By Victoria Plum 
By Victoria Plum
An enthusiastic audience at November’s meeting of the Reepham & District Gardening Club enjoyed Juliet Collier’s talk on the National Garden Scheme in Norfolk, instigator of what we know as the “Yellow Book”. She mentioned some of the best gardens to see and said where the monies raised (always significant) went, such as nursing and medical charities and various gardening and historical endeavours.
I used to pick up this booklet in the spring (always available in garden centres, libraries, etc.) with good intentions but few visits. Last year I made an extra effort to visit and feel privileged to have seen some splendid gardens and how generous of the owners to share their hobby horses with us.
Gardening club members will gather at Reepham Town Hall, Church Street, Reepham, on Tuesday 10 December at 7 pm for the Christmas party. There will be an exciting entertainment, with a twist about Blickling Hall.
If you want some positive news on these dark, dismal and dreary days just look at Eves Hill Veg Co’s November newsletter. It is full of sunshine and constructive enthusiasm and details the marvellous opportunities for youngsters and those not so young to learn about growing and food production. The productivity of small pieces of land is astonishing. In my mind I contrast this with the constantly complaining farmers with their subsidised monocultures.
I know that “local” is becoming an overused cliché, but Norwich, like every city, used to be surrounded by smallholdings that fed the city with local produce. These smallholdings have all gone because the thirst for building land is so financially enticing.
Of course, we cannot, and do not want, to turn the clock back, but we should do what we can to support these hardworking endeavours and help them thrive and enjoy fresh, carefully produced vegetables on our tables.
And for your Christmas stocking I recommend Derek Gow’s diverting and fascinating book Birds, Beasts and Bedlam. He describes his career, working with various animal parks and breeding programmes, with humour and humanity, and then admits that having made many mistakes he is now following his instinct.
He has turned his farm over to a variety of breeding projects to enable the reintroduction of British creatures, like the water vole, which have had a hard time due to our land management practices. He puts into focus the zoos we grew up with: a token tiger pacing back and forth in a concrete enclosure with a token log to make it feel at home.
There can be change, thank goodness.
Geoff Fisher