Site updated November 19th 2020
Chairman : Chris Harwood. Secretary : Pam Weston. Treasurer: Phillip Higginson.
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
The Association is Affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society and enjoys a number of benefits from that Affiliation including group free entry to any of the RHS gardens.
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
Committee re-elected at the A.G.M. 2019
Chairman Mr Chris Harwood, Tel: 07709080439
Secretary Mrs Pam Weston Tel: 01404 822864
Treasurer Mr Phillip Higginson,
Committee Members Mrs Nickie Bitschi, , Mrs Kathy Gray, Mrs Peppi Shaw, Mr Terry Wright. Mrs Sarah Woods, Mr Steve Spratt
WHAT NO SHOW ! SO, LET'S HAVE A VIRTUAL SHOW.
SEND IN PHOTOS OF THE PRODUCE YOU just know WOULD HAVE WON PRIZES
Ahead at the moment - Sarah Wood. . Not sure about that Sainsbury's label under the courgette !
Not Anywhere nearly as good but an offering from Chris Harwood - What about the cake competition then ???
Tips for December / January
Many thanks to all 23
member families who returned our postal AGM voting/questionnaire/comments
slip. Your votes represent more members
than we usually have at our AGMs in the Parish Hall. Full details will be sent out to you, but in
the meantime congratulations to Richard Bos and Alan Franklin. You have been voted unanimously onto our
committee. Welcome aboard
Sadly Nickie Bitschi resigned from the committee. One of the longest serving and certainly the most knowledgeable member of the committee, she will be sorely missed. Our stall at the How D’Ye Do will never be the same again, likewise our plant stalls. C’est la vie. Thank you so much, Nickie. Enjoy your retirement!
All members have received their Dobies catalogues and hopefully have begun ordering. The discount goes on until August 2021, but some seed supplies might get sold out if you delay.
Back to the garden….
Jobs to do include pruning apple and pear trees
planting bare root trees and shrubs,
planting rhubarb and garlic,
digging over bare ground and adding well rotted organic matter
harvesting leeks, root crops and winter brassicas
Try not to tidy your garden too much, leave homes for insects and seed heads for birds. You will be rewarded with lots more activity on your patch. Redwings have already returned to my holly trees. A good sign Christmas is on its way. Fieldfares, their larger cousins should be coming too. They love apples even more than our blackbirds do and will really appreciate those windfalls left under trees.
Don’t forget to leave some water out for birds and other wildlife.
If you have a spare moment, why not wander round your garden and count the different plants which are still flowering. Do the same in the New Year. You might be surprised how many you can find and they will all be good for visiting insects apart from just looking good!
Be assured we will organise events as soon as the government gives us the go ahead next year. In the mean time…
Happy Gardening, Happy Christmas and Happy New Year.
Jim Buttress’ Tips
for
December
1. Prune grapevines this month to avoid bleeding from pruning cuts, which can reduce vigour.
2. For early, tender stems, force rhubarb by covering the crowns with a forcer or dark coloured container.
3. Plant blueberries in pots of ericaceous compost. Grow two different cultivars to ensure good cross-pollination.
4. Keep flowering azaleas, cyclamen and hyacinths in cool conditions 50-59F, to prolong flowering.
5. Prune Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) this month.
6. Tidy up Brassicas by removing yellowing or unhealthy leaves that may harbour pests and diseases.
7. Clean bird baths and feeders well and regularly with a garden disinfectant.
8. In mild dry weather cut lawns if necessary to 2-4cm.
9. Plant bare rooted fruit trees and bushes in well drained soil.
10. Continue taking hardwood cuttings about 8ins long deciduous trees, shrubs and climbers.
11. To keep Euphorbia pulcherrima (Poinsettia) plants looking good through the Christmas period and beyond, position them in good light away from draughts. Allow the compost to dry out slightly between waterings.
12. Order seeds and seed potatoes now to avoid disappointment in the Spring.
In Memory
of
Rosie James
Rosie James, died as she lived, wanting “no fuss”. She was a mainstay of our association for many years. Helping to organise, supply and man our plant stall at Village Day; helping to set up the Hall on the Friday evening before the Annual Show then rushing home to bake cakes for the afternoon refreshments, as well as preparing her own entries. Rosie was such a talented all rounder at the Show that she often embarrassed herself by winning all the trophies open to her. She deserved every trophy she won. The Garden and Produce Association has lost a star member and friend. . Happy memories of a lovely lady.
Rosie (Centre) helping, as usual, with a Village Event, and accompanied by her daughter Charlotte and Mrs Greta Scott
NO OPEN GARDENS !!
Brilliant weather for gardens so they must have been looking splendid ???
Everything else is virtual, so we had a Virtual Open Gardens
Look at the Wonderful Pictures of Gardens that MIGHT have been Open on the Village Pictures Page.
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Who Needs a Virus when you have a Slug Like This ??
Thanks, Nickie, for the following really interesting piece and great photograph
The other day I was potting on some plants and found a curious pale ball about the size of a chickpea. It then stretched out and became an interesting Slug! Interesting because it’s a Carnivore and won’t eat your plants!
It has a vestigial shell which you can see in the enclosed photo just above it’s
tail. I have only ever seen one once before, years ago when I was living in Surrey.
I understand that they live in the soil, mine was about half way down a rather dry pot and was waiting for some damp to come out at night. It wasn’t as big as it appears in the photo on an Ivy leaf. So if you find one , put it in a safe place !
A Poem Submitted by Nickie Bitschi - Probably we can all relate to this!
My Gardening Days
I try to plan my gardening day,
But good intentions fade away,
As with my hoe I smite the weeds,
I chance upon some precious seeds.
I take my trowel to plant them out,
But “Oh, my can has blocked up spout”,
So to the shed to find a cane,
To push the snail right out again.
And on it goes the same old way,
Each time I plane my gardening day,
Potting ends up just the same,
I do a few, “Oh what a game”,
I’m out of space to stand them in,
Another job I must begin!
And I will end what I began,
One day my chores will run to plan
So on it goes frustratingly,
Five jobs to do, for one to see!
AGM 2019
It was a good AGM , a good attendance and good refreshments but an especially good talk from Dr Mick Street,, an entomologist,National Bee Inspector and ex-Bicton College lecturer. He spoke on the Disappearance of Pollinating Insects and it didn't make comfortable listening . Farming practice, insecticides, fungicides , pesticides.... BUT also too many people in the world.
The new membership year begins and as a first we have produced a membership card that outlines the programme for the year ahead. Membership remains at £2 per family . So, if you have not signed on the dotted line and handed over your £2 race to the nearest committee member now, get your free Dobies Seed Catalogue and be eligible for the numerous benefits of membership !
There were 19 entries in our Pumpkin Competition last month. Despite there being fewer entries than last year, there was a brilliant display in the skittle alley. If you missed this lovely evening do look at the photos on our website. I have said it before, but the carving does get more intricate and inventive each year and the entries become harder to judge. Well done to everyone who entered and thank you for making this such a lovely evening. Many thanks also to Maria for welcoming us again, for setting up and decorating the skittle alley so beautifully and for her Mum’s delicious cakes. And ……a very big thank you to this year’s judge, Jan Ainsley, who had such a difficult task.
The winners were:
0-6yrs
1st Maisie Harris
2nd Katie Copp
3rd Eira Halwyn
7-11yrs
1st John Buxton
2nd Elizabeth Dinnis
3rd Elizabeth Dinnis, that is right she carved two beautiful pumpkins!
12-16yrs
1st Benjamin Gray
2nd Jonathan Gray
Adults 1st Sarah Wood, 2nd Laurence Wood, 3rd Nish Halwyn
Do visit our website to see pictures of this years competition.
Annual Pumpkin Competition
A great show with some excellent entries - the children beat the adults in their enthusiasm to enter.
Next year oldies ???
Broomsticks left at the door !
Trip to RHS Rosemoor
Saturday 12th October
Well, not a huge turn out but the two who went had a great day, not a drop of rain and even some sunshine. Ideal for photographs and here are a few. It was a particularly good day to go as there were numerous craft displays, working horses demonstrating their skills in forestry work,even an opportunity to learn how to light fires, build dens and climb trees - well, maybe not for the two who went but it was tempting. All in all and , using the benefit of being in the Garden and Produce Association, it didn't cost a penny! Thanks to Pam Weston for organising it.
Craft building from Nature's Own store
Elephants at Rosemore
Three Heads better than One
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Annual Show 2019
Kitchen staff - backbone of any show !
Prizewinners
High Sheriff of Devon - Champion Cup- Pam Weston. Overall winner, most points.
J W Wise Cup for Gentlemen only - Terry Wright.Highest points in all classes.
Mrs E R Glover Cup for Ladies only- Pam Weston . Highest points in all Classes.
The Young Trophy - Sarah wood and Robin Carter. Runner up lady or gentleman.
WI Cup- Pam Weston, Highest Points section 5
Palfrey Memorial Cup - Pam Weston. Best flower arrangement.
Sir Jack Boles Memorial trophy - Jonathon Boles, Gentleman's Baking.
Keith West Memorial Cup - John Harris. Highest points in Childrens' section
Runner up in 0 - 7 age group Abigail Wheeler
Runner up in 8 - 16 age group Benjamin Gray
Winner of Public Vote re the Flower arrangement in a wine glass - Pam Weston.
Stalwarts of the Association - Nikki and Pam
Annual Summer Outing Saturday June 22nd
Saltram House
What a day - blue skies and sunshine. Wonderful outing and certainly a wonderful National Trust House and Grounds. Many thanks due to Pam Weston for organising it. And many thanks to the very convivial group of nineteen who supported the event.
and last but not least........ not entirely sure how he got on our coach !
Annual Produce Show 2018
A big thank you to everyone involved .
Nikki's Figs !
