Page 50 - Simply Veg 4 2022

Scone Palace Garden Fair
As you may recall, 2019 saw the last of Gardening Scotland where the Scottish Branch attended with a display and our famous leek transplant and veg plant sales. This was followed by the Covid Pandemic. As previously reported, a new event was established within the beautiful grounds of Scone Palace, known as the “Scone Palace Garden Fair” and led by Scone’s Head Gardener Brian Cunningham (of the Beechgrove Garden).
The Scottish Branch Committee decided to attend this new exciting event which ran from Fri 3rd June to Sat 4th June 2022. With our Marquee reserved, the team planned the event, members grew veg plants to sell over the weekend, banners were designed, and volunteers helped
in preparation and support across the
two days. The branch also purchased a “Sum -Up” machine to enable us to take electronic payments at the venue which worked well and allowed us to take just under £150 worth of sales electronically, so well worth having in this modern cashless world.
A smaller quantity of leek transplants (than previous events) was ordered as there was no initial knowledge of footfall with Scone Palace being a brand new event. With visits from various Beechgrove presenters across the two days, Brian Cunningham, George Anderson and Carol Baxter, we were delighted to see them again plus both George and Carol were happy to get their leek transplants once more.
All in all, for a new event, it was a very positive experience, breaking the void from the times of covid and kick starting what we believe will be a new Scottish Branch annual event which can only grow and grow.
Below is also some lovely feedback from the day;
“I just want to comment on your superb Scottish branch today at the Scone Palace
Garden Fair, they are a credit to you and themselves. So patient with their time, advice and very friendly. As a young ish (approaching 30) person, it was really
great to have people who are wiser and experienced talk to you in a way which wasn’t condescending nor judged your lack of inexperience. Their tone and attitude definitely made me interested in becoming a member to learn more and speak to like-minded folk. Planted my great looking Alicante tomato plant and my maxim (if that’s how you spell it) strawberry plants. The prices they were “rehoming” the plants for makes planting vegetables and fruit affordable for everyone which was a nice gesture particularly during these difficult times with money. ... if you can pass this message to their committee, please do. They are superb representatives for your organisation as a whole. Perhaps becoming a member, I will see and hear more of them and you as a whole! “
It’s great to receive feedback like this as meeting and helping people plus making friends is a big part of what it’s all about. Here’s to 2023.
50 Simply Vegetables