Mis Rhagfyr / December 2014

Mis Rhagfyr / December 2014

Ychydig iawn sydd i'w wneud yn yr ardd amser yma'r flwyddyn, heblaw am gynnal a chadw.  

Wedi i'r Scott's Pine cael ei thorri lawr mae digon o waith symud a hollti'r coed.  

Gwaith pleserus iawn ar ddiwrnod oer.

          

Little can be done in the garden at this time of the year, other than general maintenance.

Since felling the Scott's Pine we have been able to keep warm:

                                                   once by splitting logs 

                                                   twice by moving and stacking logs 

                                                   thirdly by burning logs.

                                                                                                                                           

Mae 'sgerbydau planhigion a gwrychoedd bocs yn cynnal diddordeb ac yn fwyd a chysgod i adar a trychfilod bach drwy gydol y tywydd oer.

Plant remnants and box hedges maintain interest during the cold months and provide much needed food and shelter for birds and small insects.

Mewn tywydd oer mae planhigion megis y Rhododendron yn edrych yn drist gan bod eu dail yn 'hongian' fel yn y llun.  Ond ffordd o ddiogelu'r planhigyn ydi hyn drwy amddiffyn y ddeilen pan fydd yn rhewi a dadmar am yn ail.  Hyn yn dra gwahanol i'r llun isod sy'n dangos planhigyn tynner wedi ei ddiogelu rhag gwaethar tywydd oer gyda 'fleece'.

Species of Rhododendron are able to defend themselves from the worst of the cold by 'curling' their leaf thus protecting them from repeated freezing and thawing. Other plants need to be protected by such thing as a 'fleece' as the are too tender to survive the cold weather.

 

Er hyn i gyd mae llygedyn o obaith yn dechra dangos ei drwyn drwy'r pridd oer a gwlyb.  Eirlysiau cynta'r flwyddyn yn dechra dangos.  Ond mae cryn amser cyn iddynt ddeffro yn iawn a blodeuo i ddangos dechrau'r Gwanwyn.

Winter has only just started but already the first Snowdrops are starting to push their way through the cold wet soil, a sign that things will change. 

Mis Tachwedd / November 2014

Mis Tachwedd /November 2014

Mae'n amser rhoi yr ardd i gysgu am y gaeaf a clirio dail.  Byddwn yn casglu'r dail ac yn eu gadael mewn cawell am ddwy i dair mlynedd er mwyn i'r dail bydru.

Jon transporting the fallen leaves into the cages above, where they will stay for 2-3 years.  We will use this leaf mould as a soil conditioner when planting new plants.  An invaluable aid to rooting due to its fine crumb structure.



Mae angen gorchuddio blaen dyfiant planhigion rhag y barrug a'r oerfel  Gweler corun y Dicksonia wedi'i orchuddio gyda gwellt, dail ac yna blanced.  Putting plants to bed is an important task at this time of the year.  Both the crown of the Dicksonia and Gunnera have been covered with straw, the leaves then bent over the crown and finally protected from the worst of the winter weather by a breathable protective blanket.

  

Amser yma'r flwyddyn does dim llawer o blanhigion yn blodeuo.  Ond dyma ddarganfod Arbutus unedo.  Planhigyn ddi-nod ond mae'r gwenyn yn ei fwynhau.

Arbutus unedo (Strawberry Tree) is an evergreen shrub with white urn-shaped flowers and red strawberry-like fruit in the autumn.  Our specimen is not old enough yet to bear fruit, but the bees enjoy visiting the flowers.

Yn anffodus mae gerddi yn dioddef colledion.  Rhai yn fwy na'i gilydd. Eleni mae'r goeden 'Scots Pine' wedi marw ar ei thraed ac felly doedd dim dewis ond ei thorri ar gyfer coed tan.
Now you see it now you don't.  This magnificent Scots Pine has stood for a good 80 years, but has now unfortunately been felled and used as fire wood.   We are now left with a hole in which we can plant some new plants

                                          

Chillies Sei o'r ty gwydyr yn dangos lliwiau anhygoel.

Last of the Chillies grown in the greenhouse, collected and stored before the winter set in.

A reminder of the summer.

Mis Hydref/ October 2014

Wedi lladd y gwair ar gyfer ei hadu gyda 'meadow mix'.
Ni fydd llawer o liw y flwyddyn nesa. Ond y flwyddyn ganlynol gobeithio am flachiadau o goch a melyn gan y blodau.

The grass on this bank has been sprayed and raked to remove nutrients so making the soil suitable for a meadow seed mixture. Yellow rattle will, we hope weaken the grass to allow meadow flowers to germinate and provide a sea of colour and nectar for the bees.

Helianthus

Mae'r Helianthus yma tua 5 troedfedd o uchder ac yn rhoi lliw i'r ardd ar ddechrau'r hydref.  Mae'n werthfawr, oherwydd mae'n creu uchder yn y borderi ac yn rhoi neithdar i'r gwenyn.

Grown for its early autumn colour, this Helianthus stands approximately 5 feet tall and provides height within the border.
As its name implies (Helios- Sun) it lightens a dark corner and provides pollen and nectar for the bees.

Old fashioned Hydrangea

This Hydrangea was a cutting from a friend.  It has large solid blooms which, if picked at the right time and dried naturally, will provide colour and structure for an indoor everlasting flower arrangement.  I have been known to use it in its dried state as part of a Christmas arrangement.



October is the month in which you should plant your bulbs.  We have been busy planting allium and daffodil bulbs within the borders and on the grassy bank.  We scatter the bulbs and plant them where they land.  This gives a natural feel to the planting.



Enghraifft o beth mae'r ardd wedi cynhyrchu eleni.

Produce from the garden include sweet peas, tomatoes, grapes from the vine in the greenhouse and an abundance of autumn fruiting raspberries which were newly planted this year.  We are very pleased with the variety 'Polka' as the fruit is sweet and firm.







Ond dyma seren yr ardd adeg yma'r flwyddyn.  Mae'r Acer yma oddeutu cant oed ac yn tyfu ar y graig wrth gefn y ty.

The leaves on this Acer turn bright red as soon as it gets a touch of frost and is magnificent for about a week or so, or until autumnal wind and rain detach the leaves and leave an equally magnificent skeleton of branches.

Early morning mist over Dolgellau

Mis Medi/September 2014

Saif Craig y Ffynnon ar gwr tref hynafol Dolgellau, lle mae'r tir yn dechrau codi'n serth i Gadair Idris.  Adeiladwyd y tŷ gwreiddiol tua 1750 a'r ddau estyniad helaeth yn niwedd oes Fictoria.  Mae'r ardd ddwy erw yn gwynebu'r gogledd gyda llawer o nodweddion yr oes honno wedi goresgyn.

The garden was laid out during the late Victorian era,the paths, walls, croquet lawn, box hedges, Bothy and greenhouse area belonging to this period. These are maintained and sometimes modified to suit modern

requirements,the croquet lawn now serving as a link between the spring flowering woodland garden and the summer flowering formal area.

Gentians growing in a sunny spot

Mae wedi bod yn fis Medi sych iawn ac mae
planhigion yn dal i dyfu a blodeuo. Gweler y
Gentian isod yn tyfu mewn hen sinc wedi ei osod
mewn llecyn heulog efo digon o ddraeniad


Flowering profusely in an old kitchen sink    
containing well drained humus rich soil is
this Gentian. The intensity of the blue colour
is amazing especially as the light begins to fail in the
early evening.  By morning the bright blue trumpets have collapsed and closed only to open again when the sun comes out.

Yr olygfa o'r parterre tuag at y ty gwydr

Mae planhigion megis Phlox yn dal i flodeuo ac yn rhoi uchder a ffurf i'r borderi.

Looking from the parterre towards the greenhouse the box hedges separate the garden into 'rooms'. Each 'room' having a distinct flowering time and flowers.

Yn gobeithio na fydd gennym forgrug fel rhain yn yr ardd!
Jon standing in front of giant ants in the Saatchi Gallery earlier this Autumn

Our unique label

Gwenyn wedi bod wrthi yn arbenig o brysur yn gwneud mel eleni. Hyd yma wedi potelu 150 pwys.

Our own honey. Made by our own bees and bottled at Craig y Ffynnon.