Site updated April 2019
Chairman : Chris Harwood. Secretary : Pam Weston. Treasurer: Phillip Higginson. Show Secretary Lesley Powell
A Potted History: At a meeting in the School Room, The Talaton Produce Association was formed in November 1949 for Talaton residents and holders of allotments. The annual membership was 2 shillings. Mrs Glover was elected secretary and Mr Eric Bambury Chairman and Treasurer. The Association's Golden Anniversary was celebrated in 1999 with a party and commemorated by the planting of a Golden Hornet Crab Apple Tree in the Church grounds by Mr Bert Maher, a founder member.
Membership
Membership Enquiries: Telephone Pam Weston 01404 822864
Annual Family Membership is £2 and entitles members to enter the Annual Produce Show, held the first Saturday in August, and to order seeds etc. from Dobies Catalogue in any quantity at a discount if ordered before Christmas.
Other attractions include a Garden Visit in the Summer, the committee runs stalls at the Village Day and Christmas How d'ye Do, a pumpkin competition and helps with refreshments at the village pantomime when there is one.
The Annual General Meeting is in November
New Committee elected at the A.G.M. 2018
Chairman Mr Chris Harwood,
Secretary Mrs Pam Weston
Treasurer Mr Phillip Higginson,
Show Secretary Mrs Lesley Powell
Committee Members Mrs Nickie Bitschi, , Mrs Kathy Gray, Mrs Peppi Shaw, Mr Terry Wright. Sarah Woods, Steve Spratt
IMPORTANT NOTICE
At the last meeting of Talaton Produce Association, the majority of committee members agreed to change our name to Talaton Garden and Produce Association. Our reason was to encourage the gardeners of the village who do not grow many, or any vegetables to feel welcome to join us. All those of you who have paid your subs this year to Talaton Produce Association are paid up members of Talaton Garden and Produce Association. We welcome newcomers and will continue to run our stalls at village events, organise the Annual Show on the first Saturday in August and the Pumpkin Competition in October. We will also organise a trip or two and put on an evening talk.
.............
Jim Buttress
Tips
for May 2019
1. Harvest rhubarb as stalks reach 9-12 ins (30cms). Pull, do not cut the stalks.
2. Lift and divide overcrowded clumps. Separate offsets from parent plant and replant.
3. Earth up potatoes in open ground and containers as the foliage reaches 9ins (23cms).
4. Prune spring flowering shrubs such as Forsythia and Philadelphus.
5. Sow carrots, radishes, beetroot, lettuce and spring onions successionally for continuous cropping.
6. Net culinary cherries against birds.
7. Wait until all risk of frost has passed before planting or moving tender plants outdoors.
8. Prune overgrown Camellias as they start putting on fresh growth. Cur to young sideshoots.
9. Water crops in dry weather, especially at sowing times. This will prevent crops bolting.
10. Do not start feeding tomatoes until the flowers on the first truss have set.
May in the Garden 2019
Ash Before oak, we’ll get a soak.
Oak before ash, we’ll get a splash.
Well on April 9th plenty of oak trees had burst their buds and the ash still looked asleep, so will we have less rain this summer? May be it is time to fix some more water butts to your down pipes, just in case, and don’t forget to make sure there is plenty of shallow water for your garden birds.
When you are planting your veg, remember to plant a few extra to make sure you haven’t eaten them all before our August show.
May is an exciting and very busy time in the garden, so by June you will thoroughly deserve a leisurely day out to Saltram House. Secure your place now, by visiting the Village shop and signing up/paying.
But before that……….
Our stall in the church car park
With the demise of Village Day went the one opportunity of our association to raise funds. We need these to meet the expenses of both the Annual Show and the Pumpkin Competition , for which there are no entry fees. Please support this stall by donating plants and gardenalia ( to Nickie and by coming to buy.
The stall will be open on both afternoons of Talaton Open Garden Weekend from 2 till 6pm.
Please note this stall is in addition to the amazing plant sales which traditionally take place at Keepers Cottage, Larkbeare, thanks to Peppi Shaw, the proceeds of which support the church.
Potato in a Bucket Challenge for young gardeners
If you are under 16 and up for a challenge, find yourself an old bucket, collect a potato from the Village Shop - you don’t have to buy one, just ask for a competition potato and pick up an information sheet.
Harvests will be judged at the Annual Show
Annual
Summer Outing Saturday June 22nd
The coach is booked! Destination - Saltram House
Perched high above the river Plym, it has magnificent views across the estuary. The parkland contains an 18th century orangery, follies and a beautiful lime avenue. The house reflects the increasing prominence of the Parker family during the Georgian period. Original contents include Robert Adam’s neo-classical saloon, original Chinese wallpapers, 18th Century oriental, European and English ceramics.
The Park Cafe serves meals, drinks, snacks and ice cream, while the Chapel Tea-room in the garden offers light lunches and afternoon tea with a waitress service.
The shop sells gifts and plants.
Pick up from outside Talaton Inn at 9.15am Leave Saltram for home at 4.30pm
Cost to National Trust Members £16 for non NT members £27.50
Sign up and pay in The Village Shop
Potato in a bucket Challenge for young gardeners
If you are under 16 and up for a challenge, find yourself an old bucket, collect a potato from the Village Shop - you don’t have to buy one, just ask for a competition potato and pick up an information sheet.
Harvests will be judged at the Annual Show
April in the Garden
Well I hope you enjoyed a wonderful display of spring bulbs before the wild winds of early March had done their worst, and that you have tasted the first delicious crop of rhubarb by now.
April is an exciting time in the garden and there is plenty to do. Remove spent flowers from your Spring bulbs, but leave the leaves to make food and fatten the bulbs for next year. Cherry and plum trees can be pruned once their leaf buds have opened. Split clumps of snowdrops and replant them if you want them to bulk up for next year. Ridge up early potatoes to encourage more tubers to form and stop them going green.
Sow seeds of annuals and perennials such as Nigella, single flowered marigolds, oregano , borage and thyme, to attract insects. Continue to sow beetroot, carrot, radish, summer cauli, spring onions, peas and perpetual spinach.
Keep pests off brassicas and carrot by covering crops with horticultural fleece and securing the edges.
Don’t be too hasty planting out tender crops and bedding plants. We may still have frosts to catch us out.
Happy Gardening
Annual Produce Show 2018
A big thank you to everyone involved .
Nikki's Figs !
Annual Produce Show
2017
Talaton Produce Association Show 2017
Thank you to all who came along to the Parish Hall on Saturday 5 August to see the fruits of our members labour. There were also lots of vegetables and flowers to admire along with jams, interesting tipples and of course the baking. Thank you to all those who exhibited – congratulations to those that triumphed on the day and try again next year to those that did not fare quite as well.
We were particularly pleased that we had 9 children enter exhibits this year. Over all the classes and both sections (0 – 7 years and 8 – 16 years) we had 32 exhibits! Well done, the best we have had for a long time. The Judge was very impressed by the hard work that had gone into producing the fairy cakes, insects out of a wooden spoon, photograph frames, posies and vegetables. The potato heads were a great talking point. Our youngest entrant was 2 years and 11 months and we hope that he and the rest of our young gardeners continue to produce such entertaining exhibits over the next few years.
It has been a difficult year in the garden and we know that the weather we have had over the last few months did affect some of the classes with numbers down in the clematis, rose and tomato classes, to name a few. However this village knows it onions and there were plenty of other classes that were well subscribed.
The big surprise this year was that we had three men who all achieved the same high score. Our Chairman can not remember this happening before (and we did double check the scores). This means that Graham, Laurence and Terry will have to share the J W Wise Cup and have it grace their respective mantelpieces for 4 months each!
Thanks must be given to all those who work hard to put on the show and help on the day. There are too many to name but mention does need to be made of the members of The Village Shop for accepting the entry forms and handing out the bench cards, our Judges who turn out every year and of course to Rosie and her team who produce mouthwatering delicious cakes and refreshments for all who visit the show.
The winners this year were:
High Sheriff of Devon Champion Cup – Rosie James
J.W.Wise Cup – Gentlemen – Graham Spry/Laurence Wood/Terry Wright
Mrs E.R.Glover Cup – Ladies – Rosie James
Cyril Young Trophy for the Runner Up – Pam Weston
W.I Cup for highest points in section 5 – Rosie James
Palfrey Memorial Cup for best flower arrangement – Nickie Bitschi
Sir Jack Boles Memorial Trophy for the gentleman’s baking – Laurence Wood
Children’s Section:
Keith West Memorial Cup for highest points – Benjamin Gray
Acorn Cup – runner up ‘up to 7 years’ – Wilbur Shaw
Oak Cup – runner up ‘8- 16 years’ – Jonathan Gray
The public vote for the best arrangement of flowers in a wine glass was won by Ann Ellis, with Lucy Channon 2nd and runner up Nickie Bitschi.
We hope that all who entered or visited the Show enjoyed it and those that couldn’t make it will enter next year. Any adult resident in the village can join the Association and be eligible to enter all the classes in the show. Membership is per family and only £2 a year. Come and talk to us at our AGM on 15 November to find out more.
Finally, the Produce Stall made £144 at the Show !
Lesley Powell
Show Secretary
Photos of the Produce Show 2017 followed by photos of the Pumpkin Competition 2017
The Nerve Centre !
Pumpkin Competition 2017
There were 29 entries in our Pumpkin Competition last month. They made a brilliant display, the best ever. If you missed this lovely evening do look at the photos on our website. The carving gets more intricate and inventive every year and the entries harder to judge. Well done to everyone who entered and thank you for making this such a pleasant evening. Many thanks also to Maria for welcoming us again, for setting up the skittle alley so beautifully and for all the delicious cakes; and thank you to Lucy and Harry Channon for the judging.
1st Elizabeth Dinnis
2nd John Buxton
3rd Toby Kingdon
7 to 11yrs
1st Matilda Niven
2nd Samia
3rd ( gent with no name!)
12 to 16yrs
1st Amy, Rosabell & Xian
2nd Ollie Hunter
3rd Donald Trumpkin (We know who)
Adults
1st Becky Springall, 2nd Emma & Jordan Niven 3rd Lizzie Buxton
Nicole Dinnis’s wonderful owl pumpkin - highly commended, but like all owls was best in the dark.
Back to the garden, now winter has arrived there is still work to done, harvesting and tidying, dividing perennials to give them more space, pruning apple and pear trees …… and when its too wet, too cold or frozen why not sit down in a comfy chair in front of the fire and beginning planning for next year. Hopefully you came along to our AGM to pay your family subscription - still only £2 and collected your Dobies seed catalogue. If not you still have time to pay and collect a catalogue from Pam (822864) in time to get your 50% off seeds on orders before Christmas.
Don’t forget to feed the birds and leave water accessible for them. Hedgehogs are still active (2nd wk of Nov at time of writing) so would definitely appreciate the odd pile of leaves left in a sheltered part of your garden.
Happy gardening ……… and Happy New Year.
Entries for the Pumpkin Competition 2017
Annual Outing 2016 - Cotehele