Page 54 - ALG Issue 1 2023

South West
Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset
a wonderful opportunity to raise our profile.
In June we visited Ashley Court on the edge of the town. This hidden gem includes a Georgian walled garden
built across a quite steep valley giving an extra warm microclimate. When
the present owners bought this
19-acre property they had a surprise discovering the overgrown walled garden. Several years on they are still discovering jewels and seeking to make this walled garden a feature in the town.
This year was the first year since 2019 that the Allotment Association had a stand at the Mid-Devon Show, an annual one-day event held in
the grounds of the National Trust’s Knightshayes Court, showcasing all that is great about Mid-Devon.
This year the SW Branch NAS joined our stand and displayed the full range of NAS leaflets. We also had seed packets donated by Kings Seeds,
and information on composting and maintaining good soil health, as well as displays of fruit and vegetables. It was lovely to be there at 7.30 watching and hearing the Show gearing up to opening time, with the lowing of cattle and bleating of sheep getting fed, washed, and brushed up ready for exhibiting in the show ring, the bustle of stallholders making last minute adjustments to their displays, and the sizzle of bacon on the food-stalls. A brief lull then the visitors started streaming through
the gates. The TAA stand was in the Garden and Produce Marquee and we had a constant flow of visitors all day, members of the Allotment Association, to visitors from as far afield as Scotland and East Anglia. It was good to compare gardening experiences from different parts of the country.
Having an NAS banner prominently displayed led to several technical/legal enquiries which we would not have had if we were just representing the local allotment scene. We had a couple of visitors ask about setting up Allotment
Sites or Community Gardens Schemes and one visitor, a member of an Allotment Site management committee in Torbay had a specific query about water supply to the site. Though they were affiliated, they had not considered using the NAS to help with the problem and I wondered how many associations struggle with local problems forgetting the expertise available at regional and national level. This enquiry had been resolved within a week of the Show through contacting Allan for advice. On the day we could give only general advice on these issues, but it was good to be able to hand out relevant leaflets, give people the contact details of the SW Regional Mentor and point them
in the right direction for more specific
Humans are social animals and we need real
part of the group that set up the SW Branch of NAS during the height of the pandemic and all communication for the past two years has been by phone-call, email and video-conferencing. Given the size of the region, from Bristol and Bournemouth in the East to Lands’ End in the West, these are always going to be the most effective ways to conduct business; financially, environmentally and timewise. But it is isolating and remote. Over the last six months
many on the Branch Committee have questioned if it was worth the effort setting up the SW Branch and whether we had set up just another committee, with no useful purpose. Humans are social animals and we need real contact with other people, not only ‘Zoom’ calls. It was a real pleasure to meet Allan,
in person, at a local garden centre to collect the NAS publicity material. It was only when I pulled up in the car park I wondered if we would recognise each other! It was also a pleasure to explain to visitors at the Show the aims of NAS and the benefits of ‘growing your own’. For the first time since we set up the SW Branch, I could see a purpose to the Branch and a connection between the local associations and the Region and felt I was actively contributing to NAS.
The image shows Ian, Mark and Nicky at the Mid-Devon Show. Thanks also to Jeff, John and Ken for their help on the day as well.
Mark Joynes, Treasurer, TAA and SW Branch NAS
advice. contact
Much of the general gardening and allotment advice we gave was about
the importance of composting, life in the soil and creating and maintaining good soil structure for plants and microorganisms to thrive. We handed out over two dozen copies of the booklet ‘Composting for all’ as well
as many of the NAS range of leaflets. Quite a few children asked questions about growing vegetables, and some were keen to sample the fruit and veg on display! During the day we had
four people join the TAA and we gave out several Town Council Allotment Application forms. Some members of TAA won certificates in the produce
and flower competitions though the biggest surprise of the day was when we were presented with a cup for the best display stand in the Garden and Produce Marquee. This was a first
and has given the committee a great boost to go on to greater things in the coming year. Congratulations to the committee members for their hard work and imagination to make the stall such a success and in all that they have done so far in 2022.
However, the greatest reward was just being able to talk to people face to face and without the muffle of a mask. The Chair and Treasurer of the TAA were
with other people, not only ‘Zoom’ calls
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