Remember that word? We like to challenge you!!!!!
No-one in the Gardening Club is ever fazed by a situation! Read on…….
Cast your minds back to our usual lovely December meeting when Club members enjoy a splendid Buffet and the odd glass of wine! But who was the speaker this time who was going to precede the buffet?? Well thereby lies the story……
Our popular booked speaker phoned on the Monday to say that his Covid test had proved positive so he had sent off the result and would know for sure the result by Wednesday lunchtime! Our December meeting was the very next day! What to do? Remember my beginning? Nothing fazes the Gardening Club!
Fortunately, one of our frequent speakers who is always warmly received agreed to stand by – just in case! How lucky was that? Yes, you have guessed – our booked speaker had Covid and needed to isolate.
So instead, we enjoyed a talk from Barry Gayton – at just over 24 hours’ notice – what a star! Barry is a favourite contributor to Radio Suffolk and Norfolk and what Barry doesn’t know about gardening isn’t worth knowing.
He told us about some of the ‘weird and wonderful of the plant kingdom’. Here’s just one or two snippets from his fascinating talk.
Did you know that apple and pear seeds contain amygdalin, a substance that releases cyanide into the blood stream when chewed and digested. However, apple seeds in small amounts do not contain enough cyanide to cause harm. It is is better to spit out seeds to avoid any potential issues!
Then there is the Castor Oil plant (Ricinus communis) grown commercially for the pharmaceutical and industrial uses of its oil and for us in landscaping. The plants are chiefly cultivated in India, China, and Brazil, largely as the source of castor oil. Although the plant is the only species in its genus, there are hundreds of natural forms and many horticultural varieties. The oil-rich seeds contain the poison ricin, one of the most toxic substances known, and consumption of chewed seeds can be lethal!
Well, I hope that has whetted your appetite to come along to the Gardening Club. You never know what to expect next ………….!
Hope to see you at the Annual Quiz on 3rd February when you sit with friends and enjoy an evening of fun, wine and nibbles and, oh yes, a very brief AGM!
Mary Duff
Chair Fowlmere & Thriplow Gardening Club
January 2022
