From the Editor
Hello Everyone
Happy New Year to you all, and hope you have been able to get out for a few walks on some of the beautiful mornings we have had this first week of January with crisp white frost covering the land and trees, and enjoyed seeing it all sparkling and dancing in the sunlight.
It is that time of the year when we gardeners can look forward to the growing season while sitting by the fireside, with a catalogue or iPad and chosen website on our laps, and PLAN. I do love looking at all the new plants and getting ideas for seeds, and working out changes to the garden beds and allotments. I recently saw an advert for a new plant which is grown in Norway from Hayloft Plants (www.hayloft-plants.co.uk). It is called Polygala Purple Passion and is so hardy that it withstands temperatures to –35C, which is incredible. It has pretty pink, purple and yellow pea-like blooms and apparently scents the air with an amazing Tutti Frutti sweet fragrance. Now I had to cast my mind back to childhood sweet buying days to recall that - but it is interesting! I have always loved unique smells in plants, such as Chocolate Cosmos. Very nice website and catalogue, Hayloft, take a look when you have a moment.
Denise Irwin
Happy New Year to you all, and hope you have been able to get out for a few walks on some of the beautiful mornings we have had this first week of January with crisp white frost covering the land and trees, and enjoyed seeing it all sparkling and dancing in the sunlight.
It is that time of the year when we gardeners can look forward to the growing season while sitting by the fireside, with a catalogue or iPad and chosen website on our laps, and PLAN. I do love looking at all the new plants and getting ideas for seeds, and working out changes to the garden beds and allotments. I recently saw an advert for a new plant which is grown in Norway from Hayloft Plants (www.hayloft-plants.co.uk). It is called Polygala Purple Passion and is so hardy that it withstands temperatures to –35C, which is incredible. It has pretty pink, purple and yellow pea-like blooms and apparently scents the air with an amazing Tutti Frutti sweet fragrance. Now I had to cast my mind back to childhood sweet buying days to recall that - but it is interesting! I have always loved unique smells in plants, such as Chocolate Cosmos. Very nice website and catalogue, Hayloft, take a look when you have a moment.
Denise Irwin
Madam Chairman’s Piece
Hope you all had a good Christmas and happy New Year.
This Spring is going to be a momentous one for WAGS one way or another. After many years as Store Manager, Colin Timmins has now “retired”, so on behalf of the committee and all WAGS members I would like to thank Colin for his dedication to the role, opening the store every week come what may, including horrid weather of occasion!
It is the view of the committee that WAGS must have a Store, so without the Store we have to question the viability of WAGS’ existence. I am therefore asking all WAGS members to consider whether they could take on any of the four key roles that keep the Store running, or know of anyone who might be interested:
If no-one comes forward by the AGM, the committee will look to put options to members; these may include the following:
Sandra Halstead
This Spring is going to be a momentous one for WAGS one way or another. After many years as Store Manager, Colin Timmins has now “retired”, so on behalf of the committee and all WAGS members I would like to thank Colin for his dedication to the role, opening the store every week come what may, including horrid weather of occasion!
It is the view of the committee that WAGS must have a Store, so without the Store we have to question the viability of WAGS’ existence. I am therefore asking all WAGS members to consider whether they could take on any of the four key roles that keep the Store running, or know of anyone who might be interested:
- Manning the Store on Saturdays 11-12noon (Feb-July, Sept-Oct)
- Making orders for stock
- Taking delivery of orders (i.e. unloading from a lorry into the store)
- Annual stock take
If no-one comes forward by the AGM, the committee will look to put options to members; these may include the following:
- WAGS to try and find another club/society/group to run the Annual Show and the rest of WAGS folds
- WAGS closes and there is no Show
- Any other ideas WAGS members suggest to us before the AGM!
Sandra Halstead
Newsletter Editor
We also need a new Newsletter editor with reasonable word processing skills to pull together articles submitted into a simple Word document. If you have an hour or so every 3 months, please do come forward.
So we need as many of our members as possible to attend the AGM to vote on the future of your society.
So we need as many of our members as possible to attend the AGM to vote on the future of your society.
Spring Plant Sale
We are still going to have our plant sale on Saturday 6th May, whatever happens at the AGM, but if we are going to have bedding plants for sale, I need some volunteers with frost-free greenhouse space to take the plug plants and grow them on Mar/Apr – so please contact me asap if you have some space as I need to be ordering them by late January.
If you can grow some extra vegetable plants to donate, that would be great too, as they are always very popular. Finally, if you bought 6-pack trays of bedding last year, please return the trays to WAGS so we can use them again rather than have to buy new.
All we can do now is wait and see who comes forward to rescue the store, and help with plug plants for the sale, fingers crossed everyone.
Please contact me either by phone on 01491 836527 or by email s.halstead2@btinternet.com
If you can grow some extra vegetable plants to donate, that would be great too, as they are always very popular. Finally, if you bought 6-pack trays of bedding last year, please return the trays to WAGS so we can use them again rather than have to buy new.
All we can do now is wait and see who comes forward to rescue the store, and help with plug plants for the sale, fingers crossed everyone.
Please contact me either by phone on 01491 836527 or by email s.halstead2@btinternet.com
Store News
Given how quiet the store is in January, the committee decided not to reopen until 4th February. If you haven’t ordered seeds with your WAGS discount from Dobies, you can still do so by picking up a copy of the catalogue & order form when the store reopens. Don’t forget about the WAGS Store Seed Swap and bring in your unwanted seeds to swap for something new.
Potatoes are likely to be in store from last week of February and onions/shallots in early February, so come early if you want the most choice.
Potato varieties are: Picasso, Arran, Cara, Desiree, Charlotte, Foremost, Kestrel, Rocket and Estima
Potatoes are likely to be in store from last week of February and onions/shallots in early February, so come early if you want the most choice.
Potato varieties are: Picasso, Arran, Cara, Desiree, Charlotte, Foremost, Kestrel, Rocket and Estima
Squash Pie
My chosen recipe for January is one that is very good for using up butternut squash, a vegetable that you may have grown and are storing and is a healthy variation on shepherd’s pie, replacing potatoes with the squash, as squash is low fat. Other ingredients include things that many of us grow, such as carrots and several types of herbs, so I hope you enjoy trying it out.
FOR THE TOPPING:
1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and the seeds removed
30g (1oz) butter Pinch of ground ginger
FOR THE FILLING:
1tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, peeled & crushed
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped 2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped 250g (8oz) lean beef mince
400g (13oz) tinned chopped tomatoes 1-2tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 fresh bay leaf 150ml (5fl oz) vegetable stock
1 sprig fresh rosemary Tabasco, to taste
1 Flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
METHOD
TOP TIP: To prevent the pie bubbling over, place the dish on a baking sheet before putting in the oven.
Denise Irwin
FOR THE TOPPING:
1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and the seeds removed
30g (1oz) butter Pinch of ground ginger
FOR THE FILLING:
1tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, peeled & crushed
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped 2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped 250g (8oz) lean beef mince
400g (13oz) tinned chopped tomatoes 1-2tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 fresh bay leaf 150ml (5fl oz) vegetable stock
1 sprig fresh rosemary Tabasco, to taste
1 Flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
METHOD
- Heat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6)
- For the topping, cut the squash into chunks and spread on a baking tray. Drizzle lightly with oil and roast for about 25 minutes, or until tender. Mash with the butter. Add the ginger and season with a little salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat and fry the garlic, onion, carrots and celery for 7-10 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the beef and fry until coloured, breaking up any lumps with a fork. Add the chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, stock and rosemary, and bring to the boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half. Season to taste with a dash of Tabasco, salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley.
- Spoon the beef mixture into a medium pie dish and top with the butternut mash. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
TOP TIP: To prevent the pie bubbling over, place the dish on a baking sheet before putting in the oven.
Denise Irwin
Invitation from Wallingford Gardening Club
Flowers of the Costa Blanca
At the January meeting of the Wallingford Gardening Club, Malcolm Broadsword returns to talk about the 'Flowers of the Costa Blanca'. He will tell us about flowers of the coast and mountains of eastern Spain, with a little reference to the local garden plants.
Malcolm is a retired chemist, a keen amateur gardener and photographer. His interests include Japanese gardens, hardy orchids and plant propagation. The talk will be held at Ridgeway Community Church, Wallingford at 7.30pm on Thursday 12th January. Visitors very welcome, £3.
Madeira Quintas and Botanical Garden
At the February meeting of the Wallingford Gardening Club, Brian Fisher will talk about the ''Madeira Quintas and Botanical Garden".
Brian has a Wisley Diploma and is a recognised plantsman, working practically with plants and in gardens. The talk will be held at Ridgeway Community Church, Wallingford, 7.30pm Thursday 9th February. Visitors very welcome, £3.
Isabelle Darby (01491-836867)
At the January meeting of the Wallingford Gardening Club, Malcolm Broadsword returns to talk about the 'Flowers of the Costa Blanca'. He will tell us about flowers of the coast and mountains of eastern Spain, with a little reference to the local garden plants.
Malcolm is a retired chemist, a keen amateur gardener and photographer. His interests include Japanese gardens, hardy orchids and plant propagation. The talk will be held at Ridgeway Community Church, Wallingford at 7.30pm on Thursday 12th January. Visitors very welcome, £3.
Madeira Quintas and Botanical Garden
At the February meeting of the Wallingford Gardening Club, Brian Fisher will talk about the ''Madeira Quintas and Botanical Garden".
Brian has a Wisley Diploma and is a recognised plantsman, working practically with plants and in gardens. The talk will be held at Ridgeway Community Church, Wallingford, 7.30pm Thursday 9th February. Visitors very welcome, £3.
Isabelle Darby (01491-836867)