A florist from North Wales has swapped mayhem and murder on hit TV shows like EastEnders and Death in Paradise for meditation in the garden
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.
Both programmes are a world away from the popular S4C gardening series, Garddio a Mwy (Gardening and More), which Sioned co-presents with singer-songwriter Meinir Gwilym, who lives near Pwllheli, and newcomer Adam Jones, from Gorslas, near Llanelli, in Carmarthenshire.
Garddio a Mwy, 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 pace is much more relaxed than the twisting plotlines of the two BBC television dramas.
Sioned, whose garden, Pont y Tŵr, is set against the beautiful backdrop of the Vale of Clwyd, said: “It was just a one-off with Eastenders but I felt very lucky to have had the opportunity to work on such a popular programme.
“It was an amazing experience working in the Caribbean with plants rarely seen in Wales. There were plants growing on the side of the roads out there that we only see in hot houses over here.
“And there are no seasons in the Caribbean so it was incredibly hot all the time and I much prefer to be sitting in front of a roaring fire in a woolly jumper.”
Sioned now runs a successful business creating flower arrangements for weddings and special occasions as well as leading mindfulness sessions in her garden.
During the latest series of Garddio a Mwy she will explore the subject of garden mindfulness, a form of meditation, and a visit to the new RHS garden at Bridgewater near Manchester is planned.
“The RHS have appointed a Therapeutic Gardener based at Bridgewater where she’s welcoming patients, referred by their GPs, to experience the healing power of nature and gardening,” said Sioned.
It’s a view endorsed by Meinir Gwilym whose garden at Pant y Wennol also features in the show.
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.
Having made an occasional appearance in the programme before, Adam Jones is delighted to have joined the team as one its regular presenters.
Known as Adam yn yr Ardd he will be a familiar face and voice having appeared regularly on BBC Radio Cymru and S4C programmes Prynhawn Da and Heno and featured recently on the BBC2 programme Gardeners World.
In recent years he has developed a large following on social media with over 26,000 followers on Instagram (@adamynyrardd).
“I am looking forward to being one of the regular presenters having appeared occasionally on Garddio a Mwy in the past. It is a challenge because the filming process means I have to get things ready a couple of weeks ahead of the broadcast time.
“It’s gone well so far and the fine weather in recent weeks has been a great benefit. The spring this year has been of the best I can remember,” he said.
Adam began gardening when he was only three years old when he began exploring his grandfather’s garden.
“He grew vegetables and flowers of all kinds in a small garden in Glanaman. My grandfather was the very best horticultural mentor as I started to develop my knowledge and gardening skills alongside him in the garden.
“I use the no-dig method of gardening where I don’t dig the garden at all but instead add new layers of compost each year. It is our personal aim to try to live as self-sufficiently as possible whilst respecting and protecting nature.
“My grandfather’s generation were a true inspiration; a community of knowledgeable and experienced gardeners all sharing growing techniques and advice with each other.
“Being part of their close-knit community was the best grounding that I could ever have hoped for as a young gardener and I want to share my passion with the viewers,” he said.
One of the projects Adam hopes to feature in the series is developing a Community Garden in Cross Hands a short distance from his home village.
“I’ll be working with Menter Iaith Cwm Gwendraeth who promote the use of the Welsh language in the area. We’ll be showing people how to grow their own vegetables in an organic fashion through the medium of Welsh,” said Adam.
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.
