Pennod 11 Garddio a Mwy

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-Welcome back to Pont y Twr.

-What was your summer like?

-The weather was very unsettled here.

-We had so much rain

-and strong winds in early August.

-Thankfully, it didn't do

-too much harm to the flowers.

-As you can see, these wallflowers

-are almost at the end of their life.

-The colour is still vivid.

-Over here, these sedums

-have almost burst open.

-What do we have for you this week?

-Iwan has suggestions for those

-of you with a glut of cucumbers.

-Meinir finds out which bees

-regularly visit her garden.

-And we visit

-a teeming allotment in Aberystwyth.

-How did you react

-to the challenging summer weather?

-I feel as if we've had

-two totally different summers.

-It was really dry until late July...

-..and I was constantly watering

-the vegetable patch.

-Take these leeks.

-I was worried about these,

-as the soil here is dry and sandy.

-If we don't get enough rain...

-..plants like these

-tend to flower and bolt.

-Thankfully,

-I only had to uproot one or two.

-Then we had all that rain in August.

-I was able to put the hose

-back in the shed.

-We went off

-on a family holiday...

-..and the garden

-looked after itself.

-As you can see from the foliage,

-the carrots have done well.

-The beetroots and courgettes

-have also been a success.

-I've also had some success inside.

-I've been harvesting tomatoes

-in the greenhouse all summer.

-This variety here is Garnet.

-This yellow one, Sunlemon,

-has also been a big success.

-If you've done well

-with any vegetable in the garden...

-..and are aiming, like us,

-to be totally self-sufficient...

-..it may be time

-to collect seeds.

-Tomato seeds

-are among the easiest to gather.

-But I won't be collecting

-any from this Roma variety.

-It's been difficult to handle.

-It has to be pruned weekly,

-grows too much vegetation...

-..and the fruits

-aren't all that tasty.

-They're also a bit too soft,

-so they clearly don't like it here.

-But the Sunlemon and the Garnet...

-..have been exceptionally good,

-so I'll definitely save these seeds.

-The reason that tomato seeds

-are easy to collect...

-..is that we can be

-fairly certain...

-..that the seeds inside

-will be similar to the parent...

-..because the tomato flower

-pollinates itself as it opens.

-A bee could have flown

-into the greenhouse...

-..and cross-pollinated

-from another flower...

-..but the probability

-is that it will be like the parent.

-It's simple enough.

-I'm going to cut the tomato in half.

-I'll use a teaspoon

-to collect the seeds.

-As you can see,

-there are lots of them.

-I'll spread them onto kitchen paper.

-I need to dry the seeds.

-They won't keep over winter

-if they're moist.

-Some people...

-..let them dry in the sun...

-..then wrap them in newspaper

-in a dry, dark place over winter.

-Others think that you need

-to remove this protective layer...

-..this jelly surrounding the seed.

-You can see that it has come off.

-That's the seed...

-..and that's the protective layer.

-I'm going to experiment

-with both techniques.

-I'll remove the protective layer

-from some, and keep it on the rest.

-We'll see next year

-which seeds perform best.

-Look at this Persicaria.

-The bees flock to it.

-I love to watch them working busily.

-But I've never considered...

-..what type of bees

-feast in our garden.

-If, like me,

-you're ignorant in such matters...

-..Meinir's item will be of interest.

-It's one of gardening's pleasures.

-Watching bees feast on flowers

-and plants that you have nurtured.

-But of all the insects

-in the garden...

-..my favourite is the bumblebee.

-Also known as humble-bees...

-..the name bumblebee is more common,

-and is the official name.

-They're interesting insects.

-Conservationist Bethan Wyn

-is taking me into their world.

-How many different types are there?

-How many different types are there?

-

-There are 24 in Britain.

-There are six that you're

-most likely to see in your garden.

-There's one of them here.

-The buff-tailed bumblebee,

-out looking for nectar.

-The buff-tailed bumblebee

-has two yellow stripes.

-One near the head,

-on the thorax...

-..and one on the body,

-or, more accurately, the abdomen.

-The tail isn't quite white.

-Why do they like lavender?

-Why do they like lavender?

-

-Because it has lots of nectar.

-They get at it with the proboscis,

-their tongue.

-The shape of the flower

-matches the shape of the proboscis.

-How can you identify the bees?

-There are several different ways.

-If they stay still long enough

-for you to count the stripes...

-..that's a good way

-to differentiate between species.

-Over here,

-we have the common carder bee.

-Of the ones you're likely to see...

-..this one is notably different.

-The body is a lot less black.

-It's an orangey yellow colour.

-As well as the common carder bee...

-..we saw a garden bumblebee.

-It has three yellow stripes

-and a white tail.

-The early bumblebee

-has a yellow stripe on the thorax...

-..a less obvious one on the abdomen,

-and a red tail.

-You can tell

-that this is a female worker.

-Only they carry pollen

-in small baskets on their legs.

-We also saw

-a white-tailed bumblebee.

-It's very similar

-to the buff-tailed bumblebee.

-The workers, at least.

-She has two

-identical yellow stripes...

-..but the tail is very white.

-What's the life of a bumblebee?

-If I follow the season,

-starting in spring...

-..that's when the queen emerges.

-She has been asleep all winter.

-She'll build a nest and lay eggs.

-After a few weeks, they'll hatch.

-That's where the colony starts.

-The worker bees will spend summer

-out searching for nectar.

-By the end of the summer,

-the colony will get smaller.

-The queen will die and the workers

-will start to feed larvae...

-..to create another queen, in a way.

-She will then sleep all winter

-and emerge to feed in spring.

-And start building a new nest.

-And start building a new nest.

-

-Yes, exactly.

-Why are bumblebees important?

-There are lots of reasons.

-Firstly, they're pollinators.

-Without pollinators,

-we'd have a lot less food.

-They pollinate the crops

-that we eat.

-Little things like the fact

-that they're really nice to look at.

-You can sit in the garden

-and take the time to watch them.

-It just looks so happy.

-And the noise they make.

-The buzzing, yes.

-The word bumblebee stems

-from the Latin word for buzzing.

-Little things like that.

-How can you create a garden

-that benefits bumblebees?

-Exactly what you have done here.

-Different kinds of flowers.

-Just remember too that the queen

-emerges quite early in the spring.

-It's important that there's food

-available for her as well.

-I'll plant winter and

-early spring-flowering heather...

-..to help those queens.

-If you see a bumblebee

-and don't know its species...

-..feel free to send us a photo

-and we'll try to help identify it.

-Tips From The Nursery

-Plants that sell well

-this time of year are Heucheras.

-They come in all kinds of colours,

-from dark to light.

-The colours

-will last through the autumn.

-They're ideal for pots and planters.

-This one is my favourite.

-Green Spice.

-It looks nice

-with other colours in one pot.

-It's ideal at this time of year.

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-Earlier this year,

-if you remember...

-..Sioned let me have

-a corner of the polytunnel...

-..to grow a few vegetables.

-I can tell you,

-she's glad that she did.

-Not only do we have

-melons growing here...

-..the sweet potatoes

-are doing quite well.

-We also have lots of different

-peppers, some small, some big.

-But today,

-I want to harvest the cucumbers.

-I have some different varieties.

-Take this snack box variety.

-These are fully grown.

-The children love harvesting these.

-They eat them

-straight from the polytunnel.

-But if you think

-you've seen a cucumber...

-..let me show you this one.

-That's what I call

-a proper cucumber.

-This is the Pepinex variety.

-As you can see, it grows much bigger

-than the snack box variety.

-Traditionally, cucumbers

-are eaten as part of a salad.

-But if you have too many...

-..as is true in my case...

-..it's time to make

-a pickle out of them.

-That's just what I'll do later on.

-While I pick these...

-..let's visit Jim Jones

-on his allotment hear Aberystwyth.

-I've been here for about 17 years.

-After retiring,

-I applied for a few jobs.

-I was either too old

-or too qualified.

-I don't know why!

-I put my name down

-to have something to do.

-It won't be long, I thought.

-But I waited three or four years

-before getting this patch.

-Back then, it was awfully wild.

-Weeds, nettles, brambles, dear me.

-I expected to see a tiger

-at any moment.

-So many weeds.

-It's hard work.

-If you don't like working,

-the weeds will grow.

-I'm picking some potatoes.

-I've cut all the tops

-because blight got them.

-They won't keep over winter,

-but they're very tasty at this time.

-As you can see, one potato...

-Oh, my back!

-That's the mark of potato blight.

-Here it is, the devil's nest!

-It looks untidy,

-but I know where everything is.

-It's all in there.

-The job is finding it.

-I never buy anything from a shop.

-People go, or they die,

-and leave their tools.

-Not being cheeky,

-but I took everything.

-They're here for any newcomers.

-If they want anything,

-just ask and you're welcome.

-Unless I want them!

-Me first, because I found them!

-And that's it.

-That's why it looks a bit untidy.

-My feet sweat too much

-in a pair of wellingtons.

-But they're OK in shoes.

-These have an industrial toecap...

-..in case I have

-an accident with a fork.

-I found an old pair of wellingtons

-that someone left in a shed.

-I cut the bottoms off...

-..put them on before the shoe

-and they fit perfectly.

-It does just fine.

-I come here for the friendship...

-..for healthy food,

-and for exercise.

-I enjoy it.

-It gets me out of the house.

-The wife has it while I'm here.

-To give her some peace.

-I get some peace too,

-no tellings-off.

-But if I'm late back, I get a row.

-One of the problems

-vegetable growers face...

-..and I'm sure it's the same

-for Jim, is a glut of vegetables.

-Too much produce

-as the growing season goes on.

-No-one likes waste...

-..especially after all the effort

-to grow them in the first place.

-A good way to solve the problem...

-..is to make a pickle, and that's

-what I'll do with this cucumber.

-This American recipe is known

-as bread and butter pickles...

-..because it can be found

-on everyone's dinner table.

-First, slice four Pepinex cucumbers

-or six regular-sized ones...

-..and four red onions.

-Mix in a bowl with three quarters of

-a cup of pickling salt or sea salt.

-There we are,

-the vegetables are ready.

-The next step is to place some ice

-on top of the cucumber.

-That then goes into a fridge

-for at least four hours.

-We do that

-to retain the cucumber's crunch.

-Into the fridge it goes.

-While that chills,

-I'll prepare the syrup.

-First, 750ml of cider vinegar...

-..two cups of sugar...

-..two and a half tablespoons

-of yellow mustard seeds...

-..and one and half tablespoons

-of turmeric.

-The remaining ingredients

-are optional.

-Two tablespoons each

-of garlic powder and celery seeds...

-..and if you like a hot pickle,

-as much chilli as you can handle.

-Bring the mixture to a boil.

-Right.

-I've prepared another batch

-that has been refrigerated.

-The ice has melted,

-and I've drained all the liquid.

-I'm now ready to add the syrup.

-This looks lovely!

-This can now go back onto the heat

-to simmer for a while.

-It should have warmed through

-in five minutes.

-Meanwhile,

-I'll sterilize the jars...

-..by pouring boiling water

-into them...

-..and placing the lids

-in boiling water.

-I'm now ready

-to fill the jars with pickle.

-I must say, it smells incredible.

-The red onions

-have retained their colour.

-Before I put the lid on...

-..I have to wipe the rim.

-If it's not clean...

-..it might not seal properly.

-That'll do.

-Pickling jar lids

-come in two parts.

-The lower lid

-seals the pickle in the jar...

-..by removing air from the gap

-between the lid and the pickle.

-So that every lid does its job,

-you need to boil the jars.

-Be sure to have about half an inch

-of water over the jars.

-After 15-20 minutes,

-remove them to a cooler temperature.

-A tool like this will come in handy.

-There we are.

-The cooling process

-will seal the lid...

-..then I can label them.

-What better Christmas present...

-..than a taste of summer

-from Pont y Twr's garden?

-It's now September, of course.

-Some of the plants have reached

-the end of their season.

-Despite the unsettled weather

-over the summer...

-..the flowers have been lovely.

-But these hollyhocks

-have let me down this year.

-As you can see, they look terrible,

-having suffered from rust.

-This plant does have a tendency

-to suffer from rust...

-..if you don't stay on top of it.

-In Victorian times,

-when these were grown everywhere...

-..they sprayed everything.

-But we're trying

-to be much more organic.

-The upshot is, I'll probably sulk

-and I won't plant them next year.

-The damp weather

-that we've endured...

-..hasn't helped

-the standard rose either.

-Black spot has attacked it,

-and I haven't got rid of it.

-Next year, I'll uproot the shrub

-and plant something in its place.

-But I'm sure these are problems

-faced by many during the summer.

-On the other hand,

-many flowers have thrived...

-..as you can see in this new border.

-The Penstemon are all from cuttings

-I've taken in the past two years.

-I have three different types,

-and they look wonderful.

-I planted these Echinacea

-when they were in bloom last year.

-Often, they don't survive frost...

-..so I'm delighted

-that they have flowered again.

-Something else that's special to me

-is this honeysuckle.

-Three years ago, I took cuttings

-from a plant my grandmother had.

-I planted them along the fence

-but never got many flowers.

-But look at them this year!

-The aroma is wonderful.

-I also love the different shapes...

-..and the colours in every flower.

-There are also more to come.

-Hopefully, I'll have flowers

-for another two or three weeks.

-A little something

-to brighten our days!

-Well, that's it for now.

-I hope you can join us

-again next week...

-..when we find out how Meinir got on

-at the Cerrigydrudion show.

-You've been making pickle!

-You've been making pickle!

-

-Hands off. They're Christmas gifts.

-They look very nice.

-Also next week,

-I visit a Cardiff family...

-..to help transform their garden

-into a fun place for children.

-And for the first time, I'll try

-to plant potatoes for Christmas.

-Lots to look forward to there.

-Until next time,

-enjoy the gardening.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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