Foxglove and sunny Summer mornings - forever etched in my childhood memories. There's something nostalgic, and comforting about tall spires of foxglove growing alongside a fence, or backyard flower garden. They're a favourite of everyone who loves English gardens: gardeners, photographers, painters...and hummingbirds!
Foxglove grow in full sun, or shade. They're not wild about heat. So, if you live in a hot, sunny climate, plant them in a shady spot. For those of us in Canada, full sun on the Westcoast, and sun to part shade in humid Eastern Canada.
Don't be surprised if they do not bloom the first year. They're biennial, which means they bloom the second year. They'll come back up for two or three years, then die. You may not notice any difference, because the plant re-seeds itself, scattering seeds for the following year, and ensuring a wonderful two to five foot "wall" of colour in your garden year after year.
Foxglove has a sinister side. Even as children, we would warn each other not to eat the flowers. The plant, also known as Digitalis, is toxic. While I have always known about the poisonous flowers, in doing research for this post, I've discovered that you need to wear garden gloves to handle any part of the plant. Gardeners are warned not to touch their faces, or eyes with the gloves. Even the water in a vase of foxglove. is poisonous to a child, or family pet. Deer and rabbits stay away, which is why is makes a good border plant around a property.
I wish I'd known all of this, before happily carrying the plant home from the grocery store on Friday, and having a full house (and balcony) of guests on Sunday! Even for the photographs, I was touching the plant with bare hands. I'm still standing!
Even when used medicinally, Digitalis can be harmful, even fatal. The painter, Vincent Van Gogh was given Digitalis to control seizures. It gave him blurred vision, and he saw halos around points of light. More recently, a derivative, Digoxin has been linked to higher mortality rates in women.
The Latin name for the trumpet-shaped flower, Digitalis. means, measuring a finger's breadth. We also call our fingers, digits. What about the common name for the plant? What does it have to do with foxes? Foxglove is thought to come from the Old English, foxes glova, for the flower gloves foxes wore on their paws to quietly tiptoe into chicken coops.
I've found a way to enjoy the charm and beauty of foxglove, without the potentially harmful effects. I take photographs. Lots of photographs. Outfoxed the foxglove!
Photographs Copyright of: Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.
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