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0:00:00 > 0:00:01- Welcome.
0:00:02 > 0:00:04- Coming up, in Talybont-on-Usk...
0:00:04 > 0:00:09- ..I learn about the relationship - between hedgerows and biodiversity.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15- Sioned visits a garden close to - her home in search of inspiration.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19- Iwan sings the praises of ivy.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24- Naturalist Bethan Wyn Jones - discusses herbs.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39- Well...
0:00:39 > 0:00:42- ..I'm pleased to say - I had a busy weekend.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47- I've done the little jobs - that need doing this time of year.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50- My winter lettuces - have finally gone in.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53- I left it a bit late.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56- They'll be OK by next March.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58- My celery and leeks look good.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02- The odd one has bolted, - but I'm not too worried.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07- The garden looks more autumnal - now.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13- Removing the runner beans - left a big space in the garden.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17- The frame will go - in the shed over winter.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20- I'll put it - in a different bed next year...
0:01:21 > 0:01:24- ..to continue - the crop rotation system.
0:01:24 > 0:01:30- I never grow the same crop - in the same soil year after year.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38- This is my perennial bed.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41- What that means is...
0:01:42 > 0:01:46- ..once planted, - they come back every year.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50- My artichokes were very tasty.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55- I have rhubarb, asparagus...
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- ..sea kale...
0:02:01 > 0:02:04- ..and strawberries.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10- Perennial vegetables - take a few years to establish.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15- If you intend to plant - perennial vegetables this autumn...
0:02:15 > 0:02:19- ..you won't be harvesting - for a year or two.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24- It's worth the wait. You'll - have vegetables year in, year out.
0:02:24 > 0:02:30- This rhubarb has been in the soil - since this time last year.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32- I haven't tasted any of it.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35- I'm waiting for it to establish.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40- It'll take a year for - the crown and roots to establish...
0:02:40 > 0:02:42- ..and I have a strong, - healthy plant.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46- We need to give them some feed - to help them along.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50- This is how I maintain - my perennial bed.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53- A little compost or manure...
0:02:55 > 0:02:57- ..and straw...
0:03:00 > 0:03:04- ..protects the soil in winter...
0:03:05 > 0:03:08- ..and prevent weeds from spreading.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15- Keep the weeds off your perennials.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18- They don't like - competing with weeds.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21- If you create a new bed...
0:03:21 > 0:03:24- ..pay attention to the weeding.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29- Once the plants are in the ground, - that's where they'll stay.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35- I'll leave that...
0:03:35 > 0:03:40- ..so the leaves and stalks will - rot down over the coming weeks.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44- That's all I'll do with the rhubarb - until next spring.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47- Next, asparagus.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53- Asparagus - are delicious to eat in spring.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58- In May and June they poke their - little fingers out of the soil.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01- I cut them and they go straight - in the saucepan.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03- There's nothing like them.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08- You never see asparagus fern - in the shops.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- This is how asparagus looks - when left to grow.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15- Let the plant to do - what it wants to do...
0:04:16 > 0:04:18- ..for the first two or three years.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21- Let them grow, flower...
0:04:21 > 0:04:25- ..and die down naturally - over the winter.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- By spring 2018...
0:04:28 > 0:04:32- ..I'll have fresh asparagus - in the garden.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37- The perennial gardener - has to be patient.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46- They surround our gardens.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- We drive past miles of them - every day.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53- They're home to a myriad - of creatures and plants.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55- What are they?
0:04:55 > 0:04:56- Hedgerows.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01- There are over 88,000 kilometres - of hedgerows in Wales.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- That's enough - to encircle the world twice.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07- That's a long hedgerow.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12- The Welsh name varies - from county to county.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18- Due to the industrialization - of farming and bigger fields...
0:05:18 > 0:05:23- ..Wales has lost 30% of its hedges - since the Second World War.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- To prevent the decline...
0:05:26 > 0:05:31- ..Keep Wales Tidy and the Woodland - Trust's Long Forest project...
0:05:31 > 0:05:35- ..aims to plant new hedgerows - and protect existing ones.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- What makes a good hedgerow?
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- We can determine a hedgerow's age...
0:05:42 > 0:05:46- ..by counting - how many species live in it.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49- In a lovely hedgerow like this...
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- ..there is ivy, hawthorn...
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- ..blackthorn and blackberries.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02- They provide shelter for the animals - that live in the field.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08- They prevent diseases - spreading from field to field.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13- They help to regulate water - and reduce flooding.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- They provide a home - for pollinators...
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- ..and a wild harvest for us.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- They're brilliant, - and should be celebrated.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- How old are some of the hedgerows?
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- Some of them...
0:06:30 > 0:06:32- ..not necessarily these...
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- ..are thousands of years old.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36- Thousands?
0:06:36 > 0:06:37- Thousands?- - Exactly.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43- Some came about - when land was cleared...
0:06:43 > 0:06:47- ..either side of the hedge - to create fields.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53- The old forest became a hedge.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- How do hedgerows - help prevent floods?
0:06:58 > 0:07:04- It has been proven - that water is absorbed...
0:07:04 > 0:07:09- ..sixty times faster - under a hedge...
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- ..than the middle of a field.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- That's because of the roots...
0:07:15 > 0:07:19- ..and the fact that animals - don't compact the land under hedges.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21- They can be effective.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27- The Long Forest project - has three goals.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31- Firstly, to educate us about - the importance of hedgerows.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37- Secondly, to inform us - how to maintain them...
0:07:38 > 0:07:40- ..and how to lay a hedge.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46- Thirdly, to encourage us - to create new ones.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53- Glasnant Morgan farms - in Talybont-onUsk.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56- They say "perth" for hedge here.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01- He has worked with the project - to plant a great number of them.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05- The farmer who was here before us - let the farm go.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10- Cows had trampled the hedges.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16- We took over about 50 years ago.
0:08:18 > 0:08:24- This is almost the last field - we have to do.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26- You've been busy.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29- You've been busy.- - We've done miles.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- As well as the newly planted - hedgerows...
0:08:34 > 0:08:38- ..Glasnant cultivates - those he already has.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43- We'll let it be for - a year or two.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- It'll bear fruit next year.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53- I can trim it down.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59- We'll lay the hedge - in ten to twelve years.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03- This keeps the hedgerow alive.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08- We'll continue to lay the hedges.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12- Every county has a different style.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15- This is the Breconshire style.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17- Every county is different.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19- Every county is different.- - Not only is it good for wildlife...
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- ..and conservation...
0:09:21 > 0:09:25- ..but it brings back - an agricultural tradition.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26- Yes.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28- That's important.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29- That's important.- - Yes.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- Who would think hedgerows - were so important?
0:09:36 > 0:09:40- Their flowers provide - pollen and nectar for wildlife.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- Their berries and fruit - are a food source.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- They provide shelter - for bird nests...
0:09:46 > 0:09:50- ..and mammals - like hedgehogs and field mice.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54- They're shelter for farm animals.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59- They're more than just a place - for picking blackberries.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04- They are a crucial part - of the environment.
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0:10:11 > 0:10:11- Subtitles
0:10:11 > 0:10:13- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:10:15 > 0:10:19- Iwan and I want - to change this border...
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- ..between now and next year.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26- It was originally a rose bed.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- But over the past two years...
0:10:30 > 0:10:35- ..it's become a hotchpotch - of informal and cottage plants.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41- Even though they look nice, - I do want some sort of order here.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47- I need to get ideas - and find inspiration.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51- The best way to do that - is visiting other gardens.
0:10:52 > 0:10:58- The Old Rectory in Llanfihangel - Glyn Myfyr is 200 hundred years old.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03- In 1824, Wordsworth came - to stay with a friend...
0:11:03 > 0:11:07- ..Rector Robert Jones, - and wrote a poem about the area.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12- Who knows how it looked then. - It's a sight to behold today.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- The different sections - each have an individual theme.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20- One has a Mediterranean influence.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25- Another has the feel - of a Japanese meditation garden.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29- There are wooded paths and - an arch of laburnum and wisteria.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34- I met Elwyn Hughes - in the rose garden.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38- He is one of the Old Rectory's - creative partners.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44- I really like the shape - of your rose garden.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47- Why did you choose this shape?
0:11:47 > 0:11:52- We wanted to have four squares - that suited the garden's shape.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55- It was difficult.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00- We decided to have...
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- ..four rectangular beds.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10- The two nearest the house are - longer than the two furthest beds.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14- When you get up - and look out in the morning...
0:12:14 > 0:12:16- ..the perspective is perfect.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18- How clever!
0:12:18 > 0:12:20- That really is design.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25- Maybe people don't think - of planning a garden...
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- ..looking out from the house.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32- Looking out at the garden - is just as important...
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- ..as it is when - you're in the garden.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37- Yes.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- I like the way it's been laid out.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43- You have Buxus, which is evergreen.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48- There are all sorts - of other plants in the borders too.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51- There are tulips, aquilegia...
0:12:51 > 0:12:54- ..alliums and much more.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59- We've tried to create colour...
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- ..for every season.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04- We grow old garden roses.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09- Newer roses wouldn't grow as well...
0:13:10 > 0:13:12- ..in this soil.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- You know how old roses are.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- After blooming, they're finished.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- But the thing is...
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- ..the scent of old roses...
0:13:23 > 0:13:24- ..is glorious.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27- Definitely!
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- I know you don't like taking - the praise for all the work.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- It's Jenny who enjoys - designing the garden.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38- She has all the ideas.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43- I'm the one who has - to do a lot of the heavy work!
0:13:44 > 0:13:45- Let's look for her.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46- Let's look for her.- - OK!
0:13:50 > 0:13:52- Jenny was a teacher.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56- But she has designed - several gardens.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01- After retiring, she and Elwyn - focused on the Old Rectory garden.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05- One plant caught - my attention immediately.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06- Oh!
0:14:06 > 0:14:08- Oh!- - That is my favourite.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13- It's absolutely beautiful. - It's the Rolls Royce of trees.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15- There's a gorgeous pattern in it.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18- The light is catching it now.
0:14:18 > 0:14:24- I particularly like the layers, - like a tiered wedding cake.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29- Iwan and I have been developing - our garden for only three years.
0:14:30 > 0:14:35- But Elwyn and Jenny - have worked here for 25 years.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37- Does she have any advice for us?
0:14:37 > 0:14:41- Probably the best tip - to anybody starting out new...
0:14:41 > 0:14:45- ..is not to put your plants - too close together.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49- The tendency of all gardeners, - even the best...
0:14:49 > 0:14:52- ..is to plant - far too closely together.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54- There's an example over there.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- I've got two conifers - growing into each other.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- I've got to make a decision - which one has to go.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07- These trees were planted to protect - young plants from the wind.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10- But now they're established...
0:15:10 > 0:15:15- ..the garden can be opened up, - to make the most of the views again.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21- That would be my number one bit - of advice. Give yourself space.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22- Thank you.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- I've thoroughly enjoyed myself here.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27- Thank you.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43- I really enjoy autumn.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48- It's the season - of abundance and ripening.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50- Everything starts to end.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54- Here in the garden...
0:15:55 > 0:15:57- ..this time of year...
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- ..I like to sit near the herb patch.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- One of my favourite herbs is thyme.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15- It's a marvellous plant.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19- All summer, - the light pink flowers...
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- ..have attracted wasps, - bees, honeybees...
0:16:23 > 0:16:25- ..and all sorts of hoverflies.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29- If I rub the leaves in my hands...
0:16:30 > 0:16:33- ..there's a strong aromatic scent.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39- People used it - for its medicinal properties.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- Gypsies treated - whooping cough with it.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46- But they'd never - take it into the caravan.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51- People think it shouldn't be - taken into houses either.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- It's very unlucky...
0:16:54 > 0:16:56- ..and a portent of death.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01- There is a natural - antiseptic on the leaves.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02- Centuries ago...
0:17:04 > 0:17:08- ..people were scared - of catching diseases...
0:17:08 > 0:17:11- ..especially from the poor.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14- They carried some of this...
0:17:15 > 0:17:19- ..to try and protect - themselves from plague.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22- Right next to the thyme...
0:17:23 > 0:17:26- ..I have a shrub of southernwood.
0:17:27 > 0:17:33- When toilets were located - at the bottom of the garden...
0:17:33 > 0:17:37- ..people planted a shrub - of southernwood nearby.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43- After doing their business - in the toilet...
0:17:44 > 0:17:48- ..people rubbed - their hands on the plant.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53- The natural antiseptic - on the leaves...
0:17:53 > 0:17:55- ..cleaned their hands.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00- It's similar to what we do now - with gels in hospitals.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06- Herbs like southernwood - and feverfew next to it...
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- ..were very important long ago.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12- People had to pay to see a doctor.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16- If they could grow things - themselves, it was a great help.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19- I use feverfew myself...
0:18:21 > 0:18:23- ..for migraine.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26- I take a small piece of leaf...
0:18:27 > 0:18:28- ..and eat it.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32- It's very bitter.
0:18:32 > 0:18:38- The Physicians Of Myddfai called it - "y chwerwyn gwynn", bitter white.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45- Round the corner, there's wormwood.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49- If you think feverfew is bitter...
0:18:50 > 0:18:52- ..you should taste this.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56- When I was a child - and fussy with my food...
0:18:56 > 0:18:58- ..Mam would say...
0:18:58 > 0:19:03- "..Good gracious, do you have worms? - You'd better have some wormwood."
0:19:03 > 0:19:07- The threat was enough. - I'd soon clear my plate.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- I have mint here, of course.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19- Mint is easy to recognize.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24- Two leaves grow - in pairs opposite each other.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28- The next pair grows - at a 90 degree angle.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- All the mint family - have this feature.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36- We use mint to cook.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40- It's also used for indigestion...
0:19:42 > 0:19:46- ..and of course to make - gripe water for babies.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50- Although the herb patch is small...
0:19:52 > 0:19:54- ..there's a good variety.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57- And they're very easy to grow.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09- This time of year...
0:20:09 > 0:20:13- ..most plants start - to slow down and die.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17- But one plant thrives - this time of year.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19- Ivy.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24- Ivy growing on the side - of a house is one thing.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27- People tend to cut it.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32- But what if ivy grows - on a tree in the garden?
0:20:33 > 0:20:35- Should that be cut?
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- The simple answer is...
0:20:41 > 0:20:42- ..no.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46- The subject often arises...
0:20:47 > 0:20:51- ..especially with my work - at the Wildlife Trust.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54- The general opinion - is that ivy strangles trees.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57- But that's a misapprehension.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00- If you have a dying tree..
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- ..the additional weight - of the ivy...
0:21:03 > 0:21:06- ..will accelerate the process.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11- But if you have a healthy tree, - like this sycamore...
0:21:11 > 0:21:13- ..ivy won't cause a problem.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18- One of the first creatures - to take advantage of ivy...
0:21:18 > 0:21:19- ..are wasps.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24- They're flying around, - but not collecting pollen.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28- This hasn't started to bloom yet.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30- They're catching aphids...
0:21:31 > 0:21:35- ..that live on the plant - and drink sap from the ivy.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38- Ivy blooms late in autumn.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- It attracts different creatures...
0:21:42 > 0:21:46- ..like hoverflies, bees, - wasps, moths and butterflies.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51- They're all attracted - to this special food store.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- Because it blooms - so late in autumn...
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- ..ivy is a very important plant.
0:21:57 > 0:22:03- It's a food source for creatures - to help them survive in winter.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06- Over there, - an ivy shrub has bloomed...
0:22:06 > 0:22:08- ..because it's in the sun.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12- In time, the flowers - will turn into berries.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16- They provide food - for many birds in winter.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19- Talking of birds...
0:22:19 > 0:22:23- ..look how thick - the ivy is on the tree trunk.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27- It's a fine spot - for nesting birds...
0:22:28 > 0:22:30- ..and for bats too.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36- That gives you an idea - how vital this plant is.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43- That's it for another week.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47- Sioned, Bethan, Meinir and I - will be back next week.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51- Until then, enjoy - the countryside and the gardening.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09- S4C Subtitles by Gwead
0:23:09 > 0:23:09- .