales table afterwards.
Llwyngarreg Garden is open for the NGS (which supports seven main and other guest charities) every day by appointment, but please check the website and ring beforehand.
Plant Sale for NGS Charities 12 May
John and Helen Brooks will be holding a plant sale for NGS Charities on Saturday, 12 May from 1pm at their garden Ty’r Maes, Ffarmers, Carmarthenshire, SA19 8JP. As usual there will be lots of plants for sale, to swap and to order online, all proceeds going to NGS Charities.
The Annual General Meeting of the Cothi Gardeners Club was held on 21 February 2024. Elena Gilliatt, the outgoing Chair, gave her final Chair’s report on a year packed not just with great talks (organised by Fiona and ably managed by Amanda and Carol) but also garden visits:
In June we had a wonderful Mad Hatters Tea Party at Gelli Uchaf, Fiona and Julian’s amazing NGS garden. What a lovely afternoon; fab hosts, loads of mad hats and we raised £80 for club funds!
In July we visited Paul and Liz O’Neill at their wonderful garden in Whitland, coming away laden with plants, gardening tips and planting ideas.
In August, our summer social had us touring 3 member’s gardens. Thanks to Jane, Jenny & Gordon and Dawn for making us so welcome and sharing their lovely, and very different, gardens.
At our October meeting we were treated to 3 mini talks by members Sheena, Sally and Elena. The response was great, so hopefully other members will share their gardens with us in the future!
At the beginning of December, 36 of us visited Ystrad Garden Centre for a demo and tea. Thanks to Amanda and Carol for organising such an enjoyable afternoon. A great way to round off our gardening year.
Mad Hatters Tea PartyLlwyngarregSummer Social
Thanks were extended to all outgoing Committee members for their contributions, and in particular to Elena for chairing the Club so enthusiastically and steering it through the difficult Covid years.
After the AGM came a delicious buffet of savoury dishes and cakes contributed by those attending, followed by an extremely challenging quiz on varied topics, not just gardening, compiled and organised by Carol Clarke.
Website Update
The Cothi Gardeners website has now been updated to include the new programme for 2024, upcoming events will be listed as and when we are advised of them, and their are additions to the Members’ Gardens and Surplus to Requirements sections. Please take the time to peruse the new content by following the links above, and if you have any ideas for new content or would like to contribute a piece about your own garden, please contact cothigardeners@gmail.com.
This year’s Cothi Gardeners Christmas Social was held at Ystrad Nurseries near Llandovery. It was, for a change, a sunny afternoon, the alpacas greeting us as our cars pulled in. We all arrived in time to have a good browse around the nursery before the demonstration
Julie began the demonstration by telling us a bit about the history of the nursery and timber yard, particularly since 2016, when John and Laura Morgan bought Ystrad, having seen the potential to bring together her background in running a nursery and John’s expertise in the timber business. Since then they have grown the business significantly, and from an original staff of three at Ystrad in 2016, there are now over 30. Ystrad Nurseries itself now also has florist Sian on site, and has embarked on phased improvements, beginning with the car park and entrance. Julie herself has worked here since 2020, having previously been a primary school teacher.
First we saw how to build up an arrangement that could be adapted either for the table, or for placing on graves, using a square block of oasis in a circular base, Starting at the bottom, it is best to avoid prickly holly and to create a base layer with fronds from spruce or cypress. The holly can go in as the next layer. Julie recommends pieris for the centre of the arrangement, which at this time of year has flower buds. To add berries and ensure they show up well, take off any surrounding leaves. When adding skimmia do the same and strip the leaves to highlight the purple flower. For a table arrangement, you can then place a candle-holder with candle in the centre.
Julie then explained how to wire items onto an arrangement, such as dried orange slices, and also demonstrated bow-making.
After that, we turned to wreaths. Nowadays moss is less favoured, and people are choosing straw-based rings for the base as a more sustainable option. The straw rings, once purchased, can be re-used the following year if allowed to dry out and stored safely. The greenery can be fixed in place with either wire or twine, using small clusters of foliage as you go, again starting with spruce, but incorporating a range of foliage such as osmanthus, choisya, skimmia, leucothoe and pieris. From this you can then adapt the decoration depending on whether the wreath is for a grave, a door or table arrangement.
Julie with straw base for a wreathFinished wreath for table decoration
After thanking Julie for her interesting and informative presentation, everyone had an appetite for the delicious and plentiful tea that Ystrad Nurseries had provided. We weren’t going to need supper after that, and a grand time was had by all!
NGS Donations in 2023
Cothi Gardeners Club are fortunate to have among our members John and Helen from Ty’r Maes and Julian and Fiona from Gelli Uchaf who open their gardens for the National Garden Scheme in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. Across the two counties as a whole there were 3,514 visitors, of which 2,130 were from Open Days and 1,384 from By Appointment visits. That is a return to the visitor numbers seen in 2019 and previously. In 2023 the total raised for charity was £26,638 (up from £20,300 in 2022) – a fantastic increase!
In total the National Garden Scheme has been able to donate £3,403,960 to beneficiaries in 2023. This record amount is testament to the hard work and dedication of all those who open their gardens to the public and all the volunteers who contribute.
This was a recording of the talk that Nancy originally gave to Cothi Gardeners over Zoom during one of the Covid lockdowns , describing a cornucopia of amazing plants from almost every continent.
Nancy started with Wistaria sinensis, and in case you’re wondering, that is not a ‘typo’. The species was originally named by Thomas Nuttall after Dr Caspar Wistar; but when the name was being transcribed it was spelt as Wisteria, and so it has remained ever since. The particular specimen depicted is Wisteria sinensis ‘Lavender Rain’ in Sierra Madre in California – covering one acre, it is the largest flowering plant in the world. It was planted 100 years ago by a young couple at the time of their wedding, and it grew so large that it actually destroyed their home, and threatened that of their neighbour. Wisteria japonica is not so vigorous, the largest known specimen has covered half an acre over 150 years. Looking down at the plant, W. japonica climbs clockwise, and W. chinensis twines anticlockwise. W. japonica is considered the choicer plant, more delicate, with very scented blooms and strong autumn colour; it requires full sun. W. sinensis is now designated in the US as an invasive species, and people are being encouraged to grow the American W. frutescens instead.
No talk about plants would be complete without a rose – and Nancy chose R. damascena for its magnificent scent. It is the source of Attar of Roses so widely used in perfumery. A lesser known use for it is in the space industry as a greasing agent because of its resistance to temperature change. The Valley of the Roses in Bulgaria has been famous for its rose harvest since the 17th century when it was part of the Ottoman Empire. The peak period of flowering, and thus harvesting, is from mid-May to mid-June. The petals are harvested between 5am and noon every day. It takes 3.5 tonnes of petals to produce 1 kilogram of rose oil, which is worth more than the price of gold. As a consequence for use in the perfume industry it is very heavily diluted.
From here to Japan, for the Japanese Iris – I. laevigata, I. ensata and I. sibirica. These forms of Iris are highly prized in Japan, where they are frequently depicted in works of art. They like their feet to be wet, and one of the best places in the world to see them is the Suigo Itako Aquatic Botanic Garden where there are at least a million iris plants. You can view the iris from boardwalks built around the canal network, but you can also view them at eye level from a boat cruise. People apply from all over the world to get married by boat at flowering time. There are festivals around Japan to celebrate the flowering of the iris, but one of the best is at Itako.
A very different aquatic plant is the Cahaba lily, or aquatic spider lily, hailing from the Cahaba River in Alabama. It flowers in the late afternoon and evening to attract its pollinator, the Trumpet Vine Sphinx Hawkmoth.
It is a member of the Amaryllidaceae, as is another spider lily – Lycoris radiata, the red spider lily, native to East Asia but now naturalised in some southern US states. It is a very poisonous plant and is grown around rice paddies and houses to keep vermin away. It requires heat and rainfall. In Japan where a festival is held in its honour attracting 10,000 visitors a day. It blooms in late summer/early autumn and also goes by the name of the equinox flower.
From the southern USA and tropical South America comes the most dangerous tree in the world, the Manchineel Tree, Hippomane mancinella. Its fruit are known as ‘little apples of death’ or ‘little apples that make horses mad’. It is a member of the Euphorbia family and causes acute allergic dermatitis. People are warned not to stand under the tree when it rains, and the smoke from its burning can cause blindness. On the positive side (!) the roots sterilise soil, and the timber when dry is excellent for furniture. Because of its toxicity, it has become an endangered species in Florida.
Ceroxylon quindiuense is the wax palm from Colombia. It is extremely tall and thin, and its usefulness has been its downfall. The leaves were used as fodder for pigs and cattle, and the stems were stripped for wax. It was on the very verge of extinction when in 1985 it was declared the national tree of Colombia and afforded full protection; its population has since recovered.
Next we turn to the Cook pine, Araucaria columnaris, from New Caledonia. At home they can reach 200ft in height. However, the species missed out on plants’ normal ability to detect gravity, and they lean towards the equator – the further from the equator, the more they lean!
Returning to aquatic plants, the water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, is from tropical and semi-tropical parts of the world. It is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet, spreading by both runners and seeds which remain viable for 28 years. It was originally introduced into the US by a Japanese businessman. Because of its rapid spread and ability to choke waterways, it is banned in Europe and the UK. In the nineteenth century three unlikely men formed the New Food Supply Company with a plan to introduce hippos to eat the plants, and people would then be able to eat the hippos (there was then a meat shortage in the USA). A law was debated in the House of Representatives to allow this, and it fell by just one vote. In Louisiana many millions are spent annually just to control it. However, in the Philippines there is a cottage industry which makes eco-friendly charcoal from the plants. The roots are able to absorb dangerous toxins, including Strontium 90. It is eaten in Thailand; in Malaysia it is being investigated as a potential biochemical control against Mimosa pigra (there an invasive semi-aquatic species).
The Red Lotus Sea is a shallow lake in Thailand renowned for the red water lilies that flower there en masse. Flowering time of day has come up before in this talk, but here you have to go early – the flowers start to close at 10am and by noon there is nothing to see!
Now to plants resembling birds or animals. Harbenaria radiata is the White Egret orchid, a very elegant plant getting its name from its appearance of a white egret in flight. Two plants from SE and southern Asia get their names from their resemblance to bats – Tacca chantrieri, the Bat Flower, and Tacca integrifolia, the Bat Lily, the latter used in Malaysia to create a paste to treat insect bites and minor burns, and to lower blood pressure.
The Flying Duck Orchid from Australia, so named because of its obvious resemblance, has a unique symbiotic relationship with a fungus in the soil in its native habitat, whose destruction, along with a consequent lack of pollinators, has caused it to become endangered.
Kudzu is the Japanese arrowroot, also known as the ‘flower that ate the south’ in the United States. In Japan the plant dies back in the winter, but in the warmth of the southern US it grows up to a foot a day. It was introduced at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. As a member of the pea family, it fixes nitrogen in the soil. It was seen as a weapon against dust storms, and farmers were paid $8 an acre to plant it – 17 million plants were grown. However, a plant that was seen as a saviour is now a nightmare. Power companies spend $1.5 million per year just on repairing power lines. Goats have been some help in controlling it, and kudzu bugs are now infesting and killing the vines. However, the bug has also developed a taste for the soya bean, a crop which is very valuable to the economy of southern USA.
Superblooms are an extraordinary and beautiful phenomenon. They occur rarely in the Atacama Desert (where some parts have never recorded rain). However, when it is an El Niño year and the right conditions are met (a rainstorm producing half-an-inch or more of rain, and then intermittent rain through the winter and spring), a superbloom does occur. It happens more regularly in the Namaqua National Park in South Africa from mid August to the end of September. Here it is condensing fog that creates the right conditions. There are 8,500 fynbos species here, 5,000 of which are endemic, including Restios and Proteas.
Finally, back to Japan, which has the greatest species diversity of hydrangeas and where their flowering heralds the start of the rainy season. In Okinawa the Yohena Hydrangea Garden attracts 20,000 visitors per year. It was created by Mrs Uto Yohena, who lived to be 100, and planted the garden on the site of a tangerine field.
The talk was a most enjoyable whistlestop tour around the world, taking in a great variety of plants notable in very different ways, and there was a lively discussion afterwards.
For our October meeting, three members of the Club volunteered to give short talks about their gardens ranging from borderline hardy shrubs and perennials to ponds.
Sheena’s Borderline Hardy Trees and Shrubs
Sheena’s garden is situated at 700’ with a northwest aspect; it has evolved over the years from a field to a garden where shrubs and trees are the main focus. There have been successes and failures with plants that might be considered to be borderline hardy in this area. The soil in the garden is acidic, and most of the plants featured, with the exception of the first, are ericaceous; they are all more-or-less evergreen.
Borinda papyrifera is one of the bamboos from Yunnan that has survived (just!). Borinda lushuianensis (originally known as Yunnan 4, much simpler to pronounce) did not survive any quite mild winters here, but B. papyrifera has proved to be tougher.
Said to be hardy to -14°C to -16°C, as a small plant it did not come through the very hard winter of 2010-11. We decided to give it one more chance, and by 2020 (above) it had made an impressive specimen in the garden.
December 2022 saw some fairly low temperatures in our area, certainly into double figures below freezing. It became clear that B. papyrifera had suffered badly, and initially Sheena wasn’t sure it would survive – but it has, and developed a number of new shoots this year, although it may be a few years before it recovers to the size that it was. The young canes are a powdery blue-grey initially, maturing to olive green, with large silvery-buff sheaths, and develop up to a height of 7m. If you have the space, it is definitely a ‘statement’ plant.
Of the large-leaved rhododendrons, R. falconeri has proved to be the hardiest (it has not suffered in even the coldest temperatures while others, such as R. sinogrande, have). It is a striking plant, with leathery dark green leaves, fawn indumentum when the leaves emerge, deepening to a rusty colour on the underside of the leaves, peeling pinky-brown stems and pale yellow flowers with a maroon blotch. It has not been extremely floriferous here, but the young leaves make up for that as they emerge.
The west wall of the house is the only place where Crinodendron hookerianum has proved happy, and it is now a very large plant. It has elongated dark green leaves and lantern-shaped crimson flowers are suspended from its branches in May, giving the shrub its name of the lantern tree. In our part of the country, it definitely requires a sheltered position.
Another red-flowered plant, this time with bright scarlet flowers, is Embothrium coccineum, which takes over from the Crinodendron flowering in late May and June. It is an evergreen or semi-evergreen small tree with clusters of bright scarlet tubular flowers (hence its name of the Chilean firebush). It has not proved to be very long-lived in the garden (Sheena thinks that late frosts in May were the culprit).
A replacement, a sucker from her parents’ garden, even though still quite small, came through last winter unscathed, even though it is said to be hardy to -5°C to -10°C.
Finally, Eucryphia x intermedia ‘Rostrevor’ is a hybrid between E. glutinosa and E. lucida, which originated in Co. Down. It forms a columnar, evergreen small tree which bearing masses of scented white flowers abuzz with insects; its flowering period of late summer makes it particularly valuable in the garden, and this variety has proved to be very hardy.
Sally’s New Garden with Hardy Perennials and Grasses
After studying painting Sally at college, Sally practised as an artist for 10 years. She was influenced by medieval depictions of the flowery mead in her later work. Gardening became Sally’s main interest after moving to a house with a big garden in Oxfordshire. For ten years she ran a specialist plant nursery, with most of the plants grown from cuttings or seeds, selling out at Rare Plant Fairs, Specialist Plant Fairs and Yellow Book Gardens among others. A few years ago she moved to the Cothi Gardeners area and began to develop her new garden from scratch, focussing on hardy perennials. She has a greenhouse where she propagates perennials from seed and cuttings. To the south of the house is a border 15m long and 5m deep. Huge stumps of C. leylandii had to be removed by a tree surgeon to be able to make best use of this space. The soil is deep and rich, quite a contrast to the heavy clay in Oxfordshire.
The garden to the rear is north-facing and exposed, backing onto set-aside land with plenty of wild flowers. In this area in 2021 Sally decided to try a no-dig flowerbed which she planted up exclusively from seeds and cuttings she had raised herself.
The no-dig bed was created by laying down cardboard, adding compost and cut material on top. It has been a great success and become a varied tapestry of perennials.
In her gardening style, Sally has been very inspired by Piet Oudolf and his use of perennials and grasses, and plants particularly to attract pollinators. She gardens exclusively organically, and uses only peat-free compost. She doesn’t water plants after two weeks have passed since planting, unless a plant dehydrates completely.
Sally showed us many pictures from her garden of beautiful combinations of hardy perennials and grasses. A group of plants Sally uses widely are the hardy geraniums – including G. ‘Patricia’, G. pratense, G renardii, G. ‘Rozanne’ (which flowers from May to October), and G. ‘Cloud Nine’ raised by Helen Warrington of local Ty Cwm Nursery. The latter is extremely floriferous over a long period, and the bees have an unusual trick to get at the pollen, by making a hole on the underside of the first petal layer.
G. ‘Cloud Nine’ with G. ‘Patricia’ and Astrantia ‘Buckland’
Among the grasses are Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’, which as the name suggests catches the light beautifully, and Miscanthus malepartum, which is extremely tough. Molinia caerulea ‘Transparent’ is another favourite, as it stays small in the border until mid-summer, but then shoots up with stems as much as 8 feet tall, making a real statement without taking up too much space.
Deschampsia cespitosa with Geranium ‘Rozanne’
Sally has particular praise for Dianthus carthusianorum, with its single pink flowers held on tall stems above narrow, grassy, grey-green leaves; it flowers all summer long.
Other perennials that Sally uses include Salvia ‘Purple Rain’, Papaver ‘Royal Chocolate Distinction’, Asphodeline luteum, Phlox ‘Hesperis’ (with violet flowers that become almost luminous at night), Salvia uliginosa, Salvia turkestanica, Knautia macedonica, Morina longifolia (hailing from Tibet), Centaurea ‘Pulchra Major’ and Selenium wallichianum.
A beautiful grouping of plants from Sally’s garden
Elena’s Tropical Pond in Wales
Twelve years ago Elena moved from Trinidad to the Cothi Gardeners area – where the climate and vegetation couldn’t be more different! There was an unused patch of grass in her garden, with just 4 daffodils and half-a-dozen bluebells, which she had been considering turning into a ‘tropical pond’. The site is exposed to the north and the east, and on top of a rubble heap – not promising! Then along came lockdown in 2020, creating an opportunity, and providing a much-needed focus for activity.
The first step was to lay the outline of the pond with twigs on the grass. Then Elena dug up from her garden and divided any plants with tropical-looking foliage. She also scavenged what she could from friends.
But, in lockdown, where to get the materials? James, Elena’s next-door neighbour, came to the rescue. He supplied both the butyl liner, and the soft cushioning layer. He also borrowed a mini-digger to dig the pond.
Even with the mini-digger, the spoil heap proved to be a tough proposition – the pond became shallower, and shallower… Elena collected the stones for the pond, to hide the butyl liner, from the small stream which runs along the boundary of the garden. More of the butyl liner was used to create a bog garden to one side of the pond. Lifting the canopy on the sycamore trees has been effective, giving the stems a tropical appearance.
Then Elena spent hours placing pots in and around the pond, and the next thing the pond needed was a waterfall. Lockdown again turned out to be the provider, as Farmyard Nurseries had been clearing out their sheds and discovered a water fountain – just what was needed!
What of the plants? They include a Banana (which stays out all year, wrapped in the winter), Gunnera, Persicaria (which was gifted as a bunch and distributed about under the stones), watercress (also from a friend), Macleaya and even a carnivorous plant (which also overwinters!). Gingers (Hedychium) also are surprising and beautiful plants in this environment. Houseplants are brought out for a summer holiday, including Hibiscus and Bougainvillea.
Gravel has been put down around the pond, joining to the existing path, which has been lined with trellis screens bought online. At the base are ferns, which have proved to be very hardy. Hostas have been hung in pots from the tree adjoining the path, and stumps have filled with thyme and evergreen ferns.
It is just a tiny pond, but it attracted so much wildlife, almost immediately: birds, snails, dragon- and damsel-flies, frogs, toads, newts and lots of hedgehogs. The frogs come in huge numbers, as Elena and her grandchildren discovered in the spring when they went down to the pond at night to explore!
Around the pond the hedges have really thickened up, and the planting has become lusher and lusher. Many plants have died, but lots have survived. Making the pond has been an enjoyable journey; the tropical feel of the pond reminds Elena of Trinidad and the plants of gardening friends old and new.
Neighbour James, who came to the rescue with materials, with his daughters by what is now a very tropical-looking pondBench with bling
John’s October Plant Sale
John and Helen held a very well-attended plant sale for NGS charities in early October, which has so far raised a sum of over £1000 for the charities. This figure will rise as there are plants still to be delivered and collected. John and Helen would like to thank all those who contributed plants, bought plants and helped out on the day. The autumn plant sale has been so successful they may well hold another sale in the spring of next year – so watch this space…
Joseph was the Head Gardener at Aberglasney Gardens from 2011 until 2022, when he left to run The Plough in Felingwm, where he grows as much produce as possible for use in the pub, and is keen to obtain sustainable and local produce from nearby.
In gardening, he has always been keen to use and promote succession of planting in order to provide constant, all year round interest and make less work into the bargain. Hurrah!
His first early flower which works so well, particularly valuable if short of space, is the snowdrop. There are so many varieties which will flower at different times and will happily sit around other early bulbs in order to provide early spring succession.
The two types of cyclamen (Cyclamen hederofolium and Cyclamen africanum) are particularly valued because of the length of their flowering period and because the tubers will happily regrow for decades. If they can be planted in mounds or banks, their full effect and beauty can be easily seen.
Following snowdrops, Crocus appear (he’s particularly keen on the variety ‘Vanguard’), so interplanting with these two and also dwarf Dutch Iris will provide lots of interest. Iris lazica are also fairly bombproof, with the advantage that the leaves can be cut after flowering without detriment – they are winter flowering but will last until March/April.
Obviously tulips and narcissi (he particularly recommends Narcissus ‘W. P. Milner’) are good for interplanting and in Aberglasney Gardens it was known for some daffodils still to be flowering into July. Hellebores also always do well, starting in February and continuing into May; they will give very good value, coming up year after year. The different types of Camassia and Allium will provide interest for the Spring gap, and Iris (he recommends the dark Iris chrysographes) are good for the June gap.
Kniphofia (red-hot pokers), (particularly K. rooperi which will flower all through the season) also provide height and texture and they do not need cutting back in autumn. Geranium varieties are long flowering and, if cut back during the season, will flower again. Crocosmia provide fantastic pops of colour and, once established, can be split to provide more plantings. The variety ‘Hellfire’, an extremely vivid red, is recommended.
Shrubs are such good value and, once established, will provide lots of interest with very little attention. There has been a lot of work invested in what is now a huge selection of Hydrangea varieties with many different types and colours of flowers. For a smaller, later flowering Hydrangea, H. paniculatum ‘Brussels Lace’ will flower from July until the first frosts. The evergreen shrub Coronilla ‘Citrina’, which is compact and rounded, will grow in a sheltered position providing lemon yellow flower umbels in late winter and early spring.
Don’t be afraid of dahlias! They are long flowering and the answer is to stick to 5 different types; the tubers are well-suited to filling in gaps in the late summer garden. Joseph particularly likes the smaller ‘Downham Royal’ which is a darker variety and very long flowering.
Calendula and Verbena are both long flowering but do prefer drier conditions. Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’ has a silvery leaf, is self-seeding and will virtually grow anywhere, so is very good value.
For autumn colour, the trick is to plant trees where they catch the light and they will really shine. Acers of different types are always stunning and worth the expense if planted well. We shouldn’t forget foliage for autumn/winter planting, it will provide lots of variation in colour and texture.
Joseph then answered questions from the audience:
The science of planting – it’s concentrating on what gives pleasure to the eye.
Flowering time of different plants – try not to think too hard. What works best is to plant different types of one plant.
Keep a diary! It’s invaluable.
Problems with creeping buttercup – if it’s a problem in a lawn, scarify with a rake to remove it. Under a hedge – mulch or put down membrane and then plant as soon as possible.
Mound planting of shrubs – don’t dig a hole, just put a dish in the top of the mound, place the shrub into the hollow on the mound and heap up soil around it. Look after it well in the 1st year, half as well in the 2nd year and then leave it alone!
Rhododendron – bear in mind that they have very shallow roots, but they will work well in most conditions. They will grow in a shady border or at the edge of woodland but need watering well, particularly when first planted.
Elena thanked Joseph for an entertaining and useful talk with helpful slides.
John’s End-of-Season Plant Sale – 8 October – in Aid of NGS Charities
Start time 1.00pm Sunday 8 October at Ty’r Maes Ffarmers SA19 8DP
On the A482 look for the yellow NGS sign 7m SE of Lampeter. 8m NW of Llanwrda. 1½m N of Pumsaint opposite the turn to Ffarmers.
There will be loads of plants for sale – at least twice as many as last year. People are also encouraged to bring plants to swap. Donations are welcome, as the aim is to raise money for NGS charities.
FREE entry; tea, coffee and biscuits are provided – if you would like to donate a cake, they are always most welcome!
Parking is on the field opposite the turn to Ffarmers (weather permitting!), although the area near the house will be available for loading and unloading plants .
Committee Vacancies
Early in 2024 two of Cothi Gardeners Club committee members (the Chair and Deputy Chair/Marketing) come to the end of their term on the committee and are retiring from their roles, having served for a number of years including during the very difficult time of Covid. It is a rewarding experience to be part of the committee of such a vibrant and friendly club, so members are asked to give this serious consideration. If you are interested or if you have questions, please contact Elena.
Previous garden safaris had been very successful and popular occasions, so for this year’s August event it was decided to repeat the experience, with members offering three gardens for the safari in Crugybar, Ffaldybrenin and Ffarmers. It was our great good fortune that, despite the grey and soggy conditions that have prevailed for much of August, we had a lovely sunny day for it. An enjoyable time was had by all, there was much of interest to be seen in all the gardens, and great thanks are due to those who opened their gardens for us. Here are a selection of photos from the day.
The talk at the July meeting was given by El James, Horticulturalist at the National Botanic Garden of Wales. For background El told us that the National Botanic Garden had opened in 2000, meaning that at 23 years old it is very young for a botanic garden. The advantage of this youth is that there is a freedom to experiment, which is sometimes absent when traditions have to be adhered to. The Garden houses the largest single-span greenhouse in the world (this still remains true 23 years on), housing the Garden’s Mediterranean plant collection. The total acreage is 560, with the ornamental gardens making up 180-200 of those acres; the rest of the space includes recently restored parkland with lakes, cascades and waterfalls and the Waun Las Nature Reserve. The Garden also houses the national seedbank and herbarium.
El explained that she started work as an apprentice at the National Botanic Garden four years ago (the scheme has been running for 10 years). For the last year she has been looking after the nurseries and Welsh plants section. There is a Welsh Native Compound in the Garden, although it is rather out-of-the -way, and there are hopes to redevelop that and bring Welsh native plants into more prominence within the Garden.
Within the Welsh Native Compound they aim to mimic the habitat found in four specific wildlife areas within Wales: the Breidden Hills in Powys, Cwm Idwal in the North, Kenfig near Bridgend, and the Great Orme near Llandudno. By having an area where these native plants can be seen, it is hoped to encourage more people to grow native wild flowers in their gardens. With native plants, it is not just about those with attractive flowers ( the ‘lookers’) – so many of them are associated with great stories from history and mythology.
The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland recently released the Plant Atlas 2020, providing an overview of the distribution of plants in Britain and Ireland, and showing just how threatened many plants are. There are now more non-native than native plants in the UK! At the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place they have banked 98% of UK flora from at least one population of each plant. However, as of 2019, 75% of Welsh plant populations had not been banked, and this is the rationale behind the Welsh seed bank at the National Botanic Garden. It is important to have seed from different populations, as plants growing in different parts of the country may have difference characteristics and require different conditions. El has recently been propagating Rumex rupestris, the shore dock, which is one of the most threatened vascular plants in Europe. She needs to grow on 150 plants from seed collected in south Wales, and currently has 20! It is important to have seed saved from this Welsh population, in addition to seed previously saved from the population in south-west England.
Dr Kevin McGinn is in charge of developing the National Seedbank of Wales and the Herbarium at the National Botanic Garden. The aim is to collect seed from all red-listed plants (50% of the seed to be stored at the Millennium Seed Bank and 50% at the National Seedbank of Wales), focussing on species that do not yet have Welsh-origin collections at the Millennium Seed Bank. At the Science Labs at the National Botanic Garden, the seeds are stored in freezers. In some cases this works well as the freezing process acts as stratification, but it can also cause some seed to go into deep dormancy, so different strategies for germination are required.
The team only collect seed from areas where they have the permission of the landlord, and when they visit a site it is to collect seed specifically from one or more species. There are strict rules and regulations which govern seed-collecting; only up to 20% of seed is ever collected, and depending on populations or circumstances it can be 10% or less. One of El’s favourite sites is at Baglan near Port Talbot, an old industrial site where wildlife has regenerated. On her first visit there she was fortunate to locate Clinopodium acinos, wild basil-thyme, almost immediately, growing in rubble and out of old brickwork. In terms of scenery, a visit to heathland in Anglesey to look for seed of Viola lactea, the pale dog violet, was a great contrast. Anglesey has also been visited to source seed of Hottonia palustris, the water violet. Close to Anglesey is the Treborth Botanic Garden, part of Bangor University, which is well-worth a visit. Another seed-collecting visit in partnership with the Millennium Seed Bank was to Pembrokeshire to collect seed of Populus tremula, the poplar tree.
Once seed has been collected, along with a herbarium specimen, details are entered on the IRIS database. In time, it is hoped to digitise the herbarium collection. The Garden Explorer database can be accessed online to see details of any plant in the National Botanic Garden, including photographs and location(s).
Another major activity in the summer is the harvesting of green hay from the Waun Las National Nature Reserve. The hay meadows are managed specifically for wild flowers, and include many different varieties. of orchid. In partnership with the National Trust, green hay is being laid around Paxton’s Tower to encourage a greater diversity of wild flowers in that area. It is quite a labour-intensive process to dry the seed laid out on tarpaulin and then sieve it. The seed is usually sold in bulk, but some years it is available in small quantities from the shop at the Garden.
El gave us a fascinating and very informative talk, brimming over with her enthusiasm for her subject and chosen career. The audience had plenty of questions and comments, and thanked her for such an interesting evening.
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
In early June, to take advantage of the amazing weather at that time, a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party was held for members at the wonderful Gelli Uchaf gardenfor the purpose of viewing the garden, particularly the wild flower meadows, sporting a mad hat and consuming a delicious tea.
The wild flower meadow was at its peak, everybody had brought quantities of amazing sandwiches, scones, cake and seasonal berries, and the hats were inventive, inspiring and humorous. The sun duly shone, and laughter and good conversation abounded.
Visit to Llwyngarreg Garden
Following a fascinating talk from Paul O’Neill at the June meeting of the Club, our Chair arranged a visit for members to Paul and Liz’s garden, Llwyngarreg, on the border of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, for mid-July. It had been very wet, but the rain managed to hold off for the entire afternoon! And what a privilege to be shown around the garden by Liz and Paul, in the sun, to hear its history and how it’s changed, and to be the beneficiaries of all their insights into the plants that they grow.
Appropriately, given Paul’s love of bamboos, the garden visit starts with a walk through a bamboo tunnel. This illustrates Liz and Paul’s readiness to adapt with changing climate conditions – it was previously a willow arch, but with time proved too dry for the willows, so they were replaced with bamboo. Willows still play a big role in the garden with various inventive seats and structures made from them. Bamboos are a major feature, with many unusual varieties including Borinda macclureana (a Keith Rushforth collected seedling, now many metres high). There is a real focus on trees (the acers are all grown from seed) and shrubs, particularly rhododendrons, including a number of the large-leaved varieties – many of which also are grown from seed. In mid-July we saw the beautiful and scented Rhododendron auriculatum, the latest flowering species rhododendron. in flower at just 7 years from seed! It was the first time that I have seen the gorgeous scarlet climber Tropaeolum speciosum growing through shrubbery outside Northern Ireland or Scotland.
We all exclaimed at the profusion of Agapanthus (campanulatus hybrids) growing in the soil in the garden. Paul explained that everyone is surprised – they grow here both in 2.5 metres of wet peat, and also 2.5 inches of gravelly soil over rock – two completely different environments. They looked spectacular with orange crocosmia in peat, and with dierama in the gravel beds.
Agapanthus with CrocosmiaAgapanthus with Dierama
There is so much variety in the garden: after exploring the trees, shrubs and bamboos, we emerged onto lawns with lovely perennial borders and a Japanese-style bridge.
After tea and cake (of course!), and arguing amicably over plants in the sales area (of course!), we made our way home. But not before Paul showed the bamboo aficionados two very unusual specimens – the walking stick bamboo with its swollen nodes (invasive), and Himalayacalamus falconeri ‘Damarapa’ with its colourful striped canes (too tender, I fear, for mid-Wales).
Marion opened by telling us that her talk would be about ornamental and native plants – their history, their less well-known aspects and their ability to both heal and harm. The definition of ‘poisonous’ can range from a nettle sting to causing death. The talk would cover just some of the plants that can be described as poisonous, highlighting those that can be both good and bad.
A good example is the yew tree. All parts of the tree are poisonous, apart from the red flesh of the berries. Symptoms of poisoning can range from stomach upset to heart failure. There are records of yew clippings being thrown into a field where sheep then died after eating them. Traditionally, yew trees have been grown in churchyards and in that environment there are many ancient specimens – in Perthshire there is a tree recorded as being between two and three thousand years old. It was believed that yew trees became poisonous by feeding on the dead bodies buried in the ground in the churchyards, and for that reason they also became associated with witches (another theme in this talk). On the positive side, yew has more recently become known as the source of the anti-cancer chemical taxane, which has had many benefits.
A number of gardens were sources of information for this talk – the Chelsea Physic Garden, the Alnwick Garden Poison Garden and the Welsh National Botanic Garden. The latter contains the Apothecary Hall, a recreation of an apothecary’s shop as it would have been in 1919. Many herbal plants include ‘officinalis’ in their Latin name, indicating that they were used for medicinal purposes, primarily at home. If these domestic remedies failed, people would turn to the apothecary., who would have turned plants into powders, pills and tinctures – the raw materials would be contained in labelled drawers. An example photograph from the Apothecary Hall showed us a drawer labelled with various plants we would consider poisonous, including Aconite. The latter ingredient was included in a prescription (which can be seen there) dated 23 June 1918 – but we don’t know what was wrong with the patient, nor whether they recovered!
Plants are, of course, still used in medicine; now, much more rigorous testing and isolation of the active ingredient is carried out. This ingredient is then made up or synthesised (created artificially). The World Health Organisation estimates that 80% of the world’s population rely on plant-based remedies, while 40% of the industrialised countries use medicines based on plant extracts, and 33% of new medicines developed in the last 25 years have been made from or are synthesised versions of plants. For example, the anti-malarial ingredient artemisinin was isolated in Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood) in the 1970s which was effective, but then resistance developed. However, now an American trial is using the whole plant, which contains 10 different anti-malarial properties, which is proving very effective (as it is harder for the parasite to develop resistance to 10 different components).
The poisonous ingredients found in plants fall into a number of groups:
Alkaloids: this group includes the poppy, which provides morphine.
Glycosides: this group includes foxgloves, whose active ingredient is used to treat heart problems.
Saponins: only some plants containing these are poisonous. The group includes the soapworts, but also the little corncockle, which used to be a problem in hayfields.
Essential oils (terpenes and sesquiterpenes): many of us are familiar with the great variety of essential oils available. One example is lemon balm essential oil which is now being studied for the treatment of agitation and aggression in Alzheimer’s Disease, and also for the treatment of epilepsy. Essential oils are widely available, but as they are very concentrated they can be problematic if they are not correctly diluted.
Peptides and Proteins: peptides (as found in gardenia, for example,) are widely used in skincare preparations.
Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids: deriving from plants from the Chrysanthemum family, pyrethrum is an insecticide (used against ants, for example). Care should be taken to use it in the evening to avoid damaging other insects such as bees.
There are three ways in which a person may be killed by a plant:
they may ingest it accidentally;
they may be given the plant with intent to kill them;
they may self-administer it.
There are a number of plant families which contain poisonous plants (although not all the plants in the family may be poisonous:
Solanaceae: this family contains potatoes (which is why you should cut out any parts of potatoes with green colour for the high concentration of glycoalkaloids) but also deadly nightshade; it contains Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco), as well as the lovely scented N. sylvestnis.
Apiaceae: this is the carrot family, so again it contains a vegetable that we eat as well as hemlock (Socrates was sentenced to die by drinking hemlock). Its similarity to wild carrot means great care should be exercised. Giant hogweed, in the same family, is phytotoxic, and so the juice can cause severe blistering and burns when exposed to sunlight. Dill, parsley and parsnip also have the potential to be skin irritants.
Ranunculaceae: this is the buttercup family, including Aconitum (all parts of which are extremely poisonous), Delphinium and Helleborus (which has irritant sap).
Liliaceae: cat-owners will no doubt be aware of the danger these plants pose to cats. All parts of the plant are toxic to cats, including the leaves, flowers and pollen, even in very small amounts. The autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnal) is also a toxic plant, but is used in the treatment of gout.
Papaveraceae: this is the poppy family, which is the source of the painkillers morphine and codeine with all their adverse and beneficial effects.
Euphorbiaceae: many of the spurges contain irritant sap which is phytotoxic. The castor-oil plant, Ricinus communis, is a member, giving us castor oil (used for many things including the promotion of hair growth in men, but also the deadly poison ricin). It is the coating of the bean that contains the most ricin – one bean contains enough to kill a human, and it would take four beans to kill a horse.
Amaryllidaceae: two plants in this family very familiar to us in Wales are the daffodil and the snowdrop. Both plants contain galantamine, which is used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease in its early stages. Indeed, daffodils are grown commercially for this purpose, including near Talgarth in the Brecon Beacons. Bluebells are another member of this family, everywhere in the hedgerows and woods at this time of year, with a medical history going back to the thirteenth century for the treatment of leprosy. Bluebells are now being investigated as a possible control for mycobacterial infections, including tuberculosis. It is known that badgers eat bluebells, so is it possible that they are self-medicating for tuberculosis? Bluebell bulbs have been shown to contain at least 15 different compounds, some of which are similar to those used in the treatment of HIV and cancer, and others have diuretic and astringent properties. On a more mundane note, the juice from bluebell bulbs was traditionally used in place of starch.
Plantaginaceae: an important plant in this family is the foxglove, which contains digitoxin and digitalin. These are compounds which have a low therapeutic index (where there is only a narrow margin between the amount needed to be medically effective and the amount that would do harm). Despite being so well-known to us today, its use to treat heart disease is relatively recent. In 1598, Gerard in his Herbal declared that the foxglove had no place in medicine; although it would have been used by wise women to treat throat problems based on the doctrine of signatures. It was also later used as a diuretic to treat dropsy (which in retrospect makes sense as fluid build-up can be caused by congestive heart failure).
Marion went on to discuss some of the plants, whether native or introduced, which might serve as starter plants in a witch’s garden. The first four have been referenced in the context of the ‘witches’ flying brew’, supposedly used by witches before mounting their broomsticks!
The first is Aconitum, or wolfsbane. It has the reputation of being one of the most poisonous plants in the garden (although it is also a wild plant). It can be absorbed even through broken skin. It can give rise to severe stomach problems and slow the heart, sometimes fatally. Gloves should always be worn when handling the plant. It was used in warfare to poison arrow tips and to poison the water supplies of besieged castles; it was also used to administer the death penalty in some Greek cities.
Another ingredient in this brew was Atropa belladonna, or deadly nightshade, named after Atropos who in Greek mythology wields the scissors of death. Poisonous as it is, atropine is also an antidote to the nerve agent sarin, and was issued as such to US troops in the Iraq war. The ‘belladonna’ in the name comes from the Italian for ‘beautiful woman’ and refers to its use in dilating pupils to make eyes appear more attractive; atropine is still in use in optometry for specific purposes.
A second member of the nightshade family is henbane, Hyoscyamus niger, containing hyoscine causing hallucinations, as well as vision problems, forgetfulness, weakness and sleepiness. Along with the mandrake root, again of the same family and containing hyoscine, it also makes up part of the flying brew.
Datura, thornapple or jimsonweed, is another plant with a low therapeutic index. The plant has been used as an anaesthetic and asthma treatment, as well as a hallucinogenic. It is worth noting that Brugmansia, often grown in gardens, has the same properties.
Amongst other plants is Sambucus nigra , the elder. In addition to being used to create elderflower cordial and elderberry wine, both flowers and berries have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. However, the roots and some parts are very poisonous, so care is needed. Elder trees were often planted in graveyards, and were believed to be protective if planted by a house. In Ireland witches traditionally rode eldersticks rather than broomsticks; the most powerful wand in the Harry Potter books was the Elder Wand.
The box, or Buxus sempervirens, is a native plant commonly used for edging in gardens, but it also contains buxine and is poisonous to us (it can cause a skin rash) and animals. Boxwood extract may boost the immune system, and it was once used in place of quinine to reduce a fever.
Marion was keen to stress that the purpose of her talk had not been to make us concerned, but to bring out the hidden elements behind the history of many plants which she hoped would add to our enjoyment of plants. Members of the audience shared their experiences of contact with some of the plants she had mentioned, and the meeting closed with a big thank you to Marion for a fascinating and enjoyable talk.
Members Only – Mad Hatters Tea Party
Cothi Gardeners’ Club members are invited to a Mad Hatters Tea Party (hats obligatory, the madder the better!) on 14 June at Fiona and Julian’s wonderful garden in Rhydcymerau, when the wild flower meadow should be at its best. If you are a member, and haven’t already let Elena know that you would like to be there, please get in touch with her directly, or email Cothi Gardeners and I will forward your query on. Julian has very kindly prepared a couple of videos to introduce the garden to new members of the club and remind existing members of its delights.
Cothi Gardeners 