Lletty's Blog

Croeso! Welcome to Lletty Cottage a lovely five star holiday cottage for two in Carmarthenshire. www.llettycottage.co.uk

July 3rd Damp but getting Sunnier Soon! July 3, 2020

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Life motors on just the same as the weeks before….but definitely a feeling that it’s getting slower and slower! I feel like the little tortoise on my garden table…happy and safe in my home but a bit of a plodder! I’m sure energy levels will be revitalised when the 5 mile limit on travelling is lifted next Monday…I’ll be off then …hopefully in the week to a beach and the promise is fine weather too! Also on Monday Aberglasney Gardens are reopening and I’ll be back to volunteering on some days…hooray!

After keeping up with our local walks the most exciting thing we have done is visit our recycling centre in Ammanford…over 5 miles away! After booking a visiting slot online we drove there and found it all very organised and a relief to leave our rubbish behind.

Checking through our rubbish before we left home I discovered that Jim was discarding his metal toolbox as it was broken. This was swiftly removed from the pile and after a bit of remedial work it is now a lovely plant container!

Although there have been some periods of sunshine it has also rained and been chilly. Flowers have been unsure whether to fully open or stay down-headed and closed!

I’ve always like gates and little pathways and luckily I’ve a few in our garden to enjoy. ( Just found our again how to do circles!)

Our house plants are enjoying a break in the fresh air although they have complained about the cold wind!

The veg garden is at last beginning to speed up after the loss of so many plants in the frost. Some lovely friends brought some extra plants and they are doing well. The peas show lots of promise…hope the pods fill out soon!

The garden keeps surprising me with flowers that suddenly bloom and flowers that just keep on going and going!

I wish the garden was as tidy as all the above photos imply …it’s all a jumble really…very cottage garden with overflowing borders and many lovely weeds/wild flowers and trees. The lime tree is absolutely buzzing with bees and the self heal has covered all our lawns…so pretty.

After the weeks with no rain, a couple of months ago, when the water levels in the pond dropped, pond weed has taken over. Now there’s enough rain to top it all up the moorhens are happy again!

Thank you for reading.

 

June 13 Abermarlais Walk and Garden June 13, 2020

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Another fortnight has somehow passed since my last post and life seems to be in a very gentle groove! Pottering around in the garden and house and going on pleasant, quiet, circular local walks has filled my days. The lockdown has been slowly, slowly eased in Wales ( too slow for some, just right for others!) and visitors are allowed in the garden! So great excitement when we had some visitors and it was wonderful to have face to face conversation with them all. Missed the hugs though!

Other visitors to the garden have not been so welcome!

Birds are always welcome in the garden even if they are eating everything!

The little birds too enjoy scoffing down the seed when the squirrels have left!

The swifts which have nests all round our house, in the eaves, are always screeching and screaming around the place. One nest is right above our bedroom window so we hear the chicks calling out for food…all the time!

Not a good photo…the swift was too swift for the camera to catch it entering its nest!

June has arrived so it’s hay time! As soon as the farmer turns up with the tractor to cut the grass the buzzards and red kites appear overhead watching carefully for any sign of movement in the cut grass that would mean a tasty lunch for them!

Just down the road from us is Abermarlais. There is a caravan site in the grounds of ‘an old high status dwelling’ long demolished! As the caravan park is closed as are all holiday accommodations in Wales ..including Lletty Cottage … the site is empty but looking wonderful. It is primed ready for the return of visitors as looking at its very best and prettiest. http://abermarlaiscaravanpark.co.uk

Back home the garden is now settling down after all the changes in the weather and flowers and vegetable garden are all doing well.Love all the foxgloves and the teasels that are shooting up!

The roses all seemed to want a friend with them!

  • But there’s always one that wants to be alone!

The clematis are climbing and covering all before them!

The orchid in our front lawn has finally flowered and it’s beautiful and the patch of ragged robin from last year has only produced one flower so far!

  • lettuce
  • cucumbers
  • courgettes
  • angelica
  • water lily
  • canna lily
  • Pretty!

As I write this there is an almighty thunder storm happening! I have been advised to switch the computer off!!! Therefore, dear reader, I am ending this sharpish! Thank you for reading and keep staying safe and enjoy the new easing of lockdown wherever you are!

My one and only poppy!

 

May 29 Llandovery Walk and Garden May 29, 2020

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What’s not to like about this weather? Sunny, hot and dry when not too long ago we were dreary, cold and wet! Now the sun is shining for many days in a row it brings the problem of keeping the garden watered and the plants alive! Hey ho! It’s just lovely that we can enjoy all this sunshine in our garden during lockdown when others sadly have no garden at all! So no complaining from me!

Lockdown means no visitors but some have called uninvited and querying the restrictions!

The birds, bees and butterflies are always welcome visitors even a hornet can fly in when passing! Nor so welcome are the lily beetles but the brightly coloured spittlebug is OK!

  • Hornet!
  • Red tailed bee
  • Frog hopper/ spittlebug
  • Blackbird sunbathing on bird table
Mrs Pheasant is a constant visitor but where has Mr Pheasant gone!?

The Canada Geese are still happily munching their way through the grass in the Pond Field and on our front lawn and getting larger by the minute!

The flowers in the garden keep on flowering and bring a change of colour, shape and interest. Finding a rose keeling over in the cottage garden meant tying it up to a stalk which was growing up the wall. I lifted my eyes and discovered a truly beautiful red climbing rose rambling through a hawthorn bush…I’d nearly missed it so I’m looking upwards from now on!

Clematis love climbing too and disappear up trees to emerge high up in search of all the sunshine!

We have left the garden and Jim’s workshop for a few visits out! Mainly to the Coop in Llandovery to buy food and then to take the opportunity to go for a walk. Leaving the car in Llandovery car park where the castle and statue of Llwellyn ap Gruffyd keep watch over the town we headed for the Llandovery College playing fields where there’s a golf course, football pitches and of course rugby pitches. The college is well known for its rugby past pupils : George North, Alun Wyn Jones and many many more!

On the way to the fields we took a slight diversion to walk across the pedestrian bridge which leads into town, in the distance there was the 12th century Llanfair-ar-y-bryn Church and below us the River Towy. Under the road bridge you could see the original bridge with its arches.

Crossing the road to get to the footpath is rather hazardous as there’s a barrier to climb over! After navigating the barrier with difficulty…Jim’s knee doesn’t like to be bent(!) we climbed the stile to find we were as surprised as the sheep to find them under the stile!

We followed the path keeping to the side of the golf course where there were two golfers playing on their own. I’ve always thought that golf is dangerous!

We walked along lovely tracks ( I love tracks!) with foxgloves either side and enjoyed the views through the trees of the very quiet Towy and the lovely pavilion on the opposite side of the field.

We reached the far end of the fields and waked under the railway bridge that crosses the Towy.

Following the banks of the river we reached a point where the river had washed our path away! We had to retrace our path and walk back the opposite side of the fields. It meant we had a fine view of the hills surrounding the fields and all the facilities for sports activities.

  • Path washed away
  • Lots of seats to choose from
  • Hope this wasn’t the old pavilion.

Back on the road we were just in time to see a train stop at the station and pull away up the Heart of Wales line.

Lots to keep us happy in the garden but looking forward to being able to visit the beach soon!

Thank you for reading. Stay safe and try to remember all the new easing of lockdown information – wherever you live!

 

May 15 Llansadwrn Forestry Walk and Garden May 15, 2020

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Looking through the photos taken over the last fortnight to put in this post has shown the highs and lows of gardening…all courtesy of the weather!

Being blessed with days of sunshine and warmth the sown seeds in the greenhouse sprouted forth and multiplied! Planting out usually takes place on the last Bank Holiday in May…but lured on by the sunshine- I foolishly planted out the peas, courgettes, runner and dwarf beans which all flourished…that is…until …. THE FROST! I really need music to accompany this piece so one can feel the drama rising…or maybe not!. Anyway to cut a long story short…a bit like the plants…they have all gone to pastures new…the compost … so seed planting is starting again!

Before TF (The frost!) the garden was positively blooming although it needed a nightly water to keep the clay soil from cracking open too much.

There was colour everywhere- not in any organised colour combinations- just splashes of random colour brightening the lock down days!

Between all the drama of gardening we have taken local walks to get our permitted daily exercise in. Nearby there is a lovely forestry walk and the track through it follows the hillside to the top where there are wonderful views of the Towy valley below.

In the distance there are the Carmarthenshire Fans and in the far distance 40 miles away there’s Pen Y Fan- the highest peak in South Wales. My little camera zoomed its heart out and managed a good photo of the the twin summits of Pen y Fan and Corn Du!

Either side of the track there were the emerging leaves and fruits of all the trees.

Bluebells danced in the glades.

Birds serenaded us from the tops of trees. One a robin the other unknown but it had a beautiful song! Wonder if anyone can identify it …please.

Back in the garden although visitors aren’t allowed we’ve had a few!

The big news is that the Canada Geese have hatched their six goslings! They are as lovely as ever even though for the first time they are leaving the Pond Field and coming into the garden! They are enjoying swimming in the ‘baby’ pool that I’ve just put in behind the bog garden!!

Trying to move them on proved difficult! The mother limboed under the gate whilst the dad climbed through the fence.

In the end I decided that it was lovely seeing them in the garden and they could stay!

After TF and the goslings the garden looks far more ‘lived in’ with dead veg and molehills!

In the Pond Field there look like some orchid leaves so looking forward to seeing what happens there. Sadly they are growing right beneath the lime tree which only today had a large branch crash down!

Although there is a significant amount of frost damage to plants in the garden the roses are beginning to shine through to brighten everything up again.

Today in ‘normal’ times would have been a Walking Well Walk Day. The posts about the walks have always mentioned Lewis, a dear friend to all the walkers. He led from the front and set the pace and we always tried to keep up with him. He was a true pal and a delightful gentleman. Very sadly he died recently and today was his funeral. He will be greatly missed by all who were fortunate to know him.

 

May 1st Llansadwrn Loop and Garden May 1, 2020

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Rain …at last! Who’d have thought I’d be writing about being happy with rain on May 1st! Our water butts are overflowing, the grass is greening up and everywhere looks fresher and brighter. The lambs in the adjacent field are really loving the long grass to run and play in.

The wisteria is starting to hang its beautiful flowers over the trellis and the Welsh poppies are popping up everywhere.

The early flowering yellow rose is flowering already and has encouraged the Gertrude Jekyll rose to open up a bud early too!

The garden is full of spring flowers and lots of colour to brighten our days.

  • Lletty Cottage garden
  • Present from Jane last year!

Our village was going to have an Open Garden Day this June which has now been postponed until next year. The break has given me the chance to look at our garden and see how to improve it and create more views through the borders. The ideas are all in my head for now- whether there’ll be the enthusiasm and energy to carry out all the ideas/plans is another matter!!

I like the path around the front grass which is full of lady’s smock ..maybe should make it wider to accommodate social distancing!
The view towards the bog garden – needs more ooomph!

The bog garden is looking better now with its wild and cultivated plants growing strongly after the rain. The primulas that follow soon are spreading well and bring lots of lovely colour.

Just realised the benefit of taking general photos as it shows I just plant things anywhere with no plan on shape or colour and let nature do its own thing! I do like the lilac arch!

The garden is my domain and Jim has his workshop but we do enjoy a walk out together too. Last week we walked the Llansadwrn Loop which is just a 3 mile circular walk around the lanes of the village.

We were greeted by some very friendly donkeys as we passed by their field. They just love having their ears tickled!
The old chapel of Libanus with its amazing monkey puzzle trees and walls full of pennywort.

The Canada Goose is still sitting on her nest on the island and the gunnera is getting larger by the day! Hope it doesn’t cover her! Every evening, 5.30pm, she gets off her nest and calls out to her mate…who is in the next field with his mates…a rowdy bunch! She flies over to see him and gets him to come back to the pond. He reluctantly leaves his mate and flies back with her and they splash down together. She then has a wash, brush up and eats some grass etc. He swims around! After a few minutes she’s back on her nest and he swans off again back to his mates! Every evening!

This might not be the easiest of times for everyone but it really does give one time to look at everything that is happening in the garden and enjoy it all.

 

April 18 Lords and Ladies welcome spring in Lletty Cottage Garden and local walks April 18, 2020

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http://www.llettycottage.co.uk

At last we have the time to stand and stare at all the wonderful happenings in the garden during this extraordinary springtime. We are fortunate to have a garden to walk around and enjoy and feel huge sympathy for the many who do not have such a privilege at this time.

The warm weather has brought a delight of colour to the garden with many wild flowers amongst cultivated ones.

As our Walking Well Walks are currently postponed we are enjoying a few local walks around Llansadwrn and Felindre.

Just up the road is the pretty ‘hamlet’ of Felindre with the River Marlais running through it and a footpath that leads on to the Millennium Wood.

A number of large trees have been felled by the river’s edge and methinks one of the pieces would make a very fine coffee table!

A favourite part of the walk leads through a tunnel of hazel trees right next to the woodland and where the ground is covered in wood sorrel, celandines and feathers!

The weather has been warm and sunny but there have been occasional frosty mornings which make me speed up my morning saunter around the garden into a much faster sprint in for coffee!

When the morning has warmed itself up there is time for another walk around the garden to check out the flowers that are blooming. There are tulips:

there’s a magnolia:

there are lots of flowers:

and lots of trees and blossom:

Mrs Canada Goose is now sitting on her nest on the island near the gunnera so hopefully it doesn’t grow too quickly and cover her up!

Butterflies are visiting the garden but too fluttery and fast to capture in a photo and even a photo of a female violet oil beetle was tricky as she scooted for cover!


Jobs around the garden have kept me busy during this time ….please note no jobs in the house ever get done or completed…rather be outside!

The greenhouse has been tidied and the aruncula are doing well in their pots, all the veggie seeds are stuck in compost and hopefully going to sprout soon, the little woodshed has been tidied in readiness for the swallows return and a small pond dug next to the Skunk cabbage which has flowered well.

Hope you have had time to stand and enjoy this springtime too. Stay safe.

W.H. Davies was a Welsh poet and we used to learn this poem at school:

Leisure

What is this life, so full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare?-

No time to stand benaeth the boughs,

And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

 

April 3rd Spring Inspiration April 3, 2020

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We are very fortunate to have a garden to walk around and enjoy, during what are very difficult times for many people. The spring flowers are beautiful this year and maybe having a quiet time in life has given us more chance to enjoy them fully.

Sad that the visitors who were booked in Lletty Cottage will miss their holiday here but hopefully they will return to visit at a later date…we will miss seeing them.

The honey bee ‘hive’ under our roof tiles is keeping the garden buzzing and humming with its bees as they flit from flower to flower. Of course they have a remarkable facility that many do not know about…if approached by someone with a camera they fly off immediately and warn others to stay away!

Our village, Llansadwrn, has been brilliantly active in keeping in touch with everyone and watching out for all. A volunteer group has been formed and anyone wanting help in any way can just let them know what is needed. It’s amazing.

We walked up to the village to collect farm fresh eggs that are kindly left in a cool box. On the way we stopped to admire the view. Not a good idea when a flock of sheep spy you and think that food is being delivered to them! Waiting for a flock of sheep to arrive at a gate is not one that we want to go through again …the baaaing, bleating, mehing that proceeded the charge was deafening! Hope the farmer wasn’t annoyed.

The Canada Geese couple have now settled into their routine but as yet haven’t laid any eggs. They have been thwarted by a very annoying couple of mallards who pester them non stop. The moorhens are far more chummy and keep their heads down and tails up and just get on with their courting. Our resident Mr Pheasant knocks on our door …frequently… and then goes around the house and knocks on our other doors…poor Rufus is going mad chasing him from door to door inside! Mrs Pheasant is far more civilised and keeps her distance…tut tutting in the background!

  • mallard

Another walk up to the village for more eggs led to a longer walk following a footpath through the meadows full of baby lambs. The path meandered through a pretty woodland glade filled with wood anemone and then onto a bubbling stream……poetry!

Keeping busy has been top of my list and the garden has had a good spring clean! The bulrushes around the pond have increased significantly over the last year and with all these seeds blowing in the wind it looks as though they might increase even more!

Clearing up broken branches from the trees has unveiled the land of the creepy crawlies underneath…fascinating to watch …and enjoy! Jim hates them!

On the field joining our garden the farmer has brought back his ‘big boys’ – who look a bit tired after all their work!

I have always loved mowing the grass! Having a petrol mower requires little effort in moving the machine so one can reflect on life and sort it all out whilst doing a good job at the same time. I have mowed our Pond Field..about 3/4 of an acre and the rest of the lawns so all done!

Flowers and blossom in the garden are showing their best sides to attract all those bees…they are doing a grand job!

It’s a very yellowy / creamish scene!

with a tinge of purply and pink

But things are noticeably turning ‘blue’! …I love blue!

No photos of all the birds in our garden – they are all busy building their nests and singing sweetly in the trees and all seems well with their world…let’s hope the same for us …it’s a shared world for all to enjoy.

Flying bird of the day over the garden ( apologies to Mr T!)

 

March 21 Start of Spring- Walks Llangadog, Dolau Cothi, Dolauhirion Bridge March 21, 2020

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Well, what a weird and strange world we are living in at present. Fortunately for us we have a lovely local shop full of everything we need including lots of kindness too. Our village has come up trumps (sorry!) with a wonderful support system for any resident who may need help- this is the benefit of living in a small, caring community.

Although all the groups and meetings around have been cancelled or postponed including our Walking Well Group it hasn’t meant…as yet…that private walking has been suspended too! Missing seeing Philip and all the gang though and hope they are all OK!

It didn’t take a huge amount of persuasion to encourage Jim… him with the poorly knee… to accompany me on my circular walk around Llangadog..a nearby village with everything one needs to survive….a butcher, a county stores, a newsagent plus shop, two and more pubs…sadly no candle stick maker!

Llangadog

Parking the car on the Common we followed the track down to the River Towy passing some lovely properties, lambs in the fields and spring flowers in the hedgerows.



Nearing the river we could see in the distance the railway bridge that we were heading for, the lane seemed to get longer and longer!

The wind pushed us towards the river which was running along very strongly and there were signs of where the flooding had been not too many weeks ago.

Having a train on the line whilst crossing a decidedly scary footpath on the bridge whilst seeing the tumbling river beneath would have been a step too far for me!

Crossing through fields and over the railway line we were faced with a very muddy lane filled with slurry- where we held our noses and battled through…me in my wellies- Jim in his shoes!!! The patterns in the water though were pretty!

We were now three quarters of the way round our circular walk and knee problems began to surface. Never fear I was near!!! Walking speedily ahead into Llangadog and through the village out to the Common, collecting the car and whizzing back to pick up Jim…all problems solved.

A day of rest was called for before we set off again in the car to Llandovery and onto Dolauhirion Bridge (Pont Dolauhirion)..another bridge over the River Towy (Afon Tywi) . It is a lovely bridge, Grade 1 listed, built in 1773 by William Edwards. It has circular openings at the ends apparently to relieve stress on the main bridge in times of flood.

The water was crystal clear- just right for a paddle…in the summer!

Ending our day out at Dolau Cothi with another walk over another bridge, over the River Cothi. Coffee and cake in the car revived the aching knee…a bit!

Back home the garden is getting into the Spring mood with increasing amounts of colour and longer and longer grass!

Back in Aberglasney, which has shut its tearoom and shop for now but the garden is open…the magnolia are flowering, the trilliums are trilling and the  fritillaries are …fritting.. all too good to miss! In the mansion a Bonsai exhibition too… but sadly closed now.

Thankfully, we have lots of feathery friends in the garden, including two pheasants, two nesting Canada geese, three moorhens and three Mallards to keep us happy.

Thank you for reading. Stay well and active and enjoy the Spring!

 

March 7 Llyn Llech Owain and Llansadwrn Walks, Aberglasney March 7, 2020

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The rain had stopped and although the paths were muddy a fair few walkers turned up at Llyn Llech Owain for Philip’s walk around the country park. Setting off at a good pace we reached the little Visitor Centre, which is a good place to look out over the lake and see which birds are around.

The lake’s legend: Owain Lawgoch (known as Owain The Red Hand in the Hundred Years’ War) was entrusted to look after Mynydd Mawr, a well on the mountain. Every day, after withdrawing enough water for himself and his horse, Owain was always very careful to replace the stone slab which held back the water. However on one occasion he somehow completely forgot to do that and an absolute torrent of water poured down the side of the mountain! The resultant lake was hence named Llyn Lech Owain, meaning ‘the lake of Owain’s slab’!

Continuing on around the lake we followed some rather muddy paths. The land around the lake is being restored to ‘proper’ bogland. Many trees have been felled to clear the land. It all looks a bit wet and messy at present but no doubt it will improve the land for wildlife and the bog itself.

Continuing the circular walk we left the park, walked along a country lane and returned back through the park on another path. Whilst on the road we passed a machine improving the bog area on another site.

There was also a derelict cottage…just ripe for renovation…maybe suit Miss Havisham if it had an extension! Many of the trees around our area are marked with orange paint or orange ties, these are due to be chopped down as I believe they have ash dieback and may cause injury if left and fall down!

The pace quicken when we neared the cafe! Fantastic range of multicoloured cakes awaited us…all delicious but the bara brith was my favourite! Thank you Philip for the great walk and for bringing the best eggs around from Lewis, who we are all missing on our walks and we all wish him well.

The weather has been bright and dry on a number of days and Tuesday in our village is Vestry Venture Day. The church vestry is open for all to call in and have a chat , coffee and cake. So I ventured out for a walk and a chat up to the church, passing the old pound and the war memorial and said hello to the welcoming bear outside the vestry!

On the way back down the hill the views and the signs of spring in the hedgerows was uplifting.

  • Black Mountain View from top of drive

As I’ve mentioned some times I love Aberglasney Gardens! Recently there has been a new orchid display in the Ninfarium to enjoy- it’s stunning! Plus all the daffodils out…magic!