Halloween is now celebrated as a time of spookiness, pumpkins and trick or treat. It dates back over 2000 years to when the ancient Celtic tribes celebrated the festival of Samhain.

They celebrated a new year on November 1, summer had ended and the harvest had taken place. It was believed that on October 31, the veil between the living and the dead became blurred and ghosts returned to the earth and they could be mischievous!

We have many tales of ghostly visitations from nuns associated with the medieval priory building which forms the backdrop to the stunning Walled Gardens of Cannington. It has been reported that the nuns are only ever seen from the ankle upwards. Apparently due to the changes in floor levels since they actually trod the corridors!

If you are looking to set a spooky atmosphere for a Halloween party or to greet trick or treaters, here are my top Halloween themed plants that you could use as, found at the Walled Gardens of Cannington.

Pumpkins are now iconic for Halloween as they are carved into Jack O’Lanterns. The idea originated in Ireland, where turnips, gourds, potatoes and beet were hollowed out and a light placed inside them to ward off evil spirits.

Here at the Walled Gardens of Cannington we are growing the pumpkin cultivar ‘Atlantic Giant’ which, since 1979 has been the only cultivar that has been world champion. Ours is currently 1.7metres in circumference and will be out for all to admire, in its gnarled, grotesque glory during Halloween week!

The Chinese lantern (Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii) looks a little like a miniature pumpkin, producing paper husks that engulf the fruit as it ripens. They, rather handily turn to bright orange in the autumn just in time for Halloween!

The venus fly trap (Dionaea muscipula) is the classic carnivorous plant. It sits there looking all innocent until something or someone touches its elegant eyelashes and then we see that these are in fact teeth ready to engulf and devour!

The wonderfully named Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’) turns redder as the year turns to autumn, making it look like it’s been dipped in blood! A spooky and evocative combination can be achieved by pairing this with the jet black, grass like, leaves of the lilyturf (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’).

Owners of the dragon tree (Dracaena draco) don’t have to rely on tomato sauce for their Halloween exploits, this succulent tree native to the Canary islands, has a red resinous sap that looks like blood.

Bat flower (Tacca chantrieri) is a stunning tropical plant, whose flower looks like its name sake. It is black in colour and has superbly, long whiskers.

Carrying on the bat theme, whilst the bat flower pollinates itself, there are over 500 plant species that rely on bats to pollinate their flowers. We have some of these specimens in our glasshouse including species of banana, cocoa, guava and agave. A firm favourite here is the rarely seen in the UK, jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) which when flowering its superb iridescent glow attracting both bats and humans to its outstanding beauty.

Another creature that has earned a reputation for being scary is the creepy, crawly spider. The often maligned house plant, the spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) really does resemble a spider when its runners arch down and maybe tickle your neck as you brush past! It is a great one for children to grow as it is easy to grow and you can make baby spiders by popping planlet which you will find on its arching stems into a jar of water for a few weeks.