Page 49 - Simply Vegetables Summer 2023

Annual garden visit
We are very much looking forward to this year’s annual garden visit on Saturday 2nd July and a big thankyou goes to Jim Williams for organising it all.
Meeting at Shepherd House, Inveresk, Midlothian EH21 7TH at 11.00.
Built in the late 17th century, Shepherd House, an artist’s garden has been voted one of the top ten small gardens in Scotland. It has been Sir Charles and Lady Ann Fraser’s home since 1957. Since then, the garden has gone on to be recognised as one of the best small gardens in Scotland. Ann studied at the Edinburgh college of art and the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.
If time permits, we may include
a visit to Inveresk Lodge Garden immediately afterwards. (24 Inveresk Village Road, Musselburgh, East Lothian EH21 7TE). The walled grounds tucked away in the charming village of Inveresk, near Edinburgh, have all the ingredients for a garden paradise. The garden is split into two main areas, with sloping lawns and borders at the top of the hill and the wilder woodland and ponds below.
Lunch is planned at the Brewers Fayre, Carberry Road EH21 7PT at 13.00
After Lunch, we plan to visit to Willie Punton’s garden in Whitecraig. Willie’s passion is growing Fuchsia’s as well as veg. We will then travel
to Pathhead where three of our
veg growers gardens await us.
Cush Millar, Jimmy Raeburn and
Jim Williams. NB Pathhead is only approximately 10 minutes or so
from Inveresk so we can easily fit everything in.
We look forward to seeing you there.
NOSDA
Up here in the North we have been going through all the seasons at the one time, this is no real surprise as our membership on the mainland covers a radius of over fifty five miles using Inverness as our main meeting place with members as far North on the Main land as Golspie to the North and Kingussie to the South and Rothes to the East this covers an area of almost 9500 square miles and not to mention our members on the Isle of Lewis and Orkney.
Our Secretary Peter Fitch keeps everyone up to date with regular e-mail updates and for those not on the internet highway Peter uses good old fashion snail mail.
Since the last simply veg we have had two really enjoyable meetings with Martin Cook giving us a refreshing talk on garden birds in our area and what they do
for us and equally important what we can do for them, Our March meeting was given by Hoss Martin on his journey to growing globe beetroot and how he is still experimenting in the hope of gaining a “red ticket” at the Scottish Branch. To date, the best he has managed was a 2nd prize at the Branch Championships
It is hoped a number of us will be down to help at Scone Palace in June and
it should also be noted that we now have a number of NVS members sitting on local show committees across our area. These include members on the Black Isle committee, Alness Committee and Lhanbryde flower show, to mention a few. This will hopefully ensure these local shows continue to thrive and we can encourage new NVS members.
The Showman
I have a great big garden, my pals already know
All the prizes I shall win when I get to the Show;
My seeds were sown agrowing in my greenhouse and my shed,
The wife said “You will win a prize – if you show your great big head”
Soon the veg were growing big with help of hoe and rake, Likewise, flowers tall and strong need raffia and stake!
The wife was busy making scones – no hope here of a prize, How soon was I to know she’d cut me down to size?
A pal remarked to me one day, “I thought you’d like to know,
At the little club just down the street, They’re going to have a Show! There’ll be classes there for flowers and veg, also so they say, Scones & cakes & jams & wine – It should be quite a day!”
I made a lot of entries, the wife made entries too,
Before we went to see our score, a cup of special brew!
The sweet peas they had nothing, veg were just the same, Flowers looked like buttonholes... where I thought I’d rise to fame!
Off to see those jams and wines, they looked so tempting there, Then to see my cacti, no, not e’en a share.
When we went to see those scones, I stood still in my stride
For when I saw the FIRST PRIZE card, Surprise I could not hide.
Another one beside those buns – oh dear! believe you me Another yet beside that cake to make it number three;
But listen pal, there’s something else I’d like you soon to know, That cake... it won a great being CUP for being” Best in Show”.
This Poem was written by a Scottish Branch member, H.R. Bell from Castle Douglas back in 1980 and was in an old NVS handbook. We thought we would share it with you.
Simply Vegetables 49