Exotic plant blooms at Dwygyfylchi to baffle experts

Aug 7 2008 by Michelle Coyle, North Wales Weekly News

GLOBAL warming has hit Dwygyfylchi with an exotic South African flower managing to bloom in the quarry village, despite gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh claiming it would never grow north of Cornwall!

Green-fingered David Nigel Jones picked up the King Protea plant at the Chelsea Flower Show seven years ago after having been impressed by the blooms on his trips to South Africa.

David said: “My wife Hazel and I go to South Africa each year and love the King Protea, the country’s national flower.

“When we saw one in Chelsea seven years ago we thought we had to have it. It’s taken a long time for it to finally flower, despite Alan Titchmarsh saying it would never happen so far north in Dwygyfylchi.

“We’ve kept it covered with a fleece in the winter to protect it, and now it’s thriving. The flower is very pretty.”

David, 64, who has been gardening since he was a young boy growing up in Llanfairfechan, is delighted to be able to enjoy spending his retirement in the garden.

“I grow all our own food and any extra plants I have go to the charity shop,” said David. “We’re living the good life!”

Although Hazel, David’s wife of 43 years, is not a keen gardener herself, they make a good team.

“Hazel keeps bees so they help to pollinate the flowers,” said David. “We do have a lot of flowers in the garden, but nothing quite as unique as our King Protea.”

Alison Clarke, horticultural expert at Bodnant Gardens near Eglwysbach, was surprised by David’s achievement.

“He has really done very well as they are not hardy plants and very awkward to grow,” said Alison. “We’ll have to try and get some here at Bodnant now!”

michelle.coyle