It has been pointed out that we have a lot of poison hemlock in Taddyforde and that it's well named (three alkaline poisons, in all parts of the plant: LD50 for mice is 12mg per kg for the most potent of them). It is, of course, what they used to kill Socrates. It's tall (up to 10 feet), has reddish-purple streaks and spots on the stems and flowers around now.
The proposal is that we cut it down before the seeds mature. It's a biennial, which means that the individual plants won't grow up again. Please let me know if you object.
In the mean time, don't eat it and tell your children not to.
Cow parsley
Cow parsley (which we also have) is much smaller, doesn't have the reddish bits on the stems and flowers a month earlier. It's now setting seed. Personally I quite like it so if no-one objects I will leave the cow parsley alone. Unlike hemlock it's quite harmless.
Jeremy Cushing
Hickling Cottage
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