Posted by At the Alnwick Garden, next to Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, England, there has been a poison garden since February 2005 with more than 100 toxic, intoxicating and narcotic plants, from strychnine to hemlock, from castor oil plant to deadly nightshade. It was the idea of Duchess Jane Percy and has become a national attraction.
In the town of Alnwick, England, one of the biggest attractions is a large garden that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. What makes it special? Inside it there is a poison garden, with more than 100 poisonous plants and flowers.
The first gardens
The first garden was laid out in 1750 by the 1st Duke of Northumberland, who hired the famous landscape gardener Capability Brown to design the park.
The 3rd Duke was a plant collector and enriched the garden with exotic species from all over the world: pineapples were even grown in the hothouses. In the mid-19th century the 4th Duke created an Italian-style garden with a large conservatory, and at the end of the century the garden was at its grandest.
During the Second World War, with the “Dig for Victory” campaign, it was turned over to growing food; then, with post-war austerity, it was neglected and in 1950 it closed for good.
The garden owes its new life to Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, who in 1997 began redeveloping it with Belgian landscape designers Jacques and Peter Wirtz. It is the most ambitious garden created in the UK since the war, at a cost of around £42 million. The great cascade opened in 2001 and a 560-square-metre tree house complex in 2004.
The poison garden
In February 2005 the poison garden opened too. It contains more than 100 toxic, intoxicating and narcotic plants, including the strychnine tree, hemlock, the castor oil plant (source of harmless castor oil but also deadly ricin), foxglove, deadly nightshade, brugmansia and laburnum.
Signs in the garden warn visitors not to touch or smell the plants and flowers, as it would be very dangerous.
The idea came from the wish to create something unique, to stand out from the many gardens in the area. Many gardens around the world focus on healing plants, but after visiting the Medici garden the Duchess decided to create one with the deadliest plants on earth.
The garden is also meant to educate, catching the attention of visitors, including the youngest. Among the plants are cannabis, coca and the opium poppy, used to talk about the dangers of drugs.
The garden is next to Alnwick Castle, in Northumberland. Besides the plants it offers many attractions, including cascades, fountains, the tree houses and a large pavilion. There is also a plant shop inside, for anyone wanting an original gift.
Click here to visit the official Alnwick Garden website.
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