TOP TALKING WITH LYNNE

Top Talk

I’m not sure how to introduce Adele Nozedar. “Put me as an author,” she laughs, “it’s great to have something legit at last to put on my passport.” Indeed this multi-talented lady could be ‘titled’ many things – the musician and photographer,(to name but a few) runs a popular (but remote)recording studio at the foot of the Brecon Beacons with her husband, and is currently researching for her third book.

The first, The Secret Language of Birds, launched Adele into a new career and lead directly to the the commissioning of her recent release, The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols – The Ultimate A-Z Guide from Alchemy to the Zodiac.
“It is a bit of a mouthful,” she admits, “ and it is a big book – it’s a huge subject. Harper Collins have described it as the biggest A-Z reference book on symbolic objects you’ll ever find.”

“It’s weird realising I have such little routine in my life these days. I quit the corporate life years ago when a serious illness made me reassess my life. Nature is very important to me and I respect it hugely. I love to be out walking with the dogs; with the studio, we often work right through the nights so I can be out walking at any time of the day or night really.”

“I love trees. They always look as though they are waiting for something but are always doing something while they wait. Whether it’s quietly forming new buds or unfurling leaves and getting their solar-powered system going. I love the way they age; their innate spirit and wisdom. Also they’re just beautiful. Every tree I’ve planted here has grown,” she tells me proudly,” which is strange when you think we are virtually on rock. When we first came, we brought in loads of topsoil and I imagined my garden looking like something out of Arabian Nights, full of scented roses and exotic climbers with funny names. Now my gardening mantra is ‘if it doesn’t die, buy a few more.’ Interestingly, we have a lot of St John’s Wort that grows wild and a naturopathic doctor friend who uses plant remedies insists that everything you need is within 50 yards of you. Nature sees to that. St John’s Wort helps alleviate depression and if you spent a winter up here you would understand why Nature provides it for the locals. I’ve just planted up a couple of pots with Calendula as I fuse the leaves and petals with melted Vaseline to make a wonderful soothing and healing ointment.”

So how are the recycling facilities in such a remote area? “During the foot and mouth crisis the dustbin men weren’t allowed up here, so we literally recycled everything during that time. It wasn’t difficult. I did ask for a refund on our council tax but they said no.”

“I think children are leading the recycling revolution but slowly, slowly it’s becoming the norm. Babyshambles were recording here recently (yes, Kate Moss came too) and their security guard growled that it was a waste of time putting recycling bins out for them. They were the best though, they recycled everything and loved it. In general, it’s too easy to penalise people, it’s far better to use reward than punishment. I remember when you could get 10p back on an empty bottle of pop, you didn’t see any of them discarded in hedgerows then!”



Nice Nettles

Monday sees the end of ‘Be Nice to Nettles Week, so there is still time to spoil your stingers! Nettles are still used in a wide variety of ways with the very young leaves being used like spinach in cooking, and roots and leaves are boiled to produce green and yellow dyes that are used extensively in Russia. They were even used as a substitute for cotton to make German Army uniforms in the First World War. In the garden they attract butterflies and if you really can’t bring yourself to be ‘nice to nettles,’ then they are an excellent addition to the compost heap as the nitrogen they contain fuels the bacteria that breaks down the waste into compost.
Ouch!
The stinging structure of a nettle is similar to a hypodermic needle, though of far earlier origin obviously. Each sting is a hollow hair with a little pocket of venom at the base.
The tip of the hair is so brittle that even the gentlest of touches will break it exposing the sharp needle-type point that delivers the actual sting. As kids, we were always told that docks always grow near nettles so they can be rubbed onto the sting and the dock leaf does indeed contain a chemical that neutralises the sting and eases the itching.

Water Wonder

It’s the time of year for grow bags, hanging baskets, tubs, flower pouches and containerised displays in general. We all love to look at them and pick from them but watering them can be a chore. Compost needs to be kept damp to be able to absorb water, when dried out, water will just run off leaving dehydrated plants and frustrated gardeners. A nifty little device promises to change all that. The Bottle-Top Water Spike is a plastic nozzle that screws onto a litre plastic drinks bottle. Simply fill the bottle with water – adding liquid feed if necessary – screw on the spike and place vertically in the compost in the container. The flow can be regulated through the nozzle and the ‘fill-it and leave-it’ system keeps the compost moist and frees you up to do other things. It’s also a clever way to recycle those plastic bottles. 6 spikes cost just £6.50 and can be bought from www.trevena.co.uk tel: 0845 2579123 and I have also seen them at garden centres.
www.lynneallbutt.co.uk