Page 8 - Simply Vegetables Winter 2020/21

Kelvin’s Comments
KELVIN MASON, NATIONAL MAGAZINE EDITOR
My first comment is to wish you a Happy New Year, good growing and stay safe and healthy. This article was written in early November as the second wave of Corona virus seemed to be taking off so I am not aware of how things have gone or are going. Hopefully we are progressing in the right direction and things starting to return to normal.
I am very pleased to say that again we have some new contributors covering a range of topics, giving you a change from my rants! Please keep sending articles and letters, if we go into lockdown again it will be an ideal time to put pen to paper. Looking at what is in the magazine the From the Kitchen section has three recipes for you to try, but more would add to the magazine. I would
be very happy to receive single or multiply recipes, see if your partners have a recipe
to share. If you rely on me you will be on a diet of bread and soup (made from home grown vegetables I might add!!). Whilst on the subject of food I would be very interested to hear from you if you have tried drying fruit or vegetables for use, was it a success, how did you do it, was it worth doing?
involves the local schools and is a good way of getting children interested in gardening. This is something other D.A’s could do with local schools.
Emily Plumb continues her articles on growing courgettes and late vegetables. She updates us on the comparison of growing courgettes in containers or the garden soil, as well as how the late sown vegetables grew.
Many members will have ordered their seeds by now but some will not have and there are three articles covering what’s new for this year (this was not planned!!). There is still time to order more seeds although the well-known cultivars may have sold
out. Whilst on the subject of cultivars I have used this term in the article because it is the correct word. It is short for cultivated variety (mankind has bred or developed the plant). The seed companies refer to vegetables and fruits as varieties but this should only apply if the plant is found in the wild; it is a naturally occurring variety with no work by the breeders. Many of the new cultivars look to be worth a try so get your order off.
As well as having two articles on apples there is two on carrot growing using
slightly different methods. If you are new
to exhibition vegetable growing read the articles and you will see how it’s done by the experts.
To add a bit of culture to the magazine and not just horticulture we have a poem from Nigel Ball one of our members. Many
Owing to the lack of shows last year there is not as much Branch News as usual, hopefully we will get back to normal by the times the show season starts in 2021. The RHS have said that Chelsea will go ahead, but I know of at least one society who have already cancelled their show. I know many of you have missed exhibiting, although it has been nice not to have to go out judging every week-end!
It is likely that owing to Covid the NVS membership will have reduced, the feedback I have had from other organisations is that overall membership is declining. To remain viable as a society and to continue we need to recruit more members. Please see if you can persuade any keen growers or even people who are new to vegetable growing and who want to learn. I was going to
say with Brexit looming growing you own
is good practice; but Brexit should have happened by the time this magazine is sent out. Whatever happens growing your own is something we should all be doing it is good for our health and is sustainable.
I would like to thank the staff of Crest (the publishers) for all their hard and excellent work turning my word documents and photos into the quality magazine Simply Vegetables, it is down to their skill and efforts.
Adrian Baggaley has sent an article on Little Trees about growing apples on the rootstock M27, this is a dwarfing rootstock that controls the size of the tree. Note the size of the trees in Adrian’s photo and that size tree would fit into nearly every garden or in a container. Depending on the type of tree grown they can be grown in
the lawn or alongside walls,
fences, etc. Espalier, cordons
and fans do not take up any
space and you have good
flowers in the spring and fruit
to eat in the autumn. It is still
the planting season for trees
and bushes so go out and
buy a couple. Make sure they
flower at the same time so
that they will cross-pollinate.
Continuing the apple theme some of
you may remember an article in an earlier Simply Vegetables about the Hampshire and Isle of Wight apple collection at Sparsholt College Hampshire. This received National Collection status last year and one of my colleagues and a former student have been doing a lot of research to try to find a couple of missing cultivars. The article covers their research and the current position. It’s a
very interesting article especially if you are interested in garden history.
Jersey is a very active D.A and Graeme Le Marquand has sent an article on a school wheelbarrow competition they hold; this
members will have been aware of the virtual show organised and run by Raymond Higgins. From the positive feedback I have heard it went very well and members enjoyed taking part. There is a report in this magazine and also the results.
Jim Symonds, who was 95 back last October when
I started putting this magazine together has sent an article on digging and how to do it properly. So there is no excuse for you 70’s and 80’s not to carry on gardening, it is good for both your physical and mental fitness.
I was pleased to receive a bumper number of letters for this magazine which is good, I much prefer letters than bills!
I am pleased to say Derek Brooks is continuing with the seasonal work articles, which I think are useful to beginners and experienced growers. They remind you of what you should be doing in the garden or on the allotment and it gets you off the sofa and away from the T.V.
I was pleased to receive a bumper number of letters for this magazine which is good
8 Simply Vegetables