Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
8th March 2025
Here Comes The Sun
Doesn’t it make such a difference seeing blue skies and feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin. Just wonderful. Welcome March – February, all is forgiven.
A little later than previous years, I have spotted my favourite little humble hazel flowers. The much-overlooked tiny, star-shaped bright red flowers are much easier to spot when the sun shines on them and I champion them every spring. I just love the way they let the male (!) catkins have their moment in the spotlight and wiggle and waggle in the spring breeze whilst the little female flowers are quietly confident in their role and ability. It is these little flowers that will actually develop into the hazel nut that we all know and love.
Do spend some time trying to spot one of these little flowers and then you can champion them too.
It’s lovely seeing the daffodils being more within their blooming remit this year too. Last year they were all out in full flower by the middle of February and most paid the price by being flattened by winter storms.
Camellias are tentatively showing bright buds as they ready themselves for their main event. Although I did manage to coax a few into full flower for Mum’s Thanksgiving service by cwtching them up in front of the wood burner for a few nights and a final persuasion with the hairdryer! It worked a treat and I take great store in the fact that I can ‘think’ like a plant and know what will encourage them into an early debut.
If you are enjoying the spring colours emerging in other people’s gardens whilst your own is ‘saving’ itself for a later performance, do pop along to the Garden Centre and buy something that’s in flower now. Even if it is a few pots of daffodils – they can always be planted out once they go over. It will lengthen the blooming period in your own garden and lift your spirits at a time when they need a boost.
Ex-seedingly Good Ideas
The sunshine has given me second wind when it comes to the seed catalogues too.
I have compiled numerous lists and ‘planting’ plans and have decided to sow lots of seeds in pots this year. Although I have copious amounts of room in the garden and veggie patch, last year it was an endless battle with the pigeons and rabbits – and I was heavily defeated. I’ll plant things like Cosmos, stocks, sunflowers and even nasturtiums and cut and come again lettuce in large pots and then I can also choose where I put them. Lettuce and nasturtiums can go by the back door to harvest for summer salads, and plants like stocks can be put next to a bench when they are in flower so I can enjoy the evening scent – and sit down!
Whilst I have found that rabbits will have a go at most plants, they absolutely adore sweet peas, Cosmos, nasturtiums and Lupins and of course, lettuce, and other salad crops, but they are less keen on some plants too – Stachys, most salvias, sedums, marigolds, and most strong herbs like chives, basil, thyme, marjoram, oregano and parsley. So bear that in mind and maybe try to plant some of these amongst the more vulnerable plants or even as a border around a bed. It’s a little early in the experiment, but a client has planted chives amongst her raspberries to deter voles – this is only the second year but we are definitely leaning toward a win so far.
You won’t outsmart nature but you can try and be smart enough to stay in the game by stealth.
Bamboo Blisters
I have been gardening for over 40 years and thought I had experienced or heard about most things that can be an irritant or cause a health problem in that time. But apparently not. Last week I cut back a large swathe of annoying bamboo in my own garden. It was about 8 ft high and despite taking my time and being as careful as possible some of the ‘sharp’ leaves caused quite a rash on my bare arms – a little like the rash you get when hedge-cutting Leylandii, and that stings like mad when you get in the bath. Anyway, the next day the rash had turned into lots of little welts and blisters and was quite painful. I didn’t think it was anything to do with the bamboo but my brother told me to Google it (and stop moaning) – and lo and behold bamboo can indeed cause these ‘allergic’ reactions, including painful red blisters and sores.
I have learned that bamboo culm sheaths, which are protective sheaths that surround the stems of bamboo plant, are covered in tiny, fine hairs which can cause a rash and at worse, allergic reactions like welts and blistering.
Whilst researching this I also found out that ‘Tulip fingers’ is also an irritating rash/blistering which can occur when people are handling tulip bulbs. I know the bulbs (and the stems, leaves and flowers) are toxic, so must never be ingested but some unlucky people are also allergic to the chemical tuliposide in tulips, which makes even handling them a problem.
I always remember comparing a charity event with Max Boyce years ago, where he told the audience that he had given up gardening after mistaking daffodil bulbs for onions and eating them in a curry. He ended up in hospital just before Christmas but ‘came out in the spring’.
Nap Attack
National Napping Day is an unofficial ‘celebratory day’ that takes place on the day after Daylight Savings Time starts – in USA and Canada. But I don’t think that should let that stop us from enjoying a nap or two in Wales!
Timed to make up for the hour of sleep that people lose due to the time change, the day highlights the health benefits of a quick afternoon nap.
Thanks to social media, National Napping Day has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, but of course, many Mediterranean countries like Spain and Italy have long realized the benefits of a quick siesta. Apparently the afternoon is the perfect time to take a nap as it’s right in the middle of the wake cycle and the sleep cycle, which is ideal for the body to regain its rhythm.
Napping has been proven to increase productivity and alertness levels as the brain works better and can also help make you happier and less frustrated, enabling problems to be dealt with, with less stress. Health-wise, napping reduces the risk of heart disease by 37%.
So instead of getting an App for improved wellbeing – get a Nap.
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