Author: Vanesa Drew, Landscape Designer at Tobermore
The plants and trees in our gardens, parks and along the road sides form part of the landscape and no one usually gives them a second thought. But if we stop to consider them, some amazing scientific facts will be revealed.
For example, did you know that Aspirin comes from the willow tree? There are approximately 70,000 plant species which are used to make medicines. Many plants contain deadly poison. Next time you’re having your morning cup of coffee, consider this: the coffee plant produces a natural pesticide to protect itself from insect attack! And in Roman times, some poor old chap in a toga was bumped off with some honey made from Rhododendron flowers.
If you prefer to stick with a safe local jar of honey, it will contain nectar from many different flowers. Two of the best nectar producers are Dandelion and Blackberry flowers. Bees visit the flowers for the nectar and pollen and the flower benefits from this by being pollinated. However, both Dandelion and Blackberry flowers are self pollinating and have no requirement for insect intervention, so it is a total mystery why they produce such copious amounts of nectar. However as a beekeeper, I’m not complaining as they both produce great crops of honey.
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Every flower produces a different colour of pollen. Some are obvious colours, for example, Dandelion pollen is bright yellow, but some flowers produce very surprising colours. Lavender pollen is bright orange, whilst the pollen of the bright orange oriental poppies is black! If you suffer from hay fever, try to source local honey as the natural pollen it contains may help to boost your immunity to the allergy.
If you enjoy flower arranging, you may be familiar with the leaves of the Eucalyptus tree. It is very common in Australia. It has some lovely features such as the interesting peeling bark, the lovely blue/green leaves and the refreshing scent. It is very popular among flower arrangers to add a bit of interest. However, if you would like to plant a Eucalyptus tree in your garden, be sure you have the space before you buy one. It can grow up to 435 feet (132 metres or the equivalent of a 40 storey tower block!!!).
There are many modern cultivars of plants and new colours and varieties appear in garden centres every year. While you admire the latest colour of Heuchera or another new rose with a fancy name, spare a thought for the Ginkgo biloba tree – it’s been around since prehistoric times! Scientists have found fossilised leaves which date back to 250 million years ago. Ginkgo leaves can be brewed as a tea and it is used to improve blood circulation, and may also help with Alzheimer’s, memory loss, and general well-being.
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If you enjoy growing your own fruit and veg, you may already know that tomatoes and avocado are actually fruit whilst rhubarb is actually a vegetable. The part of the broccoli that we eat is actually the flower head and the part of the apple we don’t eat (the pips) are actually the fruit. Apple pips contain cyanide, so it isn’t recommended to eat them. Peanuts are a legume and are related to beans and lentils. Seeds and pips are a self contained energy store for the new plant. They contain the embryonic plant, root and food reserve. All it requires is heat, light and water to germinate. It can produce a stem and leaves from its own energy store in the seed and it only requires nutrients from the soil once it starts to get bigger.
Next time you’re walking in the park or you’re working in your garden, take a moment to consider what’s happening behind the green facade. Whether you are taking medication, using beauty products or having something to eat or drink, you can be sure a plant of some kind has been involved.
Want to hear more from Vanessa? Check out the Vanessa Drew Garden Design website where you can learn more about nature in your garden and check out Vanessa’s recent projects.
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