Estuary Articles

TOPSHAM ALLOTMENTS AND GARDENS SOCIETY

We had a full coach for our last trip of the year to RHS Rosemoor. It was as impressive as ever and Roger Webster’s Hot Garden is still looking wonderful. Despite the showers everyone enjoyed the day and many took full advantage of the offers in the plant shop.

In September Caradoc Doy gave members an action packed introduction to taking cuttings on our social area on Butts Park (see photo). We’re extra grateful to him as, with the numerous questions, it ran well over the allotted time!

The social area is proving to be a valuable asset. We used it for our annual summer pre Show picnic as well as monthly meet ups and it’s there for members to just meet up to chat.

Our next event is a talk by Caradoc Doy on Wondeful Winter Flowering Interest. It’s on 20th November at 7.30pm at St Nicks. No need to book, come along with £4 if you are a TAGS member, £5 otherwise. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided after.

David and Stella McLarin, Social Secs

JOBS TO DO IN THE GARDEN IN NOVEMBER 2024
    1. Put frost protection around tender plants or move into the house or greenhouse.
    2. Raise containers onto “feet” to stop water clogging and keep the bottom of pots out of water and the compost from freezing.  Insulate outdoor                        containers from frost – bubble wrap works well.
    3. Plant tulip bulbs and other bulbs in situ for a Spring display and sow all pea varieties in the greenhouse or cold frame.
    4. Prune roses to prevent wind-rock if you haven’t already done so.
    5. Stop Winter Moth damage to fruit trees using grease bands around the trunks.
    6. Put out bird feed and water to encourage winter birds into the garden.
    7. Use seasonal bonfires – where allowed – to dispose of debris unfit for composting. If conditions are too wet for bonfires and going on the soil, then              spend your time turning your compost heaps to improve aeration and speed up the composting process, as good as a visit to the gym!
    8.  Cover brassicas with netting.
    9. Put a support system in place for raspberry canes before planting. This is a good time to move raspberry runners into tidier rows.
    10. Plant bare root trees and shrubs and it is a perfect time to plant hedging.
When the weather is too bad to be outside, enjoy the garden catalogues inside and plan for next year.

                Pam Bush and Sue Parr, Garden Reps.

What's On

Wednesday 16th October 7.30pm Talk by Sue Minter on Walled Gardens at St Nicks

Wednesday 20th November 7.30pm Talk by Caradoc Doy on Winter Flowering Interest at St Nicks

Topsham Allotments and Gardens Society Annual Show

Our Annual Show produced a wonderful display of produce of all types and we thank all those who entered, contributed produce, prizes and cakes and those who came along. Also to the dedicated team of TAGS members who made it a reality, led this year so effectively by Benji Joel. Unfortunately Benji has moved away from Topsham so can’t continue, so we are looking for a replacement. If you fancy giving it a go you will lead a well established, experienced team who can help you to “make it happen” and ensure all the elements come together on the day.

If you are interested in helping steer this much loved community event and help run the team then please email topshamags@gmail.com.

David and Stella McLarin Social Secs

One of the things that Benji initiated was a Poetry Competition. We are pleased to present the amusing and winning entry from Bryan Stephenson below. Enjoy!

COME, LET’S BE FRIENDS

To all gardeners has the worthy, noble RHS

A most important edict issued, more or less!

Such transformation as there’s ever been,

To see all nature with benevolence serene,

Rejecting now forever that primeval urge

To squash or spray or otherwise to purge

Those humble creatures who, without invite,

Feast on our precious plants by day and night.

Henceforth dear gardeners, bless the slippery slugs.

Look kindly on those tiny aphid bugs

That on your roses congregate to feed.

Disturb them not, so happily they’ll breed.

Forgive, slow snail, those evil thoughts we did once foster

When we deplored your munching of that hosta.

Please come, bright butterfly, and we’ll revel in the sight,

Though you’re no peacock, but a cabbage white.

Then welcome all that to the garden come,

Delight in their designs, their beauty, or their hum.

Thus it behoves us gardeners now to set aside,

That weedkiller and that pesticide.

And when an infestation riles and makes us curse,

Let that our sole reaction be: only that – and nothing worse.

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JOBS TO DO IN THE GARDEN IN OCTOBER 2024

There is still plenty to do in the garden in October so here are a few tips

that may be useful.

1. Sow Crepis Rubra seeds under cover as well as Hollyhocks, Aquilegia Vulgaris and perennial Poppy seeds. Oriental Poppy seeds and Sweet Peas can be sown in pots also under cover.
2. Cornflower, Limnanthes (poached egg plants), Larkspur and annual Poppies like Bridal White can now all be sown directly outside plus wild flower seeds sown directly into the ground will be ready to attract bees and butterflies next year.
3. Daffodil, alliums and crocus bulbs can all be planted now.
4. As you harvest vegetable crops sow green manures to maintain the soil’s fertility, if not planting onions, garlic, winter cabbage or broad beans for next spring.
5. Protect half hardy plants with fleece or bring into a frost free greenhouse.
6. If the greenhouse isn’t too crowded now it is a good time to clean and disinfect it.
7. Sweep up fallen leaves that harbour fungal spores and provide ideal hiding places for slugs and snails. Use them to make leaf mould but get rid of any rose leaves with blackspot.
8. Lift Dahlia tubers and Gladioli corms to store over winter months or leave in the ground and cover with a thick layer of manure. Remove dead foliage before storing.
9. Harvest peas and beans but when cutting down leave the roots in the ground as these crops fix nitrogen which is slowly released into the soil as the roots break down.
10. Hang Tomato plants with green fruits upside down indoors to ripen.
11. Protect cauliflower heads by wrapping the outer leaves round them and tie with string or put them in a cloche or fleece.
12. Harvest apples and store in a cool place.

Pam Bush and Sue Parr, Garden Reps.

What's On

Thursday 12th September 9.30am-5.30pm TAGS coach trip to RHS Rosemoor. Please email topshamags@gmail.com or phone 877318 to book.

Wednesday 16th October 7.30pm Talk by Sue MInter on Walled Gardens at St Nicks

Thirdly our article.  We will send the photo referred to separately.

MOVING INTO AUTUMN
As we write it is 10 days to our Annual Show and we are sure that it provided a wonderful display.  Thank you to all who contributed.  We will provide more details next month.
One of the biggest challenges to gardeners this year has been slugs and snails. They have been the centre of conversation at the TAGS members meet ups on our social area on the Butts Park allotment site.  The RHS chose to launch a “Love your Slugs and Snails” campaign during a very mild and wet winter and spring, while we witnessed many seedlings being stripped of their foliage overnight!! Slugs and snails are an important part of our gardens’ ecosystems by breaking down decaying matter, but the balance has tipped in their favour this year. This has been compounded by the arrival of an invasive species, the Spanish Slug, see photo.  They’re mainly orange in colour, firm to the touch, and very slimey. They continue to be active even in warm dry spells. We have found literally hundreds on the prowl at night in our garden. Dr Ian Bedford, entomologist, was one of the first in the UK to identify the problem some 12 years ago in the South East. He says, over time, blackbirds learn to wipe off the excessive slime which keeps them moist during the summer. However it can be years for the natural predators to learn this and make an impact.  In the meantime the recommendation is to gather them up at night into a bucket of soapy water, put either bleach or salt in when they have drowned then bury them in the garden. Don’t cut or squash them as many contain parasites which can be harmful to pets. They breed prolifically so it’s important to get on top of this. We have been killing over 100 a night over the last 30 or so days. Beer traps work to a degree but, to keep numbers down, night time patrols are best.
We will be asking RHS Rosemoor about their experience with slugs when we visit on 12th September. At the moment there are a few spaces on the coach but it likely that it will end up being TAGS members only.  However with the cost of membership being only £4 single, £6 joint, it is worth joining to secure your space.  You will then get £1 off the cost of our three winter talks, the first being “Walled Gardens” on Wednesday 16th October at 7.30pm in St Nicholas Church.
David and Stella McLarin, Social Secretaries

JOBS TO DO IN THE GARDEN IN SEPTEMBER
    1. Divide herbaceous perennials and cut back where needed.  Dividing regularly will ensure healthy vigorous plants that will continue to perform year after year.
    2. Plant spring flowering bulbs.
    3. Collect seeds from your favourite annuals and perennials.
    4. Dead head roses and prune climbing ones.
    5. Clear fallen leaves but leave some for insects and wild life.
    6. Apply a potassium rich autumn lawn feed.
    7. In the greenhouse, tomatoes and cucumbers will still be growing but nearing the end of their season so reduce watering but don’t let compost dry out.
        Put chillies and peppers in the sunniest spot in the greenhouse to make the most of the Autumn sun.
    8. Divide rhubarb crowns to create new plants.
    9. Harvest  apples, pears, grapes and nuts.
    10. Cover leafy vegetable crops with bird proof netting.
Pam Bush and Sue Parr Garden Reps.

Topsham Vegetable and Flower Show 2024

Get ready for Topsham’s Flower and Vegetable Show on Sunday 18th August.

The Show’s competition is open to all residents of Topsham and the surrounding area, Topsham Allotment Holders, Topsham Flower Club and members of Topsham Allotments and Gardens Society (TAGS). If you have not participated before: GIVE IT A GO! Vegetable and fruit growing, flower arranging, home baking, home brewing, photography or poetry - lots of options to try.

To start with you’ll need to get hold of a Show Programme with the Entry Forms. These are available from Topsham Bookshop, Nancy Potter House or the Trading Hut on Butts Park allotments site. Also available to download at topshamags.co.uk/show.

Next, look through the schedule of classes on the Entry Form and pick one or two that speak to you: it might be that you have some particularly handsome beetroot this year (Class 1013), or that everyone tells you that your flapjacks are amazing (Class 1061).

Finally, return your Entry Form by the deadline (listed in the programme), stage your exhibit on the morning of the Show and let the judges, who are all experts in their field, rate your entry. You might sweep up a prize in your class, or even walk away with a Trophy.

This year we are introducing some new classes: you could write a poem on the subject of gardens or gardening (Class 1074) which may include rhyme, but non-rhyming poems will be equally welcome; or you could encourage the younger members of your family to participate in one of the three children-only classes - see page 3 of the Show Programme.

If you’re not a grower, baker, photographer or wordsmith: please come along and enjoy the event. It’s open to the public from 2.00 until 4.00pm.

1. See the wonderful display of fruit, veg and flowers
2. Enter the raffle with many excellent prizes
3. Purchase home-grown items from our produce stall
4. Enjoy some tea and home-made cake from our marquee

For more information follow us on Facebook @Topshamallotmentsandgardenssociety

Also Sustainable Topsham will run a Mossy Carpet crafting session at this year's Show. Drop in to make your own moss inspired tuft or pompom and contribute to this massive community artwork.

No experience necessary! Materials, tools and instructions (if you want them) provided. Feel free to bring along your spare yarn for upcycling into beautiful mossy makes.

Tiny mosses make a huge contribution to dealing with climate change. Likewise, our many small acts of crafting can help to connect us in facing the challenge. The Mossy Carpet is an Art and Energy project. You can find out more about it here: https://www.artandenergy.org/the-mossy-carpet.

 We look forward to seeing you at the Show. It’s a community gathering not to be missed!

Benji Joel, Show Secretary

JOBS TO DO IN THE GARDEN IN AUGUST

1 Bring any surplus crops to our stall at the Flower and Veg Show to sell. This raises money to help cover the cost of the Show and gives the buyer the fresh taste of home grown food.....you can't beat it!!!

2 Take cuttings of fuschias, pelargoniums, pinks, penstemon, salvia.

3 Keep deadheading roses to keep them blooming and remove leaves with blackspot and burn or bin them. Also keep dead heading border plants and those in pots.

4 Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners for future harvests. Cut down summer fruited raspberry stems.

5 Prune Rambling Roses and Wisteria. Summer prune trained apples and pears, e.g. those in cordons, espaliers, fans and pyramids.

6 As you remove spent crops like potatoes, use green manures especially red clover to cover bare patches. You can still plant Chicory, Radish, Lettuce, Cabbage, Turnip seeds and Onion sets.

7 Harvest all fruit and veg as they become ready, especially french and runner beans, the more you pick the more come. You can turn any surplus to delicious bean chutney or simply give some to friends, family or neighbours. It'll brighten their day!

8 Pinch out side shoots on tomato plants and feed weekly, once flowers set into small tomatoes. Again any surplus makes good chutney.

9 Collect seeds for your use and the TAGS seed and plant swap in May next year. Keep them in a dry cool place in paper rather than plastic.

10 Keep plants hydrated, preferably with stored rainwater or grey water. Keep ponds and water features topped up, good for wildlife.

Pam Bush and Sue Parr, Garden Reps

For What's On

Sunday 18th August 2pm-4pm TAGS Annual Flower and Vegetable Show in Matthews Hall

TAGS article

The years seem to go faster and here we are at month 7 with, we hope, the prospect of some warm and dry weather.

Our first 2 trips of the year have been fully booked so only Rosemoor in September, which we regard as our grand finale, to go now. We’ve had several advance bookings already so would urge those that want to go, to book early to avoid disappointment. TAGS Members get priority for booking but even so this is a popular trip.

Sadly the talk by Michael Jordan of the Fungus Conservation Trust, which we had to reschedule from last October to July, has had to be cancelled again for health reasons We wish him well for a speedy recovery and hope that we can try for a “lucky third time” next year.

We, the allotments at Butts Park and 6 other gardens, most of whose were TAGS members, opened on 19th May for Hospiscare and raised over £5,500 in a hectic but blisfully sunny Sunday afternoon. Many thanks to all the TAGS members who came to help. Hospiscare were delighted.

Pam, Sue and Cally, our 3 Garden Reps, are organising our own Open Gardens for TAGS members only soon and we will be sending out details to members. There’s no charge for this but donations for teas and coffee are welcome.

So many people think that you have to have an allotment to be a member of TAGS .However the clue is in the name Topsham Allotments AND GARDENS Society. The majority, over 2/3rds, of our membership, only have Gardens and do not have Allotments. We are all gardeners and welcome you even if you have a tiny garden or no garden at all but a love of gardens and gardening.

Our big event of the year is The Flower and Vegetable Show which is on Sunday 18th August, open to the public from 2pm onwards. Please put a note in your diaries . It’s as much an event for Topsham as TAGS, as any resident of Topsham can enter. This year as well as all the Fruit, Flower, Veg and Produce entries there are also the Photo and Poetry competitions (entries need to be in by Sunday 28th July) and the kid’s creative animals creations using fruit and veg. To enter please either check out our website …….. or pick up an entry form from either the Topsham Bookshop, The Hub or at the TAGS Butts Park Trading Hut which is open 10.30-11.30 am at the weekend only. Entry is FREE and it’s a lot of fun.

We hope to see you there .

David and Stella McLarin (social secs)

JOBS TO DO IN THE GARDEN AND ON THE ALLOTMENT IN JULY 2024

1. July is ,hopefully often one of the hottest months and a great time to enjoy the garden. Regular deadheading and watering with grey water, where possible, will prolong the flowering season. Water at dusk to reduce evaporation.

1. Cut back Delphiniums and Geraniums after first flush of flowers to encourage a second flowering period.

1. Disbud and deadhead Dahlias. Deadhead roses, except those that produce attractive hips.
2. Cutting back plants in baskets followed by feeding can encourage new growth to help revive tired displays.

1. Autumn flowering bulbs can be planted now.

1. Hoe off weeds which thrive in sunshine.

1. Check Clematis for signs of wilt and Hollyhocks for signs of rust. Remove the affected leaves.
2. Divide clumps of Bearded Iris.

1. Plant Pepper plants into larger pots and train Cucumber stems upwards to make the most of the space – tie to verticle wires or cane supports. Nip the tops of Squash and Courgettes to encourage branching.

1. Feed crops with a general fertilizer, eg. Tomorite, and harvest veg crops as become ready. Pick, dry and freeze herbs for use later in the year.

Amongst the jobs do find time to sit and appreciate your work!

Pam Bush and Sue Parr, Garden Reps.

For What's On

Wednesday 12th June 9.30am-5.30pm TAGS coach trip to Abbotsbury Tropical Gardens. Please email topshamags@gmail.com or phone 877318 to book.

Topsham Flower and Vegetable Show 2024

This year we are introducing three classes just for children.

We’re inviting entries for SEA CREATURES created out of fruit and/or vegetables. They can be held together using matchsticks or toothpicks, or by whatever method the young creator chooses. This class replaces the very popular ‘vegetable creature’, opening it up to fruit but narrowing it down to a theme.

Another class is the ADVENTURE GARDEN. Here we’re asking for an arrangement of natural objects, toys and other decorations, presented in a container the size of a standard seed tray (see Show Programme for details). We’re looking forward to seeing wild combinations of items from the garden, allotment and park alongside building blocks, fingerlings, action heroes and stuffies.

Then there’s the classic CRESS HEADS: live garden cress (the hair) inside egg shells (the heads) with any type of adornment. This class calls not only for creativity but also skill: the cress should be in prime condition on the day of the show; this probably requires multiple sowings of cress seeds in the days running up to the show. Seeds are available to buy from the TAGS Trading Hut at Butts Park allotments on Elm Grove Road.

In addition to these children-only classes we will be awarding separate prizes for children and adults in the PLAIN FLAPJACKS class: 7 slices made to any chosen flapjack recipe, with the only stipulation that it must not contain nuts; and the judges are likely to wrinkle their noses at raisins.

Prizes for all of these four classes will be awarded in each of the age groups 4 - 7 years, 8 - 11 years and 12 - 16 years. All other classes in the Show are of course open to all children, but with no separate prizes for children. Full details can be found in the Show Programme which will be available from mid June at Topsham Bookshop, Nancy Potter House and the TAGS Trading Hut.

Benji Joehl, Show Secretary

HOLLYHOCKS – HURRAH

Following my email to Charlie Anning concerning the mowing of the hollyhocks she did apologise on behalf of the team and confirmed that the debris had been cleared. She then arranged that Graham Furzer, a long-time supervisor with Exeter City Council would arrange to meet me. On Wednesday morning 1 May, we met and reviewed the two areas planted with Hollyhocks. The area below the wall in Tappers Close, had not been mown down in early April, and the plants were thriving. The area by the swimming pool had been devastated by indiscriminate mowing, including the pegs, but the hollyhock plants, being perennials, were now beginning to shoot.

Graham told me that all the permanent ECC staff were well aware of the planting, and he would advise agency staff. The Council have arranged for three markers on posts to be prominently displayed along the row of planting, and these measures are a reasonable attempt to avoid a repeat of the incident in the future.

I would like to thank the ECC team for their positive and quick response. I will now fill in some gaps with new plants, clear away the weeds, and we can all look forward to a colourful display this summer.

Freddie Bush, President

JOBS TO DO IN THE GARDEN AND ON THE ALLOTMENT IN JUNE, 2024

1. Plant up hanging baskets, if not already done, and hang outside in position.

2. As tomato plants grow, pinch out side shoots, each time you water. Side shoots are

little shoots sprouting just above each leaf from the joint between the leaf and the stem.

3. Lift tulip bulbs, if not already done, and store in a dark place. Plant out summer

bedding and stake tall or floppy plants.

4. Watering is key to growing plants well so use it wisely. Regular watering and feeding

is very important for containers but don’t over water.

5. Harvest lettuce, radish, other salads and early potatoes,

6. Hoe the borders and beds regularly to keep the weeds down.

7. Mow lawns at least once a week but consider leaving some areas uncut for wildlife, if you have space.

8. If you haven’t already done so, put new barley straw in ponds to keep algae under control.

9. Prune many spring flowering plants and shrubs, once they have finished flowering.

10. Shade greenhouses to keep them cool and prevent scorch.

Enjoy the summer – Pam Bush and Sue Parr, Garden Reps

For What's On

Wednesday 12th June 9.30am-5.30pm TAGS coach trip to Abbotsbury Tropical Gardens. Please email topshamags@gmail.com or phone 877318 to book.

NEW COMPETITION IN OUR SHOW

We have long held a Photo Competition in conjunction with our Annual Show and this year the 3 classes are Garden View, Plant Portrait and Water in the Garden. Well, we have had plenty of water in our gardens so far this year!

Now our new Show Secretary, Benji Goehl, has added a Poetry Competition We are sure that the summer ahead will provide lots of inspiration. The rules are as follows:

1. Poems must be submitted by Sunday 28th July 2024 (same as the Photo Competition)
2. Email your poem(s) to topshamags@gmail.com
3. Include your full name in the email message
4. If you can’t email your poem(s) please deliver or post them to Jan Lawson, 54 Ashford Road, Topsham EX3 0LA. Please ensure you have included your full name and postal address on a separate piece of paper with the poem. Entries will not be returned, so please keep a copy
5. All entries must be typed or word-processed; handwritten entries cannot be accepted
6. All entries are judged anonymously and the poet’s name must not appear on the poem itself
7. Maximum of two poems per entrant
8. All poems must have a title and must not exceed 40 lines in length (excluding title)
9. Poems must be in English
10. Poems must be the entrant’s original work. AI-generated work is prohibited
11. Entries must not have been published or made public before the Show
12. Entries must be on the subject of gardens or gardening
13. Under no circumstances can alterations be made to poems once entered
14. If you have any questions please email topshamags@gmail.com
15. By participating in the competition you are agreeing that your poem(s) can be publicised, including on the various town websites and social media channels

Advisory note: please remember that although your poem(s) may include rhyme, non-rhyming poems will be equally welcome

NB The rules have been based on https://poetrysociety.org.uk/competitions/national-poetry-competition/rules/

JOBS TO DO ON THE ALLOTMENT/GARDEN IN MAY 2024

1. Sow last of summer crops i.e. courgettes and runner beans.Sow winter crops as well, e.g. cabbage, kale and purple spouting broccoli for transplanting next month.
2. When sowing carrots protect against carrot fly. Sow carrots after Mid May and avoid the first generation of fly and, similarly, carrots harvested before late August avoid the second generation of carrot fly. Sewing rosemary, alliums, sage or marigold can provide a deterrent/smokescreen.
3. Thin out crops and plant out young plants sown last month i.e. celeriac, courgettes, squashes, pumpkins, marrows and leeks. Hold off if it is cold and protect young plants with fleece.
4. Harvest crops that are ready, i.e. lettuce, spring onions, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, rhubarb, beetroot, radish and peas.
5. If asparagus is ready, start harvesting by cutting stems 5cms below the soil.
6. Earth up potatoes regularly, as they grow.
7. Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm sunny days.
8. Check for nesting birds before clipping hedges.
9. Divide and lift overcrowded clumps of daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs.

A busy month ahead but let’s just hope it stops raining!!

Pam Bush and Sue Parr Garden Reps

For What's On

Tuesday 16th April 9.30am-6.00pm TAGS coach trip to Caerhayes Castle Gardens. Please email topshamags@gmail.com or phone 877318 to book.

TOPSHAM ALLOTMENTS AND GARDENS SOCIETY APRIL 2024

Initiated by our President, Freddie Bush, we have benefited from his Hollyhock Project which will see hollyhocks brightening up Topsham again this summer. Now he has arranged for TAGS to join the Devon Wildlife Trust’s project of “Spring Sow for Exeter Communities”. The Wildlife Trust will provide packets of wildflower seeds, and each packet will contain enough seeds to cover 1 square metre of ground. The packets will be free for members of TAGS and will be available from the Trading Hut at Butts Park during their normal trading hours of 10.30 to 11.30am on Saturdays and Sundays. And there are still some hollyhock seeds available.

This is one of many benefits from joining TAGS, you also get priority when booking our trips,.The coach on 16th April for Caerhayes Castle and its magnificent magnolias, camellias and rhodedendrons is already half full so if you are interested please get your name down soon. You also get the use of the Trading Hut for compost, manure and other garden essentials at competitive prices and lower prices for trips and talks.

If you wish to become a member of TAGS, please visit the website topshamags.co.uk.or email our new Membership Secretary Sue Newman at membershiptags@gmail.com. The annual subscription remains at £4 for a single member, £6 joint if living at the same address, a bargain!

Our last winter talk from Becky Searle of Sowmuchmore.co.uk opened our eyes to what goes on in the soil and how we can best look after it for our gardens and the planet as a whole. We will be uploading an article on Soil Science to our website for some useful tips. But one is the first Job To Do below.

Stella and David McLarin (Social Secretaries)

JOBS TO DO IN THE GARDEN AND ALLOTMENT IN APRIL 2024
    1. Prepare beds for growing season, if not already done, and add at least a 5cm layer of compost, well rotted manure or a generous scattering of fish blood and bone. The use of compost in this way is the basis for “no dig” gardening, but sadly it is not “no work”. In the first year it is best to put down a layer of cardboard and then 15cm of compost on top.  You can then sow or plant into the compost.

    2. Tie in climbing and rambling roses and check patio plants aren’t drying out. Try mixing water retention granules in containers.

    3. Sow new lawns or repair bare patches.

    4. Increase water given to house plants and start to feed.

    5. Protect fruit blossoms from late frosts, with fleece.

    6. Start to feed citrus plants, shrubs and roses.

    7. Check tree stakes and make sure they are not cutting into the trunk.  Loosen any tight ones.

    8. Divide bamboo and waterlilies.

    9. When sowing vegetable seeds it is best to use tap water, not stored rain water as it may harbour disease.

    10.  Sow hardy annuals, herbs and wildflower seeds outdoors.
Pam Bush and Sue Parr (Garden Reps)

Gardens and allotments will already have sprung into life and it is worth thinking about what you might want to enjoy growing for yourself and enter into our Show in August. You can see what the classes are by looking on our website, topshamags.co.uk, at the Show section where last year’s entry form is available to view.

Also we will be running the Photo Competition again, the three classes being Plant Portrait, Garden View and Water in the Garden. You have until 28th July to take some show stopping photos.

On the website, have a look at the other sections and you will find all the benefits of being a TAGS member, the annual subscription for which is a mere £4 (less than a pint!) single or £6 for joint at the same address. The membership year runs from 1st April each year.

A good time to renew your membership or join for the first time is at our AGM on 5th March at 7.30pm in the first floor Matthews Hall. Then we will be revealing our programme of talks, trips,social events and “cunning plans “ for the year starting 1st April as well as reporting on what we’ve achieved at TAGS in the previous year!

David and Stella McLarin, Social Secs

JOBS TO DO IN MARCH 2024

Lots of things to do to get the gardens and allotments “growing” for the season.

1. Last chance to prune bush and climbing roses.
2. Continue sowing vegetable seeds – outdoors in mild areas and light soil., e.g. broad beans, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, onions, lettuce, radish, peas, spinach, summer cabbage, salad leaves, leeks, Swiss chard, kohl rabi, turnips and summer cauliflower.
3. Plant shallots, onion sets and early potatoes.
4. Sow flower seeds – marigolds, sweet peas, delphiniums, sunflowers, stocks, poppies and cornflowers – all are hardy annuals.
5. Also sow wildflower seed mixtures into raked soil in a sunny position.
6. Plant summer flowering bulbs.
7. Top up containers with fresh compost.
8. Hoe and mulch weeds to keep under control, much better than digging.
9. Protect new shoots from slugs.
10. Mow lawns on dry days if needed.

Be guided by the weather and sow only if conditions are suitable.

Pam Bush and Sue Parr, Garden Reps

What's On

Wedsnesday 7th February Talk by Becky Searle on Soil Science in St Nicks at 7.30pm

TOPSHAM ALLOTMENTS AND GARDENS SOCIETY INTO 2024

TAGS AGM is on Tuesday 5th March – note the slightly earlier date to usual. Many members find this is a convenient time to renew their membership for the year from 1st April. However we may not have a Membership Secretary to oversee this as Cally Pettit is retiring after seven years of sterling service. We urgently need someone to step into this role. It is not onerous and only needs basic computing experience and what better way to get to know people!

At the AGM we also reveal the programme of events for the coming year. The final event of the current TAGS year is a talk by Becky Searle on Soil Science at 7.30pm on 7th February at St Nicks, £4 for TAGS members, £5 others. This is a fascinating and very topical subject. The health of our soil is vital to feed us, the world and help our flowers grow!

JOBS TO DO IN THE GARDEN IN FEBRUARY

1) Prepare vegetable seed beds, and sow some vegetable seeds under cover.

2) Chit potato tubers.

3) Protect blossom on apricots, nectarines and peaches and if you're lucky enough to have them protect your Echiums and other tender plants from frost.

4) Many summer-flowering deciduous shrubs can be pruned between February and March; usually those that flower on the current year's growth. Shrubs that need regular pruning include Hydrangea paniculata, Lavatera, hardy fuchsias and deciduous Ceanothus.

5) With "warmer" winters it's even more important to do any hedge trimming and tree pruning before the birds start nesting, so early to mid Feb should still be OK.

6) Put up a nest box. Make sure that you site your box out of the prevailing wind and strong sunlight. Be sure to position it away from bird tables and feeders, as they're busy areas. Members can check out the Trading Hut for boxes. If we have sold out we can order more.

7) Hardwood cuttings are taken in the dormant season, avoiding periods of severe frost. An ideal time is just before bud-burst in spring.

8) Start sowing cucumber and tomato seeds for the greenhouse, in warm conditions. Sow peas — try sowing them in upcycled guttering with drainage holes drilled in the bottom.

9) Try not to walk on frosted or very wet lawns as this can damage them. However if it is safe to do so repair bare patches, especially around lawn edges, using turf cut from other areas of the garden if available. Also if you are not too precious about your lawn allow a few dandelions to remain and flower in the spring as this provides the first feed for our pollinators.

10) If you want to increase your snowdrops then this is the time to lift and separate them, just after flowering.

Pam Bush and Sue Parr, Garden Reps

What's On

Thursday 18th January Topsham Wassail starts outside Matthews Hall, ends at TAGS Trading Hut, times TBA

Wednesday 7th February Talk by Becky Searle on Soil Science in St Nicks at 7.30pm

TOPSHAM ALLOTMENTS AND GARDENS SOCIETY

As 2023 disappears at the speed of light we have a New Year to look forward to in the garden and on the allotment. Also we need a new Membership Secretary to take over in March and if you are interested then please email cjpettit@yahoo.co.uk and Cally can give you further details. This is an ideal way to get to know lots of people in Topsham if you are new to the area. We are a friendly committee and only have 6 committee meetings a year.

Following the excellent advice give by Caradoc and Saul at our own GQT in November, Stella suggests that our New Year's resolution should be to "hoe hoe hoe" rather than dig dig dig!!  By popular demand we've booked the dynamic duo for 2024!! We're also grateful to Pam and Sue for their topical tips each month which are invaluable. It may not feel it but spring will soon be upon us so now is the time to get prepared!

We had some memorable trips last year and plan at least 3 for this year as well as some interesting talks, which we'll be announcing at the AGM in March. Post COVID we're pleased to say that demand was high and most trips were fully subscribed so booking early is a good idea.

Events to look forward to are the Wassail 18th January when we team up with our friends from Topsham Folk Club to Wassail and wake up the apple trees in Topsham. It's great fun for kids and most appreciated by local robins once the banging stops!! Members and Folk then adjourn to the Trading Hut to "warm the cockles" with mulled cider and apple cake. Details to be advised. 

Then... not to be missed.. on 7th Feb (7.15 for 7.30 pm) we're looking forward to the talk we're hosting in St Nick's by Becky Searle on Soil Science. With the rapid phasing out of peat based compost this is a "hot topic" for any gardener so make sure that it's in your diary. This featured heavily at the GQT. Soil health is a massive subject crucial to all gardeners and one that we are focusing on. Details are in members calendar. Cost £4 members and £5 non members.

We're pleased that members are starting to make good use of the social area next to the Trading Hut. We particularly want to encourage Garden members, Sunhill and Countess Wear "Allotmenteers" to pop along, bring your drink of choice and meet up with fellow members.....weather permitting. We're hoping to host other events on the area and will raise this at the AGM.

We wish you all a Very Happy, Healthy and Fruitful New Year, David and Stella, Social Secretaries

JOBS TO DO ON THE ALLOTMENT AND GARDEN IN JANUARY

1. Prune apple and pear trees and blackcurrant, gooseberry and redcurrant bushes.
2. Mulch the fruit bushes.
3. Prune late flowering shrubs including Wisteria.
4. Dig over vacant plots, that haven't been dug already or add another layer of mulch if "no dig" and sow early veg.
5. Most types of roses should be pruned in January or February, before the leaves start to emerge.
6. Dead head winter flowering pansies, to prevent them going to seed.
7. Rake the leaves, carefully, off bulbs.
8. Harvest parsnips and brussels, if still in the ground.

TOPSHAM ALLOTMENTS AND GARDENS SOCIETY IN 2023

Activities at TAGS returned to near normal this year as the impact of COVID 19 faded. Our trips to Antony Woodland Garden, Marwood Hill and Rosemoor were fully subscribed and thankfully avoided the worst of the very variable weather this summer. We're already working on next years trips. Sadly a lot of members were disappointed when the recent floods prevented our first speaker of the winter getting to us, but we are hoping that Michael Jordan will tell us about the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in the world of fungi some time in the new year.

Our communal area for members next to the Trading Hut on Butts Park is now in operation, there are chairs and a table so some of our 200 plus members can meet up at any time for a catch up and hopefully meet “new chums”. We are also encouraging meet ups between 10.30 and 11.30 at weekends when the Trading Hut is open so that we can make more tables and chairs available for larger gatherings. Our thanks to everybody who helped to get this set up and we hope to have more events for members there in the spring.

The apple harvest was amazing this year, so the trees will need extra encouragement to bear well again next year. Our Wassail to do this, led by our friends from Topsham Folk Club, will be on the third Thursday, (18th) of January, so look out for details of that next month.

The weather certainly provided plenty of challenges for gardeners this year, but members and townfolk still put on a wonderful Show in August with the photos, flowers and produce. During the winter months do keep the camera handy, also a good time to practise your baking and think up ways to construct a vegetable creature, see photo, for next year's show!!  The hollyhock initiative that our President Freddie Bush started has brightened up the town, so please encourage them to self seed for colour in future years. They are a great food source for our pollinators but please don’t let that stop you planting other “bee friendly” plants!!

David and Stella McLarin (Social Secs)

JOBS TO DO IN THE GARDEN IN DECEMBER

If it is too wet and cold to work outside, there is always plenty to do inside.

1. Sow seeds of Allium, Sweet Peas, Lathyrus Geranium and Antirrhinum as well as Wild Flower seeds - all indoors or in greenhouse.
2. You can sow Chilli, herbs, (basil, dill, chives and mint) and vegetable seeds indoors or in greenhouse.
3. Sow winter hardy salad seeds under cover i.e.. Winter Gem and Artic Dwarf lettuce seeds.

Outside –

1. Prune apple and pear trees but not those espaliered against a wall.(these are best done late summer)
2. Also prune acers, birch and vines before Christmas to avoid bleeding.
3. Sow garlic, broad beans, hardy cyclamen and tulip bulbs if not already done so.
4. Harvest leeks, parsnips, winter cabbage and sprouts, plus any remaining root crops.
5. Take hardwood cuttings.
6. Dig over empty borders, prepare and mulch ready for next year’s planting.
7. Insulate outdoor taps and prevent ponds from freezing over, if you have fish, by melting sections of ice or installing a pond heater. A football left floating also helps to keep some open water.

A Happy Christmas and New Year to you all.

Sue Parr and Pam Bush, Garden Reps.