How groundbreaking actor uses flower power to raise his spirits

AN ACTOR and impresario who made history with British TV's first gay kiss revealed he grows flowers to unwind from the hectic world of showbusiness.

- STEVE BAGNALL

Stifyn Parri, from Rhos, near Wrexham, but who now lives in St Fagan's near Cardiff, loves nothing better than pottering in his garden to switch off and relax.

He shared his passion for gardening with television presenter Meinir Gwilym when he was filmed for an item on S4C's flagship gardening series, Garddio a Mwy.

According to the larger-than-life star, he posts images of colourful flowers growing in the garden or houseplants he has cultivated as a way of raising the spirits of "friends, family and strangers."

It all started when everybody was locked down during the Coronavirus pandemic and he said: "The reaction was so positive I took another photo the following day and I've been posting images on Instagram and Facebook every day since then.

"They have become so popular if I haven't posted by 11 o'clock in the morning people have been known to phone up and check I'm alive and well!"

Insisting he has no formal gardening training and doesn’t know the names of many of the plants growing in the garden, Stifyn said: "I love pottering in the garden.

"I plant things intuitively and if they don’t like where they're growing plants will let you know just the same as if they do like their spot. I live outside as much as I do inside. I have adapted the house so that it opens up into the garden.

"It isn’t the largest garden but I’ve taken advice from Monty (Don) and created lots of areas. There's many seating areas, a large open-sided shed, called The Bus Stop, where there’s a table which can seat lots of people.