Laburnum in the local park with wisteria and ash on a metal framework. This was a walled garden to a cluniac priory. Because a few children suffered and the public became newly aware – for their generation – of the poisonous nature especially of the seeds, which little children might think were peas or sweets, many were cut from suburban gardens some years ago. Perhaps because of their nature – and spiritually – the timber is said to represent death and used as a staff by those seeking to have to do with that side of things – undertakers maybe – though blackthorn is widely favoured as a stick, staff, knobkerrie and so on and beech, oddly, is supposedly ruled by saturn – one time planet of death though, since neptune was found, that is now more a planet of mystery. On the strength of the flowers of laburnum, yellow not purple, you would normally attribute them to the sun and heart – well they certainly stop it working yet the timber has been used for boxes and turned items for centuries.
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