Pennod 6 Gardd Pont y Twr

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-I'm Sioned Edwards.

-Six months ago,

-I moved to Plas Pont Y Twr...

-..with my husband Iwan

-and daughters Nanw and Malan.

-It's my grandparents' old farm, at

-the foot of Moel Famau near Ruthin.

-The house is run-down.

-Our home for the next year

-is a rather cramped caravan.

-It's quite a challenge

-with two young children.

-We must go in five minutes.

-This year's main project is

-to turn the field by the caravan...

-..into a vegetable, fruit

-and flower garden...

-..with a play area, of course.

-Hooray!

-My dream is to grow my own flowers

-for my work as a floral designer.

-With luck, next year

-they'll all come from the garden.

-Iwan is passionate

-about green and organic methods.

-I could go to the toilet

-in the compost heap...

-..but Sioned vetoed that.

-After months

-of discussing and arguing...

-..we've finally agreed on a plan.

-This is a story

-about sweat, frustration...

-Hang on!

-..arguing and celebrating,

-as we try to realize the dream.

-Let me sit. This is going

-to take time, I can tell.

-Not to mention headstrong chickens,

-greedy pigs and a cheeky cat.

-It's a big challenge

-and we may not succeed.

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-It's autumn in the Vale Of Clwyd

-and there's an Indian summer.

-The trees and shrubs

-are laden with fruit.

-Shoo!

-Shoo!

-It's early October...

-..the perfect time to pick these.

-Some apples are ready in September

-or October, others in November.

-Some are even ready in December.

-I hope to make a little

-apple juice and cider.

-I've never made cider.

-I've spoken to a friend,

-who knows what to do.

-He's given me advice, so I'm

-going to see if I can make cider.

-To check if apples are ripe...

-..give them a quarter turn.

-If they come off easily,

-they're ready.

-If I pull them too roughly...

-..I remove this part.

-That's next year's fruit.

-I don't want to lose that.

-If I master

-the cider-making method...

-..I hope to make more next year.

-Be careful when you pick them.

-Let's go to the next tree.

-From what I've heard,

-making cider is rather pot luck.

-You might not know if the apple

-is a cider-making variety.

-But any apple will produce cider.

-They have sugar, juice

-and natural yeast on the skin.

-So any apple will produce cider.

-Whether it's drinkable

-is another matter.

-I don't have enough apples

-for even half a pint of cider.

-Simon, who helps with the garden...

-..and Richard said they have apples

-in their gardens which I can use...

-..providing I share the cider!

-So I go to Llandyrnog first,

-where Richard lives.

-These look beautiful.

-Mm!

-I must admit,

-I've been waiting for this month.

-I hate buying fruit

-in a supermarket...

-..like apples from New Zealand.

-The apples we grow

-in this country are marvellous.

-We can pick them fresh from the

-tree, they're free from pesticide.

-This is so fresh,

-it's marvellous to eat.

-And it doesn't cost a penny.

-Richard says it's best to have

-as many apple varieties as possible.

-So we go back towards Ruthin,

-to Simon's garden.

-I don't think wasps

-will get through the skin of these.

-We have loads of damson plums.

-I want to make the most of them.

-My sister, Llinos, is coming. We're

-going to try to make jam and gin.

-But we're not too sure what to do!

-Hi, Llin, are you OK?

-Hi, Llin, are you OK?

-

-Yes, and you?

-I've brought jars.

-Thanks. Aprons too.

-You know I don't have any!

-Yes, well!

-I found a recipe on the internet.

-Have a look.

-Let's see what we have to do.

-We need four and three quarter

-pounds of damsons.

-You've prepared them.

-Yes, I washed them.

-Yes, I washed them.

-

-OK.

-We need a pint of water.

-Right.

-And sugar.

-Six pounds!

-It's a lot.

-It mentions pectin. What's that?

-Apparently, there's

-something in fruit...

-..which makes the jam set.

-It's called pectin.

-If the skin is tough,

-the fruit has more pectin.

-So you need less sugar.

-But fruit like strawberries

-don't have much pectin...

-..because the skin is so soft.

-Adding more sugar makes the fruit

-keep its shape better in the jam.

-But I don't know!

-We have to let this boil

-for 45 minutes.

-Up in the orchard,

-the lads and I aren't much wiser.

-A friend lent us an apple press.

-It's possible to hire them

-a day at a time.

-The most time-consuming job

-is chopping the apples...

-..in small pieces like this.

-We've been very lucky

-to have a loan of this gadget.

-It makes the job much easier.

-After mashing the apples,

-a heavy weight is put on the pulp...

-..to press out

-as much juice as possible.

-OK, that's Number One.

-While the jam boils, we prick

-the damsons, ready for the gin.

-The fruit's juice will mix

-with the gin in the bottle.

-This is much easier than making jam.

-Do I need to remove these?

-No, we'll sieve it later.

-That smells nice.

-It looks syrupy already.

-After boiling the fruit

-for 45 minutes...

-..in goes the sugar.

-My goodness, I feel

-we're overdoing the sugar!

-Wow. What a lot of sugar.

-But hopefully, it'll taste

-less sweet when it cools.

-Stir it for fifteen minutes,

-until it boils.

-There shouldn't be

-any sugar crystals in it...

-..or the recipe says

-it'll set too hard.

-This time I use fewer cooking apples

-to see if there's a difference.

-We estimate it takes

-about fifty apples for a gallon.

-This looks a different colour.

-You can see the difference.

-This one was made

-with fewer cooking apples...

-..and this one, more.

-I'll experiment and then compare

-the two methods of making cider.

-The dark juice will ferment

-the sugar in the apples...

-..and turn into cider naturally.

-If there's more sugar,

-the process takes longer...

-..and the cider is more alcoholic.

-I add a Campden tablet

-to the other one.

-It kills the yeast in the juice.

-Once I've killed

-the natural yeast...

-..I can add my own yeast.

-I'll add a fifth of the pack...

-..into this juice.

-That's it.

-I'll leave it in the shed

-for three or four months.

-Cross fingers, we'll have cider

-that's good to drink in spring.

-Do you want to try it?

-Do you want to try it?

-

-Yes.

-It's lovely!

-Nice. I'm looking forward to having

-this on toast tomorrow morning.

-It's time to add butter,

-to get rid of the scum.

-How much, do you think? This much?

-How much, do you think? This much?

-

-Yes.

-Then it's ready.

-We can put it in jars.

-If we get this right...

-..it'd make a nice gift.

-Mm!

-Llinos pots the jam and decorates

-the jars while I tackle the gin.

-I have to add some sugar,

-after filling a third of the jar.

-Just a little sugar.

-I pour this in. It's quite simple!

-It's much easier than the jam.

-We have enough cider and gin

-for quite a few parties!

-But we have to be patient

-for the time being.

-Coming up, Nanw plants cabbage.

-The spring bulbs go in.

-And how does the garden look

-exactly a year after we started?

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-Nanw wants a corner so that she and

-Malan can grow their own vegetables.

-I've decided to dig

-a deep bed by the shed.

-It's good, sandy soil.

-It doesn't retain moisture.

-When you raise

-the level of the bed...

-..the drainage is even better.

-I have sandy soil...

-..and a raised bed

-that will improve the drainage.

-The water will flow away.

-I don't want to waste time

-constantly watering the bed.

-I'll be far too busy!

-I'll use a technique

-that's come from Germany...

-..where old wood is used.

-I start with a layer of wood.

-Rotted wood is perfect.

-The fungi will grow roots.

-The roots will grow into the bed.

-These very fine roots...

-..will get entwined

-with the plant roots...

-..and help the plant

-to absorb water.

-The fungi roots...

-..inhabit the plant roots.

-For its trouble, the plant

-gets water from the fungi roots.

-It's symbiotic,

-they live together happily.

-On the wood, I'll place

-anything that's organic...

-..that will rot in the soil.

-This straw

-has been drying in the shed.

-These spare sleepers

-will make up the sides.

-And now, fill it with soil.

-Nanw can start planting.

-Have you come to help, Nanw?

-Have you come to help, Nanw?

-

-Yes.

-We're planting

-your favourite vegetable.

-Your favourite vegetable is

-cabbage, isn't it? You love cabbage.

-No.

-We'll plant lots of cabbages.

-We'll have plenty of greens

-in springtime.

-We'll plant them quickly before

-it rains and then go in for tea.

-Shall I make a hole?

-A little hole.

-Start at the end.

-You dig the hole and I'll put it in.

-You dig the hole and I'll put it in.

-

-Is that OK?

-Push the soil back.

-That's it.

-That's one.

-Has it stopped raining?

-Has it stopped raining?

-

-Yes.

-We carried on planting

-after the rain.

-Nanw and Malan will have plates

-laden with cabbage next spring!

-The weather has turned this week.

-I can't believe I'm in a fleece,

-gloves and a woolly scarf.

-It's so cold! But the weather

-is ideal for planting bulbs.

-We can look forward to spring.

-The flowers will be smiling at us

-all over this area.

-It's time well spent, wrapping up

-in warm clothes to plant.

-Muscari is my favourite flower.

-Its perfect blue flowers

-will appear in the spring.

-Daffodil bulbs are larger.

-These are white daffodils,

-for a change.

-There are many yellow ones here.

-Nain planted a lot of daffodils

-round here.

-I wanted white ones

-to go with them.

-This rounder bulb

-is the fritillaria.

-Its flower hangs upside-down.

-It looks like snakeskin.

-That's a snake's head fritillaria.

-I have a small white one, too.

-We'll have a snake's head

-fritillaria and a white one.

-I hope they'll look natural

-along here.

-We can appreciate them

-when we take a walk along the path.

-I'd better get on with the planting.

-The bulbs should be planted

-two to three inches deep.

-There are various measurements

-on the tool Iwan made.

-It's perfect.

-On the opposite side, I'll plant

-my favourite spring flowers...

-..blue muscari as well as

-yellow and white daffodils.

-Spring is my favourite season.

-I look forward

-to seeing the bulbs flowering...

-..after winter in the earth.

-The sun is on its way.

-Flowers bring hope.

-It's spring once again.

-Exactly a year has passed

-since we started the work...

-..of turning the Pont Y Twr field

-into a garden.

-Our plan was to have designated

-areas for flowers, vegetables...

-..fruit as well as a play area.

-We stuck quite closely to the plan

-through some miracle.

-And months of hard work.

-Lwcus the dog, the newest member

-of the family, loves the garden.

-I'm thrilled with the roses.

-They look lovely. The tulips

-in their midst look brilliant.

-They've grown much better

-than the ones I grew in pots.

-Their stalks are stronger.

-It'll be nice when the lavender

-has grown along here.

-This looks nice.

-This looks nice.

-

-I'm happy with the prairie.

-I'm pleased

-with how the wood turned out.

-When I was burning them, I thought,

-'What are we doing?!'

-It really works. They add height

-and structure to the area.

-The black contrasts nicely

-with the Welsh poppies.

-I have to admit, Sions...

-..you were right

-about the area by the trampoline.

-Of course!

-The box really works.

-We were right not to move the tree.

-It looks wonderful today.

-It's fantastic.

-I'm very happy with that section.

-I think the children are, too.

-We've invited family and neighbours

-back to Pont Y Twr...

-..to celebrate our work.

-It's a good excuse

-to taste the cider.

-I've been looking forward

-to this day!

-We tidied up round here.

-Who lives here?

-I love having everyone here.

-It makes the work worth it.

-The children are playing on

-the trampoline and in the trees.

-It's a family garden.

-It's a fantastic garden

-for children.

-And we can drink homemade cider

-while they're on the trampoline!

-They're far enough away!

-Life is good.

-I remember coming here

-to visit Nain and Taid...

-..and playing outside.

-It's nice that Dad and Auntie

-Rhiannon can enjoy the garden.

-It's very nice!

-And knowing they're happy

-with what we've done.

-I hope your Nain and Taid

-would think we've done a good job.

-Going back to the plan...

-..we haven't quite finished.

-I know. There's still

-a lot to do in the garden.

-But it's a terrific start.

-We've done a lot.

-But there's a long list

-of things that need to be done.

-We'll take a break

-for a week or two.

-We deserve a break. Cheers, Iws!

-Come on. There's work to do.

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