Take the chance to show off the fruits of your labour
Ilove flower and produce shows. They have their roots in the 19th century when local landowners promoted them to encourage improvement in horticultural practice and self-sufficiency. Horticultural societies were formed to manage shows following the lead of the national Royal Horticultural Society.
The profile of exhibitors has changed over the decades. The new breed of exhibitors includes a younger demographic and a good gender balance. The classes have changed too.
I noticed in Musselburgh Allotment Holders’ Association Schedule of September 1923, there was a class for stalks of Brussels sprouts. These days we consider sprouts to be a winter vegetable. Nowadays schedules can include chillies and aubergines.
Most of us are growing fruit, flowers and vegetables on our allotments to enjoy at home and share with our friends. Sometimes something turns out really well at the right time for entering in a show.
The prime time for shows is August and September. Entries to some shows will be restricted to members of a society, allotment site or location, but many are open shows. Now is the time to start earmarking potential exhibits.
On the day show secretaries are there to guide first timers but I recommend investing in two useful publications from the Royal Horticultural Society.
The first is The Horticultural Show Handbook which is about organising, judging and competing in a show. The book includes a list of vegetables and what qualities are desirable. Most judges are looking for uniformity of
exhibits and freshness. They’ll open pea pods to count the number of peas and check for pests. My family laugh as I try to find four straight pods of runner beans of equal length the night before the show. Beans need keeping in good condition as the judges will snap one to test for freshness.
The second book is The Great British Village Show. This is where to check up on details such as whether or not to leave the green calyx on your prize
The new breed of exhibitors includes a younger demographic
tomatoes for exhibition, and a great deal more. There are some amusing stories too about what goes on behind the scenes including some of the triumphs and mishaps.
Recently, shows have diversified into areas such as painting, art, photography and cooking. Most shows also have a children’s section, including miniature gardens and making a character out of fruit and vegetables. Twisted carrots, misshapen courgettes and other wonky vegetables lend themselves to being turned into dinosaurs. n