8th Annual Potato Day

Last Saturday Drimpton Village Hall and an enthusiastic team of helpers welcomed nearly 200 people to the annual Potato Day, run by the Clapton, Wayford, Drimpton and District Horticultural Society and Pennard Plants. It is a chance for gardeners, near and far, to select seed potatoes for growing from nearly 100 varieties on offer, with plenty of information and advice on hand. There were also plants, fruit bushes, onion sets, rhubarb  (you name it, it seemed to be available).

Setting out the tables

Plants and Potatoes all ready

Kitchen calm before the storm

Potato Day in Drimpton is far more than just potatoes. There is time for family fun, which this year saw the stage (rather more used to hosting the village pantomime, of which more in PANTO: The MANUAL) turned over to the creation of Valentine cards using potato prints under the guidance and inspiration of Jenny Beck and helpers. Food always plays a big part in a village which does seem to have bagged more than its fair share of brilliant cooks, coordinated by Rosemary Shepherd and Kate Hesketh. In addition to all day breakfasts and baked potatoes there we loads of cakes and bakes, nearly all of which went.

Mike and Chris hunting a signal

John and Mick on traffic duty

Visitors arriving

Chatting to Chris Smith from Pennard Plants, as we were packing up, he said that they had found much more interest in the Heritage & Heirloom Vegetable Seeds. I know many gardeners like to use some of the modern varieties, but I notice both in Garden Organic magazine and The Garden, from the RHS, that plenty of gardeners are renewing acquaintance with some older varieties and trying some less familiar ones. Certainly I had great success with two different varieties of tomato seeds in the last couple of years: Cosmonaut Volcov and Black Prince, both bought at Potato Day.

We had no hesitation in booking for next year - Saturday 6th February 2016.

If you missed our Potato Day, you may be in time to catch another, here is a list of Potato Days

I've also posted this on my gardening blog - Soggydaygardener