"Out & About" - Trips in Early Summer 2023

Our first day trip was on Sunday, 21st May, to RHS Bridgewater near Salford. With smooth coach rides with  Alba Travel, we were able to enjoy a sunny day. For some it was a first visit and for others a chance to check out the latest developments!

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/bridgewater

"Bridgewater Gardens (opened in 2021) has been created in 154 acres (62 ha) of the former Worsley New Hall estate, with the Bridgewater Canal forming the southern boundary. It is one of Europe's largest gardening projects.

Tom Stuart-Smith's Watercolour

Landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith has created the overall plan, in which the walled kitchen garden has been restored with historic features such as the tree-lined Garden Approach recreated, and the lost terraces reworked. Marcus Chilton-Jones is the first curator of the garden. The Welcome Building (2022) was crowned by the Royal Insitute of British Architects as the North West Building of the Year: being praised for its sustainable and engaging design."

Natural Obelisks in the Walled Gatdens

Developing the stream as part of the Japanese Garden

Remembering the Bees

Using "No Mow May" with graded grass cuts to provide shape & form

A trip to the Spring Show in Harrogate in late April was a treat for some of us as well.

Dilston Physic Garden, Corbridge - Dr Nicolette Perry - 11th May 2023

What a privilege it was to welcome our speaker Dr Nicolette Perry, who has a PhD in Pharmacognosy from King’s College, London. She has researched and published trials of the use of medicinal plants for the brain. Her research into using sage, Salvia officinalis, in the management of Alzheimer’s Disease is linked with ongoing research at Newcastle University. Nicolette’s mother is Elaine Perry, professor emeritus of Neuroscience at Newcastle University and founder of Dilston Physic Garden.

https://dilstonphysicgarden.com

The garden was established in the early 1990s with a view to growing plants for research.

“Science is catching up with what we have known for 1,000s of years” NP

Physic Gardens date from 800 AD and were mostly located in monasteries. These medicinal plant gardens and were the forerunners to the botanical gardens of today. Currently there are four physic gardens in the UK, with Chelsea Physic (1673) being especially well known.

With 700 medicinal plants (worldwide there are 20,000 edible plants) Dilston is a centre for clinical trials and laboratory studies. There is a dispensary (where a medical herbalist can give personal advice on Wednesdays by appointment) and there are knowledgeable volunteers to help guide you on a visit along with information boards. The garden is also a peaceful haven in which to relax.

Historically and over the last thirty years, half of new single component therapy drugs, created by pharmacologists in pharmaceutical companies, are derived from plants. Often the plants used in their ‘whole’ are indeed toxic! E.g. Galanthamine (from snowdrops) is used for the management of Alzheimer’s Disease and Atropine (from Deadly Night Shade, Belladonna) increases abnormal, slow heart rates or dilates pupils for eye examinations. 

Interestingly many drug producing companies (pharmaceuticals) have their origins in plants. E.g. Merck & Co. began in 1668 in Darmstadt, Germany. Friedrich Jacob Merck sold morphine (from Papaver somniferum poppies), cocaine and codeine. The company became a manufacturer in 1827. Bayer AG (famous as the manufacture of asprin) was founded as a dyestuffs factory in 1863 in Germany, by Friedrich Bayer and his partner, Johann Friedrich Weskott, a master dyer.

PHARMACOLOGY is the detailed scientific study of single component drugs.

PHARMACOGNOSY is the study of complex compounds in natural drugs obtained from organisms such as most plants, microbes and animals. When the term “natural product” is mentioned, they can be the organism itself (plant, animal, and microorganism), any part of an organism (a leaf or flower of a plant, an isolated gland or other organ of an animal), and extract or pure substances.

Traditional medicine is also a part of pharmacognosy and most of the third world countries still depend on the use of herbal medicines. Consequently, pharmacognosy always keeps its popularity in pharmaceutical sciences and plays a critical role in drug discovery.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4204033/#:~:text=Pharmacognosy

Indeed this has been a fascinating talk. It gratifying to hear that herbal therapies are increasingly been shown to be effective within scientific trials. A glimpse into future therapies is tantalising!

Written by Trish Rodgers (using  various internet sources)

Impact of Climate Change on Gardening - David Fletcher - 13th April 2023

David is known to some of us, particularly for articles written for Village Link. He is a member of the Chartered Institute for Horticulture and is currently based in Houghton,Carlisle. David’s career spans forty plus years. After looking after his parents’ large garden in the 1970s, he joined Leeds City Council as an apprentice gardener at sixteen. Post university he worked in conservation in the UK, spent time in India and latterly was a viticulturist in Italy. He currently works for the government, managing plant health control in the North of England; e.g. the statutory notification of Category A - Pests & Diseases). David is also is an advisor for potential vineyard sites in England.

Accurate information may be accessed from the RHS with their publication in April 2017

https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/gardening-in-a-changing-world/climate-change

Weather has changed dramatically in the last decade resulting is 29 extra growing days in the year! Seasons are becoming less defined with warming (drought in summer) coupled with heavy rains and storms. And the pattern is becoming less predictable over time. So flood management (e.g. Cumbria & West Country) and water storage (e.g. East Anglia) are now priorities.

Due to seasonal blurring, flowering plants are blooming earlier than previously; so in evolutionary terms there is likely to be a current mismatch for their pollinating insects.

So what can we do as gardeners?

In a nutshell we will need to gradually, but increasingly introduce more resilient plants.

TIPS / IDEAS

1. Source plants from reliable nurseries and growers to reduce risks of introducing pests and diseases

2. Trees – Planting smaller trees species will mean that they are more resilient to storm damage. Smaller trees (e.g. Acacia dealbata) have larger root systems compared to their leaf canopy surface. Tree whips planted without support produce stronger trees long term. In the south consider planting non indigenous species. E.g. In Kew Gardens where the soil is free draining (sand and gravel), the beech trees are under stress (and so are susceptible to disease) caused by summer droughts and in winter rains are leeching out nutrients and destabilising the soil.

3. Introduce Mediterranean plants where there is drought. Consider growing peaches, olives and almonds (maybe not in Cumbria though).

4. Decrease the amount of lawn (which is a monoculture), consider ‘No Mow May’. Learn to appreciate mixed lawns.

5. Rethink borders, summer displays are increasingly difficult to irrigate. Recognise drought lovers.

6. Raised beds reduce problems of waterlogging.

6. Read Beth Chatto’s book, The Dry Garden, first published in 1978!

With these climate changes viticulture has become an emerging industry in England and Wales. However viticulturists will need to be mindful of those late ‘naughty’ frosts that occur: so aspect and altitude will need consideration. (Historically Henry VIII was the first to nurture the hope of a growing grapes for wine in the sixteenth century!) Indeed prestigious Champagne houses are currently competing for potential land to cultivate grapes, especially in the south of England. However such investment will only be possible if the land is free of Category A (Notifiable) Plant Pests & Diseases.

With global plant mobility and climate change; so also come new threats for plant health in the UK.

https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/pests-and-diseases/pest-and-disease-factsheets/notifiable-diseases/

Xylella fastidiosa (BACTERIAL) - colonises the xylem vessels of plant systems, leading to internal dehydration with wilt, dieback & leaf scorch

Phytophthora (FUNGAL) – P. ramorum (oak USAand larch trees) / P. kernoviae (rhododendrons)

Anoplohora chinensis / Citrus Long Horn (BEETLE) – feed inside tress and weaken them

Dryocosmus kuriphilus / Oriental Chestnut Gall (WASP)

Anoplophora glabripennis / Asian Longhorn (BETTLE) – found in certain trees, that survive in wood plallets that are untreated.

Candidatus liberibacter / Zebra Chip Potato Disease (BACTERIAL)

David believes that if we can modify and evolve our gardening methods to suit the climate changes we can help to sustain our plant whilst growing beautiful and healthy plants. In the UK it is estimated that there are 23 million gardens. As individuals and collectively we CAN make a difference.

Written by Trish Rodgers