The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Be aware of biosecurity
Has commercialism gone barmy? Is anything fair game at any cost? This week I am on about biosecurity, because it is being threatened in a number of ways and the pace is picking up. What is biosecurity? In simple terms I would suggest that it is the overarching word to describe the protection we must give to all living organisms in our natural landscape, agriculture, forestry and gardens when threatened from ‘outside’.
Because of the changes in our climate ‘foreign organisms’ can now thrive in the UK. Couple that with some pretty cynical marketing and you find that the inc idence of unfriendly/dangerous plants and organisms appearing in the UK is increasing. How do we fight these invasions? Should we gardeners give more thought to that because we love to grow an ever increasing range of non- native plants?
We may even brag that we can grow this or that plant from distant lands in our gardens. Example picked at random – Romneya coulteri, a plant with blue green foliage and huge divine white poppy-like flowers. It is a stoater and a native of California, growing in dry canyons. The state flower of California, imagine that, growing well in a garden in Aberdeenshire. What a triumph. It is seen as a challenge and there is nothing wrong in that however what happens when it loups the garden wall, like Japanese Knotweed did? Actually in my example, I doubt if anything
Gardening Notes
untoward would happen, but – there’s aye a but!
That is a scenario featuring plants but what if the living organism is a fungus, bacteria, beastie with evil intent, previously unknown in this country? That is a different matter, dykes and garden walls don’t feature, these organisms spread in a host of diff-erent ways and some threaten our native flora and fauna.
We have no defence but you will surely have noticed published warnings about diseases affecting our ornamental AND native trees. For example, at the present time, no one is allowed to import Sweet Chestnut or Ash trees into this country for planting because foreign- origin specimens may carry pathogens, common abroad but not in the UK. They are killing our native populations.
Remember the hoo-ha a few years ago relating to Sudden Oak Death caused by the fungal organism Phytophthora, ramorum, another of which’s rela-tives decimated larch plantations all over the country – the fight is on-going. Currently, a deal of work is planned to save our Scots Pines. They are threatened by several new pests and diseases. Some of the diseases have been known for a while but, perhaps because of climate change, they are becoming more aggressive. Once again, others have been known of on the continent for some time but have now arrived here – hitching a ride on young imported stock just like the New Zealand Flatworm.
Now to my point. Banning orders can be put in place, unfortunately, the genie is oot the lamp, ANYTHING can be acquired through the INTERNET – think of the success of eBay and Amazon. If you can’t buy it in the shops, supermarkets, garden centres you can probably get it on the internet. It might even be cheaper.
The dangers of this fashion for ‘beating the system’ is now becoming very obvious when it comes to plant material. We have imported plants from the continent of Europe and further afield for decades and whilst there have been occasional problems, in my lifetime there has been nothing to match the present situation. Climate is often a controlling factor in the spread of pest and disease organisms therefore we must now think more about some of the consequences of the changes that are happening which may be exacerbating the situation.
By the way, a new ‘Box Blight’ fungus has just been identified and there is now a Rust fungus affecting Heucheras – see what I mean.
GOODBYE AND THANKS
Atthis time of year, manyof us will be bringing in geraniums and pelargoniums to overwinter them indoors. It therefore seems quite appropriate for me to say Good bye and thank you to Mark and Helen Bainbridge, owners of Fir Tree Pelargoniums because the business has just closed down.
I guess many of you will have bought plants from them because they have exhibited at Gardening Scotland since day one (the year 2000 to be precise). Over the years they have consistently created outstanding displays of a wide range of pelargoniums. Pelargonium lovers out there may well ask – what will happen to the stock? It has been reported that Unwins and Marshalls will be taking over some of it. Helen Bainbridge, the plant specialist of the pair will continue to be active for example, as an RHS judge. Goodbye Fir Trees, it’s been good to know you!