Landscape Juice

World’s oldest flower discovered in Spain

An aquatic plant, dating back to the start of the Cretaceous period, is believed by scientists to be the oldest flowering plant on Earth. New analysis of the fossilised remains from central Spain and the Pyrenees show that the plant is about 130 million-years-old, meaning it was around at the same time as feathered dinosaurs. The plant, Montsechia vidalii, resembles the modern-day coontail - commonly used to populate aquariums - and is thought to have grown underwater in shallow lakes. Read article in full Guardian : World’s oldest flower discovered in Spain Read more →

How plants talk to each other underground

It's an information superhighway that speeds up interactions between a large, diverse population of individuals. It allows individuals who may be widely separated to communicate and help each other out. But it also allows them to commit new forms of crime. No, we're not talking about the internet, we're talking about fungi. While mushrooms might be the most familiar part of a fungus, most of their bodies are made up of a mass of thin threads, known as a mycelium. We now know that these threads act as a kind of underground internet, linking the roots of different plants. That... Read more →

The effects of Rosemary on your brain and senses

I have been a long-term believer that we are under-selling the health and medicinal benefits of plants. Herbal remedies have been around for as long as man has existed on this planet but their benefits have not always been recognised. Indeed anyone who evangelised about the use of plants for medicinal purposes could be accused of sorcery and witchcraft. Luckily, today, people are waking up to the potential of the chemicals held within plants and trying to understand what uses they hold. I was particularly interested in an article on the BBC website by Dr Chris Van Tulleken. Dr Van... Read more →

Gardener's death probably caused by brushing against Monkshood

An experienced gardener who died of multiple organ failure might have brushed past a toxic plant while working on an Hampshire estate days before his death, an inquest heard. Nathan Greenway, 33, was taken to hospital after his wife found him 'drenched in sweat' and vomiting on the floor of their home in Aldershot, Hampshire last August. Hours earlier, he had been working near the poisonous plant aconitum - known as Devil's Helmet' or Monkshood - while clearing weeds ahead of a party at Mill Court in exclusive Upper Froyle, near Alton, Hampshire. Read more Read more →

Propagating Cleome hassleriana from softwood cuttings

I kind of discovered Cleome late in life. Cleome hassleriana (spider plant) is a plant that tolerates dry conditions, therefore it's a favourite here in south west France. If you're keen you can grow Cleome from seed and if you're lazy or don't have the facility, you can purchase plants. However you can also easily grow Cleome from soft/semi-hardwood cuttings. I'm so surprised that there appears to be no advice on this anywhere. Of course to take a cutting, you need a plant in the first place. I bought three small Cleome in mid-April and planted them directly into soil... Read more →

St John’s Wort can affect hormonal contraceptives say Doctors

Doctors have been told to advise women who are using hormonal contraceptives, that herbal products containing St John’s Wort can decrease the effect of contraception. Women taking any form of hormonal contraception for birth control have been told not take herbal products that contain St John’s Wort. St John’s Wort interacts with hormonal contraceptives and reduces the effectiveness and increases the risk of unplanned pregnancy. This applies to all hormonal contraceptives except intrauterine devices, for which there are currently no data St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) is grown in gardens around the UK but it's also been used historically... Read more →

Understanding the new RHS plant hardiness rating system

The first frosts of the winter are surely just around the corner and it's time to start thinking about which plants are going to cope and which ones are vulnerable to cold. Understanding plant hardiness can save a gardener a lot of time and money if the right plants are chosen for a specific position within the garden. Knowing what will thrive and knowing what will perish, before purchasing a plant, is very important. In early 2013 the RHS brought in a new plant hardiness rating system. RHS Director of Horticulture explains why the RHS thought an update was necessary.... Read more →

BRE to speak at Palmstead Nurseries workshop - Native Versus Non-Native: Which is Best?

Palmstead Nurseries 2013 workshop is to tackle the topic of native versus non-native planting and try to determine what is the best specification. Opposing views from designers and BRE promises to provide a stimulating debate at this year’s Palmstead Nurseries Soft Landscape Workshop. Professor Nigel Dunnett, one of the designers of the Olympic Park will be giving a talk entitled Beauty and Biodiversity: why using non-native species increases the ecological value of our designed landscapes - while Sarah McCarrick from BRE will present Native plants and their importance for BREEAM & Biodiversity, tackling the other side of the argument. Professor... Read more →

Shield Bugs - Graphosoma italicum - decimating fennel plants

I'm really gutted that a fine crop of fennel has been completely sucked of all life by an infestation of brown striped shield bugs, Graphosoma italicum, sometimes called stink bugs. About a week or so ago I noticed a few arriving on the plants and I first thought they looked quite attractive. But a few turned into many, which has now become a flood. In a way it's quite fascinating to see so many insects in one spot but of course their legacy has become the destruction of these wonderful looking plants. I'm loath to use a spray but I... Read more →

Campaign to save wild Juniper

Juniper is best known for its aromatic berries, which are prized for the flavour they impart to gin. In fact, the word ‘gin’ derives from genièvre or jenever - the French and Dutch words for juniper. Juniper is one of only three native conifers - the other two are yew and Scot’s pine - and was one of the first trees to colonise Britain after the last Ice Age. But today the wild juniper plant is in serious trouble. Juniper has steadily declined over the last few decades and many counties in southern England have lost over 60 per cent... Read more →