Pennod 5 Pobl a'u Gerddi

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-Konnichiwa.

-What we have here

-is a pair of false teeth.

-A brewery in the corner.

-A brewery in the corner.

-

-We can run around here.

-What a view. It belongs more

-to Africa than West Wales.

-Costa del Betws.

-Everyone loves it.

-Be kind to me, lads.

-It's in the Good Food Guide

-for molluscs.

-You'd hardly associate these

-small houses with lavish gardens.

-Here, in Pentir near Bangor...

-..Iwan Thomas has created

-an unique garden...

-..behind his small

-traditional cottage.

-Iwan is originally

-from Carmarthenshire.

-He moved to this historic cottage

-40 years ago.

-There's a huge natural rock

-behind the house...

-..but Iwan and his wife, Lisa,

-developed their garden on top of it.

-It's quite a challenge to reach the

-garden but well worth the effort.

-These steps are quite steep.

-They're like the stairway to heaven.

-I've arrived!

-What a view.

-You can see Beaumaris and you can

-just about see the Menai Strait.

-They're all the way over there.

-The house is 30 feet beneath us.

-At least.

-Let's go and see the wonder.

-These were quarrymen cottages

-originally.

-They were owned by

-the Penrhyn Estate at one time.

-To be honest,

-over the first few years...

-..I had little interest

-in developing the garden.

-It was growing wild.

-When Lisa and I got married,

-about 25 years ago...

-..I was persuaded to do some work.

-We started to do some landscaping

-in the garden.

-After realizing the potential

-of the garden...

-..everything changed.

-The hard work has paid off.

-Today, the garden

-is a secret paradise.

-You've put some thought

-into the plants in the garden.

-There are rules about planting.

-Plant the taller plants at the back

-and the shorter plants at the front.

-A lot of it

-is down to experimenting.

-I put a lot of thought

-into colours and shapes.

-I've planted flowers

-to complement one another...

-..and experimented with

-different plants in other corners.

-You've planted a lot of trees

-around here.

-They provide some shelter

-but it's windy up here.

-I recently planted a bush

-along the side - elaeagnus.

-It's meant to be

-some kind of windbreak.

-The way you've planted the trees

-creates a frame...

-..not only for the garden

-but for the hill behind.

-It's like stepping into the picture.

-Moelyci is the feature.

-The garden acts as a stage

-in front of Moelyci.

-It's a way to use

-the landscape you have.

-This is a garden to enjoy

-and wander around.

-There's nowhere better to take

-a break than the summerhouse.

-It's a hut

-full of interesting collections.

-This is the sanctuary,

-the sacred place.

-There are pictures of animals

-and lots of plants.

-Are you an expert on cacti?

-I'm not an expert by a long shot

-but we are interested...

-..in collecting different kinds

-and different shapes.

-Over the years,

-we've visited numerous boot sales.

-We pick things up quite cheaply.

-Sometimes they're unusual...

-..like the cacti and

-the collections of mollusc shells.

-It was just an interest.

-What do you do in this summerhouse?

-Relax, mostly. A lot of birds

-fly past between us and Moelyci.

-It's interesting to come up for

-half an hour to see what's around.

-There's no more peaceful place

-in this garden to spend some time.

-There's nothing to do here -

-that's so important.

-There's nothing to do

-apart from watering the cacti.

-Once a year!

-A corner that requires more

-attention is the vegetable patch.

-The land was donated

-for that very reason.

-This is what the Penrhyn Estate

-donated to the houses...

-..back at the end

-of the eighteenth century.

-Every house was given

-a quarter of an acre of land...

-..to grow vegetables and keep pigs.

-These gardens

-were used as allotments...

-..for a century and more.

-That's why everything grows so well.

-It's been fertilized over the years

-and the soil is very rich.

-Your delight is vegetables.

-For me, personally.

-Fresh food from the garden is much

-better than anything from the shop.

-I have dwarf runner beans,

-sweet potatoes and salad plants.

-Blackcurrants and gooseberries.

-You have plenty to keep you going.

-I can't imagine a better place

-to put a patio set...

-..than overlooking

-the vegetable patch.

-Over the years, the garden has

-developed, sometimes by accident.

-We've experimented. Some things

-have worked, some haven't.

-We've reached a point

-where the garden is at its best.

-There's always room for improvement.

-Do you enjoy the garden

-or do you work in the garden?

-I work mostly.

-I'm happy to be active.

-You've been very active

-in this garden.

-You've worked hard on it.

-It's very rewarding.

-It's worth doing.

-It's wonderful being in the garden

-sometimes after a day's work.

-I often come here with my cuppa

-at the end of the day...

-..just to have a catharsis.

-I see something new

-each time I come to the garden.

-It's great.

-This is an unexpected paradise

-on a rock which is a real surprise.

-It's all been created

-with love and hard work...

-..in a wonderful location

-in the shadow of Snowdonia.

-Not every gardener has had

-a photo of their property...

-..on the cover of Bee World.

-Ted Williams from Betws has.

-His garden is here.

-Oh, flip.

-Beware of the Jack Russell.

-Ted is someone

-who loves his home patch.

-He's also quite a character.

-He lives in Betws,

-Carmarthenshire...

-..with his wife, Nicola,

-and the dogs, Alfie and Wilf.

-What inspired Ted

-to create this garden?

-I was in the Royal Navy.

-I'd been to Singapore,

-the Philippines, Hong Kong...

-..Australia, Barbados.

-When I was sightseeing,

-I'd see all kinds of flowers.

-I like the rough and ready look

-and that's my garden now.

-We planted some perennials

-and they come back every year.

-Everything mingles -

-I like the jungle look.

-In the middle of the Betws jungle,

-there are plenty of places to relax.

-That's an important factor

-in any garden.

-There are also references

-to local history.

-I can see a lot of bricks -

-they're old bricks.

-They're old bricks.

-Cwmgors here.

-The colliery?

-The colliery?

-

-Ammanford Colliery there.

-Emlyn brick from Penygroes.

-Trimsaran there.

-NCB Onllwyn.

-I found that up the mountain.

-You have the local history

-in your garden.

-It's important to remember

-the coal mines...

-..and the village as it was.

-What do you like growing?

-It's a colourful garden.

-I have geraniums

-from Mam-gu's garden.

-I like it, and a lot of flowers

-have come from my family in Betws.

-I can see a bird shape in that bush.

-I've been trimming my bush

-for five years!

-Twitter bird. I like social media.

-I share the garden with

-Gardeners' World, Monty Don...

-..Derek the Weatherman

-and Yvonne Tywydd.

-It's starting to come.

-It's starting to come.

-

-Yes, it is.

-Does the twitter bird

-point the other way?

-I'm awkward.

-I laid my bush the other way.

-Each to his own.

-There's something to raise a smile

-in this garden wherever you look.

-Watch your head.

-Watch your head.

-

-The second lounge.

-I've just passed a lion

-with a yellow helmet on its head.

-That came from the Lions' tour

-to Australia.

-Series win, 2-1.

-Fantastic.

-A fireman gave you that helmet

-as a prize.

-"You have my t-shirt,

-I'll have your hat."

-Fair play,

-rugby is a game of sharing.

-And friendship.

-The plants are more exotic here. You

-have grapes growing along the fence.

-Yes, hundreds of grapes.

-This wall is like a radiator.

-It retains the sun's heat.

-The grapes grow fantastically well.

-If you want cheese and biscuits,

-call in.

-Once we're done.

-This garden is packed with humour...

-..but beyond that, there's an

-important reason why Ted gardens.

-He suffers from

-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

-The garden has been an escape

-for him and a way to deal with it.

-I was working in a prison.

-I was assaulted.

-I went into a dark couple of years,

-basically.

-The garden saved me.

-In truth,

-this is like therapy for you.

-Definitely, definitely.

-It gave me purpose.

-This is a cornflower.

-All I do is clip their heads off...

-..and leave them to rot.

-All the goodness

-goes back into the plants.

-All I do is throw them to the back

-as compost for something else.

-It gives me a purpose.

-I come up to the garden, two minutes

-dead-heading here and there.

-The garden has also given Ted

-a chance to expand his interests...

-..and his photography work

-in particular.

-He's had a photo published

-on the cover of Bee World.

-Were you always interested

-in photography?

-When I was in the Royal Navy, in

-the Falklands and South Georgia...

-..I took photos of the snow

-and the penguins.

-I started going

-up the mountain here.

-Flowers and wildlife.

-There's one there. Nice.

-It's fantastic. That was yesterday.

-The camera

-does all the work for you!

-Built for idiots!

-Would you like a go?

-It's beyond me.

-Would you say that this garden was

-a reflection of your personality?

-Yes, I think so.

-It's confusing, meandering, quirky.

-A pig there,

-a hippopotamus down there.

-There's a lot of humour.

-Yes, there is.

-It's something to talk about.

-And laugh about.

-That's important in a garden.

-I enjoy laughing.

-And a gin and tonic, maybe.

-That's more important.

-Thailand, here I come. Ko Samui.

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-On barren hills

-above Aberystwyth...

-..is the village of Bronant.

-The land is wild and wet.

-It's not an area where you'd expect

-someone to create a garden...

-..or expect many fertile plants

-to grow.

-Thanks to the hard work

-of the owners...

-..Bwlch-y-Geuffordd has developed

-not only into a garden...

-..but into an unexpected paradise.

-This paradise is home

-to husband and wife...

-..Gay and Jim Acres.

-Jim is originally from London,

-Gay is from Zambia.

-They settled here,

-in Ceredigion, in 1974.

-We're sat in a beautiful garden.

-You started with an open field.

-It wasn't a particularly

-good field either.

-Even the word field

-is a bit of an euphemism.

-There was no soil,

-just bog and rushes.

-Did you have to bring in top soil?

-Yes, tonnes and tonnes.

-Almost everything died at first.

-The wind used to really

-whistle through.

-Was it necessity that drove you

-to put the trees up originally?

-Yes, as a windbreak.

-Since the ground was so wet,

-we put the pond in.

-That was the beginning

-of the genesis of the garden.

-Everything's grown out of the pond.

-Today, nine acres of creativity

-extend out of the pond.

-Since 2002, the garden

-has been open to the public...

-..under the Open Garden Scheme.

-Beti James is one

-of many visitors...

-..who enjoy wandering

-around the garden.

-Well, Beti, what's your connection

-to this garden?

-I live just down the road. I was the

-primary school head for many years.

-I used to bring the pupils

-to visit the garden.

-It's perfect for an afternoon out.

-You'll remember this place

-before anything had been planted.

-Precisely. I had no reason

-to visit the garden then.

-Look at the woods now -

-they planted the trees.

-It looks so natural. It leads

-into this perfect sanctuary.

-It's nice to see

-the percussion instruments.

-It's a child's paradise.

-The owners are very creative.

-They've created a wonderful garden.

-Visitors just seem to love it.

-Their pleasure spurred us on

-to do more things.

-We had grandchildren,

-more children came to visit.

-We did more children areas.

-The best thing

-is when teenagers turn up.

-They sit in the car

-with their hoods...

-"I'm not into gardens."

-Parents have dragged them

-to another garden.

-By the time they reach

-the musical instruments...

-..their devices are out of their

-ears and they're like 10-year-olds.

-That's the lovely thing about it.

-You can lose yourself here.

-All ages can.

-That's what we get

-our pleasure from.

-This is a rather tropical section.

-Yes, this is the jungle.

-The African theme is very evident.

-Gay is originally from Zambia.

-She's returned to her childhood

-in this section.

-I've fought my way through

-the forest. Watch the tortoises!

-We've reached a mud hut

-with a straw roof.

-It has even more

-percussion instruments.

-Gay has hand made

-all the decorations.

-It's packed with creativity.

-There are echoes of Africa

-in everything you see.

-The roof needs

-a short back and sides.

-The garden is a magnet for birds

-and all kinds of wildlife.

-In addition to the natural elements

-of the garden...

-..handmade artwork adds to

-the garden's artistic character.

-The peacock next to the pond...

-..holds a special place

-for Gay and Jim.

-It was created in memory

-of their daughter, Lauren.

-That was made by Jim,

-our daughter, Grace, and myself.

-There were things

-we weren't sure about.

-We weren't sure if it should

-have green eyes or blue eyes...

-..or whether to let it weather

-naturally or leave it shiny copper.

-I hade a phone call in work

-from a vicar in Bow Street...

-..who's never visited the garden.

-She said,

-"You're going to think me bonkers.

-"I had a dream last night which

-was so vivid, I had to phone you.

-"I dreamed

-that you were making a sculpture.

-"You're to give it green eyes

-and let it weather naturally."

-Goodness gracious me.

-The peacock came out

-and we finished it.

-That's so on the nose,

-you can't ignore it.

-No.

-The blue is important as well.

-It was Lauren's favourite colour.

-There's a lot of Ty Nant

-water bottles.

-Superb colour as well.

-So deep, it's fantastic.

-This garden has many layers to it.

-It's a labyrinth of paths

-with corners to discover.

-One of the features is the temple.

-It was made out of beer bottles.

-This is wonderful.

-This is wonderful.

-

-It's unbelievable.

-They've created a temple.

-They built it themselves

-using all these bottles.

-With lions on either side.

-Just to make sure you behave.

-Let's go in to ponder a while.

-The colour reflects on the ground.

-It's a room that's awash with light.

-It's an incredible place.

-The garden is so quiet

-you can hear the sound of nature.

-In here,

-there's an even calmer silence.

-It's a strange thing to say.

-There's a different ambience.

-The middle bottle is perfect.

-It's as if they started at the top

-and worked outwards.

-A lot of beer's been drunk!

-It's a labour of love.

-This isn't the end of the journey.

-The hard work and planning continue.

-I think if all we had to do was

-maintenance, that would be boring.

-We've started a pirate ship.

-Full size.

-I wasn't expecting a small one.

-We've been collecting the bits

-for it for a while.

-This is an important resource

-for any village.

-It's still developing. It changes

-from one season to the next.

-They add to the garden annually...

-..and seasonally.

-We've heard some foreign accents...

-..but it's widely visited

-by local people too.

-Merched Y Wawr organize trips

-to the garden.

-What does it mean for the area?

-What does it mean for the area?

-

-It puts Bronant on the map.

-People travel long distances

-to visit the garden.

-You get people from Japan, Moscow.

-We don't go anywhere.

-The world comes to us.

-Our biggest pleasure is hearing

-the happy noises in the garden...

-..of people enjoying themselves.

-The locals appreciate it more.

-They know what it was like before.

-It's nice to be able

-to give something back...

-..to a community that's accepted us.

-I can't think of a better reason

-to create a garden than that.

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