T ablets …

 
»Look, son. Autumn has come. The leaves of the laurel hedges have all gone yellow and brown and are falling off.«

»Mum, I hate to correct you, but laurel plants are evergreen. If the hedges on the Brompton Castle estates are losing all leaves during autumn and winter they are obviously not prunus laurocerasus, also known as cherry laurel, common laurel and sometimes English laurel in North America. Cherry laurel is an evergreen species of cherry - Prunus, native to regions bordering the Black Sea in southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe, from Albania and Bulgaria east through Turkey to the Caucasus Mountains and northern Iran.«

»That is why I sent you to college, Nigel. Does this mean you have finally picked your Major at college?«

»Cherry laurel has become naturalised widely. In some regions - such as the United Kingdom and the Pacific Northwest of North America, this species can be an invasive plant. Its rapid growth, coupled with its evergreen habit and its tolerance of drought and shade, often allow it to out-compete and kill off native plant species. It is spread by birds, through the seeds in their droppings.«

»Does not sound too good.«

»If I had a garden or park or something like that I would not plant cherry laurel hedges. They are kind of poisonous. Leaves and seed may cause severe discomfort to humans if ingested. The seeds contained within the cherries are poisonous like the rest of the plant, containing cyanogenic glycosides and amygdalin. This chemical composition is what gives the smell of almonds when the leaves are crushed. Laurel water, a distillation made from the plant, contains prussic acid - hydrogen cyanide - and other compounds and is toxic. They are no food for indigenous birds and other animals. Don't plant them in your parks and gardens unless you are living in the regions bordering the Black Sea. Don't plant anything invasive. Remember all the pain and damage the Giant Hogweed has caused throughout the years since Queen Victoria's times.«

»And yet the hedges of the hedge labyrinth here near Brompton Castle are losing their leaves.«

»And yet I have not chosen a Major in college, Mum. I am sorry.«

»Nigel!« I shout out. »Kylie! As much as I like your talk about botanical studies… DON'T YOU SEE THE MAGICAL TRANSFORMATION THAT IS GOING ON RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES ???«

Bored of the life in the City of Gold
He'd left and let nobody know.
Gone were the towers he had known from a child,
Alone with the dream of a life
He travelled the wide open road,
The blinkered arcade,
In search of another to share in his life.
Nowhere.
Everyone looked so strange to him.

They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence.
Am I wrong to believe in a City of Gold
That lies in the deep distance, he cried

And wept as they led him away to a cage
Beast that can talk, read the sign.
The creatures they pushed and they prodded his frame
And questioned his story again.
But soon they grew bored of their prey
Beast that can talk?
More like a freak or publicity stunt.
Oh
No.

They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence.
Am I wrong to believe in a City of Gold
That lies in the deep distance, he cried

And broke down the door of the cage and marched on out.
He grabbed a creature by the scruff of his neck, pointing out:
There, beyond the bounds of you weak imagination
Lie the noble towers of my city, bright and gold.
Let me take you there, show you a living story
Let me show you others such as me
Why did I ever leave?

They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence

💲💲💲💲💲💲💲💲💲💲💲

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Today is Sunday, the 22nd of October 2023.

Invasive Plants