Page 53 - SV 3 2024

Scottish Branch
Unlike last year when we had a last- minute panic caused by winter weather warnings, we had no repeat this time around and were able to hold the Branch AGM on 18th March at our usual venue in Auchterarder.
There were no resignations from the Committee and all Office Bearers and Committee members were re-elected en- bloc after ratifying the appointment of Jean Thomson as our Minute Secretary.
As ever, at the time of writing, we are planning our activities for the coming months. We shall once again have a presence at Scone Palace Garden Fair which was hugely successful for us last year, both as a brilliant team effort and
also in terms of interacting with the public by giving them advice and making it possible for them to buy our legendary leek transplants and a selection of other plants ready to plant out at affordable prices. Additionally, this year, we have been asked to give a couple of planting demonstrations in the vegetable plot in Scone’s walled garden. It is our intention to show how we plant some of the veg (including our leek
transplants and brassicas) which will be for sale on our stand.
The weather was brilliant last year for the second time in succession so we have our fingers crossed that by the time this article is in print we will have had another repeat this year in early June.
Our annual garden visit will follow in
July to the isle of Bute including a look around Niall Currie’s (one of the Society’s Top growers) growing set up and we are presently planning for our seminar in November. As always, other than exhibiting in shows throughout the season, our seminar has been hugely successful in allowing our members and others from further afield to meet up and renew acquaintances as well as being a huge information source through the talks and slideshows provided and at the same time help fulfil part of the aims of the Society
set out in the Constitution. Our members have also had the opportunity to talk to and get advice from our commercial partners whose presence and support at the event is hugely appreciated.
I’ve said in the past that at this time of
year, (Mid-April at the time of writing) on the cultivation front, it’s difficult to describe what will be happening in the future
i.e. when this edition of the magazine is published. Easier to describe the year so far and it doesn’t overstate the matter to say we’ve had another long winter with
a succession of storms and more rain
than we need. The fine days will come again though and we will then make progress in the vegetable beds. Once again, I’m spending a fair bit of time in the greenhouse growing plants and pricking them out for our stall at the Scone Palace Garden Fair. I had some germination problems with some of my show tomatoes last year which I blamed on coated seeds. I’ve avoided these this year and have had no problems with any of the varieties planted.
By the time you read this article all our growers and exhibitors will be starting to see the fruits of their labours in the kitchen and/or be looking forward to the start of the show season. We wish them all well. Frank Taylor FNVS
OBITUARY
JAMES KIRKNESS
31st December 1928 – 22nd February 2024
The Scottish Branch is sad to announce that Jim Kirkness FNVS has sadly passed away.
When I first started exhibiting vegetables in 1976, Jim Kirkness was the man
to beat, he was a first-class grower and very competitive exhibitor. Over the next couple of years, he introduced me to many growers, and encouraged me join the local horticultural societies, and it was Jim who took me to my first N.V.S meeting.
He was a Scottish Branch committee member for many years, and uniquely he held all Branch officers’ positions, Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, always a willing servant to the society, contributing time and effort to all the societies activities.
Jim was not a man to be taken lightly, and when he got the bit between his teeth on a contentious topic woe betide anyone who stood in his way, his letter writings were numerous and renowned, as evidenced at many an N.EC meeting!
In 1982, Jim won the National shallot title, and this led to him writing a book on shallot and onion growing with Bill Rogers, still an excellent reference article. Jim also won the National Peas Title in 1998.
Jim was very much a family man, lots of grand kids, one of whom at his funeral gave a delightful insight how they spent a weekend at Grandad’s home. He thoroughly enjoyed Scottish music and spent many a weekend at the Oban Folk Festival.
He was also an accomplished wood worker, and when you visited his house and garden, lots of home-made pieces of joinery were to be seen.
Jim Kirknes had a very long, full and successful life, we extend our condolences to his wife Ray and all the family.
Jim Williams FNVS
Simply Vegetables 53
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