As spring unfolds, these gardens come to life, revealing a mix of vibrant colour and sweet scents, while becoming a haven for our pollinators and wildlife. Brits love their gardens, with the average person thought to spend around 114 hours annually on their own garden at home. When it comes to visiting public gardens, though, it gives us a chance to unwind and escape into an entirely different world.

But what happens when the darker side of nature is revealed? 

Kelly House, based near Lifton, is a stunning country estate with gardens that are carefully maintained by Sophia Kelly. The estate has more than 900 years of history, stretching back to the Norman Conquest. The Kelly family continue to manage and live on the estate today, and to ensure the house and gardens can continue to thrive, the family decided to open up to the public for a special event that celebrates the English country garden, while providing some education on the more dangerous side of the greenery and blooms…

Poison in the Garden was an idea that came to Sophia during lockdown, when she was walking with one of her children in the garden and began to pay attention to just how many poisonous plants had been blooming. After some further research, and putting together a guided trail covering each poisonous plant at Kelly House, Sophia came up with a plan to invite the public in to educate them on the importance of what could be growing in their own gardens at home, and when to admire plants from afar. 

She said: “I have more than 50 plants on the trail, and I’m still discovering and learning about this subject; it’s amazing how many poisonous plants are in the garden!

“The event allows us to listen to other people’s poison stories. For example, one man had a lot of laurel in his garden. He had been chipping, and suddenly had a bad headache, so went inside. He developed shortness of breath and collapsed, and was taken to hospital for four days. Afterwards, he read the symptoms of chipping laurel, which can release a small amount of cyanide gas! People don’t necessarily realise this, but the Victorians knew about it - they used it in kill jars for butterflies.”

The event takes visitors on a trail around the gardens, to discover the more dangerous species of plants and flowers, of which there are more than 50 at Kelly House!

Poison in the Garden takes place every Sunday and Monday from 6th April to 6th July, between 10.30am-4.30pm. For more information, go to https://kelly-house.co.uk/events-3/ or follow Kelly House on Facebook and Instagram for updates. 

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