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...

Losing a loved one is lonely and in the build up to the festive season and the traditional time of celebration and sharing, a grieving person may feel like there is no place to find comfort or relief from the darkness of grief. Ty Cymorth Day Hospice, Carmarthen led by the Chaplaincy Department of Hywel Dda University Health Board, is holding their fifth annual 'Their Light Still Shines' celebration service on November 20 at 2.30pm, providing a place of light and hope for those who are mourning. The service will be held at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, in the peaceful glass dome. Entry is free via the main entrance and is open to all ages and faiths or none. 12 central candles will be lit, representing members of the family, work colleagues and those who have donated their organs to offer to others life. We will also remember those who have died in the armed forces and police and fire services across the years, with the final candle lit for those who await n...

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 Chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council will welcome a peace run to the National Botanic Garden on Sunday March 13. Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths will be at the Garden to welcome the participants in the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run at 8.50am before the start of a 5km race and 2.5km Fun Run at 9am. Following the prize giving by the Chairman, a peace statue of a man holding a torch will be unveiled in a new peace garden area by Lord Elis-Thomas. The Peace Run will arrive in Laugharne at 3pm where they will meet the Port Reeve and the Mayor for a presentation. They will then go to the Dylan Thomas Boathouse to open the Writing Shed when Dylan Thomas’ granddaughter Hannah Ellis will be present and International Dylan Day will be promoted. On Monday March 14 the Peace Run will arrive at County Hall, Carmarthen, to be met by councillors and will then move on to Ysgol y Dderwen to meet the Town Mayor and Head teacher. The 5K Run for aged 11 upwards has a £7 entry fee of £5 for UK...

Meadow owners in Carmarthenshire got together at a recent event to discuss forming a group. More than 60 people attended the event held at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, which was organised by members of the Carmarthenshire Biodiversity Partnership . The aim was to inspire the creation of a county-wide community of landowners which would support each other to improve the diversity of plants, fungi and animals on meadows, large or small, across Carmarthenshire. Like much of the UK, where 98% of flower-rich meadows have been lost in the past century, Carmarthenshire’s traditional wildflower-rich meadows have been much reduced in the county and are now a rarity. Through the formation of a meadows group, which could provide opportunities for landowners to come together and share experience, knowledge and enthusiasm, it is hoped that many more important areas of meadow in Carmarthenshire can be managed to enhance their wildlife. Help will be provided initially through opportunities...

A Carmarthenshire businessman has stepped it to save a popular festive contest for schools with the donation of a 20 Christmas trees. The popular Christmas Tree Decorating Competition, held annually at the National Botanic Garden and featuring hundreds of local schoolchildren, was thrown into doubt when the Garden’s supply of trees disappeared. But Roger Hunt, who owns and runs the company Cymru Christmas Trees and a massive plantation of 10,000 trees near to the Garden, has made a very special Christmas gift of 12 six-foot trees to ensure the competition goes ahead as planned – on Thursday December 4. Education development officer at the Garden, Nancy Hardy said: “We are very grateful to Roger. It is a fabulous gesture and came just in the nick of time to save this special day in which hundreds of local schoolchildren take part.” Mr Hunt said: “As a major supplier of Christmas trees, I am delighted to be able to help the National Botanic Garden with this competition. “We are part o...

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...