Sunday 18 September 2011

Showgirls and Giants...

This weekend the gardeners of Yorkahsire gathered en mass at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show to celebrate the great and the gargantuan of garden produce. It was my first time visiting the show and after hearing tales of the the giant veg competitions I was looking forward to some treats, but nothing could have prepared me for the displays in the exhibitors tent...

Dahlias to die for..






Chrysanthemums the size of footballs...


And the Roses were just about as good as it gets...

the blooms were definitely the showgirls of the day, with every colour imaginable on display, puffed up, blousy and demanding attention. We loved it! and wandering from tent to tent in a Pimms induced state of bliss, we had no idea what the produce tent had in store for us as we quite literally went from the sublime to the ridiculous!

I quite literally have 'never seen anything like it in my life'! Row after row of trestle tables groaning under the weight of veg so gigantic you have to wonder how they got it there!

You've got to really like cabbage to grow these - lets face it you're going to be eating it for weeks!


I didnt know whether to gasp or giggle at these marrows - they were HUGE! We agreed they wouldn't look out of place with a dinosaur chomping on them!



And the onions! The onions were - staggering! This was the record breaker



Yep - thats right 17lb 15.5 oz That's definitely going to make someones eyes water!

All in all the show is a testament to peoples passion for growing things, everything from Delphiniums to Dragons Egg Cucumbers ( I bought some seeds so I'll be showing you them soon!). I loved seeing the individual growers by their stands, guarding their produce and glowing with pride, that feeling that we all have the first time we grow something that makes it to the table - its just that these guys have turned it into an art form! And striving for excellence is something we all share as gardeners whether we achieve it or not - I know I won't be alone in ending the growing season already planning for what i want to do differently and better next year. Im certainly planning a trip to the Spring next year to get me off to a head start...

8 comments:

  1. We had to go to Leeds on Friday but bumped into our neighbours who had been to Harrogate Flower show - they were in heaven too!

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  2. The flowers are so beautiful and the vegetables are incredible.

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  3. wish I'd gone along to the show... I saw the local news report on the giant veggies.... they are monsters lol. I'd be happy to grow normal sized stuff (I've just had my first season of growing veggies... and not very well). I look forward to seeing how your seeds fair

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  4. Gargantuan indeed! What a brilliant show. Mr flowers once shared a ward with a chap who grew giant onions and leeks, found the whole experience hysterical. Whilst I'm happy if I actually get a leek to look more leek like and less spring oniony. Fab post!

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  5. Love the flowers and veggies are so huge.

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  6. I've never been but family members go and tell me how fantastic it is. Now that is some onion! x

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  7. Wow. What sights. Love those flowers. Thank you for sharing.

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  8. Hello my family and I will be moving to Yorkshire in the spring and having never been to England nor know anyone who has I was wondering if we could chat and I could get a feel for life there. Could not fInd a way to send you a message sorry for puttIng it here

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I lovelovelove your comments and I read everyone. I might not always get round to replying but I will try my best to...girlguide promise x