Lullingstone Castle

In the 1700s British explorer Captain James Cook encountered them off the coast of British Columbia, and now explorers to Tom Hart Dyke’s garden can also discover them on the very same coastline in the garden laid out in the shape of the world map. 

Tom says of his totem poles, "it’s taken a year for them to get here from Bali, they’ve been stuck in ports for months. The carver might as well have got in his dug-out canoe and paddled here from Bali – it took so long! But now they’re here we’ve had a special ceremony  to cleanse the family."

Reg in all his regalia with the totem pole.

The special ceremony was given by Reg Cannon (74) from Dartford, a member of the Lakota Sioux tribe of North America, Reg’s family came to the UK in 1901 to settle in the South East. 

The cleansing ceremony took place on Tuesday 6th June within the walls of ‘the World Garden.  Wearing full regalia, Reg explained,  "I’m  wearing full skins, leggings, war shirt and eagle feathered war bonnet, and I’m going to consecrate the totem poles using Californian white sage".

Tom and Reg have a special friendship which goes back to when Tom was kidnapped by guerrillas in the Darien Gap (Panama) in 2000.  Reg, a regular helper at Lullingstone Castle, held a special prayer circle for Tom when he was missing  in November 2000.

"We prayed for Toms safe delivery in late November 2000 and then just before Christmas 2000 Tom came marching through the Castle Gate.  After Christmas we did another pipe circle to thank the great spirit for Toms safe return.  I put my tepee up next to the lake and tom and his mum took part", Reg said.

Six years on and they’ve teamed up to bless the garden, and Reg is as enthusiastic as Tom about the fledgling garden project.

Tom said of his totem pole family, "they’re something special for the kids.  I want to encourage them into gardening at an early age, and fun objects like Ayres Rock, the Cobra from India and the totem poles inject some fun into horticulture, and if they notice the labels on the plants at the foot of the totems then all the better!"