Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

More than a hundred foster children and their carers have created their own 'crowd of golden daffodils' at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne. A daffodil bulb has been planted for each of the foster children in the county. There are more than 200. The Botanic Gardens designated a special grassy area on one of their main walks in which a daffodil bulb was planted. The children joined with staff digging, planting and stamping down the clods of grass over their buried treasure of bulbs. They can’t wait to see the results of their labours in the spring. Carmarthenshire County Council's executive board member for education children’s services Cllr Gareth Jones, enjoying the Botanical fun day with his wife Meinir, said: “It’s encouraging to see one of the county’s major year round attractions, the Botanical Gardens, supporting our hard working fostering team and see everyone having so much fun. It was a really valuable exercise to boost the recruitment of foster c...

Pumpkins, conkers and daffodil bulbs are all in the mix for a half-term Carmarthenshire Council fostering fun day. And the venue could not be more spectacular, the National Botanic Garden of Wales at Llanarthne, on Friday October 28th. Entry to the Gardens is free for all the foster families and anyone who has an interest in becoming a foster carer and call 08000933699 to confirm their attendance. The day starting at 11am will be full of free activities including pumping carving, taking part in Bonkers Conker Competitions, conker necklace making, craft tables and face painting and a trip to the new Butterfly House ahead of a significant bulb planting ceremony. Anyone interested in fostering a Carmarthenshire child can contact the fostering service on 08000933699.

The first stage of a £6.7 million plan to restore historic Regency landscape at the National Botanic Garden of Wales has been given the green light. What will be the biggest project in the Garden’s history aims to uncover the origins of Middleton Hall – the 568-acre estate that the Garden now occupies – and to tell the story of more than 250 years of East India Company influence that shaped the landscape of this part of Wales. It was announced today (September 1st, 2014) that the Garden has received initial support* from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) with a pledge of more than £300,000 to develop its plans for the Regency Restoration project. The scheme includes major archaeological work which will reveal the secrets of the estate from the time of Shakespeare and before, and see the restoration of the later Regency landscape that was one of the finest water parks in Britain. When completed, the Garden will once more feature the necklace of seven lakes, cascades, falls and weirs cr...

Carmarthenshire 50+ Forum has organised its most ambitious annual event ever after a successful year of recruitment. The Forum, which now has 1,750 members, is organising a Grand Day Out at the National Botanic Garden of Wales on Friday September 19 hosted by entertainer Roy Noble. The free event at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne includes guided walking tours around the Garden, a life-sized replica of Dylan Thomas’ Writing Shed, with interactive workshops that bring to life the working environment of the poet, iPad, arts and crafts, reflexology, patchwork and tea dance taster sessions, a mini crazy golf course, and information stalls from a wide range of local organisations and charities. There will also be local choirs and orchestras to add a musical feel to proceedings. Caroline Streek of the 50+ Forum said: “The Forum has gained 120 new members through the recent article in Carmarthenshire News and now has 1,750 members. It is one of the biggest 50+ Forums...

On October 10, the Eiriol Mental Health Advocacy Charity will be celebrating their 10th Anniversary and also World Mental Health Day by holding an free conference at the National Botanical Gardens of Wales near Carmarthen. It will be an interesting day with several information stands, a selection of speakers and workshop activities.  Registration is from 9.30 am with the conference from 10.00 till 4.30. Please contact Susi De Lacey, Development Advocate, ASAP if your organisation would like a stand.  Full details of the speakers and workshops will follow shortly. Please feel free to pass on this info to anyone else who maybe interested. Susi De Lacey. Development Advocate. Eiriol. King Street. Carmarthen. SA31 1BA tel 07794375834. Website - http://www.eiriol.org.uk/news/4583272212

Dr John Warren, Director of Learning and Teaching at Aberystwyth University’s IBERS will do a session of James Wong in Conversation and deliver a talk at the gardening event of the year, when BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time is bringing its annual Summer Garden Party to the National Botanic Garden of Wales for the first time on Sunday June 29. James Wong is the Kew-trained botanist, BBC science presenter, RHS Ambassador, and self-confessed Geek. Dr Warren is a plant ecologist with research interests in the maintenance of diversity and enhancement of conservation value. His James Wong in Conversation session will discuss growing more exotic vegetables, and in his own inimitable style, his talk is entitled ‘50 Shades of Green – the exotic sexual practices of plants’. There will also be a demonstration of IBERS PhD student Lizzy Donkin’s computer model that may help gardeners avoid pests by mixing their rows of peas and carrots and IBERS PhD student Sam Thomas will be talking abou...

The RDP Sir Gar Mentro Project has organised a 24-hour business challenge for rural Carmarthenshire's young entrepreneurs. The session will culminate in ideas being pitched to a Dragon's Den-style line-up. The best presentation will win £2500 to invest in their business. The competition is open to individuals or teams aged 16-30 and based in rural Carmarthenshire. Speakers including S4C’s presenter Heledd Cynwal, Tregroes Waffles’s Kees Huysman and Best of Carmarthenshire’s Diana Vickers. They will be at Llanarthne Hall in the Tywi Valley giving tips on everything from networking and social media to presentation skills and web presence during the challenge. The Rural Development Plan (RDP) is designed to support the regeneration of rural areas and has been funded by the Welsh Government and European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The RDP Programme is overseen by Grŵp Cefn Gwlad in conjunction with Carmarthenshire County Council as lead body. Tomas Marks, RDP ...

Cor Meibion Llanelli (Llanelli Male Choir) will be performing at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne on Saturday afternoon. The choir will be performing from 2pm inside the Great Glasshouse. The concert is free. On St David's Day, Friday, the choir will be giving a concert at the Coleg Sir Gar Graig campus in Llanelli at 12noon. Cor Meibion Llanelli secretary Fred Elias said: "We thought we'd try something different to a normal St David's Day concert this year. The choir is keen to get involved in all sections of the community, young and old. We are looking forward to performing before the students of Coleg Sir Gar and the visitors to the Botanic Gardens. Performing in the Great Glasshouse at the Botanic is going to be a first for the choir."

Sign to National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne. Whoops!

Special week for volunteers | The National Botanic Garden of Wales The hard work done by volunteers at National Botanic Garden of Wales volunteers is being recognised with a special week. From Monday June 11 until Sunday June 17, all the Garden’s volunteers are invited to ‘Bring A Friend Free of Charge’ so they can show their friends and family the fruits of their labour. The garden is at Llanarthne, near Carmarthen.

Transport of delight | The National Botanic Garden of Wales Visitors will benefit from a successful fundraising campaign at the National Botanic Garden at Llanarthne, near Carmarthen. Donations collected by volunteers during the Garden’s free January have earned the Carmarthenshire attraction a brand new buggy.

Landscapes in Lino by Ian Phillips | The National Botanic Garden of Wales Exploring the beautiful Welsh landscape and the weather in all its diversity is the mission of artist Ian Phillips who will be exhibiting in the Courtyard Art Gallery at the National Botanic Garden of Wales from June 2nd to July 31st 2012. A founder member of Aberystwyth Printmakers, Ian’s work has been acquired by public bodies including the National Library of Wales and MOMA Wales.

Hobbies a hit at the Garden | The National Botanic Garden of Wales There’ll be hobbies and handicrafts of all kinds at the National Botanic Garden of Wales at Llanarthne, near Carmarthen, on June 2-5. From displays of dolls houses by West Glamorgan Dolls House Society, model railways, jewellery, quiltwork, lace makers and photography to horticulture, gardeners sessions, and canoeing on the lakes, there’ll be something for all the family.

Crack the Garden code | The National Botanic Garden of Wales The new National Botanic Garden of Wales visitor leaflet is packed with more than just vital statistics and pretty pictures. The 2012 Garden leaflet has an inbuilt discounted entry offer – locked in the QR code on the cover. Anyone with a smart phone and a QR-code-reading ‘app’ will  be able to unlock a ‘buy one, get one half price’ admission offer to the Garden at Llanarthne, near Carmarthen.

Special Offer - Subsidised School Visits | The National Botanic Garden of Wales Two great new initiatives will help Welsh schoolchildren visit the National Botanic Garden of Wales at Llanarthne, near Carmarthen. The first is to help Key Stage 2, 3 and 4 pupils learn about sustainable development. The second initiative is a Field Safari which will introduce Key Stage 2 pupils to basic ecology during the summer and autumn terms 2012.

Give Yourself a Treat this Weekend | The National Botanic Garden of Wales Would you like to own a genuine piece of Welsh-made hand-crafted treasure? Do you feel like you deserve something new and beautiful in your life? Then beat a path to the National Botanic Garden of Wales at Llanarthne, near Carmarthen, on Saturday and Sunday May 19-20 for the second of its 2012 ‘Four Seasons Craft Fairs’. Among the stunning surrounds of the Great Glasshouse, you’ll find a choice of 35 stalls offering a captivating range of Welsh-made hand-crafted treasures from beautiful glassware, cute teddy bears, novelty clocks and cushions to gorgeous jewellery, stunning enamels, novelty garden ornaments and heavenly-scented hand-made soaps. You’ll also get to see, and smell, the mediterranean plants of the Great Glasshouse in their spring-time pomp, The Craft Fair is on from 10am until 6pm (last entry 5pm). For more information, call 01558 667149 or email info@gardenofwales.org.uk

A rare scarlet bloomer at the National Botanic Garden of Wales flowered on what was a big weekend for ‘Scarlets’. This striking Banksia coccinea (or ‘Scarlet Banksia’) burst into bloom the same time that Scarlets legend Stephen Jones played his last game for the club.

The readers of Which? Magazine have given a top rating to the National Botanic Garden of Wales at Llanarthne, near Carmarthen. A survey of more than 4,000 subscribers of the Consumers’ Association’s magazine saw the Carmarthenshire attraction rated at 79%, based on overall satisfaction and the likelihood to recommend. This put it level-pegging with the Eden Project in Cornwall and above such garden gems as Chatsworth, Blenheim Palace and Hampton Court. Home to the world’s largest single-span glasshouse and more than 8,000 different plant varieties, the National Botanic Garden received top marks for ‘value for money’ and disabled access, and was also highly rated for the quality of its food. Head of marketing, David Hardy said: “This is a terrific accolade for the Garden. We’ve certainly come a long way in 12 years. To receive such high marks for our food quality, value for money and disabled access is proof positive that all the hard work going on here is really paying off.” T...

Welsh landlady hopeful of upturn in trade after receiving Assembly grant for pub refurbishment A Welsh licensee is hopeful of an upturn in trade after receiving a grant from the Welsh Assembly. The Emlyn Arms in Llanarthne has received a grant from the Welsh Assembly Meleri Jones, of the Emlyn Arms in Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, recently completed a major refurb of the pub with help from the Local Investment Fund (LIF) South West Wales . This project is part-funded through the European Regional Development Fund and offers flexible financial support to assist new and existing businesses by offering capital grants of 40% for eligible projects.

Food Festival is a proper treat | The National Botanic Garden of Wales This year's Food Festival will be  a proper treat at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, May 12-13. The West Wales Food Festival boasts the best in local food and drink and demonstrations from the best chefs in Wales along with talks, walks, music, magic and many other delights. Top Welsh chef Bryn Williams will be demonstrating his skills on both days in the Festival kitchen while in the Local Producer Marquee you will find the best local food and drink around from more than 40 regional producers.