I have some way to go before entering my produce into a horticultural show
o many of us turned to our gardens during the pandemic and attended to patches or projects that were long overdue.
I for one set about creating a vegetable garden, something that I had thought about but had never got round to addressing, let alone digging. I can’t say my produce would win any shows, but it definitely made a few friends and family laugh during Covid as my carrots were stumpy shapes and my parsnips resembled something from an alien world but tasted OK.
Attending the Ellens Green and Rudgwick Gardening Association autumn show really illustrated that I had some way to go before entering my produce in one of the spring, summer or autumn shows.
The standard was high, with very straight, fat carrots, thick leeks polished, large round beetroot and plump raspberries – although I think my runner beans might have stood a chance as they have been in abundance this year.
Gardening is something that
Sthe whole family can be involved in and prizes were offered at the spring and summer shows to the younger members. The local art group took up a wall of the village hall with excellent forms of art featuring nature, local chickens, landscapes, and still-life scenes captured in watercolours.
So, whether you attended for a stroll among the show flowers and stalls or entered one of its many show competitions, everyone was welcome, and it was so good to see such an abundance of entries in all categories as well as an eager audience socialising over the dahlias.
The association’s calendar of events extends beyond the shows with quiz nights, plant sales, visits, and open garden events.
Ellens Green and Rudgwick Gardening Association was founded in 1945, a group of local people with a common interest and passion for all things gardening.
The cookery classes were as competitive as ever. A very large loaf caught my eye, but it did not win as once cut in half it had too many holes inside. I was delighted to meet up with someone I had not seen for so long but had bumped into at the Loxwood fete and then here as she had entered into the pasty class and raspberry jam swiss roll for which she had won first prize for each – her husband was rejoicing in the fact she had won £1 for each class, an increase from 50p, and that he would be sampling both at home tonight.
What is nice is the programme tells you what the judges look for in a bloom, fruit, vegetables, and bake. Recycling of garden pots was evident on one stall and plants from members’ gardens were on sale as were raffle tickets and guess the pumpkin weight.
So the winners were: most points in vegetables – Dave Ockenden; best apples – Simon Quail; best vegetable – Dave Ockenden; the Swithinbank Cup Home Fare was split between Shannon Childs, Maeve Filley and Jenny Griffin; most points in horticulture (flowers) – Brenda Westbrook; dahlia cup Vera Clarke; best pot plant – Dave Ockenden; and flower arranging – Jane Bryan.