Hello my lovelies, I’m coming to you late today, unfortunately, but it’s been a busy day and next week is going to be even crazier. But after a week of cold (think 30 degrees Fahrenheit at night cold) and rain almost every day, I was taking advantage of a nice warmer day to work outside. With that being said I was originally going talk to you all today about the Bell Farm, however, I have come up with another subject that I wanted to talk about. Gardens.
The title I have here is not only a great book and movie, but it gives the idea that gardens, can be both good and evil. Since I’m not a person that has ever been into gardening, I’m just getting into making the front of my house more customized to me and my tastes. But sadly I can’t make the garden in the front of the house, “evil”.
When I say evil, I don’t mean having Venus Flytraps, saying “Feed me, Seymour.” I’m saying having plants that could be used lethally if desired. An inspiring garden that follows this thought, is The Alnwick Poison Garden in England. Originally created by the Duchess of Northumberland, the garden boasts the largest Japanese cherry garden in the world, and also the deadliest garden filled with plants that visitors are prevented from, touching, tasting, or smelling. The most deadly are kept in cages. You can learn about and see over 100 toxic, intoxicating, and narcotic plants.
So in England, the plants you will be able to see include: Strychnos nux-vomica; a source of Strychnine, Hemlock, Ricinus Communis; deadly ricin, Foxglove, Belladonna (also known as Nightshade), Brugmansia and Laburnum.
Part of the reason deadly plants kill, is because they don’t look deadly. They can bloom beautiful flowers, they can have alluring fragrance, but inhaling it may cause you to faint, or worse. So since I have kids, animals, and live in an area with numerous people and wildlife, I have to refrain from planting and caring for my own version of a poison garden. Plus the fact that answering those uncomfortable questions, such as where were you on the night of XXX, or how do you know the victim?
Since some of my plants will be culinary herbs, I do have to be responsible and ensure that my family, friends, neighbors, and animals are not affected by other unsavory items. Insert evil laugh here.
However I encourage you all to visit the Alnwick Poison Garden, simply to educate yourselves on what mother nature is capable of, and enjoy the beauty of the world at large.
I plan to have a garden of good, sigh, not evil, but maybe in the future I can create my own greenhouse garden of evil.
You are your own best investment
Amateur Connoisseur 