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Lalwendë · 07-10-2007, 02:25 PM

Alfirin you must get hold of the book Child mentions, it's really good - not only as a Tolkien book but because it has some great stuff about real world plants.

Tolkien was of course a very keen gardener. This was only intensified during WWII when he had to dig up much of his garden in order to grow veg - the Dig For Victory campaign. One of the many jobs he did around the house and garden at Northmoor Road was to put up a Trellis on the front fence for Edith, with some help from one of his sons (I think....Michael, but will have to look that up). Anyway, I was over at the house last year and while gazing at it suddenly realised - the trellis is still there! This is quite amazing as the house sold for somewhere around one million pounds not long ago and you'd think the first thing the new owner would do is to remove a very weather beaten old trellis, but no! Have to say you could see the owner pottering in his garage - he was a pensioner and had an ancient VW Golf so he certainly was not a Flash Harry. I hope that trellis is protected by law....

But anyway... story over....

One plant I think I can place is Athelas - I'm sure this is a combination drawn from both Comfrey and Mint. The latter of course is well known for releasing fumes in the form of menthol, but the latter is one I'm learning more about as I have too much of it in my own garden - it is a great plant for healing bruises, but it also has incredible properties as a fertiliser apparently, if steeped in a watering can! I've also discovered it has regenerative powers as mine has sprung up again from yearly death after the snails (ugh) bred in it.

As for trees with drooping flower stems - wisteria! The traditional variety has really tough stems with tree-like qualities and it would take the lifetime of an Elf in some cases to see the stuff flower! Grrr!

I am of course an overkeen gardener as davem will tell you - you currently cannot get round my garden due to all the pots in it...cannot resist new plants (especially mystery ones) and now all my seed grown ones are potted out too...

07-10-2007, 02:25 PM	#8
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,737	Alfirin you must get hold of the book Child mentions, it's really good - not only as a Tolkien book but because it has some great stuff about real world plants. Tolkien was of course a very keen gardener. This was only intensified during WWII when he had to dig up much of his garden in order to grow veg - the Dig For Victory campaign. One of the many jobs he did around the house and garden at Northmoor Road was to put up a Trellis on the front fence for Edith, with some help from one of his sons (I think....Michael, but will have to look that up). Anyway, I was over at the house last year and while gazing at it suddenly realised - the trellis is still there! This is quite amazing as the house sold for somewhere around one million pounds not long ago and you'd think the first thing the new owner would do is to remove a very weather beaten old trellis, but no! Have to say you could see the owner pottering in his garage - he was a pensioner and had an ancient VW Golf so he certainly was not a Flash Harry. I hope that trellis is protected by law.... But anyway... story over.... One plant I think I can place is Athelas - I'm sure this is a combination drawn from both Comfrey and Mint. The latter of course is well known for releasing fumes in the form of menthol, but the latter is one I'm learning more about as I have too much of it in my own garden - it is a great plant for healing bruises, but it also has incredible properties as a fertiliser apparently, if steeped in a watering can! I've also discovered it has regenerative powers as mine has sprung up again from yearly death after the snails (ugh) bred in it. As for trees with drooping flower stems - wisteria! The traditional variety has really tough stems with tree-like qualities and it would take the lifetime of an Elf in some cases to see the stuff flower! Grrr! I am of course an overkeen gardener as davem will tell you - you currently cannot get round my garden due to all the pots in it...cannot resist new plants (especially mystery ones) and now all my seed grown ones are potted out too... __________________ Gordon's alive!