The Big Village Veg Off

Today was the annual Brington Flower Show where the battle for champion grower is decided the battle field was the Reading rooms Great Brington. I was not sure if i was going to make it this year as an early morning Ballet lesson was sprung on me. I should point out the Ballet lesson was for my daughters and not me i don't look good in a Tu Tu. Preparation for the show started the night before with lots of digging and washing of the veg. I even made a last minute trip back out into the garden at 11.30pm with a torch in hand to get some better runner beans. 

 We got there 15mins before the doors closed for judging as soon as you entered the hall there was a real buzz in the building with everyone running round putting there entry's in and last minute tinkering. It did not take long to put my entry's in as i had done a lot of preparation the night before. With the veg neatly arranged and the tickets left under them it was time to go home and have a cup of Tea and leave the judges to make there decisions. 

After a cup of tea some lunch which consisted of leek soup from the rejects and a bit of food shopping we returned to the show at about three. The car park was packed so we had to park down the road the tombola was the welcome in the car park with all the money going to Owl conservation. We ended up with a bottle of pinot noir and a vibrating chair.

Inside the hall it was packet full of villagers all keen to see who had got all the red cards. Well i managed to get a first with blanch leeks which where the variety 'Pendle' and first for runner beans a T&M variety 'Snowstorm' so the late night trip out in the garden was worth the effort. The collection of veg came second this consisted of Blanch leek 'Pendle', Onion 'Kelsea' and Pepper 'Britney' from Suttons  and second for any other veg and third for shallots and red onions both from De Ree so not a bad result for the day.

I should point out that there was other exhibits not just veg although that is the important bit. there was some fantastic fruit and loads of tasty cakes and one class that i normally hate is the floral art. But i was very impressed with the birthday cake class where the exhibitors had to make a cake out of flowers if only you could eat them.

The silver ware was handed out and the hall was cleared for another year with every one excited about getting growing again for next year's show.

Taking on the Big Boys at Malvern Part 2

Back in June i announced that i was going to have a go at growing giant veg and Taking On The Big Boys at Malvern in September. Well we where off to a good start the onions, pumpkins and leeks where all romping away better than could be expected. But unfortunately just as the onions where starting to swell they got hit by downy mildew. So unfortunately they had to be lifted which was a real shame as they where doing so well. 
But they had to come out to stop the downy mildew spreading to all my other onions they are drying nicly in the greenhouse now good for the kitchen if not for Malvern.

But the great surprise this year has been the pot leeks they are doing really well and are the biggest i have ever grown. They are growing outside just in a bed that was manured in the winter and have no protection so will not be as big as anyone who has grown them in a tunnel or greenhouse. But they are the biggest i have ever grown so I'm really chuffed to bits with them just hopping that they are still as good in September.

And now for the pumpkins well they have taken over one corner of the garden and we have three lovely pumpkins that are fairly big. Which is great but they do seem to have stopped growing in the last couple of weeks and although they are a decent size. They will be no where near the size needed to get any where close to the other competitors at Malvern we will have to wait and see if they end up at Malvern.
What ever happens i will have a leek at Malvern and may be a pumpkin but we have had great fun growing these giant veg which is what it is all about.
Has any body else had a go at growing some giant veg this year for the first time or going to Malvern with some other entry do let us know.