Gardeners are wise, patient, honest people, living close to the secrets of life; all the better for sharing the great wonder of huge trees and lovely flowers springing from tiny seeds. Francis Bacon (1561-1626) wrote: "God Almighty first planted a garden; and indeed it is the purest of human pleasures." But in the sphere of professional gardening, some doubts have been cast on the morality of one of the best-known figures in recent centuries - William Forsyth, who gave his name to that lovely shrub of springtime with its heart-warming yellow flowers - Forsythia. It is, at any rate, a fascinating story, with still some doubt that he was anything but truthful and honest. A recent issue of that worthy magazine The Countryman contained an article by Alan Major who gives a summary of Forsyth's life and achievements and leaves one reader with the feeling that this man of parts may have been unjustly doubted. First, the article brings Forsyth from Scotland to various gardening jobs in London, becoming Superintendent of the Royal Gardens of St James and Kensington - known as The King's Gardener, where he had to grow fruit and vegetables for the Royal Household. Some of the fruit trees suffered from canker and other woes, but he had to keep on delivering supplies to the kitchen. He had to cut and try to heal many old diseased trees and applied to wounds a `plaister' which he claimed could restore trees "where nothing remained but the bark". The Napoleonic wars increased demand for oaks for ships and again his "plaister" was brought in to restore oaks and other trees for timber. His recipe for this cure was horse-dung, rubble, wood ashes and pit or river sand. The "plaister" should be applied like paint, so it was thinned with urine and soap suds.
In 1803 the attack began. He was accused of stealing the recipe from Herefordshire. It was said his formula didn't work and he bought fruit for the king from Covent Garden market. And it was held his "plaister" didn't heal any trees. Eminent people supported Forsyth: Lords, highly placed officials and many other notables. His reputation was never damaged. In 1804, with others, he founded the Horticultural Society, but died months later, 25th July. A Danish botanist named the shrub after Forsyth. He was Martin Vahl. Forsyth lives on in this lovely yellow-flowering bush. But has anyone really tested his formula for healing trees? "Just take a bucket of horse dung, etc. . . ."