Page 61 - Simply Veg Issue 3 2019

RHS Cardiff Spring Show
The Welsh Branch had an advisory stand in the Discovery Marquee at RHS Cardiff Spring Show. The weather was good and there was a very good attendance on all 3 days. It was a delight to meet so many of our own members and to be able
to give advice to so many new vegetable growers. Over the
3 days the stand was manned
by 8 of our members but ever present was our Chairman
Arwyn Edwards and his wife Gill. We would like to thank show manager Anna for all the help she gave us, especially leading up to the show.
Cardiff Show 2019, Arwyn Edwards, Ralph Hall, Gill Edwards & Ivor Mace
Irish Section
It’s getting increasingly rare to see small local shops with seed packets for sale like this display outside Flynn’s shop in Castlerea Co. Roscommon. Vegetable seeds were among one of the first products to be mass produced on an industrial scale. Some of the biggest
companies in the market have been in existence since the mid 1800’s.
Ridges
Brightly coloured
professionally printed seed
packets first appeared around
1900 and adverts for seeds
can be seen in newspapers of
the period. The seed packets
were distributed to newsagents
and grocers shops and displayed
in eyecatching racks similar to
magazines. This encouraged shoppers
to buy packets and have a go. The number of small family run shops has declined everywhere, so specialist garden centres and online shopping are now the main sales outlets.
I also attach a photo ‘Planting Done’ There is a lot of debate among
members about the merits of sowing in drills, ridges or on the flat. Ridges were traditionally more popular in wetter or areas with poorer soil.
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