A lifelong passion for plants; Environment Editor Tony Henderson talks to the North East's plant protectors.

Byline: Tony Henderson

APASSION for plants has always driven botanist and gardener Veronica Goulty. She enjoys a large garden at her home near Wylam in Northumberland and is vice-chairman of the North East branch of Plant Heritage.

She is also helping to organise the group's Great North Plant Sale at Kirkley Hall College, Ponteland, tomorrow where people will have the chance to buy rare and unusual varieties grown by members.

Plant Heritage is the newly-adopted everyday name for what was previously the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens.

Last year the organisation celebrated its 30th anniversary and Veronica has been a member for most of that time.

As concerns mounted about the rate of loss of plant varieties, the body was set up to encourage the growing and conservation of cultivated plants in Britain and to research their historical, cultural and environmental importance..

Every year the Plant Finder publication appears, listing every plant for sale in the country and supplying nurseries.

The body also runs the national plant collections - "the jewel in the crown," says Veronica.

They are assemblages of as many varieties of a group of plants as possible, which are grown and conserved so that diversity survives for the future.

National collections are held by individual gardeners and allotment holders, councils, large estates, specialist growers and bodies like the National Trust and English Heritage.

"Some groups of plants represented in the collections can be six to 10 varieties while others can run into hundreds," says Veronica.

"It's about that collecting drive which is part of human nature, and also about preserving plant DNA.

"It is also infectious and can take over people's lives." Veronica herself is committed to her garden and her plants. "I'm not happy unless I am surrounded by plants," she says.

Her garden features personal collections of birch trees, sorbus, cherry, medlar, quince, apricots and a fruiting peach tree. Veronica is researching the walled gardens of

Northumberland with the aim of publishing a book.

So far she has tracked down more than 300 walled gardens in the county.

"They are not just the high Victorian gardens.

Some are medieval and some are just wonderful," she says.

Plant Heritage is keen to preserve as many varieties as possible.

"New varieties will eventually become old varieties and some go out of fashion very quickly," she says.

Plants and people go back a very long way, says Veronica. "I think there is something very deep there. Plants are the green glue. We need plants for our survival.

"We are all part of this larger natural cycle and we treat it badly at our peril. Gardens are there for the soul." The North East group, numbering more than 200 members, meet at the Unitarian Church in Ellison Place, Newcastle city centre.

The group spans a kaleidoscope of people with a common love of plants, says Veronica.

Next year the North East group hosts Plant Heritage's national annual general meeting for the first time, with the event being held at Longhirst Hall in Northumberland.

. The Great North Plant sale will run from 10am-2pm tomorrow , admission pounds 2. For Plant Heritage membership details, ring [phone]..

NATIONAL PLANT COLLECTIONS

THERE are more than 600 national plant collections across the country and over 25 are in the North East.

In Northumberland national collections include Chesters Walled Garden (thyme) Belsay Hall (iris), Kirkley Hall (beech) and Blagdon (sorbus).

Acklington is home to the diascia collection, and there is centaurea at

Netherwhitton and sedum at Choppington, while three collections are at separate locations in Darras Hall - brunnera, potentilla and leucojum.

In County Durham national collections include geranium (Frosterley); cordydalis (Durham); solenostemon (Shotton); polemonium (Trimdon Station) and jovibarba, or house leeks, (Eggleston)..

The National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens came into being when, as a result of changing patterns of plant marketing and increased costs of production, many nurseries were cutting back on the breadth of stock offered in their catalogues.

The cost of labour was also making private gardens harder to maintain..

CAPTION(S):

COLOUR A foxglove in all its glory in Veronica's garden. HER ELEMENT Veronica Goulty in the garden of her home near Wylam. IN HER ELEMENT Veronica Goulty in the garden of her home near Wylam.