Gardener who planted by moonlight

His reference to Phytolacca (Virginian Pokeweed), the ‘exotic plant’ in the garden at the Unitarian Chapel in Warwick reminded me of a particular gardener who, I think, was probably responsible for introducting it to Warwick gardens.

Her name was Miss Allison. In the 1960s she was employed in the garden at 15 Church Street by Mr and Mrs Styles, and planted it here. It still comes up regularly in my garden next door at number 13. There are several tall plants at present, although I don’t think anyone noticed them whilst the garden was open last Sunday.

I think it is most likely that seeds from the flower-heads are spread from garden to garden via bird droppings.

Miss Allison was unusual, if not eccentric, in many ways. Again in the 1960s I engaged her to plant several hundred daffodil bulbs in the strech of grassland between the Banbury Road in Warwick and the new housing development that had just taken place in Archery Fields at Bridge End. She did this entirely at night, either by moonlight, or using a torch, believing that this would be more successful than planting by daylight. She was certainly not proved wrong. The bulbs flowered prolifically the following spring, and have continued to do so every year since.

I wonder if anyone reading this has other personal memories of Miss Allison. - Geoffrey Smith, Church Street, Warwick.