Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
8th June 2019
Garden Short Cuts
Just a few weeks ago I was very much in the smug zone, with my own garden and all my client’s gardens looking lovely and neat and tidy and colourful. Fast forward a little and it’s all gone pear-shaped. They all still look pretty colourful but brambles and nettles are way outgrowing the pretty stuff, ground elder is shouting proudly about the fact it’s managed to get to flower; weeds are turning gravelled and paved areas green, and ‘sticky willy’ is threading itself willy-nilly through the borders.
Yup, it’s that time of year where the weeds will be winning and all you can do is keep the sharp stuff moving – secateurs, shears, scythes (I got hooked – pun intended – on scything last year and love promoting it as an option to strimming).
There are a few tricks of the trade to keep your garden looking neat during the growth boom. Try to keep the front of beds and borders edged and weed free and pull the biggest/tallest weeds out of the rest. Nettles and docks always give the game away, but you’ll get away with ground elder flowers as they look quite pretty.
Keep paths and paved areas weed free and easy to access. Nothing says ‘neglect’ more than an overgrown path – especially if it’s the one to your front door!
Keeping areas that you use every day tidy, will make you feel better, even if it is just the front garden or the piece between the car and the house or house and garage. It is demoralising to walk through a ‘nature-esque war zone’ every day, whereas walking through a well kept area will make you feel that you are on top of things.
Always keep the lawn(s) mowed. Again, nothing says, “I surrender, the garden has won” louder than a ‘hairy’ lawn. And it’s hard to get a neglected lawn back into good shape – much easier to keep it tidy, even if it means paying for someone to cut it regularly for you. In fact, keeping the grass under control can be the hardest part of gardening for a lot of people and it makes sense to employ someone to do that regularly, rather than you waiting for good weather, making the time, and hoping the mower starts.
Let the Fun BeGIN
Today (Saturday 8th) is World Gin Day, a global celebration of all things gin. Most people will associate gin with tonic but did you know that gin was originally added to the tonic water to make it less bitter?
In 2012 there was just one distillery in Wales, but figures from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) showed the number of distilleries in Wales has jumped from six in 2014 to seventeen, with four new distilleries opening in 2017 alone.
There is a huge range of Welsh gins, including two I love the sound of – Aber Falls Rhubarb and Ginger Gin, Dà Mhìle Seaweed Gin. For these and plenty more options, visit www.masterofmalt.com/country/welsh-gin/
Juniper is not only the primary botanical used in gin but, by law, it needs to be the predominant flavour in anything seeking to be classified as gin. Even the name Gin itself is derived from either the French genièvre or the Dutch jenever, which both mean juniper.
Common juniper is an evergreen conifer with small needle-like leaves. It is also dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers grow on separate trees. Once pollinated by wind, the green female flowers develop into the coveted fleshy, purple, aromatic, berry-like cones. Why not grow your own so you can add your own juniper berries to your favourite gin. Or maybe you would rather make your own unique botanical gin blend?
Author and forager, Adele Nozedar offers you the opportunity to do just that, either at her HQ in the Brecon Beacons or at a place of your choice – perhaps at your own home. You will learn about the strange history of gin, delve into the massive array of herbs, spices and other ingredients provided for you, enjoy a free cocktail or two and then skip home clutching your own beautiful 300ml jar of botanical joy!
The next course is on the 16th June (should that be June-iper?) or September 1st at Ty Mawr Kitchen Gardens near Brecon.
For more information visit www.breconbeaconsforaging.com/botanical-gin-workshop/
Run and Have Fun
After recently talking to Dafydd Elis-Thomas at a ‘do’, about the physical and mental health benefits of being outdoors and keeping fit – and combining the two (he still runs several times a week and is in great shape), we both agreed that Wales simply has the best ever scenery and environments to run in, and it should be promoted as such far more than it is.
So I felt compelled to co-create a short running video (wearing barefoot Innov8 trainers) in order to try and entice and encourage other want-to-be runners to get out and give it a go. In the video I explain that despite running several marathons, running across Wales (barefoot) and still running several times a week for pleasure, I still don’t consider myself to be a runner. I feel like a fraud, not like a real runner. Every time I start a run I feel awkward, ‘clunky’ and uncoordinated, but I also am kind to myself and remind myself that those feelings are just my muscles and sensory neurons getting used to transitioning from walking to running – simple! I hear so many people say, “I’m just not built for running.” Trust me if you are built for walking, you are built for running.
Have a look at https://tinyurl.com/yy68aykr and I hope it inspires you to get your running shoes on and enjoy our beautiful Welsh countryside.
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