Alnwick Poison Garden

"I wondered why so many gardens around the world focused on the healing power of plants in the setting of a public garden 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."

The Duchess of Northumberland

I know that the Duchess of Northumberland and I would be the best of friends. Besides collecting taxidermy and keeping her treasured silver dung beetle in front of her at the dining table, she opened the Alnwick Poison Garden in 2005. The garden houses a collection of over 100 hundred poisonous plants- some of which she had to get permission to grow and keeps under ornate cages so that they can not be touched or smelled. It sounds wonderful. I hope to get there some day. I'm considering setting up a corner of my own garden with poisonous plants. I think it should look something like a garden that would surround the witch's cottage in the story "Hansel and Gretel."

Read about the Alnwick Poison Garden or an interview with the Duchess of Nothumberland.

Oh, did I mention that Alnwick Castle filled in for Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter movies??