Page 33 - Simply Vegetables Autumn 2024

This poem is inspired by all who enter shows in your local area. Some classic sayings, experiences and emotions. Here goes...
The day of the show
The evening before, gather all you need
Give your self-time, if
you are to succeed Remember your spare, put in the back of the car
Not the tyre, but you travel not far.
Be careful with exhibits, wrap or put in a box First prize wanted, don’t want any knocks
Trays must be clean to show of the best
Not till staging is done can you take a rest.
Don’t be distracted
give yourself time
Talking can be done
at dinner time
Concentrate, remember, what the schedule said Don’t fluffy it up for an NAS.
Time getting closer to
judging 10.30am
We are here doing it all over again I do hope I am lucky to win a prize Exhibits are brilliant, no surprise.
The marquee will open
this afternoon at two
I’ve gone home, now
wondering what to do
My carrots were good
and potatoes not bad
If I don’t win a prize, I will be sad.
As they say always another year Be happy and full of good cheer So, come on and put
on your best jacket
It’s only a show, exhibits started, from a seed packet.
I get in the car with anticipation With a cold sweat and
my heart racing
I go to the show bench, comments on a card
Well done First prize you have worked so hard
Happy growing.
Nigel Ball
NVS member Dorset
Roger Clement from the Midland Branch sent in the letter below commenting on a few issues...
Dear Editor,
Having read the April issue of Simply Vegetables the magazine gets better and better, thank you. The cover artwork is excellent and my wife Christine, an artist, is gong to paint a copy.
Starting with Mr Nuttall’s excellent article on molluscs i.e. invertebrates without spines; there are now two main views. The RHS in their magazine advocate our slimy creatures can
be valuable to gardeners and not as harmful as may be thought but provide valiant service namely as there devour other harmful creatures but they are not photogenic and get a bad press.
In another recent article by Emily Harris about the use of coir I brought some from Morrisons a 12 * 10* 4-inch
lump of brown Oxo-like substance which was dry and solid. Apparently,
it must be softened with water and possible Emily could try adding some water retaining crystals which seems to help retain water in the coir.
The article on Scottish fruit growing was interesting and I have read that the area has a strong offshore wind which blows pests out to sea (I am not sure our Scottish members would entirely agree with that! Ed).
Finally, I would like to comment on the large increase in prices for many garden products, in the garden centres small bags of peat free were £4.00, now £6.00, seed packet prices have also risen as have watering cans. Council allotment rents have increased 100% to £100.00 plus increased charges for water.
Yours sincerely,
Roger Clement (Midland Branch)
Simply Vegetables
Binder
Store your magazines away. Each binder holds 12 magazines. (3 years worth)
£5.00+ £3.49 P&P
To purchase contact:
Mrs June Davies FNVS, Midlands Branch.
Tel 01531 822750 or email junedavies648@yahoo.com
Dear Editor
In Praise of Teddie.
I have been gardening since my schooldays, where we had a plot divided into four and had crop rotation drummed into us.
On leaving school I shared a piece of allotment with my dad, then a plot of my own, growing the usual things like potatoes, greens etc.
On starting work for five and a half days a week and also other jobs I found it difficult to find enough time to maintain the allotment, so I gave it up for a while. Starting again when we had our first council house with a small garden.
By the time I retired we were living in a bungalow with a pocket handkerchief size garden, luckily, I was able to share a piece of allotment with an old school mate so started to grow all we needed. But there was a problem curly kale as the kitchen viewed it with suspicion
as you didn’t know what was lurking in the crinkles. I tried Starbor and Pentland Brig (less curly) for a couple of years but for some reason they did not do very well, so I was at a loss for ideas. Then I spotted Collard Teddie in my seed catalogue, it said it was a non-hearting cabbage that provided a plentiful supply of near flat leaves – and it does! Nine plants kept us in greens all winter and plenty of shoots in the spring, needless to say I gained several brownie points.
Age has forced me to give up the allotment, but I hope to find room for a couple of plants in the handkerchief garden.
J. Etherington
Ed – John very kindly sent me a packet of Teddie to try, if you are interested, they are supplied by Chiltern Seeds.
Simply Vegetables 33