Month: September 2019
So Much Going On
So Much Going On
First a big ‘thank you’ to Frey and Isla for donating a very healthy Hazel to the group. It will be planted out at Goldsland Farm in the Cider Orchard alongside a Public Right of Way helping to form part of a hedge which will both protect the young fruit trees and provide food and shelter for wildlife. Further up the track is the new pollinator patch, referred to as The Bee Loud Glade. Plants, shrubs and trees that can supply pollen and nectar to bees and other insects are being planted there and we aim to add a bench or two and a pond over the winter period. We are delighted that Gwenfo Primary School will be involved with this project by helping with the design, raising funds for the plants and planting them. If all goes to plan we shall be submitting this Glade as our 7th Green Flag site for 2020.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
We have been working on the Community Orchard at the far end of the Playing Fields, having cut the grass and topped up the pond which was quite low after a lengthy dry period. Some patches have been left as tussocks which are good for wildlife such as small mammals, bees and butterflies. This year a grass called Meadow Foxtail has done particularly well which shows it is progressing towards a meadow community rather than just having coarser grasses such as Cocksfoot and False Oat Grass. Some of the trees have had reasonable crops including an old variety called Tom Putt. This dates back to the 1700s and was originally widely planted in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset where it became known as the Cottage Apple. It can be used as for cider, eating or cooking and a number of cider producers still use it for their cider.
The wildflower patch in Grange Park has again been a bit of a disappointment. In the 5 years that we have been planting it the amount of sunlight which manages to get through the gaps in the massive Horse Chestnut and Pines has reduced and the plants that have grown have a pronounced lean towards the light. Some of the trees are due to be trimmed by the Council but it is unlikely that this will make much difference so we shall be looking at other possible locations in the park which are in full sun. However first we must await the proposals from the Council to alter the layout and locations of the play areas.
If you have any spare stakes or bits of bamboo with reasonable-sized holes, the group can always make use of them. Throwing out an old beach wind-break? The poles make good stakes for young trees and bamboos are used to replace those in bee hotels. We cut down 12 cm lengths from bamboos so can make use of old and broken pieces.
‘The Age Of Innocence’,Novel By Edith Wharton
‘The Age Of Innocence’,Novel By Edith Wharton
This month’s book was ‘The Age of Innocence’, a 1920’s novel by American author Edith Wharton. The book is set in the 1870s, in upper-class New York Society. Although we appreciated Wharton’s attention to detail, we found the book introduced too many characters in the first few pages and we discovered that we needed a family tree to catch up. When we established who was who, we found ourselves immersed in the plot.
The story is centred around Newland Archer a young gentleman lawyer who finds himself attracted to Countess Ellen Olenska, his fiancée’s cousin. The countess has a tainted background and is thus shunned by elegant society. The book demonstrates the boundaries and restrictions associated with wealth and class and one’s position in society. We couldn’t agree whether Archer’s fiancée Mary was actually an innocent in the proceedings (as suggested by the title) or manipulative in trying to save her marriage. We all agreed this was an enjoyable and insightful read and gave it an overall score of 8/10.
RHS Tips For This Month
RHS Tips For This Month
- Divide established rhubarb crowns.
- Cut back perennials that have died down.
- Divide herbaceous perennials.
- Move tender plants into a greenhouse.
- Plant out Spring cabbage.
- Keep harvesting apples and pears.
- Prune climbing roses.
- Finish collecting seeds from the garden to sow next year.
- Keep up with the mowing as long as it’s dry enough.
10.Renovate old lawns and lay turf.
It was nice to see a great turn out at the Village Show. It is only due to the volunteers from the library that this event takes place. Their aim is to improve the experience year on year and they would welcome any ideas to make the show better. One of the veg judges, who shall remain nameless and lives on Old Port Road, failed to realise that the village gardener’s fantastic red fruit were obviously superior to the winner’s pale imitation. I lodged a complaint, but they informed me the winner has a nut allergy?? Mr & Mrs Hammond were once again winners; their veg plot in the back garden would be the envy of any veg grower. Anwar, the proprietor of the village shop, was also a winner with some very unusual veg. Thanks for a good show, long may it continue.
Do not neglect your hanging baskets. If you keep deadheading, feeding and watering, they should keep going untill at least mid autumn. Even with the increase in rainfall at this time of year, containers and hanging baskets close to buildings still need extra water.
We need to lift tender summer flowering bulbs and store over winter. Dahlias need the first frost on them before lifting and storing tubers. They may survive over winter in the ground if covered in mulch, but they will be later next year and give a poorer display of flowers. Any remaining summer bedding can be cleared away and replaced with fresh displays. October is a good month for moving and planting trees and shrubs and a great time for planting new hedges. A lot of trees and shrubs are available in bare root form at this time of year and are cheaper than containerised ones. They are especially good if you’re planning a new hedge.
Autumn work on the lawn includes scarifying and top dressing with autumn feed. Do not use any spring feed leftover from earlier as its high nitrogen content will encourage the grass to grow and consequently weaken it. Keep raking up the leaves before they block any light. Toadstools and fairy rings will be a sign that scarification and autumn lawn care is necessary.
Wenvoe Craft Workshop are holding The Christmas Reindeer Cafe event on Saturday 23 November where those who have asked about The Village Gardener’s Rustic Christmas Reindeers will be able to purchase one for a small fee. There will be a raffle in aid of the Wenvoe Wldlife Group, 2 or 3 Craft tables and a chance to sit and chat over a cup of tea or coffee and a piece of delicious homemade cake at the church hall from 12 – 4 pm.
Along with the local garden centre, B&Q are recycling plastic plant pots. Just go to customer services and hand in your old ones.
The former writer of this gardening column, Trevor Case, and his wife Marilyn are back home after they have both had spells in hospital, we all wish them a speedy return to full health.
Take care and happy gardening
Men and Mental Health
The Man by Tirion Davies
40% of men won’t talk to anyone about their mental health.
In a 2018 study by Priory, 40% of men polled stated it would take thoughts of suicide or self-harm to compel them to seek professional help. Almost a quarter of respondents stated they would feel uncomfortable speaking to their GP or a psychiatrist as they believed their concerns would be a waste of time. 77% of respondents in the study stated they have suffered with anxiety, depression and stress.
According to a 2017 article by Mind, suicide rates are higher in Wales than in the rest of the United Kingdom. In 2017, 5,821 suicides were recorded in Great Britain, of these 75% were males. Suicide represents the largest cause of death for men under the age of 50. Higher rates of suicide are also found in minority communities including gay men, war veterans, and those with low incomes. A particularly vulnerable group to death by suicide are middle-aged men from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
We live in a world filled with toxic masculinity. A world where stereotypes are still forced upon men and women. Stereotypes which can be incredibly damaging.
Earlier this year, I responded to an advert by the razor brand Gilette. The advertisement included men stopping other men from inappropriate behaviours and keeping men accountable for questionable actions. The advertisement garnered such a response online and highlighted the issue toxic masculinity faces on men within our society.
And yet, countless men took to online social media platforms to argue their disgust in the ad, claiming it tarnished all men and masculinity as bad.
But that’s part of the problem. The advertisement was made in an attempt to discuss the toxicity the ‘masculine’ stereotype can have; the fact that in order to be a ‘man’, you must not cry or be seen as ‘weak’. The advert was in an attempt to hold men accountable for sexual harassment and bullying, and to attempt to redefine ‘masculinity’. Damon Jones, Vice President for Global Communications and Advocacy at Procter & Gamble, stated in a January 2019 Forbes interview,
‘In many ways men are finding themselves at a crossroads – caught between old definitions of what masculinity means and this new era of masculinity. It’s about allowing men space to define masculinity for themselves. We don’t set the standard for what masculinity is, but we do believe we have an opportunity to promote positive, attainable, inclusive, and healthy versions of what it means to be a man’.
Toxic masculinity is an issue which many are still arguing doesn’t exist. But by forcing these outdated stereotypes on men, it causes men to follow
unhealthy habits and makes it harder for them to admit when they need help.
Mind Cymru’s Lee Cambule stated ‘I am still faced with some outdated stereotypes as a man suffering from depression; men as a source of strength, dominating positions of power, the hunter-gatherer, the idea that strong and silent is alluring/attractive, the “show no weakness” bravado of heroes in our media’. He also states that the men who are most revered in our society, like celebrities, are not always ready to admit their struggles to the public because of this ‘toxic masculinity’. Which, as a result, leaves the everyday man even more uncertain about speaking out.
The expression ‘manning up’ is often used to belittle men who show they are struggling with their mental health. Young boys are told to ‘man up’ if they cry about being hurt or when they show signs of struggle at school. Lee Cambule says, ‘that expression is still often used for the wrong reasons, unfortunately. The concept that mental health can be conquered by simple acting more “like a man” is misguided. Depression, anxiety, personality disorders and schizophrenia are no more or less difficult based on whether you have a Y chromosome in your DNA’.
It’s 2019, and yet too many men are struggling with speaking up about their mental health because of this ridiculous idea that they would be deemed less of a man if they admit they are suffering. It’s 2019, and yet too many men are killing themselves because of this refusal to admit that toxic masculinity exists and that it alienates many. It is 2019, and yet the statistics on male suicides seem unlikely to change.
I’m aware that just me telling you that you’re not weak won’t miraculously change the world’s outlook on men’s mental health. But hopefully, if enough people start to say it, more and more men will realise the truth behind those words. Because you are not weak. Admitting you are struggling is incredibly hard to do. If anything, it makes you braver than anyone else to admit that you need some help in feeling yourself again.
It’s time to admit that the masculine stereotype placed on men is outdated. It’s time to admit that seeking help can make you stronger. It’s time to admit your mental health is just as important as everyone else’s.
Being a ‘man’ doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence. You deserve the right to be happy.
If you need any help, please don’t hesitate to use any of the following links:
https://uk.movember.com/mens-health/we-need-to-talk
Priory: 0800 086 1441
Mind:https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/
0300 123 3393
Samaritans: 116 123
Nutshell – By Ian Mcewan
Nutshell – By Ian Mcewan
Nutshell is the 14th novel by Ian McEwan and tells a
story of murder and deceit: told by the most unlikely
narrator, an eavesdropping foetus. It’s an unusual
and very different book which divided opinion
amongst the Page Turners. Some thought it was
bizarre, with McEwan trying too hard to be clever;
others thought it was intriguing and thoroughly
enjoyed this upside down whodunnit. A score of 7
and a recommendation for anyone wanting
something a little bit different.
Eve’s Pudding
EVE’S PUDDING
(Use windfalls if you can get them)
6 med/ large Bramley apples, peeled, cored and finely sliced
200g unsalted butter, softened
150g raisins
100g soft brown sugar
4 large eggs
200g SR flour
Heat the oven to fan 180C. Prepare apples as above. Grease a large baking/serving dish, about 2.5/3.0 ltr with 25g of the butter. Tip the apples into the dish (sprinkle with sugar if required). Scatter the raisins over the top. In a separate dish/ bowl beat the remaining butter and sugar together until the butter turns pale and the sugar starts to dissolve, about 8 – 10 minutes. Beat in the eggs, then carefully fold in the flour with a large spoon. Spread the batter over the apples, then bake for about 45 minutes until golden. Serve with custard or double cream.
Colcannon Fish Pie
COLCANNON FISH PIE
600g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and diced
4 large Savoy cabbage leaves (about 100g), finely sliced
500g pack leeks, sliced
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 chicken stock cube, made up to 300ml
300ml milk
3 tbsp. cornflour, mixed with 4 tbsp. of the milk
200g frozen peas
390g pack of fish pie mix
75g mature Cheddar, grated
Preheat oven to 180C fan. Boil the potatoes until almost tender, then add the cabbage and one leek. Boil for a further 3-4 minutes, drain and set aside. Heat the oil over a med heat in a large pan. Fry the onion and remaining leeks for 5 minutes, then add the stock and milk. Add the cornflour paste, stir to combine and simmer for about 5 – 8 minutes until thickens and comes to the boil. Add the peas and fish, season and pour into a 1.5ltr pie dish. Mash the potato and veg together and season. Spoon over the fish mix, top with the grated cheese and bake for about 30 mins until golden and bubbling
A Good Year For Apples
A Good Year For Apples
Generally it has been a good year for our apples and many of the trees in our orchards have been heavily laden with fruit. Also doing well are the insects, particularly wasps and butterflies, that appreciate apples that have started to over-ripen. Our camera traps are also showing foxes and badgers taking advantage of the windfalls and with the first frosts blackbirds and thrushes will be tucking in. One revelation this year has been the size of some of our traditional apples, the photo showing different varieties but with a conventional apple in the middle. These are dual purpose apples, good for both eating and cooking and those in the photo all weighing in at around three-quarters of a pound (0.34 kilograms) each.
Also doing well are crab-apples which often turn up in our hedgerows and are covering a 
pavement near one of the village road exits. This is our traditional apple and was once a very common tree in our hedgerows but the apple that we eat originates in the Tien Shan mountains in Asia and eventually worked its way down the silk roads to reach Britain, no-one is too sure when but was well-established in the mediaeval monasteries. The heritage varieties we have planted often date back several hundreds of years so the apple you could be sampling might also have been tasted by Shakespeare although he made few references to them other than examples like ‘There is small choice in rotten apples
Hailey Park
Hailey Park
On a warm and sunny day 19 people set off from Hailey Park in North Llandaff. We walked north along the River Taff to the Melingriffith Water Pump, where a feeder and canal run parallel to the River Taff.
The pump was installed circa 1800 for Glamorgan canal and Melingriffith Tinplate Works. For over 130 years the pump provided a reliable water supply for the canal that ran from Merthyr to Cardiff docks via Pontypridd and Tongwynlais.
By 1836 over 200 barges (mostly carrying coal and iron) were working on the canal, able to travel the 25 miles from Merthyr to Cardiff in around 20 hours (negotiating some 51 locks). The growth of the railways led to the closure of the canal.
In the early part of the 19th century, disputes occurred between the owners of the Melingriffith Tin Plate works and the Glamorgan Canal Company. There were problems obtaining a continuous supply of water from the Feeder which ran from Radyr weir to the Melingriffith works, especially in the summer months, because the canal company had directed most of the water supply upstream of the Melingriffith works to their waterway. Following court action in 1806 the canal company agreed to pay £700 for the construction of a water pump.
Now we walked between the feeder and the river heading towards bird hides where it is possible to see kingfishers. A heron posed for us and an abundance of ducks, moorhens 
and coot were on the water but at the bird hide we saw a solitary dunnock on the grass just outside the window. We returned via the Glamorgan canal and retired, after 5 miles, to a favourite cafe for refreshment.