Tain Show - Changes Afoot

Following the first meeting of the show committe last week, I have started to update / rewrite the schedule. We have decided that we should now have open and novice classes, novice being anyoone who hasn't previously won a red card in a particular section - eg if an exhibitor has won a cut flower class they would have to enter any cut flower class in the open section, but if the same exhibitor entered a class in the veg section where they had not previously won a class, they could enter as a novice. I know this might sound confusing but we need to be sure not to alienate all our locals who I think were a little daunted by some of the flowers and veg that were benched at last years show. It might lead to chaos on the day but hopefully we will have enough time to work through any potential difficulties that might arise.
We have dropped a couple of sections too - Floral Art (three entries in the first year, only two last year) and Best Kept Garden competition (three entries last year, four the year before) and also dropped a few classes - mainly from the vegetable classes - radishes (only 1 entry last year - me !) chillies (last two years, only 1 entry - me!, sweet peppers -last two years, only one entry - me!), truss red tomatoes (last year, only one entry - me|) Parsley plant in a pot (no entries last year, one the previous year). And tweaked some others - only one cabbage class instead of one for pointed and one for round, but callling for two specimens of the same variety and ditto with cauliflower - two specimens now required. We are also droppping the Garden News Top Vase and Top Tray -the Top Tray will now be replaced with a 6 x 1 Collection.
The Kids classes have been decided, we are introducing a Photographic Competition and the Gardeners Club Competition this year will be for the best Pot Grown Chilli -variety Basket of Fire, which I start next week in my heated propogator and grow on until the April meeting when the plants will be passed out to members.

My new challenge !!

Well, today was my first day at yet another walled garden reclamation. Not sure how long this one has been neglected but by the looks of it, quite a while. So for at least the next four Fridays, I shall be gardening by chainsaw !! The photo above shows the wee bridge you have to cross to gain access. The next series of photos will give you a flavour of what I'm up against ! This next photo shows what greets you as you cross the bridge

This next photo shows you what is round the first corner in the "path"

Somewhere in here lies a row of plum trees !

And this one shows a small area not smothered in trees / scrub

And this next one shows the corner of the garden that used to house the greenhouse

And finally, here is the small veg patch that the family used lastyear - to be extended by the area at the front of the photo that I cleared this morning. The ground was still too frozen to dig over but it is a seething mass of nettles and willowherb.

In general, the garden is completely overgrown with the principal culprit being buddleia, which has grown up, bent over, re-rooted, grown up, bent over, re-rooted, grown up, bent over - you get the picture. There are some nice plants that I have spotted in amongst the carnage - witch hazel, bamboo, mahonia, viburnum, paper-bark maple and some pillar roses - no doubt there is still alot to be uncovered though.

Will do a progress report next Friday evening.

Lifting the last of the leeks

At Mounteagle Estate, Fearn, where I work on Thursday, I was asked to lift the last of the leeks today - no problem I said, do it after my lunchbeak.
So after my lunch, grabbed a fork and off to the veg patch - the fork just bounced off the top of the ground - as did the spade.
In the end, I did manage to lift the leeks - by pouring tap water onto the ground round about the plants then using a 4ft metal spike to get them up - I hope they enjoy them !!

Last of the seeds ordered.

Today I finally got round to deciding that I am not going to re-cover the polytunnel this year and adjusted my seed order accordingly. Having done so, I got on the phone to Shelleys and ordered myself the following.

Cabbage Ramco - James said this is no longer available but suggested Liberator as it's replacement - in for a penny in for a pound so I am now growing Liberator Cabbage;.

Cabbage Tundra - a Savoy that stands amazingly well - I have dug these up from under 3ft of snow and they were almost perfect

Carrot Sweet Candle - nothing needs to be said

Carrot Reselected New Red Intermediate - have more blue barrels this year so thought I'd give long carrots a bash

Cauliflower Raleigh - I couldn't decide between Raleigh, Cornell or Boris so tossed a coin a couple of times and Raleigh it is.

Kale Winterbor - see tyhe comments about Tundra Cabbage - this survived it too

Parsnip Pinnacle - last year Medwyn sent me a packet of Albion in error. I wasn't planning on growing parsnips but I got myself a blue barrel and they turned out okay - this year I'll try a bit harder! Got 4 barrels for these.

Tomato Cedrico - I'll squeeze these into my greenhouse somehow !

Chilli Ring of Fire - can be grown in pots so that sorts out some of my chilli addiction.

If you add the 50 bags of potatoes, 40 kelsae onions 200 onion sets, French beans, Broad beans, Runner beans, Chard, Scallions, culinary leeks, Peas, beetroot then that should keep me going - but I know what I'm like and if I see anything else I'll probably buy some.

Get the Show on the road

Although it's only the end of January, it's already time to start the ball rolling for our local Horticultural Show. The Town Hall (and the kitchen) has been booked so the date is now confirmed as the 18th August. I know this may seem early, and I feel that it is a bit early too - but we have very few weekends up here at that time of year that don't clash with other shows, so we are trying to establish a date for our show that is the first Saturday after the schools go back up here.
There will be quite a few changes this year - some classes will be dropped and maybe one or two tweaked slightly, but the biggest change will be the splitting of classes. As yet, we (The Committee) need to decide whether we should opt for Open and Confined (Confined being for growers within a designated geographical area) or Open and Novice (Novice being open to anyone who has not previously won a trophy). I know which I favour but in this age of demovracy etc etc.
W also need to decide on a competition for the members of the gardening club - any suggestions will be gratefully received. Last year it was for the heaviest weight of potatoes grown in a polypot from a single tuber (supplied by the club). I quite like the idea of buying a batch of Kelsae plants from Mr Fothergills (delivered in April) and giving one to each member to grow on. These could shown as grown, so no dressing required, and who knows, it may even lead some members onto the path towards growing for show.
And we need to decide on a two classes for the childrens competition. Last year we had veg / fruit animals for the older kids and painting of a flower for the younger ones. Again, any suggestions gratefully received.
Will keep you posted as things develop.

Feck, Feck, Feck !

Well, after the windiest winter months I can remember, yesterday was by far the wildest day we have had up here, and my polytunnel finally conceded defeat to the elements.
After Finlay phoned me to say there was a tear in one end, I raced over from where I was working in the vain hope of saving it but when I arrived the tear was over the end hoop so could not be repaired.

So I emptied the tunnel of it's contents - pots, trays, modules and a lot of other paraphenalia, transferred everything to the shed, then started to cut away the cover.

This isn't the easiest of tasks in a howling gale as effectively you are holding onto the worlds biggest kite. Anyway it took me about half and hour but the plastic cover is now filling my shed!

At least I'll have plenty of covers for my raised beds and barrels this year!

2012 Here We Go

Well, after much consideration I have decided on my 2012 campaign for show growing. I shall be growing the following;
Stump Carrots - Sweet Candle
Long Carrots - New Red Intermediate
Parsnips - Pinnacle
Globe Beetroot - Pablo
Cauliflowers - Cornell
Large Onions - Kelsae
Onions from sets - Hercules, Centurion
Runner Beans - Stenner
French Beans - Ian Stocks reselection
Peas - Ian Stocks reselection of Show Perfection
Broad beans - Heathfield (Frank Taylor)
5 varieties of potatoes (JBA Potatoes)
I will be growing other veg for the family and also at the various gardens I work at. So there will also be culinary leeks, celeriac, assorted salad leaves and lettuce. chillies galore, sweet peppers, PSB, kale, cabbage, sugar snap peas, globe artichokes, jerusalem artichokes, chard and probably many more that have escaped my memory for the moment.
I shall be organising the local show again this year and as well as enetring that, I hope to enter at least 4 other local shows including the Sutherland and Black Isle Shows.
In addition, myself and "ontheplot" from Kinloss are hoping to get a Highland and Moray District Assocaition of the NVS up and running this year.
So there should be plenty to blog about !