tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/sussex-25236/articlesSussex – The Conversation2019-04-26T10:03:56Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1159282019-04-26T10:03:56Z2019-04-26T10:03:56ZMeghan Markle reportedly seeks a private childbirth – medieval women really did have one<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270961/original/file-20190425-121241-9hmupd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C146%2C3733%2C2667&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Privacy, please. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/london-uk-march-11-meghan-markle-1335905381?src=VZoR9y4qQcKwk378Z0fvmg-1-4">Mr Pics/Shutterstock.</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The British royal family <a href="https://twitter.com/victoriaarbiter/status/1116273837082075136">has released a statement saying</a> that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will keep plans for the arrival of their baby private. Other royal births have been announced almost immediately, with the new family posing for photographs soon afterwards on the steps of the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in London. Meghan and Harry, however, have chosen to “celebrate privately as a new family”, before placing their baby in the public eye. </p>
<p>As the London <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/royal-baby-meghan-markle-prince-harry-pregnancy-birth-when-due-title-a8840136.html">media speculates</a> about when and where the birth will take place, the modern craving for instant information and “access-all-areas” insights has never been more apparent. Despite established <a href="https://www.gov.uk/data-protection">privacy laws</a>, information continues to spread, leak and diffuse – often without the subject’s consent. The fact that the Duchess had to make the request at all is, in itself, a telling sign. </p>
<p>Indeed, Meghan’s desire to retain privacy surrounding her impending birth has a historical precedent. The intimate – and largely lost – realm of the medieval “lying-in” room is a reminder that the modern predilection for publicising the deeply personal was not always the norm. </p>
<h2>A long lie-in</h2>
<p>Most pregnant women in the middle ages were tended to by other women, during an extended lying-in period of around two months, before and after childbirth. This private zone gave expectant women the time and space to prepare for, and recover from, childbirth, while awaiting the moment they were permitted to re-enter the church, in the ceremony of purification after childbirth. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270699/original/file-20190424-19297-ulbfbd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270699/original/file-20190424-19297-ulbfbd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270699/original/file-20190424-19297-ulbfbd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270699/original/file-20190424-19297-ulbfbd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270699/original/file-20190424-19297-ulbfbd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270699/original/file-20190424-19297-ulbfbd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=706&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270699/original/file-20190424-19297-ulbfbd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=706&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270699/original/file-20190424-19297-ulbfbd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=706&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The birth of St Edmund, from Lydgate’s Lives of SS Edmund and Fremund, England, 1434–1439.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">British Library</span></span>
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<p>A 15th century manuscript miniature of the birth of St Edmund depicts the birthing chamber, midwives and female companions. The new mother rests in her bed as she is fed, made comfortable and soothed with aromatics by the women who care for her, while the baby is warmed before the fire.</p>
<p>The lying-in room was a womb-like space, adorned with tapestries for privacy and warmth, with daylight limited often to a single window, and herbs scattered across the floor to create a pleasant scent with therapeutic benefits. Women of higher social status were often bestowed with brooches, pendants and books depicting icons of healing saints, as well as jewelled girdles and statues of female saints. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270705/original/file-20190424-121237-1n4yton.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270705/original/file-20190424-121237-1n4yton.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270705/original/file-20190424-121237-1n4yton.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270705/original/file-20190424-121237-1n4yton.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270705/original/file-20190424-121237-1n4yton.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270705/original/file-20190424-121237-1n4yton.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270705/original/file-20190424-121237-1n4yton.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270705/original/file-20190424-121237-1n4yton.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A painted birth tray, depicting a mother lying-in, by Francesco di Michele c.1410.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Harvard Art Museum</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Painted birthing trays, or salvers – such as this <em>desco da parto</em> from Florence – were given to wealthy women after childbirth, to serve mulled wine and clean linens: a sign of the value bestowed on noble births. Though present in this depiction, men were rarely permitted to enter the lying-in room – entrance was by invite only, through the monitored doors. </p>
<h2>Wandering wombs</h2>
<p>Childbirth was a dangerous business for mother and child in medieval times, regardless of their social station. Of course, royal births in the middle ages were different to those of peasant women, whose return to the hard labour of everyday life would demand a less luxuriant recovery period. But while aristocratic households could afford the services of university-trained male physicians, hands-on care remained the job of the midwife. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270843/original/file-20190424-121258-1is3oua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270843/original/file-20190424-121258-1is3oua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270843/original/file-20190424-121258-1is3oua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=797&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270843/original/file-20190424-121258-1is3oua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=797&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270843/original/file-20190424-121258-1is3oua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=797&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270843/original/file-20190424-121258-1is3oua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1002&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270843/original/file-20190424-121258-1is3oua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1002&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270843/original/file-20190424-121258-1is3oua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1002&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Disembodied wombs with foetal positions and a pregnant female in Wellcome Apocalypse (MS 49), f. 38r, c.1420.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wellcome Library</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The medieval gynaecological and obstetrical handbook known as <a href="http://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book/13753.html">The Trotula ensemble</a> contains instructions for midwives on how to deliver a baby safely. Medieval understandings of the female body included the <a href="http://exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/antiqua/gynecology/">ancient Hippocratic belief</a> that a woman’s womb was like a living creature that “wandered” around her body – a stereotype of “unruly” women which <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/trump-women-hysteria-and-history">still lingers today</a>. The postpartum uterus was seen to be particularly disordered. The Trotula author notes: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The womb, as though it were a wild beast of the forest, because of the sudden evacuation falls this way and that, as if it were wandering. Whence vehement pain is caused.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Such notions of the “wandering womb” are manifest in images from medical manuscripts that show the uterus “floating” around the words on the page. These disembodied wombs show common foetal presentations, and a reasonably accurate knowledge of anatomy – surprising, in an age when human dissection was taboo and male physicians had limited access to women’s bodies. </p>
<h2>Dragons and divination</h2>
<p>The story of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_the_Virgin">St Margaret</a>, the patron saint of childbirth, was well-known to women in the middle ages. Margaret was swallowed by a dragon but, after making the sign of the cross, was expelled quickly. Her popularity reveals how an uncomplicated birth was desired just as much throughout history.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270713/original/file-20190424-121262-1do5fmn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270713/original/file-20190424-121262-1do5fmn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270713/original/file-20190424-121262-1do5fmn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270713/original/file-20190424-121262-1do5fmn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270713/original/file-20190424-121262-1do5fmn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270713/original/file-20190424-121262-1do5fmn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=727&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270713/original/file-20190424-121262-1do5fmn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=727&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270713/original/file-20190424-121262-1do5fmn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=727&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">St. Margaret and the Dragon. From an illuminated medieval Book of Hours. Walters Manuscript.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Walters Art Museum</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Just as our modern fascination at guessing the sex of newborn babies remains, various medieval techniques for predicting the sex of a baby abounded. This one from The Trotula requires some careful orchestration: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>In order to know whether a woman is carrying a male or a female, take water from a spring and let the woman extract two or three drops of blood or milk from her right side and let these be dropped in the water. And if they fall to the bottom, she is carrying a male; if they float on top, a female.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It’s safe to say that Meghan and Harry are unlikely to try this at home. But these medieval practices show that – unlike <a href="http://blog.catherinedelors.com/marie-antoinettes-first-laying-in/">Marie Antoinette’s hugely public birth</a> in the 18th century – watched by a plethora of spectators after her obstetrician called, “the Queen is going to give birth!” – childbirth need not always be a public spectacle.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115928/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Kalas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wish to keep the arrival of their baby private – and it’s caused some consternation. But this was normal for most medieval women.Laura Kalas, Lecturer in Medieval Literature, Swansea UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/811402017-07-26T14:40:27Z2017-07-26T14:40:27ZThe common herb that could bring bees buzzing to your garden<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178622/original/file-20170718-21991-100vxqz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C25%2C1058%2C614&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/24557420@N05/7740730820/in/photolist-fsSuP4-fHVFhm-cHDvew-cHDvVf-fgsJaz-fgH4tN-fgsPRc-fgsKY8-fgH2TL-cN2gAd-hWsJVi-otnwP4-hWrtWe-hWtE1s-hWth66-hWrXWU-hWstZC-hWsWRd-hWrBR2-hWrE4t-cLM4Uo-hWsZJ6-hWs4V7-hWsw5E-hWsWMV-hWrVBo-hWtjta-6Dg5Ty-hWstTB-hWsjye-hWsTVc-hWsnf6-hWssqs-hWsthV-hWt9oF-hWsxXt-hWsy9Q-fos85G-hWt1yy-8iEmvq-ftBydu-rKoLad-rt3xDp-cBzRY3">*Psyche Delia*/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Unlike parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, wild marjoram missed out on a role in the classic song Scarborough Fair, made popular in the 1960s by Paul Simon. But it does have a key additional advantage over most herbs. People know it best under its widely-used alternate name of oregano, which is also the scientific name – <em>origanum vulgare</em>. It is a common feature of Italian cooking and a native around Europe and in the UK. More importantly though, it is one of the best of all plants for attracting bees, butterflies and other pollinators to your garden. </p>
<p>The most widely grown and appreciated garden favourites, of course, are those with attractive flowers. And there is a common assumption that those plants which delight human eyes will also be the most attractive for bees and other flower-visiting insects. Research at the <a href="http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lasi/">Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects</a> at the University of Sussex can give a <a href="http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lasi/resources/plants">more empirical take</a>.</p>
<p>One project <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.12178/full">carried out in 2011-2012</a> saw 32 varieties of summer flowering garden plants grown in beds and counted the insects visiting them – 87% of which were bees. The plants selected were all summer-flowering varieties often grown in gardens.</p>
<p>All were attractive to the human eye. However, they were very different as far as the insects were concerned. The most attractive to them were marjoram and <a href="https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/hyssop/growing-agastache.htm">agastache</a>, a herbaceous perennial with simple, aromatic leaves and small flowers in dense spikes. These two had 100 times as many insects as the least popular, the <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=338">pelargonium</a>, which belongs to a large group of frost-sensitive plants used for summer bedding. </p>
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<h2>Making a difference</h2>
<p>It is a simple lesson. By choosing suitable varieties to provide nectar and pollen, gardeners can make a big difference. Our research show that helping bees and flower-visiting insects needn’t come at a cost. In <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ee/article-abstract/44/3/638/2465020/Using-the-British-National-Collection-of-Asters-to?redirectedFrom=fulltext">a 2012 survey</a> of over 200 varieties of asters, also known as Michaelmas daisies, at the <a href="http://www.autumnasters.co.uk/picton_garden.htm">British National Collection in Picton Gardens, Herefordshire</a>, the varieties that attracted more insects were just as easy to obtain, easy to grow, and attractive to the human eye. Prices are similar, although that depends mainly on the size of the plant when you buy it.</p>
<p>So, how good for insects are the flowers grown in parks and gardens? In the East Sussex town of Lewes there is a beautiful park, <a href="http://www.lewes.gov.uk/tourism/11757.asp">Southover Grange Garden</a>, which is carefully managed to provide magnificent floral displays in spring and summer. We counted the insects on 79 varieties in full bloom in August 2012.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1744-7917.12162/full">results were surprising</a>. The park appeared to be a bee paradise, but only three of the varieties were highly attractive to flower-visiting insects. On 24 varieties we saw no insects in any of the 15 counts made, and on a further 37 there were very few. Clearly, there is room for improvement. Many garden flowers are more show than go: bred for many bright petals instead of food for the bees. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178625/original/file-20170718-31872-1k7ln8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178625/original/file-20170718-31872-1k7ln8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178625/original/file-20170718-31872-1k7ln8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178625/original/file-20170718-31872-1k7ln8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178625/original/file-20170718-31872-1k7ln8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178625/original/file-20170718-31872-1k7ln8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178625/original/file-20170718-31872-1k7ln8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178625/original/file-20170718-31872-1k7ln8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Southover Grange Gardens in Lewes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/33037982@N04/4832132404/in/photolist-8mZXF1-a75gxE-8mXvev-cBLir7-cBKR47-DSfetf-8mZWBE-8mWPWp-a72oGD-a758dh-8mWPmX-bUQgtB-bVkNmW-cBLDnj-8mX6bi-a72PpP-a72ohF-a72GDM-cBKKUm-a72dNg-9Z6u1T-cBLC1S-a17jRL-8mZJ4o-a75AEN-8mZGSo-a757sd-cBL7QG-8n1dmC-a72wZc-8mWzst-cBLyKG-cBLAzC-8mZHZ7-8mX6sc-8mZHwW-a72f1T-8mWQav-8n1dsm-8n1dfW-8mX65t-8mZYms-8n1eC5-8mXFat-a75pZN-8mX6xi-zS1P6u-zS35xY-zS31Nd-cBsC9L">Leonora (Ellie) Enking/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<h2>Turning over a new leaf</h2>
<p>Many gardeners in the UK get their plants from one of <a href="https://hta.org.uk/learn-develop/market-information/garden-industry-statistics.html">more than 2,000</a> garden centres and retail nurseries. They are popular destinations for plants and equipment (and for a cup of tea and a slice of cake). They play an important role in what British gardeners end up growing and what insects will be able to visit.</p>
<p>Garden centres normally sell plants in bloom with each variety in a distinct patch. This makes it easy to monitor the insects. In 2015 we counted the insects on the 59-74 plant varieties in full bloom on sale in five garden centres and one nursery in Sussex. <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/3066/?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_campaign=PeerJ_TrendMD_1&utm_medium=TrendMD">We made 12 counts</a> over one day in each. We even brought in our own marjoram plants to set up two comparison patches of a variety we knew to be very attractive.</p>
<p>We found a similar pattern to that seen in the other two studies. Most varieties on sale had few bees and other insects, and a small number had many. Our marjoram did well, as expected, but 4.5% of the plants on sale turned out to be even more attractive, with an average of 26% more insects. Strong performers included the deep magenta flowers of <a href="https://www.sarahraven.com/flowers/plants/cosmos_2/cosmos_bipinnatus_sonata_carmine.htm">cosmos bipinnatus “Sonata Carmine”</a> and <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/97161/i-Caryopteris-i-%C3%97-i-clandonensis-i-Heavenly-Blue/Details">caryopteris x clandonensis “Heavenly Blue”</a>, a compact shrub with clusters of dark blue flowers.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178652/original/file-20170718-10331-uzee8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178652/original/file-20170718-10331-uzee8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178652/original/file-20170718-10331-uzee8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178652/original/file-20170718-10331-uzee8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178652/original/file-20170718-10331-uzee8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178652/original/file-20170718-10331-uzee8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178652/original/file-20170718-10331-uzee8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178652/original/file-20170718-10331-uzee8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Garden centres: on the front line.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mwf2005/34977946566/in/photolist-VhT7Uf-RK9Ukm-7WhUcF-QyZ5kg-4tz7Sq-7rrVuV-iqMApV-saUjXt-9vAKvA-jp1tCD-KQcBf-9vsfM2-QyYRcc-8Lp2ub-c8M7wq-4Vheru-EiocK-dDKk9B-dDstWT-EE4Nw-Ey9ht-bp7ue-9WYxRy-8C5Axn-RK1noT-4bV6Ye-4ofGKJ-eG8YJ-RVVv7M-jp4ZaE-pwm4zy-dDstJP-4evU3-7RXgZ-v8Pk61-4evVV-JKPbD-r3cEWp-4NoiNK-RSiAkU-q6yHP8-RK9RYN-9HVd61-kU24yw-RK1sTF-dudiwg-w6P7Jt-7peCD5-avw9xU-RzgjNd">muffinn/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some of the plants on sale, about 15%, were marketed as bee-friendly, and just over half of those appear on the Royal Horticultural Society’s <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/conservation-biodiversity/wildlife/encourage-wildlife-to-your-garden/plants-for-pollinators">“Perfect for Pollinators</a>” list. How good were these? Well, the average looks good: recommended plants attracted three times as many flower-visitors as the rest. However, many plants in that group were unattractive to insects or underperformed. Equally, some non-recommended varieties such as <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/306959/i-Iberis-i-Masterpiece-sup-(PBR)-sup/Details?returnurl=%2Fplants%2Fsearch-results%3Fform-mode%3Dtrue%26context%3Dl%253den%2526q%253d%252523all%2526sl%253dplantForm%26query%3DIberis">iberis “Masterpiece”</a> and <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/299655/Alstroemeria-Inticancha-Dark-Purple-Tesdarklin-(PBR)-(Inticancha-Series)/Details">alstromeria “Inticancha Dark Purple”</a> did really well. The labelling appears to be inconsistent and certainly over-optimistic. Perhaps “better for pollinators” would be more accurate. </p>
<p>Our research shows that the public could be making their gardens much more attractive to bees and other insects simply by more careful flower choice. And garden centres can be part of this, by improving stocks and by educating customers to favour more of the highly attractive varieties. </p>
<p>Many of the plants of the <a href="http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Lamiaceae/">family <em>lamiaceae</em></a>, the mint family, are great for pollinators. That includes marjoram as well as thyme, lavender and Russian sage (perovska). Others, such as heleniums and some dahlias are in the daisy family. Different varieties bloom at different times, and can provide valuable additional food across the whole summer to a whole range of flower-visitors. </p>
<p>If you want to help bees and other insects in your garden, have a look round your garden centre on a sunny summer day. Plants with 10 insects, even five, per square metre when in full bloom are the ones to go for. But don’t buy a plant that you don’t like. There are plenty of bee-friendly varieties, so a win-win situation is possible: chose plants that you – and the bees – both love.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81140/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karin Alton would like to acknowledge Mihail Garbuzov for his contribution to the research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Francis Ratnieks does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Garden pollinators can turn their noses up at the flowers human eyes find most beautiful.Karin Alton, Research Fellow Apiculture, University of SussexFrancis Ratnieks, Professor of Apiculture, University of SussexLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/552062016-03-01T12:09:29Z2016-03-01T12:09:29ZWill changing the focus from victim to perpetrator end domestic violence?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/112955/original/image-20160225-15170-d4a45d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Both victims and perpetrators should receive help - but not at the expense of the other.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Domestic violence help in the UK is traditionally thought of as being aimed at victims - not those who have committed the acts. </p>
<p>But things are starting to change. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/feb/17/pilot-scheme-to-target-domestic-abusers-rather-than-victims">A new pilot programme</a> aimed at helping some of the most dangerous domestic violence offenders was recently announced, amid a flurry of media attention.</p>
<p>“Drive” will offer high-risk male and female perpetrators of domestic violence bespoke one-to-one sessions to change their behaviour as part of a three-year pilot project. Though there are programmes <a href="https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/media/268815/nct_directory_2016.pdf">of this kind already</a> in the UK, Drive is a new, more pragmatic response, focusing on the individual circumstances of those involved.</p>
<p>Most of the current domestic violence perpetrator programmes offer help via group sessions, but the premise of Drive is that each perpetrator referred to the service has a very specific, tailored response. This could be in the form of psychiatric care, counselling, or whatever the perpetrator needs to overcome their issues.</p>
<p>Participants will also be offered help to solve any mental health issues, alcohol or drug abuse problems they may have, along with advice about housing, employment and parenting. Any perpetrators who refuse to take part in the scheme will be closely monitored by police, and civil and criminal orders will be considered in an attempt to stop their violent behaviour.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113385/original/image-20160301-31027-k3v4n8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113385/original/image-20160301-31027-k3v4n8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/113385/original/image-20160301-31027-k3v4n8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/113385/original/image-20160301-31027-k3v4n8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/113385/original/image-20160301-31027-k3v4n8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/113385/original/image-20160301-31027-k3v4n8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/113385/original/image-20160301-31027-k3v4n8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The programme is aimed at the both male and female violent domestic abuse perpetrators.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-273336869/stock-photo-horizontal-view-of-victim-of-domestic-abuse.html?src=jGlYN5JdtGI5We6kPVjZ8w-1-1">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Organised by national charity Saferlives, the programme also makes use of resources on the ground – including police, the local authority and commissioners, who have knowledge of the community circumstances to help implement it.</p>
<p>Already the project has faced <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-new-domestic-violence-scheme-that-focuses-on-abusers-not-victims-is-one-of-the-worst-ideas-weve-a6881436.html">criticism from a number of womens’ charities</a> that argue that there is no evidence such an approach will reduce violent behaviour. Moreover, domestic violence is <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/19/opinion/opinion-domestic-violence-not-private-issue/">often said to be a social problem</a>, and so focusing on individual men will not address the root causes of domestic violence. </p>
<p>Sandra Horley, chief executive of domestic violence support charity Refuge,
<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-new-domestic-violence-scheme-that-focuses-on-abusers-not-victims-is-one-of-the-worst-ideas-weve-a6881436.html">wrote</a>: “This country needs a sustainably funded, nationwide infrastructure of services to protect women and children from the violence of men. Then – and only then – can we talk about giving therapy to the men who commit these crimes.”</p>
<p>She added that “instead of giving therapy to a handful of violent men – the Drive programme is set to help just 900 perpetrators over the next three years – we should be channelling funds into improving the woeful police response to domestic violence”.</p>
<h2>A positive change?</h2>
<p>Internationally, domestic violence perpetrator programmes are not new: a <a href="https://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/criva/ProjectMirabalfinalreport.pdf">review of the existing projects in 2014</a> found 49 published articles on these programmes. <a href="https://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/criva/ProjectMirabalfinalreport.pdf">An evaluation of 12 programmes</a> in the UK found positive reductions in perpetrator physical and sexual behaviour over a 15-month period, with the majority of women reporting physical and sexual violence had stopped a year after the perpetrator started the programme.</p>
<p>It appears on the surface that programmes that work with perpetrators can lead to <a href="http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/publications/violence/intervening/en/">positive changes</a> – and such initiatives can give women “space for action” where suitable, allowing them to access support safely, reduce isolation and <a href="http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/content/43/6/1092.full">improve physical and mental well-being</a>.</p>
<p>This “space for action” takes the perpetrator away from their victim by removing them from the family home, for example, while they are on the programme. This sometimes happens when the victim has a restraining order or there is a court order against the perpetrator, and gives the victim a chance to think about what they want. Although given the nature of the tailored Drive programme, this may not happen in all cases.</p>
<p>While evidence of potential positive outcomes might sound promising, there is still one big concern that cannot be ignored: there has been a <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/03/domestic-violence-refuge-crisis-women-closure-safe-houses">steady decline in support for domestic violence survivors</a> across the country in the last four years, leading to an increase in the number of women and children being turned away.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.womensaid.org.uk/womens-aid-annual-survey/">The latest survey from Women’s Aid</a>, for example, found that a third of referrals to Refuge were refused due to lack of space. </p>
<p>There is also an increasing postcode lottery when it comes to support services for survivors, as well as gaps in existing support provisions for marginalised groups such as older people, male survivors and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/05/the-uks-only-lgbt-domestic-violence-charity-to-close">those from LGBT communities</a>.</p>
<p>Cuts to the criminal justice system are also having a detrimental effect on survivors: police are <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/police-dealing-with-rising-domestic-abuse-cases-face-overwhelming-workload-a6773626.html">struggling to cope with the number of reports</a> while legal aid cuts have resulted in <a href="http://rightsofwomen.org.uk/-evidence-tests-for-domestic-violence-are-unlawful-rules-court-of-appeal/">women having to provide evidence of domestic violence</a> within the previous 24 months to qualify for help in divorce cases.</p>
<p>The very nature of the crime means that many perpetrators will never come to the attention of authorities – and so never get the help they need – and even where they do, <a href="http://cjb.sagepub.com/content/37/10/1086.full.pdf+html?hwshib2=authn%3A1456322962%3A20160223%253Ac7c425e0-6c97-4fea-ba11-46120c1b692b%3A0%3A0%3A0%3AoiDeoIQHVntJ5T1Z%2FYih7A%3D%3D">the attrition rates are often high</a>.</p>
<p>Though Drive intends to work with the most dangerous offenders, where there is a high risk of serious harm or fatality, it is unclear how success will be measured, and concerning that more women may lose their lives during the pilot, as the project is community-based rather than part of a co-ordinated criminal justice response. </p>
<p>A criminal justice response to domestic violence means that the perpetrator is given a prison sentence or restraining order, intended to control their behaviour and distance them from their victim. This, however, is not guaranteed and does not in itself address the cause of the problem.</p>
<p>Research has shown a significant number of perpetrators are <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwje2LO5643LAhVFwxQKHepuCqAQFggiMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwebarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk%2F%2B%2Fhttp%3A%2Fwww.acpo.police.uk%2Fasp%2Fpolicies%2FData%2FFINAL_MASTERViolence%2520Review.doc&usg=AFQjCNEqMzNIqam_qCavFoKRIjEfeFFiHA&sig2=rHxdw-nsqtjHPjPvcAwhZw">“serial” offenders who abuse more than one partner</a>, so though one victim or victims may be helped, this programme means that – if successful – the perpetrator will not target another partner or child in the future. The links between alcohol and/or substance abuse and mental health problems <a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110218135832/http:/rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/r217.pdf">are also well established</a> and one of the strengths of Drive is that it will offer support in these areas, as well as tackling the abusive behaviour and attitudes. </p>
<p>While there is undoubtedly a need to increase funding for survivor support services, these cannot operate in isolation: there must be a coordinated response to domestic violence which includes both perpetrators and survivors. </p>
<p>The rates of domestic violence victimisation <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/12/14-million-women-suffered-domestic-abuse-last-year-ons-figures-show">remain consistently high</a>, despite a decline in violent offences generally. Therefore it is essential that a comprehensive approach to domestic violence is put in place, that incorporates prevention, intervention, support for survivors and programmes to reduce re-offending. </p>
<p>While Drive certainly will go some way to getting to the real cause of the problem, we must ensure that services for survivors of abuse still receive the funding needed to protect victims and help rebuild their lives. It runs until 2019, at which point we will be able to see just how well it has performed.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/55206/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hannah Bows receives funding from the ESRC for her PhD research examining sexual violence against people aged 60 and over in the UK. </span></em></p>A new three-year pilot programme to help the perpetrators of domestic abuse will start this April, but as investment in victim help declines, questions have arisen as to just how effective it can be.Hannah Bows, Researcher (Sexual Violence and Violence against Women), Durham UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.