Full Monty

Monty debates the potential devastation of our land by imported pests and diseases, and calls on all gardeners to ensure the provenance of their plants

We should do everything we can to find out where our plants come from

About 15 years ago, we bought a few ridiculously steep, brackeninfested, rain-lashed acres of Welsh hillside. It is good for very little except giving me endless delight. Ten years ago, I planted 1,000 ash trees with the intention of creating a permanent supply of firewood by coppicing them on a 20-year cycle. Most of these have now grown from 5ft saplings to over 20ft tall, with substantial trunks. Almost every one of that original batch is affected to some extent by Chalara, better known as ash die-back. While this is a potential blow to my own parochial plans, it has implications of major disaster for the magnificent mature ashes that dominate the landscape, by – like Dutch Elm disease did to our native elms in the 1970s – wiping out ash in this country. The horrifying prospect of that keeps me awake at night. For a while I wondered what to do. Should I cut them all down and burn them? If I kept them, would it spread? Had I introduced it or were my healthy young trees infected along with others? In fact, I did nothing but watch them all like a hawk. Gradually, a pattern emerged. A few young trees died back, but have since shown tentative regrowth. Bigger trees have die-back on the tips and ends of branches, but the remaining growth is very healthy. A few trees are completely unaffected. I’m not remotely complacent, but it seems that some trees – albeit coming from the same stock – are less affected than others. It also seems that there is some resistance. This is a situation mirrored by box blight. While at first it ravages the crisp, green neatness of box hedges and topiary, the fungus very rarely kills box and is not known to have affected any uncut plant outside gardens. So, it is complicated and variable. It’s worth bearing this in mind in light of the anxiety about Xylella fastidiosa and other diseases that seem to be creeping in from the trade in plants from around the world. On the one hand, the anxiety is understandable because the increasing trans-global trade in plants has meant the spread of diseases and pests that would otherwise remain more localised. This often has the aggravated effect of causing devastation to species that aren’t present or affected in their home territory – the equivalent of measles wiping out native populations through lack of immunity. But, on the other hand, it also smacks of a kind of xenophobia. There are undertones of pulling up the drawbridge to keep the dirty, diseased foreign plants out so all will be well. I’m not suggesting that any gardeners literally think that, but in times of crisis all instincts are to circle the wagons and huddle in their protection. Instead, I say it is beholden on all gardeners to look outwards and find out as much as possible about these threats. The better informed we are, the better able we are to act appropriately. We all share the burden of biosecurity. As gardeners, we should do everything we can to find out where our plants come from and take responsibility, so if a garden centre is flogging a tree from an unknown source, then we shouldn’t buy it. In turn, garden centres and nurseries need to set up appropriate quarantining systems – and if that means not importing some plants, then so be it. All imported plants should be clearly labelled as such with a certificate of quarantine and health. Governments need to think of the long-term effect on our gardens and landscape rather than shortterm political popularity (I realise that I’m stretching it a bit here, but we can dream). We shouldn’t panic. We need to inform ourselves, and watch what is actually happening with care and thought. It was the great polymath and author Aldous Huxley who, when asked for the best advice to give anyone wishing to live as rich a life as possible, said: “Pay attention”. That remains the best single piece of advice to any gardener.