A Day Out
I recently enjoyed a visit to Bowood House in Wiltshire, where Toby Buckland’s Garden Festival took place on 5th - 6th June.
Prominent on the festival site was a large stall run by a campaign to save allotments. Three sites under threat were represented, including Coombe Allotments, Gloucestershire; Blue Finger, Bristol; and Farm Terrace, Watford. I had missed an event the day before at the Festival which brought together the three sites with the guest speakers to highlight the importance of allotments.
Many independent nurseries were selling high quality plants at very reasonable prices. These were mainly ornamental rather than kitchen garden plants, but there were a number of stalls selling herbs including some more unusual ones. I couldn’t resist a ginger mint plant, although I can’t think how I am going to use that flavour.
Besides all the plant stalls, there were two marquees where visiting speakers were giving talks thoughout the day. Chris Smith of Pennard Plants talked about unusual and perennial edible plants. It was tempting to go and buy them all from his stand afterwards, but I restricted myself to the “earth chestnut”, Bunium bulbocastanum, which make small tubers, and the “tree spinach”, Chenopodium giganteum. This is an annual, so I hope it flowers freely to provide seed for next year. It is claimed that the leaves can be cooked like spinach, but whether they will taste like spinach is a different matter. However the plant is attractive so will earn its space.
We were entertained by an interview with Jim Buttress, RHS Judge, former Royal Parks Superintendent, former Britain in Bloom judge and lately of the BBC Big Allotment Challenge show. He was full of anecdotes from his working life and I'm looking forward to reading his forthcoming autobiography.
Toby Buckland followed with an informative talk on herbs. I picked up many tips, including how to grow mint. Apparently it benefits from extra feeding, which should help reduce the extent to which the roots run in a circle round the edge of the pot, and provide better tasting fresh growth. I also learnt not to mix different types of mint in the same container, as the flavours will intermingle through the roots. I resolved to be more adventurous next year and to grow (and try eating!) some new herbs such as red leaved sorrel and edible flowers.
Ann Swithinbank talked about her own garden in Devon and explained her gardening style. She welcomes problems in the garden as they enable her to talk from experience on Gardeners’ Question Time. She was a refreshing change from the experts currently on television, who tend to focus a lot on garden design. The final sessions was a Q and A where I picked up many more tips. I hadn’t realised that vine weevil do not like soil-based compost, so it is helpful to use John Innes compost when potting up vulnerable plants. We have lost strawberries in the past due to vine weevil so I will try this approach in future.
Prominent on the festival site was a large stall run by a campaign to save allotments. Three sites under threat were represented, including Coombe Allotments, Gloucestershire; Blue Finger, Bristol; and Farm Terrace, Watford. I had missed an event the day before at the Festival which brought together the three sites with the guest speakers to highlight the importance of allotments.
Many independent nurseries were selling high quality plants at very reasonable prices. These were mainly ornamental rather than kitchen garden plants, but there were a number of stalls selling herbs including some more unusual ones. I couldn’t resist a ginger mint plant, although I can’t think how I am going to use that flavour.
Besides all the plant stalls, there were two marquees where visiting speakers were giving talks thoughout the day. Chris Smith of Pennard Plants talked about unusual and perennial edible plants. It was tempting to go and buy them all from his stand afterwards, but I restricted myself to the “earth chestnut”, Bunium bulbocastanum, which make small tubers, and the “tree spinach”, Chenopodium giganteum. This is an annual, so I hope it flowers freely to provide seed for next year. It is claimed that the leaves can be cooked like spinach, but whether they will taste like spinach is a different matter. However the plant is attractive so will earn its space.
We were entertained by an interview with Jim Buttress, RHS Judge, former Royal Parks Superintendent, former Britain in Bloom judge and lately of the BBC Big Allotment Challenge show. He was full of anecdotes from his working life and I'm looking forward to reading his forthcoming autobiography.
Toby Buckland followed with an informative talk on herbs. I picked up many tips, including how to grow mint. Apparently it benefits from extra feeding, which should help reduce the extent to which the roots run in a circle round the edge of the pot, and provide better tasting fresh growth. I also learnt not to mix different types of mint in the same container, as the flavours will intermingle through the roots. I resolved to be more adventurous next year and to grow (and try eating!) some new herbs such as red leaved sorrel and edible flowers.
Ann Swithinbank talked about her own garden in Devon and explained her gardening style. She welcomes problems in the garden as they enable her to talk from experience on Gardeners’ Question Time. She was a refreshing change from the experts currently on television, who tend to focus a lot on garden design. The final sessions was a Q and A where I picked up many more tips. I hadn’t realised that vine weevil do not like soil-based compost, so it is helpful to use John Innes compost when potting up vulnerable plants. We have lost strawberries in the past due to vine weevil so I will try this approach in future.
Save Farm Terrace Allotments campaign
Submitted by Yvonne, plot 21
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