Adventurous Couple Targeted by Armed Gang in Central America
A couple who have dedicated their lives to travelling the world in search of exotic plants have disclosed that they were robbed by machete-wielding criminals while in Central America.
Sue and Bleddyn Wynn Jones, from Caernarfon, Gwynedd, are passionate plant collectors who gather species and seeds during their international trips to enrich their Crȗg Farm Plants Nursery located at Griffith's Crossing.
Their extensive travels have included visits to countries such as Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Mexico, and Guatemala.
During their time in Mexico, they encountered soldiers at roadside checkpoints who covertly stole valuables from their vehicles. When the couple reported these thefts, the local police threatened them with arrest instead of offering assistance.
On a 2001 expedition to Guatemala, Bleddyn experienced a more direct threat involving knives.
"My experienced guide warned me not to spook them as they literally were tapping us with the blades, while there were more hiding in the bushes who could have had a gun.
They took my expensive altitude measuring watch and my camera, and moved onto my guide, taking his mobile - and their eyes lit up on seeing his Rolex."
The gangsters even returned Bleddyn's digital watch, saying,
"Gracias, señor."
"The amusing part of it was the Rolex was a fake which he had bought in the local market for a few pounds, while mine was expensive, without being in the same league as Rolex,"Bleddyn explained.
"Unfortunately, on returning to our vehicle we found that it had been ransacked, with lots of other items stolen."
Significant Contributions to UK Horticulture
The couple have discovered hundreds of previously unknown plant species and introduced over 4,000 cultivated varieties to the United Kingdom.
Among their notable finds are a new species of lily and what may be a previously unidentified type of witch hazel.
Sue, aged 74, reflected on the challenges of early expeditions:
"In the early days, there were no mobile phones, no internet, no GPS mapping and everything was arranged through letters, phone calls and word of mouth."
Their discoveries have transformed a 200-acre former beef farm into a horticultural treasure trove.
The nursery has recently been honoured with a royal warrant from King Charles.
For 30 years, the business has supplied plants to Buckingham Palace and other royal estates including Balmoral and Sandringham.
Sue expressed their pride in receiving the royal warrant:
"We have done a lot of work in supplying many of the royal gardens,"she said.
"The head gardener at Buckingham Palace would come here to pick up plants and when we went to a garden party in the palace grounds we were able to see our plants growing."
Upcoming Television Feature
The couple will be featured on S4C's gardening programme Garddio a Mwy [Gardening and More]. The show airs on Mondays at 20:25, with their episode scheduled for 29 June. It will also be available on S4C Clic and BBC .
