The Devil, the Witch and the Poison Garden
"Welcome to the poison garden.
The warning on the gates, ‘These Plants Can Kill’ should not be taken lightly.
Don’t touch anything.
Don’t smell anything.
These plants can kill."
Said our guide before unlocking the gate.
So begins a killer tour where we discover: Does the Devil like to garden? How do witches fly? Is there poison in my garden? How did Socrates die?
But first:
Why a Poison Garden?
When Jane Percy became Duchess of Northumberland in 1995 following the unexpected death of her husband’s brother, she decided to do something deadly with the gardens at Alnwick Castle.
She toyed with the idea of an apothecary garden, until a visit to the Medici poison garden inspired her to grow plants that can kill.
The Duchess of Northumberland is quoted:
‘I wondered why so many gardens around the world focused on the healing power of plants rather than their ability to kill… I felt that most children I knew would be more interested in hearing how a plant killed, how long it would take you to die if you ate it and how gruesome and painful the death might be.’
On a visit to the archaeological site of a medieval Scottish hospital, the Duchess learned about surgery in the 15th century. She discovered that many poisonous plants such as henbane, opium and hemlock were also used as anaesthetics during amputations.
The garden, designed by Jacques and Peter Wirtz, opened in 1997. The beds are flame shaped, reminding visitors of the danger at their feet.
Over 100 plants of varying degrees of deadliness are grown in the Poison Garden. Some are so poisonous, a licence from the Home Office is required to grow them. These deadly inmates, each grown in its own cage, include opium, cocaine, cannabis and the biggest killer in the world; tobacco.
The Devil likes to garden
I learned many things on our short tour around the garden:
Wormwood was thought to spring up in the trail of the Devil as he left the garden of Eden. It contains absinthe, used to flavour an addictive drink in the 19th century.
Belladonna or deadly nightshade, belongs to the devil, who spends his gardening time tending it. Eating just three of the berries can kill. Witches allegedly used this plant to make flying ointment.
Henbane is another possible ingredient in flying ointment. Long associated with magic and witchcraft, it was also used in love potions. Twenty seeds are enough to kill.
Many believed that mandrake shrieked when harvested with a cry that could kill. It was also used as an anesthetic by Roman surgeons. Pound for pound, it was once worth more that gold.
All parts of datura or angels trumpet are poisonous. Once ingested, it causes a feeling of deep relaxation, followed by hallucinations and then sleep – often fatal. This gently incapacitates the victim making it a favourite among professional poisoners.
Killers in your Garden
Think you’re safe in your own back yard? Think again. Did you know that daffodil bulbs are poisonous? As are lily of the valley, foxgloves, rhubarb, and dock leaves.
Readers may think that doc leaves provide relieve from nettle stings. This may be true, just don’t eat them. The leaves are mildly poisonous.
And while Rhubarb stalks are delicious in a pie or crumble, ingesting the leaves can result in kidney failure.
Foxgloves, also known as dead man’s bells or witch’s gloves, contain digitoxin. It can stop your heart dead.
A Poison Cup
Towards the end of our tour, our guide recounted the execution of Socrates. Put to death by a cup of poison hemlock. Paralysis begins in the feet and creeps up the body. Death comes by respiratory failure. It took twelve hours for Socrates to die…
Before we left the garden through an ivy-covered tunnel, I spied some hogweed – safe at last I thought! But no, not hogweed – poison hemlock. The latter has a black speckled stalk.
So beautiful, unassuming and utterly deadly.
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