Geranium 

Len Morgan 

Way back in the 1980’s, I worked in Dagenham near some wild uncultivated land.   There was nowhere to go for lunch, apart from a burger van and a greasy spoon where I ate egg chips & sausage, once a week. 

   Mostly I took sandwiches and ate them while roaming over those wild fields. During that spring and summer, there were all manner of plants flowering there.

   While serving alongside the United Nations Peacekeeping forces in Cyprus (UNFICYP).  I purchased a 35mm camera which I used to record my plant discoveries.  Then after a few weeks, I wanted to know the names of the plants, their medical uses, and which were edible, or in some cases both!  Others I became aware of were poisonous, so to be on the safe side, I purchased a book ‘The Wild Flowers of Britain & Europe’ at last I was able to name them!  

  But, I didn’t really have much further information, so, I drove into Barking to visit the Central Library.

There were all manner of books containing information I could harvest regarding
my finds.  

   I took out an Ordnance Survey Map of East London (sheet 177) 1:50,000 (2^nd series).  I marked out the area’s I'd been surveying they covered just 2 squares (¾ inch by 1½).  I marked each as I found it in my book, highlighting if they were poisonous Edible or Medicinal plants.  By the middle of summer, I had made quite a thorough survey and by summer's end, I was anticipating resuming my work in the spring. 

   Unfortunately, the company I was working for was taken over and the site closed down, so I had to find alternative employment some way away from my area of investigation.  When next I returned, the local council was in the process of building a housing estate on the land.  So, I bowed to the inevitable and took up playing the guitar instead. 

One plant I had never been able to find which I was assured should have been in my area was the wild Geranium known as Cranesbill. 

Coincidentally, while on a holiday to Harlech in Wales, in 2003, we visited a garden center, and there, in a neglected heap of soil and rubbish, I found a broken flower pot containing a single specimen of Cranesbill.  

The owner must have thought, we’ve got a right mug here, when I asked to buy it. “50p” he said. 

I’ve had it in my garden for a number of years now, and it quickly spread, giving us a fine pink display.  This year I noticed it was all over Hullbridge, and now I wonder if I am responsible for importing an invasive species to Essex...

Copyright Len Morgan

 wonder if I am at fault in some way?