Pennod 5 Garddio a Mwy

-*

-Welcome back to Pont y Twr.

-How are you getting on

-in your vegetable garden?

-Over the past week,

-we've seen some remarkable growth.

-The onions are coming along nicely.

-The early potatoes

-are almost in flower.

-We'll soon be able to eat them.

-But the beans over there

-are ready to eat right now.

-They'll be lovely with a salad.

-That's what I'll be doing

-in the kitchen later...

-..which is also almost ready.

-While I prepare the food...

-..Elen Lloyd has tips for Sioned

-on keeping fit while gardening.

-Tom Griffiths helps Meinir

-to build a dry stone wall.

-And we look at some edible plants

-in Eirlys Rhiannon's garden.

-All this and more on Garddio A Mwy.

-Among the flowers I use in my work

-as a flower arranger for weddings...

-..one of my favourite

-summer blooms are dahlias.

-Five years ago,

-I wouldn't have said that...

-..because they were out of fashion,

-like hydrangeas and fuchsias.

-But everything

-comes back round into fashion.

-Nowadays, dahlias are so popular.

-That's why I've decided to turn

-over half this border to dahlias.

-I hope to get about 30 plants here.

-I've started already.

-I've set up the twine frame

-for them to grow through.

-There are plenty left to plant,

-so I'll prepare the soil over here.

-I've put manure down

-about a month ago...

-..so it has had

-some time in the soil.

-But it's been so dry recently

-that some clumps still remain...

-..so I need to work it a little.

-Dahlias are voracious plants.

-I'm going to add

-fish blood and bone fertilizer...

-..and some compost as well.

-I'll start by spreading...

-..some fish blood

-and bone fertilizer.

-About two handfuls along the row.

-There we are.

-Then a fair amount of compost.

-If you plant these individually...

-..you could add the fertilizer

-directly into the hole.

-But because I have so many to plant,

-this method is much faster.

-After mixing the fertilizer

-and compost into the soil...

-..I set the dahlias out,

-leaving 18 inches between them.

-These have been growing in the

-polytunnel for about five weeks.

-They're now ready to go out...

-..because there's no longer

-any danger of frost.

-I've chosen a variety of colours...

-..but with more creams

-and light pinks...

-..because they are more popular

-for use at weddings and so on.

-One of the things

-I like about dahlias...

-..is that the flowers are perfect.

-Their shape is incredible.

-They're so symmetrical

-in both form and pattern.

-It's hard to believe

-that nature creates them.

-They're so pretty

-when you look at them up close.

-I've decided to plant Sweet Love...

-..Thomas Edison...

-..and Franz Kafka.

-After planting them all,

-I set willow posts around them.

-Bamboo canes would also do fine.

-I then run twine between them

-to support the plants as they grow.

-That's another frame finished.

-Unfortunately,

-something else likes dahlias too.

-The earwig.

-They won't damage

-the plant itself...

-..but they nest in among the petals,

-and I don't want that.

-There's a very simple way

-to get rid of them.

-Use a little straw

-stuffed into a plastic pot...

-..to create a nest.

-On a hot day like today...

-..the earwigs will go into this...

-..and stay there, hopefully.

-Then, at the end of the day...

-..you can gather that and burn it...

-..or go for a walk to the end

-of the field and release them there.

-I've had a busy few weeks

-in the garden...

-..creating a new cooking area.

-The final step was to finish

-the cooking bench, which I've done.

-Since last time,

-the tap is in place...

-..as well as the zinc panels...

-..and the gas bottle is connected

-to the small stove on the worktop.

-Four scaffolding poles

-have been concreted into the ground.

-Four further posts go into those.

-These will support the sail roof.

-This will protect us

-not only from the rain...

-..but also from the sun

-on sweltering days like today.

-You don't have to use posts.

-If you have a corner near a wall,

-you could mount the roof from that.

-You would need

-a support pole in front.

-These come in triangular,

-rectangular and even round shapes.

-These are very handy.

-There's an attached eyelet

-for you to hang it.

-These sails are excellent

-because they're resistant to rain.

-They're also UV resistant,

-so the colour won't fade.

-Importantly, it's been injected

-with a fire-retardant material...

-..which is great given that

-it's going over a barbecue.

-That's it.

-The sail is in place at last.

-Do you know what?

-As it's such a sunny day...

-..I should make the most of the fact

-that the kitchen is finished.

-I've got some mackerel

-in the fridge.

-All I need is some salad,

-so off I go to the vegetable patch.

-I'm Eirlys Rhiannon

-and I'm a gardener.

-I work in gardens across Cardiff.

-Back gardens and front gardens,

-and I've a small garden of my own...

-..and an allotment.

-Today's job is to start to cover

-this wall with edible plants.

-The first plant is Akebia Quinata.

-This will climb to cover the wall.

-It will provide lovely flowers...

-..and if we have enough pollinators,

-it will also bear fruit.

-But to get fruit,

-you also need a really hot summer.

-The main crop I want to get

-from this are the shoots.

-They're like asparagus. You can

-harvest them all year round.

-I'm forming a small ditch

-around the plant.

-If we do have dry weather

-and I need to water the plant...

-..I can aim the water

-where I want it.

-Around the plant

-and straight towards the roots.

-This is a Japanese quince,

-which will bear fruit..

-..but I also chose it

-for its wonderful flowers.

-I can see that the fruit

-is starting to develop.

-I'll plant this

-at an angle towards the wall.

-It's just touching the wires

-that I've put there.

-I've chosen almost every type

-of edible climbing plant I know of.

-This is Passiflora,

-the passion flower.

-That bears fruit.

-It doesn't have a strong taste,

-but you can use it in jellies.

-I also love edible flowers,

-so I've planted honeysuckle.

-In a sunnier spot,

-I've planted a kiwi.

-It's a small form of kiwi that only

-needs one plant to fertilize.

-It produces a small fruit that you

-can eat as if it was a sweet.

-Finally, in the corner,

-there's a vine.

-I can't wait to get fruit from that.

-That's the watering ditch.

-And there we are.

-Plenty of ideas from Eirlys there.

-I'll ask Sioned to add

-a flower or two to my salad later.

-Right, it's time

-to light the barbecue.

-There's something exciting about

-lighting the year's first barbecue.

-I just hope it doesn't start to rain

-now that I've said "barbecue".

-.

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-Being outside in the fresh air

-is good for you, of course.

-Gardening

-is also excellent exercise.

-But I'm often guilty

-of overdoing things...

-..and carrying heavy items

-without thinking.

-As a result,

-I've hurt my back several times.

-I'm very keen not to do so again.

-If you've sprained an ankle...

-..hurt your back, or strained

-a muscle while gardening...

-..you'll be interested

-in what Elen Lloyd has to tell me.

-Elen is a natural nutritionist

-and a personal trainer.

-She is here to share tips

-about injury-free gardening.

-I mentioned that I've had

-problems with my back.

-I hurt it quite badly

-a few years ago.

-I want to make sure

-that doesn't happen again.

-There are several exercises

-that we can do.

-Obviously, you need to strengthen

-the back, and also the core.

-What exercises would you suggest?

-I'd suggest flexibility exercises,

-especially making the back supple.

-The mistake many people make...

-..is to go

-from a fairly sedentary lifestyle...

-..and starting to run

-or go to the gym...

-..without considering the importance

-of becoming more supple first.

-I'm definitely guilty of that.

-Shall we try a few moves?

-Put your head on the blue cushion.

-Put your feet together

-and swing your legs across.

-Slowly push the knees over

-and back up...

-..and over to the other side.

-It's important to do this

-with the breathing rhythm.

-We're working the diaphragm muscles,

-which help with breathing.

-Push the top hip over

-to extend movement in the back.

-You can feel it in the shoulder.

-It works the whole way across.

-And back up.

-It's important to keep moving.

-This is a suppleness exercise,

-not a stretching exercise.

-Turn to face me.

-Keep your head on the block.

-Keep the knees and feet together...

-..and open outwards,

-turning your head as well.

-It's almost

-like wringing a dishcloth.

-Obviously,

-we'd do this on both sides...

-..unless one side

-is more tense than the other.

-After doing that,

-it's important that we stretch.

-If you've been gardening for a long

-time, the chest can become tense.

-For this one, we'll go to the tree.

-Turn your feet towards me.

-Hold the tree at shoulder level...

-..and push against the branch

-until you feel the extension.

-As the tension eases, turn your feet

-a bit more to increase the stretch.

-Next, the strengthening exercises.

-Keep the chin in and push up

-as far as you feel comfortable.

-If the base of the spine is very

-tense, this will be enough for some.

-As you get stronger,

-you can push up further.

-That hurts.

-That hurts.

-

-That is tougher.

-How often

-would you do these exercises?

-It's important to do them often.

-Ten minutes a day

-is better than an hour once a week.

-Make them a part of everyday life.

-After gardening

-and your back is a bit painful...

-..a nice stretch, hold it for three

-minutes then carry on as normal.

-Thanks for all that advice, Elen.

-I promise to do those exercises.

-I never want back pain again.

-I never want back pain again.

-

-Excellent.

-I hope Meinir

-has been listening to this advice.

-She's being taught

-to build a dry stone wall.

-This is my favourite part

-of this garden.

-With a view like that...

-..it doesn't take much work

-to make this a nice place to be.

-But in every garden,

-large or small...

-..there are some areas

-that just don't work.

-Today, I'm going to sort one area

-that has posed problems for years.

-This breeze-block wall was built...

-..as the most practical way

-to separate us from the cattle.

-But as there's hardly any

-depth of soil...

-..it's impossible to grow anything

-tall enough to hide the blocks.

-Tom Griffiths has come here

-to solve the problem.

-As you can see, Tom,

-this is the spot.

-I've tried all kinds of things.

-This ugly wall can still be seen.

-How will stones help me?

-I feel that natural materials

-work in an area like this...

-..with lots of fields.

-Farmers have been using stones

-for centuries.

-It makes your garden

-blend in with the surroundings.

-The garden looks like a part

-of the field beyond it, in a way.

-That sounds good to me.

-The first job is to clear and mark

-where we're putting the wall...

-..then grade the stones by size.

-This one can go at the base.

-The small stones

-are as important as the big ones.

-Does this count as a handy stone?

-Does this count as a handy stone?

-

-Very handy.

-Every good wall

-needs a firm foundation.

-The first stone

-at the corner here.

-That's the most important one,

-in a way, for the footing.

-Give me a hand with this one.

-That fits nicely there.

-Bring some of the small stones.

-I'll put this pinner under it.

-It's important

-to pin them in place from the start.

-You don't want movement at the base.

-It becomes clear to me

-fairly early in the process...

-..is that all you really need

-is to understand the basic steps.

-You've got it!

-You saw that straight away.

-That'll go across.

-Great.

-That's magic!

-You couldn't get better.

-It's at the same level...

-..so locking it here will be easy.

-At a corner and along the wall,

-locking these joints is crucial.

-By locking, you mean a stone on top

-going across the joint.

-It needs to put weight

-on both these stones.

-Once the big stones are in place,

-the wall starts to take shape.

-Use small stones to fill gaps

-and strengthen the structure...

-..then add a final layer of stones

-on top of the wall.

-I'm very happy with this.

-Can we look at it now?

-Let's remove the line

-to see it properly.

-It's been in the way

-since we started.

-Are you happy with it?

-It's you who has

-to look at it every day.

-That slate's a good idea.

-I wouldn't have thought of that.

-When the farmer sees this,

-he'll ask you to rebuild his walls.

-A new job!

-Tips From The Nursery

-Roses look lovely

-at this time of year.

-This rose, Munstead Wood,

-is among the most fragrant.

-If you plant a rose

-in the earth, use manure.

-If you plant a rose in a pot,

-use John Innes No 3 compost.

-Another popular buy at this time

-of year are bedding plants.

-One of my favourites is Bacopa.

-It hangs down

-and flowers for a long time.

-They're great in hanging baskets...

-..but they need lots of water

-and feeding every other week.

-The charcoal is fast turning white

-in the starter chimney.

-It's time for me

-to gather the salad ingredients.

-A few broad beans...

-..some lettuce...

-I..and some radishes are ready too.

-I'll start with the beans.

-A lot of people

-have trouble with beans.

-Some don't see the point

-of growing them.

-But it's one of those plants

-that grow through the season.

-You can cook them whole

-in the pod...

-..as you would mangetout.

-Boil them in some water.

-That's when they're young.

-A little later in the season...

-..you can eat them fresh.

-With a touch of salt. Very nice.

-Then, when they get bigger...

-..you need to peel the skin...

-..because it's the skin

-that gives you wind!

-After boiling the beans

-for two or three minutes...

-..wash the salad, even though

-the produce is totally organic.

-Then make a simple

-and healthy dressing.

-Three cloves of garlic crushed

-with the juice of two lemons...

-..and a little olive oil.

-A dash of salt and pepper.

-But not too much,

-or the children won't eat it.

-There we are. Everything's in there.

-I'll just add the beans...

-..and mix well.

-Lovely.

-Now to cook the mackerel.

-Gut the mackerel,

-then wash and dry them.

-Add a touch of oil and seasoning

-and on they go.

-Five minutes on one side,

-and about three on the other.

-Here we are.

-They look lovely, Iwan.

-What have you got there?

-You asked for flowers.

-To add colour to the salad.

-Well, I know

-we haven't tasted it yet...

-..but I think our first attempt

-at cooking in the new kitchen...

-..has been a success.

-I agree. It does look nice.

-Well, that's it

-for another week from Pont y Twr.

-I hope you'll join us next week.

-Until then, enjoy the gardening!

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

-.