A talented singer-songwriter from the Llyn Peninsula is on a mission – to get more people gardening.
Meinir Gwilym, who lives near Pwllheli and hails from Anglesey is one of the presenters of the popular S4C gardening series, Garddio a Mwy (Gardening and More).
The show, made by Caernarfon-based production company Cwmni Da, has just returned for a 22-programme run and is broadcast at 8.25pm on Monday evenings.
The other main presenters are green-fingered social media influencer Adam Jones and florist Sioned Edwards, whose claims to fame include working on hit TV shows EastEnders and Death in Paradise.
Among the stars of the programme is Meinir’s garden at Pant y Wennol.
According to Meinir, the new series will feature a whole host of projects as well as useful hints and tips for gardeners
She said: “There is so much variety, it’s hard to know where to start! We hope that we will encourage people to work with nature rather than against it.
“There will be vegetables, flowers, DIY, cookery and a chance to get to know gardeners from all around Wales, so there’s plenty to see.”
One of the early projects to be featured in the series will be a garden planted with plants that can withstand wet weather.
“My garden has clay soil which is prone to waterlogging and so I’m hoping to plant a rain garden; which will consist of plants which are happy to have their roots in water for a prolonged period of time.
“It’s a problem for many gardeners; while such planting can also help reduce water run-off and lessen the impact of flooding,” she said.
Sioned Edwards, who lives near Ruthin and used to run a flower shop in Bangor, created the floral display for the Walford wedding of Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and Sharon (Letitia Dean) in 2014.
She also spent three months on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe aka the fictional island of Saint Marie where the comedy murder mystery drama is set.
Series producer Euros Wyn added: “The series offers more than just day to day gardening. Although providing a seasonal calendar for gardeners is one of our main ambitions, we also aim to plough a different furrow by also highlighting the abundant wildlife that shares our spaces, as well as championing the benefits that being outside offers to us all.
“In addition to Meinir, Sioned and Adam we will feature items by individuals who specialise in a particular field, such as Rhys Rowlands from Porthmadog who will advise on cooking and preserving vegetables, professional garden designer Helen Scutt and houseplant expert Rhona Duncan.”
Garddio a Mwy is broadcast on S4C on Monday evenings at 8.25pm. The programme will be available on demand on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer and other platforms. English subtitles are also available.
