Grow Your Own veg boom is great, says President's Award-winner Medwyn
Grow Your Own has been fantastic for introducing more people into the joys of growing and enjoying the taste of home-grown veg – but despite the boom in interest, and the presence of veg in many show gardens, there has been a reduction in the amount of specialist growers showing at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2010.
“Grow Your Own has been wonderful for encouraging people to grow vegetables,” said President's Award-winning veg grower Medwyn Williams, who is also chairman of the RHS Fruit, Vegetable and Herb Committee. “But I’m disappointed to see how few specialist vegetable displays there are. Growers like that are vital for future development.”
“I’m also concerned that we’re telling people how easy growing veg is. It isn’t – there are many problems you come across growing veg and we don’t want people to be put off just when they’ve started out,” he added. “We must temper our advice and stress how worthwhile it is to grow your own food, and how wonderful the taste is, whatever the problems you may hit along them way.”
But there were some wonderful highlights in the Great Pavilion for people interested in vegetable growing, said Medwyn, including the greenhouse garden on the Pennard Plants display (GPF6). “It shows the public the possibilities, and teaches them about the use of cloches and so on.”
Must sees recommended by Medwyn included fellow specialists W Robinson & Son (GPE18), featuring an educational display on the importance of bees to plants in pollination, and fruit specialist Ken Muir (GPD12), who is grows hanging baskets of fruit on a steel arch.
After a five year absence Medwyn won gold for his magnificent display of more than 45 vegetables, 75 percent of which were grown in containers including pots, tubs, pipes and wheelie bins. Don’t miss Medwyn’s new early potato ‘Casablanca- - ready to eat in just 62 days – his ‘Sweet Candle’ carrots and probably the earliest example of celery seen at Chelsea! Medwyns of Anglesey (GPG3).