Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
12th November 2022
Super Seeds
I have a very busy squirrel in my garden, who is collecting acorns from one end of the garden and taking them to bury in the field at the other end. I’m guessing he has a reason for this preferred planting site but he has also decided to regularly take a short cut right past my patio doors. It drives Yogi to distraction but I have to admit to being quite impressed at his work ethic and he is slowly clearing the acorns up, fair play.
My neighbour’s squirrel, on the other hand, has been seduced by the beautiful, glossy magnolia seeds which are ripening and falling from their exotic looking seedpods in her garden now.
The seeds are like little red jewels and fascinate me every year. If I were a squirrel I would probably choose them over acorns too. The little jewel-like seeds are actually suspended on silk threads from their neat little pods as a clever advert to the squirrels and birds before dropping to the ground – staggeringly beautiful and satisfactorily clever.
Magnolia seeds must go through a process called stratification in order to germinate – it’s an effortful process to replicate and if you are lucky and the conditions are just right, you may find a magnolia seedling growing under the parent tree.
If you do want to try to grow your own, try to establish that the parent tree isn’t a hybrid as they don’t ‘breed true’ and might not resemble the original tree. Your ‘new’ tree may not flower for 10-15 years and that’s a long time to wait to realise you’ve not got what you wanted.
Beat Bullying
Anti-Bullying Week takes place next week, from November 14th to the 18th. The nationwide event is organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance to raise awareness of the issue of bullying among children, especially in schools, and is supported here in Wales by the Welsh Government. Children of all ages, as well as parents, are encouraged to get involved in the event and take part in activities that will help to shine a light on the problem of bullying and to find ways to help resolve the issue.
‘Reach Out’ has been chosen as the theme of Anti-Bullying Week this year, and after a successful campaign last year (themed One Kind Word), next week will ‘kick off’ with Odd Socks Day on Monday 14th November, where adults and children are encouraged to wear odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique.
As a teenager I was badly bullied (as if you can be ‘satisfactorily’ bullied) in school. Twelve years ago, those difficult days contributed to me becoming an Ambassador for the Welsh arm of BeatBullying. I was involved in fronting several campaigns with Joe Calzaghe and Jamie Baulch, who were both bullied and ‘teased’ respectively during their school days.
I wrote about the devastating effects of being bullied in my autobiography ‘Barefoot and Before’, and have spoken about it a lot publically in the hope of making some sort of difference by encouraging those being bullied to be brave and ‘reach out’. One of the (many) awful things about bullies is that the fear and misery they instil in others often results in repression and a fear of speaking out. Most bullies rely on this ‘silence’ to be able to maintain their abuse.
We can change that.
And of course, whilst Anti Bullying Week is aimed at children and the school environment in particular, let’s not forget that bullying can be encountered at any age and in any environment – and is always completely and totally unacceptable.
I always remember my nan saying, “Anyone who has time to make another person miserable isn’t gardening enough.” It’s an astute and ageless observation as is, “A healthy mind does not speak ill of, or do ill to, others.”
As the Anti-Bullying Alliances’ call to action states:
‘Bullying affects millions of lives and can leave us feeling hopeless. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If we challenge it, we can change it. And it starts by reaching out.
Whether it’s in school, at home, in work, in the community or online, let’s reach out and show each other the support we need. Reach out to someone you trust if you need to talk. Reach out to someone you know is being bullied. Reach out and consider a new approach.
And it doesn’t stop with young people. From teachers to parents and influencers to politicians, we all have a responsibility to help each other reach out. Together, let’s be the change we want to see. Reflect on our own behaviour, set positive examples and create kinder communities.
It takes courage, but it can change lives. So, this Anti-Bullying Week, let’s come together and reach out to stop bullying.’
Keep Secateurs Safe
I recently recommended my favourite pair of secateurs to a client of mine, and was perplexed when he told me that he had bought them, and was pleased with them but they had ‘cost him dearly.’
It transpired that after using them he slipped them into the back pocket of his jeans and jumped into his classic MGB to pop to the shops. ‘Tragically’, the secateurs had ripped the driving seat which proved costly to repair.
It’s why ‘holsters’ are recommended for secateurs. I have had some very near misses myself, including remembering that my secateurs were in my back pocket just before sitting on a very expensive leather sofa. And a colleague recounted the time he had his secateurs in his back pocket, went to the toilet, the secateurs fell out of his pocket and cracked a large travertine floor tile in his clients bathroom.
My current work trousers have a proper pocket for secateurs or pliers, which I prefer to a holster as they often get caught and hooked up on things, and the side ‘phone pockets’ in leggings are always more useful for secateurs than my phone – although it does shorten the life of the leggings. Still cheaper than repairing a car seat, a sofa or floor tile though.
My favourite secateurs are Japanese Okatsune 101’s from www.okatsune.co.uk/product-category/secateurs and they also supply a leather holster for the 101’s, 103’s and 104’s.
And the work trousers that have that useful pocket – as well as having other great attributes – are from www.revolutionrace.co.uk. It’s hard to find good fitting, comfy trousers for work and these double up well for walking too.
Another informative and thought provoking article this week. The bullying reference reminds me of my time in my early teens at Ysgol Dewi Sant in St. Davids. We didn’t have the ability to speak out in those old days and it emanated from one boy who had his own gang. It didn’t stop until I took physical action against the gang leader and showed him up for what he was.