*ForWelsh review, see language toggle switch*
Interest Age: 3+
Reading Age: 7+
Time to raid the garden shed…
Now that spring has arrived, and the weather is warming up (allegedly), there’s no better time to fetch the gloves and the trowel and start tackling that garden after the winter break. It’ll be full of vibrant colours in no time!
With so many digital distractions these days, it's easy to sit on the sofa and spend hours in front of a screen. Adam Jones, however, is on a mission – to inspire the young children of Wales to venture out into the garden and try their hand at a bit of gardening! Personally, I can’t think of an activity that’s better for the soul – giving you the opportunity to engage with nature, get some fresh air and do a bit of exercise in one go!
As a bit of an amateur gardener myself, when I saw this book was being published, I was quite excited, and you can see that the author is very passionate about his work. Although Adam only started his Instagram account in 2018, I'm sure he’s got over 10,000 followers now. He’s been gardening since he was a child and has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience. And just like him, I learned all I know about gardening from my grandparents – their generation was truly inspiring!
Dere i Dyfu (Come and grow)
Using cute, recognizable animal characters, Dewi Draenog and Beca Broga, Adam introduces gardening to our youngest children and their parents (let’s face it, no 3-year-old will be doing unsupervised gardening!) Although the book keeps things simple and suitable enough for the age, this is full of gardening facts surrounded by colourful artwork by Ali Lodge. I think combining the illustrations with real photographs works well, and has been thoughtfully done by Tanwen Haf.
Organised under sensible chapters, we are presented with simple advice on how to grow different things like vegetables or flowers. When it came to the tools and equipment, I wasn’t all that familiar with some terms like ‘rhaca’ (rake), because we use ‘cribin’ up North. It might have been beneficial to include both terms to avoid confusion. Some of the Welsh names for the flowers and birds are just wonderful.
As well as clear step-by-step instructions on how to sow seeds and how to get planting, Adam explains the importance of some of the little creatures and wildlife found in our gardens. One of these is the hedgehog. According to some reports the number of hedgehogs in the UK has fallen by 75%, so I was pleased to see instructions for creating hedgehog-friendly gardens in the book. It’s so easy to do.
What will you grow this year?
I can't stress how important books like Dere i Dyfu are. Our children are the future, and they’ll be responsible for the planet (or whatever’s left of it) after we’re gone, so helping them to form a close and respectful relationship between with nature from a young age is essential.
Remember, you don’t need huge allotments and fancy raised beds to experience the joys of growing plants. I've seen people in flats growing potatoes in pots on the balcony, so there's no excuse. At the very least, you can grow cress on the window sill with nothing more than an eggshell.
As well as the countless skills that the children (and adults) will learn whilst gardening, just think about how good those roasties and parsnip will taste after all that hard work.
There’s never been a better time to start gardening – grab your tools and give it a go…