Welsh language magazine "Golwg" will be publishing an article about my photography in the National Botanic Gardens in their next issue.

Elf caps with Newt

Darren Boxer visited the garden recently to photograph the Scarlet Elf Cap fungi that are growing in the copses by the Aqualab. While setting up his cameras he had a surprise visitor - a newt ambled across the scene!

Star party cancelled

The Star Party for this coming Friday is almost certain to be cancelled because of weather. Please check with Garden to confirm.

NBGW weekend 19th, 20th March

I think that one of the buggies may have been very embarrassed this weekend! On Friday it was decorated in a pinkish theme as part of the preparations for a special (80 years) birthday party in the Glasshouse. Thanks to Steve and Ronny for driving!

On a more scientific note, Education were in the Glasshouse on Saturday and Sunday demonstrating, amongst other things, solar power and how plants feed. The strange daffodil was obtained by adding food colouring to the water it was standing in. All in all, a fun weekend, but we really do need more volunteers who are comfortable chatting to the public!

Things to do in Wales this week

This week (16, 17. 18 Feb) we have "drop in " activities in the Aqualab (aka Discovery Centre). These will include painting, close up looks at plants, and possibly chats about plants and medicine depending on which of our volunteers is present. We are in the grey buildings across the lake just after the Gatehouse - pop in and chat!

The weather looks OK for the week, so should be some good photo opportunities.

birthday presents

We all enjoy receiving presents on our birthday so we, the volunteers and members, are going to give the Garden a 10th. birthday present by collecting our small change and bringing the pennies, or hopefully pounds to Linda by the end of March.
We are also going to raise funds by holding a plant fair in May where volunteers and members will have stalls selling their own homegrown plants. Local gardening groups will be selling their plants.There will be other stalls, books and a raffle.
Volunteers form the largest department in the Garden so let's get saving pennies, sowing seeds and taking cuttings so that we play our part in the birthday celebrations.

Fungus on decayed beech twig

Our resident scientist, Natasha de Vere, examines a tiny fungus discovered on a decayed beech twig. This was on one of the Waxcap Discovery walks in the fields opposite the lakes. We discovered over 18 species of waxcaps and associated fungi, which makes the site nationally, if not internationally, important.

The main field is on a steep slope and partly because of this has been ignored for regular grazing, and never ploughed/fertilized as it is useless for growing cash crops. This is why it is such a species rich area of undeveloped pasture - wild plants/fungi have developed to thrive in such conditions.