Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
23rd March 2019
Magnificent Magnolias
I love spring flowers and shrubs, with the sunny splash of yellow forsythia, drifts of cheerful daffodils and the magnificent magnolias, all heralding the promise of longer days and better weather. Thanks to the lack of Jack Frost’s meddling this year, the magnolias are particularly stunning. Quite often they bloom in all their glory just to have their delicate white flowers scorched brown by the harsh winds or frosts. Not this year.
Magnolias are among the earliest flowering trees in evolutionary terms and were growing in Europe, America and Asia over 100 million years ago Most of them need a lot of space with the biggest ones reach a towering 15m (50ft), but urban gardeners can grow magnolias too, if they choose a relatively petite one like the shrubby white Magnolia stellata, which grows to a mere 3m (10ft). The stellata’s have the little star-shaped flowers, hence their name, and the larger, blousier magnolias are the soulangiana’s, with their large, tulip shaped blooms. I hate seeing these larger shrubs hacked and deformed to fit into a garden that is just not big enough for them, so please do your homework and find the right sized magnolia (or any shrub) for your plot.
Kew have reported that their magnolia displays are the best for 10 years and Bodnant Gardens in Conwy has more than 500 magnolias in its 80 acres of garden, many of them ancient specimens which thrive in sheltered areas of the borders and the dell. For more information contact https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden
A Rose By Any Other Name
For my birthday last week, I was thrilled to have a rose named after me. A beautiful ivory white floribunda rose, that will reach about 2-3 ft tall, and like me, prefers a sunny position.
It reminded me of the quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, “I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall.“
Country Garden Roses have a large selection of personalised roses with over 200 names, ranging from Alex to Yvonne and Adam to Good Ol’ Dave and with Mother’s Day fast approaching, they also offer roses called My Lovely Mum, Mum in a Million and Special Mum. More details and choices at www.countrygardenroses.co.uk
Birthday Bouldering
I spent my birthday learning to climb at Llangorse Rope Centre, near Crickhowell. What a fabulous experience. When I was in school we used to play a sort of ‘off ground touch’ in PE and a friend just used to shin up a rope where she knew no one else could tag her. It made me determined to learn to climb a rope – one day. Fast forward 40 years and I finally did it, managing to reach 30 feet. I was thrilled.
I wasn’t quite so thrilled with some of the other activities which not only elevated myself but my blood pressure too – but I left with an enormous sense of achievement and pride in learning something new and pushing my own boundaries. I highly recommend it – and don’t wait for your birthday to do it! More about climbing activities at www.activityuk.com
Winter is Dead
It’s officially spring. I am so relieved to have got through another winter and am already looking longingly at my shorts and vests … not long now. But as I get older, I seem to be getting much more sensitive. Whilst I adore seeing the new born lambs, I find myself getting anxious as they yell for their mums – and what about that one that hasn’t moved for 5 minutes. Is it OK. Or dead? I worry about the busy black birds, busy foraging in the verges, oblivious to the risk of passing cars, and the frogs and toads heading back to spawning grounds risking life and limb crossing roads without any Green Cross Toad knowledge.
As winter gives out to spring, so my mild depression turns to high anxiety. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is called ‘being in tune with nature’; it’s not always music you want to hear but it’s real life. And death. And death is not only the greatest loss of life, but often the loss of living whilst alive … which reminds me that I must get back to Llangorse and ring that bell at the top of that rope!
Building Skills
How do you fancy learning to build a magnificent roundhouse for free? You can!
A 12 week accredited training course is being offered over by Tir Coed as part of the Elan Links project, which will enable you to learn to construct a beautiful timber framed building using greenwood joinery skills, to create a beautiful roundhouse. You will even learn how to create and construct a living roof for it.
Open to residents of Powys, priority will be given to those who would benefit most, for example those not already in education, employment or training.
The training course starts at 10am—4pm on Thursdays and Fridays from the 2nd May until 19th July 2019 in Elan Valley, Powys.
Applications are being accepted prior to 12th April at 5pm. For more information or an enrolment form, please contact Gayle Atherfold-Dudley by email at powysmentor@tircoed.org.uk or phone 01597 811527.
Thank you. My weekly wander, along with you, helps me to remember the life I have left behind now. Ta xx