As soon as I learned of the existence of this garden, I knew I had to go along and visit! It has only been open for about 4 years, and just on Sundays and Mondays at present, and only for 3 months of the year.
It is set in around 6 acres of land at Kelly House near Lifton, just over the border into Devon and not too far from Launceston. Directions are on their website, and admission price is very reasonable.
After a brief instructed talk about the route, we were issued with a laminated map and list of plants to hunt for around the garden. The plants are easy to spot and all have an accompanying fact sheet explaining which parts are toxic, symptoms of poisoning and other interesting information about the plant's history and uses. There are about 59 in total on the list, but apparently, others still to be detailed.
Amazingly, many of these plants are in all of our gardens and we are unaware of the risks in coming into contact with them. We had a a very interesting chat with the owner, and she regaled us with a few tales of people who had become ill from exposure to the poisons when pruning and doing other gardening jobs. A big lesson I learned is that we should all ensure that we wash our hands after any contact with plants, and wear gloves and maybe even protective clothing to cover arms and legs when cutting them back.
I think that this garden is fascinating, and maybe we should all make ourselves more aware of the most toxic of plants, especially when we share our gardens with young children and pets. Having said that, cases of poisoning are extremely rare, but we might be able to avoid some nasty rashes and tummy upsets, not to mention medical tests, if we were more mindful and knowledgeable.
The house and gardens are next door to the Grade 1 listed Kelly Church of St. Mary. This is a lovely old church dating back to the 14th and 15th centuriies. I like to wander around the graveyard reading the local family names and histories, and the headstones of John Perry and his parents caught my eye. John's stone has engraved upon it the words "His ways were ways of pleasantness and all His paths were peace". I discovered that these are from the old proverb 3:17, but still a touching tribute to this 28 year old man who died 150 years ago.
The Poison Garden is located in the grounds of Kelly House. In 2025, the garden is open on Sundays and Mondays from the 6th April until the 7th July. Admission is £6.00, but you can use a Gardeners' World 2 for 1 card or Historic Houses membership for reduced admission. Directions are helpfully provided on the website for travel from Cornwall or Devon, but the satnav guided us to the door using their postcode PL16 0HH. Tea and cake is available, cream teas need to ordered on arrival, and there is seating inside and outside.